Getting Your Bearings
Quzhou is a prefecture-level city in western Zhejiang, sitting at the junction of Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces — a position that has long made it a transport hub, captured in the local saying "four provinces through Qu, it's the head of five roads." For a visitor, the practical consequence is that the city is easy to reach and reasonably easy to move around, but its attractions are spread widely. The compact historic centre sits in Kecheng District, while major scenic areas such as Jianglang Mountain, Nianbadu, Tianji Longmen, Sanqu Stone Forest and Qianjiangyuan lie out in Qujiang District, Longyou County, Jiangshan City, Changshan County and Kaihua County. Plan on using different modes for the city and for the countryside.
Rail: Your Backbone for Regional Travel
Quzhou is well served by railways, and the train is usually the fastest and simplest way to cover distance in the region. The main corridor is the Shanghai–Kunming rail line, and the Hangzhou–Quzhou High-Speed Railway has added a fast link toward Hangzhou. High-speed G and D trains connect Quzhou with Hangzhou and Shanghai, making day trips and onward connections straightforward.
Which station you want depends on where you are going:
- Quzhou Railway Station — the most convenient station for the traditional city centre, Quzhou Ancient City, the Confucian Temple and Water Pavilion Gate. A tourist bus links it to the visitor distribution centre, Confucius Cultural Park, Confucian Temple, Water Pavilion Gate and the western urban area.
- Quzhou West — the main gateway for the newer high-speed line toward Hangzhou, and useful for the western city area, Changshan and Kaihua.
- Longyou and Longyou North — for Longyou County and the Longyou Caves.
- Jiangshan Station — the preferred gateway for Jianglang Mountain, Nianbadu and Xianxia Pass in the south.
- Changshan Station — for Sanqu Stone Forest and the Changshan area.
- Kaihua Station — the rail gateway for Gen Palace Buddhist Culture Scenic Area and Qianjiangyuan.
Buy tickets through the official Railway 12306 channel, and always confirm whether your train uses Quzhou Station or Quzhou West — they serve different parts of the city. Carry your passport when buying and collecting train tickets, and arrive at the station with time to spare before departure.
Buses and Public Transport in the City
Quzhou has an extensive city bus network covering the urban area, surrounding districts and some suburban attractions, connecting commercial centres, residential neighbourhoods and tourist sites. Buses are modern and air-conditioned, and fares are low. Key transfer hubs include Quzhou Railway Station, the long-distance bus station, Wanda Plaza and the major city squares.
Buses generally run from early morning until around 9–10 PM, with frequent service on major routes at peak times and less frequent service off-peak. You can pay in cash (exact change is expected), with a local bus card, or by mobile QR payment through WeChat Pay or Alipay; bus cards offer a slight discount. Real-time tracking works well through Baidu Maps and Amap, though on-board signage and information are mainly in Mandarin. Most buses are not fully wheelchair accessible.
There is no metro or tram system in Quzhou — the city's public transport is bus-based, supplemented by taxis, ride-hailing and shared bikes.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Licensed taxis are typically green or blue-and-white, with a roof sign and a visible meter. You can hail them on the street or pick them up at designated stands near stations and hotels. Fares start with a modest flag-down charge and then accrue per kilometre, with possible waiting fees and night surcharges. Drivers accept cash, WeChat Pay and Alipay.
Didi Chuxing is the dominant ride-hailing platform, offering Express, Premier and Taxi services. The app is available in English, registration with an international phone number often works, and you can pay via WeChat Pay, Alipay or an international credit card. You can pre-book rides or request one at Quzhou Airport and Quzhou Railway Station, both of which also have designated taxi stands. For safety, confirm that the license plate matches the app before you get in; the platform provides satellite tracking and driver ratings.
Taxis and ride-hailing are the practical choice for reaching Luming Park, the airport, Quzhou West and hotels outside the old city. On public holidays, expect designated taxi boarding points and temporary traffic controls around the Confucian Temple and Water Pavilion Gate.
Walking and Cycling
Central Quzhou is compact and genuinely walkable. The Ancient City's historic streets are pleasant on foot, with decent sidewalks, and the Confucian Temple, Quzhou Museum, Fushan Park, North Gate Street and Water Pavilion Gate are all concentrated in the historic centre. Other good places to walk include the riverside along the Qu River, Fushan Park, the central city squares, Lanke Mountain Scenic Area and Nianbadu Ancient Town, which is best explored on foot. Formal English-language walking tours are not commonly advertised, but self-guided walks using Baidu Maps work well. Avoid heavy traffic arteries, expressways and tunnels that lack dedicated paths.
Dockless shared bikes from HelloBike and Meituan Bike are available and practical for short trips, including riverfront and central journeys. You scan a QR code through WeChat or Alipay, which requires a Chinese phone number and mobile payment set up; you pay per ride. Some hotels and guesthouses may offer traditional bicycle rentals, though this is less common. Dedicated bike lanes exist in places, but cyclists often share the road with cars and e-scooters, and helmets are not universally worn by locals.
For longer recreational riding, the Quzhou Beautiful Riverside Road is a scenic road network running through all six county-level areas, linking river landscapes, villages, farmland and countryside. It is not a fully separated bike trail, so choose manageable sections — the Quzhou riverfront, Longyou's riverside villages, the gentler Changshan River sections and the ecological roads around Kaihua are good options. Forest and mountain sections demand strong brakes, lights, rain gear and experience with long descents.
Coaches and Regional Buses
Intercity coaches link Quzhou with neighbouring cities and counties in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Anhui and Fujian. They are useful where direct trains are infrequent, though rail is faster to Hangzhou, Shanghai and Jinhua. Station-based services, such as Quzhou–Longyou, allow online booking and selected boarding points. There are also regional buses from Quzhou Railway Station toward destinations such as the Longyou Caves. Check which station (客运站) your coach departs from before booking, and note that intercity buses to Hangzhou and Jinhua are generally described as reliable.
Getting In from the Airport
Quzhou Airport sits close to the urban area and handles domestic routes to major Chinese cities. Schedules change between the summer and winter aviation seasons, so check the current timetable before committing to it over other regional gateways. To reach the city from the airport you have three main options: taxi, ride-hailing, or public transport. During holidays, tourist shuttles have run between the airport and Quzhou Ancient City.
If Quzhou Airport does not suit your itinerary, the nearest large-scale airport is Hangzhou International Airport, and other regional gateways such as Yiwu are also options. From Hangzhou Xiaoshan you can take a shuttle or metro to Hangzhou East Railway Station and then a high-speed train to Quzhou; direct airport coaches to Quzhou are sometimes available. From Shanghai, high-speed trains from Hongqiao reach Quzhou directly, while arrivals at Pudong require a transfer to Hongqiao by metro or maglev, or a direct coach.
Car Rental, Self-Driving and Scooters
Self-driving is the best option for a multi-day regional tour, and an efficient route runs Quzhou Ancient City – Longyou – Jiangshan – Changshan – Kaihua, staying in Longyou, Jiangshan or Kaihua rather than returning to the centre each night. However, rental options are limited for international visitors: you need a temporary Chinese driver's licence, which involves a written test and document submission, and foreign licences and International Driving Permits are not recognised. For short visits, self-driving is generally not practical or recommended.
If you do drive, note that China drives on the right, seatbelts are mandatory for all occupants, and drunk driving is strictly prohibited. Highways are generally well maintained, but city-centre traffic is dense and chaotic and parking in central areas is challenging and often paid. Road signs are mainly in Chinese. Mountain roads near Tianji Longmen, Qianjiangyuan, Nianbadu and Jianglang Mountain can be narrow, curved and poorly lit — drive in daylight, slow down in rain or fog, and download offline navigation.
Motorcycles and scooters are generally not available to tourists without a Chinese driver's licence, and short-term e-bike rental for visitors is limited because it requires local ID and mobile payment. Motorcycle touring is possible only with full legal compliance, and motorcycles are prohibited on Zhejiang expressways.
Practical Tips for Visitors
- Buy rail tickets via Railway 12306 and double-check whether your train uses Quzhou Station or Quzhou West.
- Check tourist-bus schedules a day ahead — scenic services may run only on weekends, holidays or during free-admission campaigns, and routes are often seasonal.
- If your itinerary includes more than one remote mountain attraction, a private vehicle is the most reliable link; public transport is economical but often requires returning to a county centre between sites.
- Allow extra time on public holidays, when temporary parking and traffic controls may apply at Jianglang Mountain, Water Pavilion Gate, Nianbadu and major free-admission attractions.
- Mobile payments through Alipay and WeChat are accepted almost everywhere, and are the easiest way to pay for buses, bikes and taxis.
- Accessibility infrastructure is generally limited; newer hotels and some modern public buildings may have ramps and elevators.
- There are no hop-on-hop-off buses and no funiculars. Sightseeing boat trips operate on the Qu River, and a cable car at Jianglang Mountain provides access to higher sections.