Getting Around Qujing
Qujing is a prefecture-level city in eastern Yunnan, long known as the "Throat of Yunnan" because it sits on the routes between Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi. For a visitor, the practical upshot is that the city is well connected to the rest of the region and reasonably easy to navigate once you arrive. Roads are well developed and traffic is light, and years of effort have made local driving rules much more orderly than in the past. Street signs are bilingual in Chinese and English, which makes finding your way considerably easier.
One thing to plan for in advance: apart from the occasional metered taxi, public transport in Qujing is cashless. You will want WeChat or Alipay set up on your phone before you start moving around.
Arriving by Train
Qujing has two train stations, and which one you use matters for how you reach the city centre.
- Qujing Train Station (曲靖站) — the older and more central station, on Jianning West Road. This is the preferred option for travel to Kunming: the train is slower, but both stations sit in the centre of their respective cities and service is frequent. Beyond that, it has limited use for tourists unless you are heading to villages in the surrounding area.
- Qujing North Station (曲靖北站) — the high-speed station, located outside the city proper, roughly a 30-minute car or bus ride away. Every high-speed train to and from Kunming passes through here, so connections to other destinations in Yunnan and beyond are plentiful. Note that trains to Kunming stop at Kunming South Station, which is itself a fair distance from Kunming's city centre.
Arriving by Bus
Qujing lies along the G56 highway from Kunming onward toward Guiyang. Most buses depart and arrive at Qujing High Speed Bus Station (曲靖高快汽车客运站) on Jiaotong Road. Travel time to Kunming proper depends on traffic. The bus station also provides services to Dali, Honghezhou and other destinations around Qujing.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Qujing does not have its own airport. The nearest is Kunming Changshui Airport, and the convenient option is the direct shuttle service between the airport and Qujing.
- Shuttles arrive and depart from the city airport bus terminals at Huibao Hotel (汇宝大酒店), 361 Qilin West Road, and Weisheng Stone Forest International Hotel (维生石林国际大酒店), 126 Yuanlin Road.
- Buses generally run every 30 minutes, alternating between the two hotels.
- Travel time from Qujing to the airport is about 1.5 hours.
- It is recommended to buy tickets a few hours or a day in advance — either by visiting in person or by searching "曲交出行" on WeChat.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Standard metered taxis that you flag down on the street are becoming a thing of the past, increasingly replaced by ride-hailing apps. Didi is a major player, but apps such as Amap (高德) can queue up several different companies at once, which is handy when you want a car quickly. Car travel within the city is very affordable compared with larger cities like Shanghai or Kunming, so it is a realistic option for short hops rather than a splurge.
Buses
Qujing has a very extensive bus system that reaches into the far suburbs and beyond. Because the network is large, the practical approach is to use a mapping app such as Amap or Baidu Maps to work out which lines to take. Payment is by WeChat or Alipay mini-program rather than cash.
Bicycles and E-Bikes
Dock-less shared bikes are scattered around the city, operated by Meituan and HelloBike. Parts of Qujing are hilly, so many of the available bikes are electric — worth knowing if you are planning a longer ride. Fares start low and cover a period of use, and if you expect to ride frequently, buying a package in advance saves a little money.
Walkability
The city's bilingual street signage and orderly traffic make walking a comfortable way to cover the central districts, and the mild subtropical highland climate helps: winters are short, mild and dry, with frost possible but days generally warming up pleasantly, while summers are warm and rainy, with most of the year's rainfall falling from June to October. If you are visiting in summer, keep a rain layer with you and plan indoor stops around afternoon showers.
Practical Summary
- Set up WeChat and Alipay before you arrive — almost all public transport is cashless.
- Use Amap or Baidu Maps for bus routing and for hailing cars through multiple companies at once.
- For Kunming, the central Qujing Train Station is the most convenient rail option; for wider high-speed connections, use Qujing North Station and allow time to reach it.
- For the airport, book the hotel-based shuttle in advance via the "曲交出行" WeChat service.
- Shared e-bikes are a good fit for the city's hills; buy a package if you will use them often.