Suggestion for Getting Around Cities for Newbies
Although I have traveled to China many times, my Chinese is poor, and I have felt restricted by my inability to explore cities without a Chinese speaker. (Mainly relatives I have in Wuhan) Last year I figured out a workable solution for me. Take a picture of the address where I live (or a street crossing), and print out a picture or take a picture of where I am going to. (Say Walmart in Wuhan or a shopping center)
My experience has been that the cab drivers in Wuhan are both cheap and honest. Then flag down a cab, show them a picture of where I am going to, and then, on my end, I have some independence and don't have to bother friends or relatives. On return, have picture of where I am returning to, and again, I can flag a cab driver who doesn't need to speak English. Hope this helps some people.