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Voykit pocket guide · China
Fuzhou
福州
Give Fuzhou 2 nights: Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, a Fudao walk and one river-side evening. Use it as a rail stop between Shanghai and Xiamen, not a destination on its own.
Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian and an old tea port on the Min River, 4.5 h from Shanghai by high-speed rail and 1.5–2 h from Xiamen. The draw is one large restored Ming-Qing lane district, a 19 km elevated forest trail and a green, low-rise downtown. Two nights covers it; three if you add a day trip to Mawei or the coast.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 福州
- Best months
- Oct–Nov, Mar–Apr
- Avoid
- Jul–Sep (typhoon season, 34 °C (93 °F)+ and heavy rain)Jul–Sep (typhoon season, 93 °F (34 °C)+ and heavy rain)
- Stay
- 2 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 ¥250–400 excl. bed · Mid ¥400–700 excl. bed · High ¥700+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a lane-district café | ¥25–45 |
| Noodle soup (ban mian or fish ball soup) | ¥15–35 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store | ¥25–40 / ¥5–10 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi ride3.1 mi (5 km) taxi ride | ¥18–25 |
| Metro ride | ¥2–7 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥80–150 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FOC · Fuzhou Changle International Airport
- In Changle district, about 50 km (31 mi) east of downtown. Metro Binhai Express Line runs to Fuzhou Railway Station in about 44 min; airport buses take about 1 h.In Changle district, about 31 mi (50 km) east of downtown. Metro Binhai Express Line runs to Fuzhou Railway Station in about 44 min; airport buses take about 1 h.
Typical fares
- FOC airport → Fuzhou Railway Station, Binhai Express Line
- about ¥50, about 44 min (check)
- Airport bus to downtown
- about ¥50, about 1 h (check)
- Taxi downtown → Fuzhou South Railway Station
- about ¥50, about 30 min
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
Metro Lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and the Binhai Express Line cover the centre and the airport; single tickets from vending machines (¥1 coins, ¥5/10/20 notes only), bags go through X-ray. Buses cost ¥1 and stop around 22:00. Taxis start at ¥10 for 3 km (1.9 mi), then about ¥1.4/km, with a night surcharge after 23:00; most in-town rides stay under ¥30. Didi works with a foreign card if your bank supports 3-D Secure.Metro Lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and the Binhai Express Line cover the centre and the airport; single tickets from vending machines (¥1 coins, ¥5/10/20 notes only), bags go through X-ray. Buses cost ¥1 and stop around 10:00 PM. Taxis start at ¥10 for 3 km (1.9 mi), then about ¥1.4/km, with a night surcharge after 11:00 PM; most in-town rides stay under ¥30. Didi works with a foreign card if your bank supports 3-D Secure.Metro Lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and the Binhai Express Line cover the centre and the airport; single tickets from vending machines (¥1 coins, ¥5/10/20 notes only), bags go through X-ray. Buses cost ¥1 and stop around 22:00. Taxis start at ¥10 for 1.9 mi (3 km), then about ¥1.4/km, with a night surcharge after 23:00; most in-town rides stay under ¥30. Didi works with a foreign card if your bank supports 3-D Secure.Metro Lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and the Binhai Express Line cover the centre and the airport; single tickets from vending machines (¥1 coins, ¥5/10/20 notes only), bags go through X-ray. Buses cost ¥1 and stop around 10:00 PM. Taxis start at ¥10 for 1.9 mi (3 km), then about ¥1.4/km, with a night surcharge after 11:00 PM; most in-town rides stay under ¥30. Didi works with a foreign card if your bank supports 3-D Secure.
See and do
Known for
- Three Lanes and Seven Alleys (Sanfang Qixiang)
- Fu Forest Trail (Fudao)
- Hualin Temple, the oldest wooden building in South China
- Jasmine tea and Fujian cooking
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mawei | Metro Line 1 to Fuzhou South, then a taxi; or a direct bus from downtown | About 1 h |
| Changle | Metro Binhai Express Line toward the airport, then a local taxi | About 1 h |
| Fuqing | High-speed train from Fuzhou South, about 30 min | About 1 h |
| Pingtan | High-speed train or bus, then a local bus | 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Gulou (downtown, north of the river)
- Best base: Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, Confucius Temple and Line 1 metro are all walkable. Most mid-range hotels sit here.
- Taijiang (riverfront, south of Gulou)
- Shangxiahang and the Min River promenade; cheaper rooms, 10–15 min by metro or taxi to the lanes.
- Cangshan (south bank)
- Yantai Mountain's old trading streets and cafés; quieter, one metro stop from Taijiang.
- Near Fuzhou Railway Station (Jin'an)
- Only for a late arrival or an early train; little to see on foot.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xie |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duō shao qián |
| No need, thank you | 不要，谢谢bù yào, xiè xie |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma |
| Where is the metro station? | 地铁站在哪里？dì tiě zhàn 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
- Summer is the risk: July–September brings 34 °C+ heat, heavy rain and typhoons that cancel flights and trains.
- Taxis often refuse to stop near traffic cameras — walk to a marked taxi stand instead.
- Unlicensed drivers tout at stations and malls; the ride is not insured. Decline with 'bu yao, xie xie'.
- Liquids in your bag are checked at every metro station; you may be asked to take a sip.
- Three Lanes and Seven Alleys is heavily restored — expect shops, not a lived-in neighbourhood.
Fuzhou is a low-crime city and safe to walk at night in the centre. The real risks are summer heat and typhoons, traffic, and unlicensed drivers at stations — use the metro and metered taxis.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Fuzhou yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Three Lanes and Seven Alleys (Sanfang Qixiang)
- Fu Forest Trail (Fudao)
- Hualin Temple, the oldest wooden building in South China
- Jasmine tea and Fujian cooking
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Fuzhou municipal government: www.fuzhou.gov.cn/
- Wikivoyage: Fuzhou, revision 5304422 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5304422
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Fuzhou福州
请到这个地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries run embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Shanghai or Guangzhou; check before you travel.
Screenshot your hotel address in Chinese — drivers rarely read English.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/fuzhou). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.