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Tactile Indicator Application in China

Tactile Indicators are products made from various materials installed into the ground consisting of a series of raised studs or bars. They are installed in the form of laid paving units, individual mushroom shaped studs drilled and fixed into the ground or mats glued to the ground surface.

Tactile ground surface indicators are installed broadly in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian, and Guangzhou. They can also be found winding through suburban areas surrounding major cities; the volume of blocks installed is second only to Japan. Both warning and directional blocks are used and installed in a manner roughly the same as in Japan. Some areas have their own rules, however, such as in parts of Guangzhou where no blocks are installed where directional blocks intersect, a location where warning blocks would normally be installed. Block colors include yellow, grey, green, brown and beige. As in Korea, because installation methods are adopted whole cloth from Japan, many of the same errors are found. Maintenance is also inconsistent; here and there one sees broken blocks that have been left unrepaired.