Getting Around Wanzhou
Wanzhou is Chongqing's second most populated urban core area, sitting on the upper reaches of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, roughly 228 km from Chongqing's city proper. For a visitor, the practical picture is simple: the main urban area is served by a dense network of public buses, taxis and ride-hailing fill in the gaps, and two railway stations plus a local airport handle arrivals from outside the district. Note that the old urban area was substantially rebuilt after the Three Gorges Dam project submerged nearly half of it, so the city you walk through today is a modern, hilly riverfront settlement rather than an ancient one.
Rail: Two Stations, Two Very Different Roles
Wanzhou has two railway stations, and knowing which one you want matters:
- Wanzhou North Railway Station (万州北站) — located at 2 Gaotie Avenue (高铁大道2号). This is now Wanzhou's main railway station, handling high-speed trains from central Chongqing and other parts of the municipality, plus many trains from Chengdu and other Chinese cities.
- Wanzhou Railway Station (万州站) — located at 187 Zhanqian Road (站前路187号). This is the old station, now seeing only a small number of trains per day, generally regular-speed rather than high-speed services.
For most visitors arriving by rail, Wanzhou North is the station to aim for. Both stations are reachable by city bus: Wanzhou North is served by bus nos. 15, 30, 31, 32 and 21B, and the Wanzhou–Kaizhou and Wanzhou–Yunyang intercity buses also stop there. The old Wanzhou Railway Station is served by bus nos. 5 and 15, plus the railway-station route of bus 16.
Buses and Public Transport
Public buses are the backbone of getting around Wanzhou's main urban area, and they also connect the main urban area with small towns and villages elsewhere in the district. In practice, this means you can rely on buses for most trips within the city, and for excursions to outlying towns if you're willing to plan around less frequent rural services. Several bus routes are specifically useful for visitors because they link the transport hubs: routes 15, 30, 31, 32 and 21B serve Wanzhou North Railway Station, while routes 5, 15 and 16 (railway station route) serve the old Wanzhou Railway Station. Bus no. 57 and the dedicated airport bus connect the airport to the city.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The reference material does not cover taxis or ride-hailing in detail. As a general rule for a Chinese city of this size, taxis are metered and readily available in the urban core, and app-based ride-hailing works as it does elsewhere in the country.
Walkability
Wanzhou's urban core is compact and riverfront-oriented, which makes parts of it walkable, but the terrain is hilly and the city was substantially rebuilt after the Three Gorges Dam submerged much of the old urban area. Expect slopes and stairways rather than flat, grid-like streets. Walking is a good way to cover a neighbourhood or a stretch of riverside, but for crossing between districts or reaching the railway stations and airport, you'll want a bus or a car.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Wanzhou Wuqiao Airport (万州五桥机场) is on Jichang Road (机场路) and is the second biggest airport in Chongqing Municipality, with flights from Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and a number of other Chinese cities. To reach the city from the airport you have two straightforward options:
- Airport bus — it runs two routes, one terminating at the Kunlun Building and the other at Wanzhou North Railway Station. This is the simplest option if either of those endpoints suits your plans.
- Public bus no. 57 — also serves the airport.
For enquiries, the airport can be reached at +86 23 58538138, and for ticket sales at +86 23 58888888.
If You Can't Fly Directly to Wanzhou
If there are no flights to Wanzhou from your departure point, fly instead to Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in central Chongqing and take a train from there to Wanzhou. Be aware that this involves changing trains at Chongqing North Railway Station, because there are no direct trains to Wanzhou from the airport station itself. Once you arrive at Wanzhou North Railway Station, local buses (nos. 15, 30, 31, 32 and 21B) will take you onward into the city.
Practical Summary
- Within the city: public buses are the mainstay; taxis and ride-hailing cover the rest.
- Arriving by high-speed rail: use Wanzhou North Railway Station, then bus nos. 15, 30, 31, 32 or 21B.
- Arriving by conventional rail: Wanzhou Railway Station, then bus nos. 5, 15 or the railway-station route of bus 16.
- Arriving by air: Wanzhou Wuqiao Airport, then the airport bus (to the Kunlun Building or Wanzhou North Railway Station) or bus no. 57.
- Coming via Chongqing: fly into Jiangbei, train to Chongqing North Railway Station, then change for Wanzhou.