Getting Your Bearings
Wuzhishan sits in the central highlands of Hainan Island, in an area historically known as Tongzha (通什). It is a scenic, low-key town with lively markets and very cheap food, and it sees relatively few tourists. The single most important thing to understand before you plan any journey is this: Wuzhishan has no airport and no railway station, so the bus is the only direct public transport link to the outside world. Everything below follows from that.
Arriving by Bus
Wuzhishan Bus Station (五指山汽车站) is at 50 Haiyu North Road, Tongza (通什镇海榆北路50号), telephone +86 898 86622419, and it sits more or less in the city centre — which makes it a convenient base for exploring on foot once you arrive.
Buses reach Wuzhishan from Sanya, Haikou, and almost every other city on the island, with the notable exception of Dongfang. Tickets can be booked in advance through the Hainan Bus Company website, though it is Chinese-language only, and via a Chinese-language QR code. If you would rather buy at the counter, the phrase 我想买去五指山的海汽快车 ("I'd like a ticket to Wuzhishan on the Haikou bus express") is a useful one to have ready.
- From Sanya: Buses leave Sanya's main bus station (三亚车站) roughly every 30 to 60 minutes. The trip takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours and costs around ¥23–35. The first departure is early in the morning and the last bus back to Sanya leaves Wuzhishan in the late afternoon.
- From Haikou: Buses depart Haikou General Bus Station (海口总站, near Haikou East Railway Station). The journey takes roughly 2 hours and costs about ¥58 one way. Return buses to Haikou run the same route, with an early first departure. A limited service also runs to Haikou West Bus Station (海口长途汽车西站), with only a couple of departures per day.
- From elsewhere on the island: A common approach is to take the Hainan high-speed train to Lingshui (陵水) on the east coast or to Ledong (九所), then transfer to a bus for the onward leg to Wuzhishan. The Haikou–Ledong middle highway has improved road access to the town.
Departures from Wuzhishan run roughly hourly to Haikou and Sanya until around 18:30, plus services to other island destinations. The nearest destination to Wuzhishan is Baoting.
Getting In from the Airports
Because Wuzhishan has no airport of its own, you will fly into either Haikou Meilan Airport in the north or Sanya Phoenix Airport in the south, then continue overland. There are two workable patterns from each.
- From Haikou Meilan Airport: Either take the high-speed train to Lingshui and then a bus to Wuzhishan, or take the airport bus to Haikou General Bus Station and board a direct bus to Wuzhishan from there.
- From Sanya Phoenix Airport: Take a bus to downtown Sanya General Bus Station, then transfer to the Wuzhishan bus.
In both cases the final leg is by road, so build in time for the connection and aim to arrive at the bus station well before the last departure of the day.
Rail, Metro and Trams
There is no railway station in Wuzhishan, and no metro or tram network in the town. Rail comes into play only as a connecting mode elsewhere on the island: the practical use of Hainan's high-speed train for a Wuzhishan trip is to ride it to Lingshui or Ledong and then transfer to a bus for the final stretch. Treat the train as a feeder service, not as a way of reaching the town itself.
Local Buses
A public bus service operates within the main urban area, and it is the cheapest way to get around. On most routes the fare is ¥1. Bus nos. 5 and 6 are the exception: they charge a variable rate that depends on distance, so have a little extra change ready on those.
Local buses are also useful for reaching sights beyond the centre. Bus no. 1, for example, runs out towards the northern outskirts and passes stops convenient for Taiping Falls and for the Jadeite Valley Eco Resort, and it also serves the area near Woye Coffee on Sanyuesan Avenue. Bus no. 5 is one of the options for reaching Red Canyon. Buses 1, 2, 5 and 6 all pass near the Jiefang Road and Shanlan Road intersection in Tongza Town.
Long-Distance Buses to Outlying Towns
Towns outside the main urban area, such as Maoyang and Shuiman, are reached by long-distance bus from the stop outside Wuzhishan Bus Station. The two directions leave from opposite sides of the road, so it is worth checking before you wait:
- To Maoyang: Buses depart from the same side of the road as the bus station. Regular Maoyang services also pass the Wuzhishan Revolutionary Base Memorial Park about 4 km west of Maoyang centre — ask the driver to stop — and the Yahu Terraced Fields lie a short distance north of Maoyang centre.
- To Shuiman: You will need to cross the road to catch your bus. Services towards Shuimanxiang are also the ones to take for Wuzhi Mountain and, if you ask the driver to stop, for Red Canyon.
Note that return buses from Shuimanxiang run to a fixed afternoon and early-evening schedule, so check the times when you arrive rather than assuming a frequent service back.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Auto taxis wait around by the bus station. Most do not have meters, so you should agree the fare before setting off; a trip within the city generally costs about ¥10 or less. For longer runs, a taxi to the Jadeite Valley Eco Resort area runs around ¥20.
Motorcycle taxis also exist but have become much less common than they used to be. If you find one, it will take you most places in the city for about ¥2, and they are a practical option for short hops such as the final stretch from a bus stop to a trailhead. If you use one for a one-way trip to a remote spot, it is worth getting the driver's mobile number so you can arrange a pickup later.
For sights well outside town — Chubao Village, for instance, which is best reached by car or taxi — a hired vehicle is the sensible choice.
Walking
Walking is genuinely recommended here, both around town and in the surrounding area, and the market section is particularly worth wandering. The compact centre means that once you have arrived by bus, many of the everyday necessities are within reach on foot.
Two cautions are worth keeping in mind. First, the road past Wuzhishan Shanguan leads quickly into rustic quarters where small footpaths branch off into the jungle — head back to the main road before dark so you do not get lost. Second, some attractions involve a walk from the nearest bus stop: the Shuiman River Tropical Rainforest Scenic Area is about 2.5 km from the Shuiman bus stop, reachable on foot or by motorised pedicab, and Taiping Falls involves roughly a 3 km walk after getting off bus no. 1.
Practical Tips
- Carry small change. Local bus fares are typically ¥1, and unmetered taxis and motorcycle taxis are cash transactions.
- Confirm your return bus times on arrival at each outlying destination, since services to places like Shuimanxiang run to a limited schedule rather than continuously.
- If you plan to hike Wuzhi Mountain, note that the bus from Wuzhishan station towards Shuimanxiang runs only a few morning departures, and you will then need a motorcycle taxi to the trailhead. Carry ample food and water.
- Book intercity bus tickets in advance where you can, but be prepared for the booking systems to be Chinese-language only — or buy at the counter using the phrase given above.