Understanding Huzhou's Layout
Huzhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang, sitting on the south bank of Lake Tai. It governs two districts — Wuxing and Nanxun — and three counties: Deqing, Changxing and Anji. For a visitor, this matters because the places you'll want to see are spread across a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas. Central Huzhou and Nanxun sit on flat plains, while Deqing and Anji are hilly, with bamboo forests and mountain roads. Changxing mixes lakeside routes, wetlands and countryside.
The practical upshot: getting around the central city is straightforward, but reaching the counties and scenic areas usually means combining rail, bus and taxi or ride-hailing, and sometimes arranging a vehicle in advance.
Rail: Your Main Link Between Towns
Huzhou has no urban metro system, so trains are the backbone of longer trips. The city is served by several stations, and which one you use depends on where you're headed.
- Huzhou Station — the main regional hub, west of the city centre, serving central Huzhou, Wuxing District, the South Lake Tai area and Taihu Dragon Dream. Both conventional and high-speed trains stop here, with connections toward Hangzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai.
- Huzhou East Station — serves eastern Wuxing and Zhili; less convenient for the traditional city centre.
- Huzhou Nanxun Station — the gateway for Nanxun Ancient Town, though the town itself is a short road transfer away, reachable by scenic shuttle, local bus or taxi.
- Deqing Station — best gateway for Mogan Mountain and the Deqing urban area.
- Anji Station — located in Tianzihu Town, some distance from central Anji, so a further road transfer is required.
- Changxing Station — serves Changxing County and its lake and countryside attractions.
- Deqing West and Changxing South — smaller stations handling only slower conventional trains.
High-speed services connect Huzhou with Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou and the Nanjing corridor, making the city easy to reach from elsewhere in the Yangtze River Delta. If you're arriving from Shanghai, note that the Shanghai–Suzhou–Huzhou High-Speed Railway added Huzhou Nanxun and Huzhou East as stops, which can put you closer to Nanxun Ancient Town than the main station would.
Buses and Public Transport
Huzhou's bus network covers the central city, the railway stations and many county towns. It's inexpensive, but for distant counties or remote attractions you may need to change buses more than once, and evening frequency on rural and scenic routes is limited.
- Fares: air-conditioned city buses charge a flat low fare, while suburban lines use multi-level fares that rise with distance. Expect to pay a few yuan per ride.
- Payment: you can pay with exact cash (drivers may not give change), a local rechargeable transport card, or by scanning a QR code with WeChat Pay or Alipay.
- Hours: services generally run from early morning to around 9 PM, varying by route; popular routes are more frequent.
- Concessions: free or discounted travel is offered to certain groups, including seniors, students and disabled passengers — useful to know if you qualify.
- Accessibility: buses typically have steps to board and few dedicated wheelchair spaces, so they can be difficult for travellers with mobility issues.
There is no hop-on-hop-off sightseeing service. Local operators do run day trips from Huzhou to destinations such as Nanxun and Moganshan if you'd prefer an organised option.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are widely available at the main railway stations — Huzhou Station, Huzhou East, Huzhou Nanxun, and the Deqing, Changxing and Anji stations — as well as in the city centre. They're metered, with a modest starting fare plus a per-kilometre charge, and you can pay in cash or by mobile payment. You can hail one on the street or pick one up at designated stands at transport hubs.
Ride-hailing is dominated by Didi Chuxing. Payment runs through WeChat Pay or Alipay linked to a bank card, and the app provides driver ID, GPS tracking and an in-app emergency button. In remote villages and mountain areas, taxis and ride-hailing become less predictable, so it's wise to arrange a return vehicle in advance for places like Mogan Mountain, Tianhuangping, Daming Bamboo Sea and western Anji.
For multi-county itineraries, hiring a private car and driver is often the most efficient option. Note that some scenic areas, such as Mogan Mountain, operate internal shuttles or temporary vehicle controls.
Walking and Cycling
Walking is the best way to enjoy several of Huzhou's highlights. Nanxun Ancient Town, with its canal paths, stone bridges and historic alleys, is made for exploring on foot. City-centre parks and the Taihu Lake promenades are also pleasant to walk.
Public bicycles are available and free to rent for the first hour; beyond that a small hourly charge applies, with a capped daily maximum. Shared bikes from apps such as Hellobike, Meituan Bike and Didi Bike are widely available, and bike infrastructure is growing, with exclusive lanes in some areas. The Xishanyang Wetland has a long greenway separated from motor traffic, well suited to casual family cycling.
A few cautions: in Nanxun, bicycles are better used outside the pedestrian core, and you should dismount in crowded sections on weekends and holidays. Also watch for quiet but fast electric scooters. For navigation, Baidu Maps or Amap (Gaode Ditu) are the tools locals use; there are no widely advertised English-language walking tours.
Getting In from the Airport
Huzhou has no major commercial airport — Deqing Mogan Mountain Airport handles general aviation only. Most visitors fly into one of two gateways:
- Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport — the most practical choice for Deqing, Mogan Mountain and southern Huzhou.
- Shanghai Hongqiao — useful because the airport is integrated with Hongqiao Railway Station, so you can transfer straight onto a high-speed train to Huzhou.
If you arrive at Pudong Airport, you'll need to transfer to Hongqiao Railway Station first, by airport rail link, metro, bus or private transfer, before continuing by train. Once at a rail station, high-speed services bring you into Huzhou and its outlying stations.
Practical Tips
- Many bus and taxi drivers speak no English — carry your destinations written in Chinese or use an offline translation app.
- Essential apps: WeChat, Alipay, Didi, and Baidu Maps or Amap. A VPN is needed to reach international sites.
- Emergency numbers: police 110, ambulance 120.
- Typhoon season runs July to September.
- Roads are generally well maintained, but expect peak-hour congestion in urban areas and paid parking in designated lots and garages.
- Newer facilities such as high-speed rail stations are better equipped for accessibility, while older attractions and ancient towns like Nanxun have steps and narrow paths that can be challenging for travellers with mobility issues.