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Voykit pocket guide · China
Anxi
安溪
Anxi is a half-day trip from Quanzhou or Xiamen for tea lovers: visit Qingshui Rock temple and a tea farm, then return. Not a base.
Anxi County is the heart of China's tieguanyin oolong tea country, about 1 hour from Quanzhou and 1.5 hours from Xiamen. The main draw is Qingshui Rock, a hillside temple complex, and the chance to see tea terraces and buy fresh tea. Most travellers visit as a day trip; there is little reason to stay overnight unless you are a tea buyer.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 安溪
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Chinese New Year (transport crowded)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥200–350 excl. bed · Mid ¥350–600 excl. bed · High ¥600+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bowl of noodles (Anxi-style) | ¥10–20 |
| Tea tasting at a farm | Free–¥50 |
| Tieguanyin tea (250 g) | ¥50–300 |
| Bus Anxi → Quanzhou | ¥30 (check) |
| Taxi from Anxi town to Qingshui Rock | ¥50–80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- XMN · Xiamen Gaoqi International
- About 1.5 h by taxi or bus to Anxi; check
- JJN · Quanzhou Jinjiang International
- About 1 h by taxi; check
Typical fares
- Bus Quanzhou → Anxi
- about ¥30, about 1 h (check)
- Bus Anxi → Qingshui Rock
- ¥13, about 30 min (check)
- Taxi Anxi town → Qingshui Rock
- ¥50–80
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Buses connect Anxi town to Qingshui Rock and nearby villages. Taxis and ride-hailing (Didi) are available but scarce outside town. Walking is fine in the centre.
See and do
Known for
- Tieguanyin oolong tea
- Qingshui Rock temple
- Tea terraces and farms
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Quanzhou | Bus from Anxi bus station, about 1 h | About 1 h |
| Xiamen | Bus or taxi, about 1.5 h | About 1.5 h |
| Zhangzhou | Bus, about 1.5 h | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Anxi town centre
- Near bus station and main hotels; limited options, mostly business hotels.
- Penglai Town
- Closer to Qingshui Rock; a few guesthouses.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xiè |
| How much? | 多少钱？duō shǎo qián? |
| I don't understand | 我不懂wǒ bù dǒng |
| Where is the toilet? | 厕所在哪里？cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Tea shops may try to sell at tourist prices; buy from a reputable farm or factory shop.
- Qingshui Rock involves many steps; wear comfortable shoes.
- Last bus from Qingshui Rock back to Anxi town may leave before 18:00; check the schedule.
Anxi is safe. Watch for uneven steps at Qingshui Rock and negotiate taxi fares before riding.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Anxi yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tieguanyin oolong tea
- Qingshui Rock temple
- Tea terraces and farms
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Anxi, revision 4943300 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4943300
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/anxi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.