| Alt Name: | 极速前进：冲刺！中国 |
| Genre: | Reality competition |
| Runtime: | 60-90 minutes |
| Creator: | Elise Doganieri Bertram van Munster |
| Director: | Chad Grochowski |
| Executive Producer: | Xia Jing |
| Producer: | Yi YangTian, Diao ShuWen, Julliet Pan |
| Editor: | Julliet Pan Yi YangTian |
| Presenter: | Allan Wu 吴振天 (previously known as 吴振宇) |
| Theme Music Composer: | John M. Keane |
| Country: | China |
| Language: | Chinese English |
| Network: | International Channel Shanghai (English) Dragon TV (Chinese; since season 2) |
| Company: | Fly Films (2010) She&Jul Films (2011) Boxtop Studios (2012) |
| Num Seasons: | 3 |
| Num Episodes: | 36 |
The Amazing Race: China Rush is a Chinese reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Following the premise of other versions in the Amazing Race franchise, the show follows teams of two as they race across China. Each season is split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselves in foreign areas, interact with locals, perform physical and mental challenges, and travel by air, boat, car, taxi, and other modes of transport. Teams are progressively eliminated at the end of most legs for being the last to arrive at designated Pit Stops. The first team to arrive at the Finish Line wins a trip for two around the world.
In March 2010, a Chinese version of the show was announced by the Disney-ABC International Television Asia Pacific. The show was produced by Shanghai-based international production company Fly Films,[1] which had previously produced Shanghai Rush in 2009, a showed heavily influenced by The Amazing Race. The first series was filmed in April/June 2010 and broadcast in August 2010 by International Channel Shanghai.[2] Starting with the second season, it was announced that Dragon TV would broadcast a Chinese-language version of the show. The host for the show is Singapore based Chinese-American actor Allan Wu,[3] who was also the host of The Amazing Race Asia.
The Amazing Race: China Rush is a reality television competition between teams of two in a race around China. Each season starts in Shanghai and is divided into a number of legs wherein teams travel and complete various tasks to obtain clues to help them progress to a Pit Stop where they are given a chance to rest and recover before starting the next leg. The first team to arrive at a Pit Stop is often awarded a prize, while the last team is normally eliminated (except in non-elimination legs, where the last team to arrive may be penalized in the following leg). The final leg is run by the last three remaining teams, and the first to arrive at the final destination wins a trip around the world.
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 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 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.
A general clue that may include a task to be completed by the team before they can receive their next clue.
A choice of two tasks. Teams are free to choose either task or swap tasks if they find one option too difficult.
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.
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.
Teams may encounter the follow obstructions that could potentially slow them down:
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.
Each season has a number of predetermined non-elimination legs, in which the last team to arrive at the Pit Stop is not eliminated and is allowed to continue.
A task that only the team saved from elimination on the previous leg must complete before continuing on.
Introduced in the second season, a virtual pit stop is counted as an actual pit stop where teams do not rest, beginning the next leg immediately without receiving the usual money or prizes (hence, virtual).
Most of the rules and penalties are adopted directly from the American edition; but in some of cases, this version has been seen to have a unique set of additional rules.
| Season | Broadcast | Winners | Teams | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere Date | Finale Date | |||
| 1 | Australia, United States: & | 10 | ||
| 2 | United States, Germany: & | 11 | ||
| 3 | China & | |||
| Country | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Winner / | 4th | 5th | |
| Canada | 4th | 11th | 11th | |
| China (Host) | 2nd / / 5th / 8th / 10th | Winner / / 4th / 8th / 9th / 11th | ||
| England | 5th | |||
| Germany | Winner | |||
| Ghana | 11th | |||
| India | 3rd | |||
| Kenya | 10th | |||
| Latvia | 8th | |||
| Malaysia | 6th | |||
| Mexico | 9th | |||
| New Zealand | 4th | |||
| Scotland | 10th | |||
| Sweden | 5th | |||
| Ukraine | 6th | |||
| United Kingdom | 6th | |||
| United States | Winner / 4th / 5th / 6th / 7th | Winner / / 7th | 3rd / 7th / 10th |
indicates the winning country.
indicates the runner-up country.
indicates the third-place country.
indicates the country did not participate.
Notes: Sarah & Molly, Karen & Lisa, Charlie & Rachel, Paul & Nash, Elena & Tameka, Matt & Kylie, Simon & Katherine, Lily & Jan, Jia Jia & Rob, Nick & Brandon and Janelle & Karin are all teams which representing 2 different countries.
Australia, China and United States each was the winner and the runner-up in a different season.
The both runner-up teams in season 2 was from China.
| place | Country | Winner | Runner-up | Third-place | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | United States | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2nd | China (Host) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 3rd | Australia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 4th | Germany | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5th | India | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6th | Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| England | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ghana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kenya | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Latvia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Malaysia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Scotland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sweden | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ukraine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| United Kingdom | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 4 | 3 | 12 | |
After three seasons, The Amazing Race: China Rush has visited 17 provinces, including the claimed Taiwan Province, and 3 municipalities.
| Rank | Province | Season visited | Pit Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai | 3 (1, 2, 3) | 2 |
| Yunnan | 3 (1, 2, 3) | 5 | |
| Zhejiang | 3 (1, 2, 3) | 4 | |
| 4 | Guangdong | 2 (1, 2) | 2 |
| Jiangsu | 2 (1, 3) | 4 | |
| Shandong | 2 (1, 2) | 3 | |
| Sichuan | 2 (1, 3) | 3 | |
| 8 | Anhui | 1 (3) | 1 |
| Beijing | 1 (1) | 1 | |
| Chongqing | 1 (2) | 1 | |
| Fujian | 1 (2) | 1 | |
| Guizhou | 1 (3) | 1 | |
| Heilongjiang | 1 (3) | 1 | |
| Henan | 1 (3) | 0 | |
| Hunan | 1 (2) | 1 | |
| Jiangxi | 1 (2) | 1 | |
| Jilin | 1 (3) | 1 | |
| Qinghai | 1 (2) | 2 | |
| Shanxi | 1 (3) | 1 | |
| Taiwan | 1 (3) | 1 | |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Asian Television Awards | Best Adaptation of an Existing Format | Season 1 | [4] | |
| 2012 | Asian Television Awards | Best Adaptation of an Existing Format | Season 2 | [5] | |