Getting Around Yangzhou

Getting Around Yangzhou

Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, and it is a fairly easy city to navigate once you understand the basic options. There is no metro or tram system here, so visitors rely on a mix of buses, taxis, ride-hailing, bicycles, and their own two feet. The good news is that the central street grid is compact and the main sights cluster together, so you can cover a lot of ground without much planning.

Buses: The Backbone of Public Transport

City buses are the workhorse of Yangzhou's public transport. They are reliable and cheap, typically costing around ¥2 per ride, with fares generally falling in the ¥1–3 range. The network is extensive and covers nearly all attractions and neighborhoods, so you can reach most places you would want to see without changing modes.

• Operating hours: Service on many routes ends around 18:00–19:00, though several key routes run until roughly 22:00 or until the last train arrivals. Plan evening trips with this in mind.
• Frequency: Main routes generally run every 5–15 minutes at peak times, with crowding during the 7–9 AM and 5–7 PM commuter windows.
• Key hubs: The two main railway stations, the coach station, and the business and tourist areas are the principal bus hubs.
• Useful routes: The east-west routes Z6, K1, and 88 run along Wenchang Road, the city's central axis, and connect the two main railway stations. The "tourism" routes 游1, 游2, and 游3 pass through major tourist spots in town.
• Buying tickets: You can pay in cash (exact change is generally needed), by QR code through WeChat Pay or Alipay, or with a Yangzhou Public Transport Card, which can be purchased and topped up.
• Finding your way: Bus stops are well marked and schedules (in Chinese) listing the stops along each route are posted at the stops. Real-time tracking and route planning are available in major Chinese navigation apps such as Amap and Baidu Maps.

Note that newer buses may have low floors, but universal accessibility varies across the fleet.

Rail Connections

Yangzhou has two main railway stations serving high-speed and conventional trains, and both are also major bus hubs, which makes them convenient arrival points.

• Yangzhou Railway Station sits at the far west end of the city, about 7 km from the city center at Wenchang Pavilion and close to the west malls and the city museum. It handles both high-speed (C- and D-series) and conventional (Z-, T-, and K-series) trains, with frequent high-speed service to Nanjing, Shanghai, and other domestic destinations, and conventional service to places such as Beijing, Xi'an, Urumqi, and Kunming. Departures and ticket counters are on the upper level, arrivals on the lower level, and inbound buses and taxis board outside the arrival gate or on the ground level of the nearby bus terminal, reached via a skywalk.
• Yangzhoudong (Yangzhou East) Railway Station opened in late 2020 and now serves as the city's main transportation hub. It offers high-speed services exclusively, with frequent connections to major cities within Jiangsu and across China, including Nanjing, Suzhou, Xuzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, and Xi'an. It is located at the far east end of the city, about 7 km from the city center and close to the Civic Center.
• Jiangdu Railway Station serves Jiangdu District, Yangzhou's eastern suburb, on the same line as Yangzhou Station.

Long-Distance Buses

The city has two major bus terminals, each next to a major railway station, and both are also hubs for city buses.

• Yangzhou Passenger Bus Terminal is immediately southwest of Yangzhou Railway Station and connected by a skywalk.
• Yangzhou East Passenger Bus Terminal is immediately southeast of Yangzhoudong Railway Station; both opened in 2020 as part of the railway hub's auxiliary infrastructure.

Both terminals run express buses to major cities and counties within Jiangsu — with notably frequent service to nearby Nanjing and Zhenjiang — and to a few destinations in nearby provinces. Tickets can be purchased online or in person at the ticket counter. Be aware that older maps and guidebooks may show former terminal sites that have since been replaced or repurposed as city bus hubs and commercial developments.

Taxis and Ride-Hailing

Taxis and ride-hailing are widely available and are a straightforward option, especially in the evening when bus service thins out.

• Taxis: Licensed taxis are typically green or blue, metered, and marked with taxi signs. You can hail them on the street, find them at designated stands, or book through an app. Payment is by cash according to the meter, or via Didi, WeChat Pay, or Alipay.
• Ride-hailing: Didi Chuxing is the dominant platform, offering tiers such as Express (standard), Premier (higher-end), and Taxi. The app often has English-language options, and linking a foreign credit card to Didi is often simpler than setting up WeChat Pay.
• Safety: Confirm that the license plate and driver details match the vehicle before getting in. GPS tracking is built in, and you can share ride details or your live location with a contact.

Pedicabs are also abundant in the old town and tourist areas, offering a leisurely ride through the narrow alleys, with prices often negotiable.

Walking and Cycling

Central Yangzhou follows a rectangular grid street plan, which makes it relatively walkable, with shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions often clustered together. Walkability does vary by neighborhood, and some areas require longer walks or a bus ride to reach amenities.

• Best walking areas: The Slender West Lake Scenic Area has extensive walking paths, as do sections of the Grand Canal, the classical gardens such as Ge Garden and He Garden, and Dongguan Street with its traditional shops. Scenic walking paths also run along canals in the western part of the city.
• Shared bikes: Cheap shared bicycles are ubiquitous in the urban area, with programs such as Meituan Bike and Hellobike used via apps; traditional rentals are available at accommodations and in tourist areas. Some public bicycle rental systems may require local registration.
• Cycling conditions: The terrain is flat and major streets usually have protected bicycle lanes, making cycling fairly pleasant, especially outside the busy city center. Recreational routes run along the Grand Canal and through scenic parks.
• Watch out for: Mopeds and electric scooters, which are common, quiet, and often disregard traffic laws. Stay alert, particularly in traffic.

If you are arriving from south of the Yangtze — say from Suzhou or downtown Nanjing — note that the bridge connecting Yangzhou and Zhenjiang is an expressway, so bicycles and mopeds are prohibited. Cyclists can use the Zhen-Yang Ferry instead.

Ferry Across the Yangtze

A passenger and vehicle ferry (Zhen-Yang qi du) crosses the Yangtze around the clock when weather permits, with the Yangzhou terminal in Guazhou, south of downtown, and the Zhenjiang terminal west of downtown Zhenjiang. Both terminals are served by city buses on their respective sides of the river. As of Summer 2025, the one-way fare is ¥3 for pedestrians, ¥5 for bicyclists, and ¥15 for cars, with ETC supported, and departures run every 5–10 minutes.

Other Options

• Car rental: Requires a Chinese driver's license; International Driving Permits are not valid. Major companies operate through local partners.
• Shared electric scooters: Widely available but often require local payment methods and a Chinese ID for registration. Motorcycle rentals for tourists are rare due to licensing.
• Tour buses and boats: Some local tour buses connect major attractions, mainly for groups, and hop-on-hop-off services are uncommon. Sightseeing boat cruises on Slender West Lake and the Grand Canal are leisure activities rather than point-to-point transport.
• Accessibility: Infrastructure is improving but not universally accessible; older areas and some public transport can present difficulties, so pre-arranging assistance through your accommodation or a local tour operator is advisable.

Getting from the Airport into the City

Yangzhou Taizhou Airport (YTY) sits roughly halfway between Yangzhou and the nearby Taizhou, east of Yangzhou's city center. As of summer 2025, its destinations are mainly domestic within China, with international direct flights to Japan (Osaka Kansai) and South Korea (Seoul Incheon). To reach the city, you can take an airport express bus or a taxi; the drive takes about 50 minutes and the airport express bus about 75 minutes.

The closest major airport is Nanjing Lukou, southwest of the city, which has express buses to and from the Yangzhou City Terminal in downtown Yangzhou. Alternatively, you can take a train from Yangzhou (either Yangzhoudong Station or Yangzhou Station) to Nanjing (Nanjingnan Station or Nanjing Station) and transfer to the Nanjing Metro or airport express buses.

You can also fly into Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and take a train from the nearby Shanghai Hongqiao Station to Yangzhoudong Station, which typically takes less than two hours. For international arrivals at Pudong Airport, you can transfer to the railway at Shanghai Hongqiao Station (near Hongqiao Airport) or Shanghai Station (near the city center) via metro, Airport Link, airport express bus, or rideshare/taxi.

Practical Tips

• Basic Mandarin phrases are appreciated, and translation apps are useful.
• No tipping is expected.
• Dress modestly at religious sites — cover shoulders and knees and remove hats indoors — and seek permission before close-up photos of people.
• Huaiyang cuisine is the local specialty, and Dongguan Street market offers local crafts and a taste of daily life.