Understanding Hezhou's Layout
Hezhou is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Guangxi, bordering Hunan to the north and Guangdong to the east. For a visitor, the practical geography is fairly simple: the built-up urban core is made up of the Babu and Pinggui districts, with Zhongshan County also largely urbanized. Most of what a traveler needs — the main railway station, the principal bus stations, and the hotel and commercial areas — sits within this core, so getting around is mostly a matter of moving between a handful of districts rather than navigating a sprawling metropolis.
Arriving by Train
Rail is the most convenient way into Hezhou. The city is served by five high-speed railway stations: Hezhou Station, Zhongshan West Station, Fuchuan Station, Zhongshan Station, and Guangxi Hezhou Xindu Railway Station. Of these, Hezhou Station is the one most visitors will use — it handles both regular and high-speed trains and sits on Zhanqian Avenue in Pinggui District.
Hezhou has direct rail links with Nanning, Guilin, Liuzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhanjiang, and Guiyang. From Guangzhou, Shenzhen, or Zhanjiang, bullet or high-speed trains reach Hezhou in roughly one to two hours, making the city an easy add-on to a trip through Guangdong or Guangxi.
- Hezhou Station — the main gateway, with both conventional and high-speed services.
- Zhongshan West Station — served by high-speed trains; there is no bus stop directly at the station, but one lies within about a kilometer, and taxis are available.
- Fuchuan Station — located in Tangbei Village, some distance from Fuchuan County itself; a handful of trains pass through, and the run to Hezhou Station by high-speed rail takes about 40 minutes.
- Zhongshan Station — in Wanggao Town, Pinggui District, reachable by bus or train.
- Guangxi Hezhou Xindu Railway Station — in Xindu Town, Babu District, on the Luo-Zhan line; it operates around the clock.
If you are heading onward to Huangyao Ancient Town after arriving at Hezhou Station, the usual route is to take a bus to Hezhou West Station and pick up a direct bus from there.
Arriving by Bus
Hezhou has three main bus stations, each oriented toward different directions of travel, so it helps to know which one matches your route.
- Hezhou Central Bus Station (at the intersection of Nanhuan Road and Guangming Avenue, Babu District) — the hub for inter-provincial and inter-city services, plus some inter-county and intra-county lines.
- Hezhou East Bus Station (Bada Middle Road, Chengdong Street, Babu District) — mainly handles arrivals from the Liantang and Huangtian directions.
- Hezhou City West Passenger Service Station (Bada West Road, Pinggui District) — serves intra-county and inter-county lines coming from the Xiwan and Shatian directions, and is also where buses to Huangyao Ancient Town depart.
Getting Around the City
Within the urban area, the practical options are taxis, tricycles, shared electric vehicles, and local buses. None of these requires advance planning or a stored-value card — you pay as you go, and fares are low.
- Taxis — typically cost ¥2 to ¥3 for a trip within the city. At Zhongshan West Station, taxis start at ¥5 with a starting distance of 2 km, ¥1.8 per unit thereafter, plus a ¥1 fuel surcharge.
- Tricycles — a fixed ¥2, and a common way to cover short hops.
- Shared electric vehicles — starting at ¥2, these are economical, convenient, and a comfortable way to move around town.
- Local buses — the bus stations double as hubs for county and city lines; buses also connect the railway stations to the rest of the city, though at Zhongshan West Station you may need to walk a short distance to reach a stop.
There is no metro or tram network in Hezhou, so rail travel here means intercity and high-speed trains rather than urban transit. For day-to-day movement, expect to rely on the road-based options above.
Walkability
Hezhou's central districts are compact enough that walking works well for short errands and neighborhood exploring, particularly around the commercial and hotel areas of Babu District. For anything beyond a comfortable stroll, though, the low taxi, tricycle, and shared-bike fares make those options the more practical choice — especially in summer, when the city's humid subtropical climate brings hot, wet weather.
Getting In from the Airport
Hezhou has no airport of its own. The nearest airports are in Guilin and Wuzhou, and from either one you continue to Hezhou by bus or train.
- From Guilin Airport — there is one direct bus daily to Hezhou. It departs at 14:30 and reaches Hezhou Bus Station about three hours later, then continues on to the Hezhou International Hotel. The fare is ¥100.
- From Wuzhou Xijiang Airport — the airport is some distance from Hezhou, roughly a two-and-a-half-hour drive, with tolls of about ¥160.
Because the Guilin Airport bus runs only once a day, travelers arriving at other times should plan to reach Guilin's rail or bus terminals and continue to Hezhou by train or intercity bus instead.
Arriving by Road or Water
Highways connect Hezhou with Wuzhou, Liuzhou, Nanning, Yongzhou, and points beyond, and new expressway links are being added to strengthen connections toward Guangdong. Water transport in the region is extensive and historically significant, with routes reaching Babu, Xiwan, Zhongshan, and Fuchuan, and linking onward toward Hunan, Guangdong, and the Pearl River network. For the ordinary visitor, however, road and rail are the practical choices; the waterways are not a standard means of tourist transit.