Getting Around Quanzhou
Quanzhou is a large, spread-out port city in southern Fujian, and its historic core sits between the Jin River and the Luoyang River. Because the places a visitor wants to see are scattered across the urban districts and the surrounding county-level cities, it helps to think of the city in two layers: the walkable old center, and the wider metropolitan area that you reach by rail, bus, or car.
Rail and High-Speed Trains
The main rail gateway for visitors is Quanzhou Station, located northwest of the city. It is served by frequent high-speed trains on Fujian's coastal high-speed railway, which links the city northward to Fuzhou and onward to Wenzhou, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, and southward through Xiamen to Shantou and Shenzhen. A smaller number of trains also run to inland destinations such as Nanchang in neighboring Jiangxi province and Wuhan.
- Buy high-speed rail tickets the usual way in China — at the station ticket office or through the official rail booking channels — and allow time for security screening before boarding.
- Older maps and guidebooks may still show a former Quanzhou Railway Station in the northeastern outskirts off Chenghua South Road; that station is closed, so don't plan around it.
- Outside Quanzhou Station there is a bus station in the square, with local routes into the city and suburban routes serving places such as Chongwu.
Metro and Trams
The source material describes Quanzhou's public transport in terms of rail, buses, and taxis, and does not document an operating metro or tram network that a visitor can rely on. Plan your trip around high-speed rail, city and suburban buses, and taxis or ride-hailing rather than assuming a metro will cover your route.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Buses are the workhorse of local movement. The bus station in the square outside Quanzhou Station connects the rail hub with the city and with suburban destinations, which makes it a practical place to transfer if you arrive by train.
For longer trips within the region, intercity buses are frequent and inexpensive:
- Buses from Xiamen run frequently and take roughly an hour and a half.
- Buses from Fuzhou also run frequently and take around two and a half hours.
- Direct overnight buses connect more distant places such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai.
Quanzhou has two main bus stations: a fairly large one in a new building toward the east of town, and a much more central, more run-down one that is confusingly known as the "new bus station." A small bus station next to the Overseas Chinese Hotel has buses to Fuzhou and Shenzhen. If you are unsure which station serves your route, ask at your hotel or check at the station counter before committing to a departure point.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are cheap and convenient for getting around town, and most trips within the city are inexpensive. They are a good option for reaching sights that are not on a convenient bus line, or for covering the last stretch from a station to your hotel.
One important caution: local traffic has a reputation for being aggressive, even by the standards of Chinese cities, and travelers — including Chinese visitors — frequently complain about it. If you are not comfortable with chaotic road conditions, stick to taxis, buses, and rail rather than driving yourself.
Walking
The historic core of Quanzhou, with its dense mix of religious buildings and archeological remains tied to its medieval maritime trade, is the part of the city best suited to exploring on foot. Elsewhere, the city is large and spread across multiple districts and neighboring cities, so walking works well for sightseeing in the center but is not a realistic way to cover the whole metropolitan area. Given the traffic, take extra care at crossings.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport sits across the river in Jinjiang rather than in the city proper. It handles flights to various mainland cities as well as some international services to Hong Kong and other Asian cities.
- From the airport, use a taxi or ride-hailing service to reach your accommodation in the city; this is the most straightforward option for a visitor with luggage.
- If your plans are flexible, note that nearby Xiamen has a more important airport with good domestic connections and quite a few international flights, including several long-haul ones, and Fuzhou's airport is also reasonably close. Both can be combined with onward high-speed rail into Quanzhou.
Arriving by Boat
There is a daily ferry from Taiwan-controlled Kinmen (Quemoy) Island to the port of Shijing, well south of downtown Quanzhou, with a journey of about an hour. Ferries to Xiamen run much more frequently, with multiple departures through the day. If you arrive by sea, expect to continue into the city by bus or taxi.