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How to Search for Restaurants and Attractions by Name in Amap

Last updated: 2026-04-30

Amap
Amap
maps · beginner
View Guide → is the most reliable way to find and navigate to places in China. Its search database covers virtually every business, attraction, and address in the country — far more complete than Google Maps for Chinese locations. Most tourist-relevant places can be found with English search terms.

Searching by Name

Tap the search bar at the top of the Amap home screen. Type the name of the place you're looking for:

  • Attractions: "Forbidden City", "West Lake", "Zhangjiajie National Forest Park", "Chengdu Panda Base"
  • Hotels: "Marriott Beijing", "Hilton Shanghai" — major international hotel chains work well
  • Restaurants: English names of chain restaurants work (e.g. "Haidilao", "Din Tai Fung"). For local restaurants, you may need the Chinese name
  • Generic searches: "coffee near me", "pharmacy", "hospital", "ATM", "convenience store"

Amap shows a list of matching results with their distance from your current location. Tap the correct result to see it on the map.

Reading the Place Card

When you tap a search result, Amap shows a place card with:

  • Name (in English if available, Chinese otherwise)
  • Address
  • Opening hours (if available)
  • Phone number
  • Distance from you
  • User ratings (from Amap's own review system)

Tap "More" or scroll down to see additional details like photos and reviews.

Getting Directions from the Place Card

Tap the blue Directions button on the place card. Choose your transport mode:

  • Walking (person icon)
  • Transit/metro (bus icon)
  • Driving (car icon)
  • Cycling (bike icon)

Amap calculates the route and shows estimated time and distance. Tap Start to begin navigation.

✓

For restaurants, tap the phone number on the place card to call ahead and check if they're open or have availability. Many popular restaurants in China require reservations, especially on weekends.

Searching Near a Specific Location

To search near a place other than your current location:

  1. Long-press any point on the map to drop a pin
  2. Tap the pin → "Nearby"
  3. Search for the type of place you want (e.g. "restaurant", "ATM")

This is useful for finding restaurants near your hotel before you arrive, or finding a pharmacy near a tourist attraction.

Practical Tips

  • Chinese names help: For local restaurants and smaller businesses, having the Chinese name (from a recommendation or Xiaohongshu post) gives much better search results than English.
  • Save places: Tap the star icon on any place card to save it to your favorites. Saved places appear on your map as yellow stars.
  • Share a location: Tap the share icon on a place card to send the location via WeChat or copy the link. Useful for sharing a restaurant with travel companions.
  • Verify hours: Opening hours in Amap are sometimes outdated. For important visits (museums, parks), check the official website or call ahead.