Getting Around Lishui
Lishui is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Zhejiang province, and its terrain is overwhelmingly mountainous — a fact that shapes how you move around it. The city proper is compact enough to navigate by a handful of straightforward modes, while the wider prefecture is linked by a network of paved roads and highways reaching every sub-county. Here's what a visitor needs to know.
Rail: The Backbone of Regional Travel
Lishui's main rail gateway is Lishui station, located on the southeast side of the city, just minutes from the center by car or bus. The city is well connected to major cities by bullet train, making rail the most practical way to arrive from elsewhere in the region.
- Wenzhou South Station: roughly 35 minutes away by high-speed train.
- Hangzhou East Station: about 1.5 hours by high-speed train.
- Shanghai Hongqiao Station: about 3 hours by high-speed train.
- From Shanghai generally: the trip takes about two hours and 20 minutes via high-speed rail.
The Jinhua–Wenzhou Railway also runs through the prefecture and, together with the No. 330 National Highway, forms the backbone of the area's public transportation system.
Metro and Tram
Lishui has no metro or tram network of its own. For rail-based travel, visitors rely on the national high-speed rail system described above rather than any local urban rail.
Buses
Public buses run fairly often, though frequency depends on the route. They are the workhorse of everyday movement around the city.
- Fares: single- and double-digit route numbers cost ¥1.5, or ¥1.2 with a prepaid bus card. Longer-distance buses, often with three-digit route numbers, cost ¥3–4.
- Payment: pay in coins or bills — no change is given — or beep a prepaid bus card. Simply board, drop your coins in the machine or tap your card, and you're set.
- Long-distance buses: Lishui East bus station serves cities across Zhejiang and a few major cities in other provinces. Most buses heading to destinations within Lishui prefecture pass through a small bus station in front of the train station on their way out of town. If you're arriving in Lishui by one of these buses, note that you'll be dropped off on the ring road about 300 m west of the station rather than at the terminal itself.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are easy to find around most major sites, and drivers are generally honest. The main practical hurdle is language: very few taxi drivers speak English, so it's worth having your destination written out in Chinese — both the name and the address — to show your driver.
- Fares: start at ¥8, with typical in-city journeys costing between ¥8 and ¥25.
Walking
The central part of Lishui is manageable on foot for short trips between nearby sights, and the train station is only minutes from the center by car or bus. Beyond the immediate city core, though, the mountainous geography and the spread-out nature of the prefecture mean walking is best treated as a way to cover local distances rather than a primary way to get across town.
Getting In from the Airport
Lishui is served by Lishui Airport, which opened in July 2025. Because the airport is new, most visitors arriving by air still come through one of the larger international gateways in the region and connect onward by high-speed rail. Here are the established options:
- Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH): serves domestic and international flights. To reach Lishui, take a taxi or metro to Hangzhou East railway station, then travel by bullet train (approximately 1.5 hours). There are also four buses a day running directly between Lishui and the airport, taking around 3 hours 15 minutes for a ticket price of ¥122.
- Shanghai Hongqiao Airport (SHA): serves domestic and some international destinations. Terminal 2 is attached to Hongqiao railway station, which is about 3 hours from Lishui by high-speed train. From Terminal 1, take the shuttle bus to Terminal 2, or metro line 10 two stops to the railway station.
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG): the largest international airport in the vicinity of Lishui, serving domestic and international flights from across China and the world. To get to Lishui, first travel to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station (about a 1.5-hour subway ride from Pudong), then take a bullet train to Lishui station (3 hours).
- Wenzhou Longwan International Airport (WNZ): serves domestic and international flights, with services to airports throughout China. The airport sits on the east side of Wenzhou. To reach Lishui, first go to Wenzhou South station, then take a bullet train for approximately 35 minutes.
Practical Tips
- Carry small change or a prepaid bus card for city buses — drivers don't give change.
- Write your destination in Chinese for taxi drivers, since English is rarely spoken.
- If you're arriving by long-distance bus, expect to be dropped on the ring road west of the train station rather than at the terminal.
- For regional trips, high-speed rail from Lishui station is fast and well connected; build your itinerary around it rather than around local urban rail, which doesn't exist here.