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Voykit pocket guide · China
Gejiu
个旧
Skip Gejiu unless you have a specific reason (tin mine history, a quiet lake walk). Half a day is enough: walk Jin Lake, then move on to Jianshui or Yuanyang.
Gejiu is a small Yunnan city built on tin mining, now a quiet prefectural capital. Its main draw is Jin Lake in the centre and a few parks on the outskirts. Most travellers pass through on the way to Yuanyang's rice terraces or Jianshui's old town. One night is more than enough.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 个旧
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (rainy, humid)
- Stay
- 1 night
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 ¥150–250 excl. bed · Mid ¥250–400 excl. bed · High ¥400+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Bus from Kunming to Gejiu | ¥80 |
| Local bus ride | ¥1 |
| Taxi within centre | ¥5–10 |
| Simple meal (noodles, rice) | ¥10–20 |
| Bottle of water | ¥2–3 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KMG · Kunming Changshui
- About 4–6 h by bus; no direct flights to Gejiu.
Typical fares
- Bus Kunming → Gejiu
- ¥80, 4–6 h (check)
- Taxi from bus station to Jin Lake
- ¥5–10
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
City buses (¥1, wooden seats) run a loop around Jin Lake. Taxis are cheap (¥5–10 within the centre). Walking is fine for the lake area.
See and do
Known for
- Jin Lake
- Tin mining history
- Quiet, off-the-beaten-path atmosphere
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yuanyang | Bus from Gejiu bus station, about 2–3 h | About 3 h |
| Jianshui | Bus, about 1.5 h | About 2 h |
| Mengzi | Bus, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Around Jin Lake
- Central, walkable to the lake and bus station.
- Near the bus station
- Convenient for onward buses; fewer dining options.
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 |
| Where is the bus station? | 汽车站在哪里？qì chē zhàn zài nǎ lǐ |
| I don't understand | 我不懂wǒ bù dǒng |
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
- Buses to Kunming can take 4–6 h depending on driver behaviour.
- English is very limited; have your destination written in Chinese.
- Tin mines are not open to visitors; do not attempt to enter.
Gejiu is safe. The main risks are traffic on the ring road and limited English. Keep your belongings close on buses.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gejiu yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Jin Lake
- Tin mining history
- Quiet, off-the-beaten-path atmosphere
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: Gejiu, revision 5230401 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5230401
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/gejiu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.