Teams

Each of teams are composed of two individuals who have some type of relationship to each other.

The participants speak both Chinese and English. The contestants chosen to appear are from various countries and not solely from China, however these contestants must be living in China for a period of time in order to apply.

Route Markers

Route Markers are yellow and red flags that mark the places where teams must go. Most Route Markers are attached to the boxes that contain clue envelopes, but some may mark the place where the teams must go in order to complete tasks, or may be used to line a course that the teams must follow.

Clues

Clues are found in sealed envelopes, normally inside clue boxes. They give teams the information they need and tasks they need to do in order for them to progress through the legs. Clues are written in both Chinese and English.

• Route Info: A general clue that may include a task to be completed by the team before they can receive their next clue.
• Detour: A choice of two tasks. Teams are free to choose either task or swap tasks if they find one option too difficult.
• Roadblock: A task only one team member can complete. Teams must choose which member will complete the task based on a brief clue about the task before fully revealing the details of the task.
• Fast Forward: Introduced in Season 3. A task that if completed allows a team to skip all remaining tasks in the leg and go directly to the Pit Stop. A team may only use the Fast Forward once.

Obstacles

Teams may encounter the follow obstructions that could potentially slow them down:

• U-Turn: A station located after a Detour where a team can force another trailing team to return and complete the other option of the Detour they did not select. Season 2 introduced the Double U-Turn which allows two teams to exercise their U-Turn power.
• Yield: A station where a team can force another trailing team to wait a pre-determined amount of time before continuing racing. In the first two seasons, the teams had to wait until a spiral of incense finished burning, which took 15 minutes. Starting with Season 3, an hourglass filled with sand was used, which took 20 minutes.
• Intersection: Introduced in season 2, this sign indicates that two teams must complete further tasks together until a clue indicates that they are no longer Intersected.

Legs

At the beginning of each leg, teams receive an allowance of cash, usually in U.S. dollars, to cover expenses during the legs (except for the purchase of airline tickets, which are paid-for by provided credit cards provided).

Teams then have to follow clues and Route Markers that will lead them to the various destinations and tasks they will face. Modes of travel between these destinations include commercial and chartered airplanes, boats, trains, taxis, buses, and rented vehicles provided by the show, or the teams may simply travel by foot. Each leg ends with a twelve-hour Pit Stop (提示) where teams are able to rest and where teams that arrive last are progressively eliminated until only three remain. The first teams to arrive at the Pit Stop win prizes, usually from the show's sponsors.

Rules

• Unlike the American, Australian, and Asian versions, there seems to be no rule prohibiting hitchhiking, as teams in the second season rode in private vehicles on a few occasions with no penalty.

Penalties

• If a team member helps their partner with a Roadblock, they will be issued a 30-minute penalty at the Pit Stop before being allowed to check in.
• Failing to complete a challenge will result in a 2-hour penalty (4 hours in season 1) that must be served before teams can receive their next clue.
• Teams failing to place their backpacks in the designated area at a challenge will be issued a 30-minute penalty at the Pit Stop before being allowed to check in.