In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · China
Gouqi Island
Spend one day on Gouqi Island: fast ferry (~2.5 h, ¥104) then visit Dawang Beach, sunrise spot, abandoned villages and go fishing.
Gouqi Island is a small fishing island in the Shengsi archipelago, reachable by ferry from Shanghai. Its attractions – a short beach, sunrise point, abandoned villages and hand‑fishing – fit comfortably into a single day, so a longer stay is rarely needed unless you want to relax in the modest hotels.
- Country
- China
- Best months
- May–Oct (warm, goji season in late summer)
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (cool, limited services)
- 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 and ambulance 119
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Slow ferry from Shanghai | ¥80 |
| Fast ferry from Shanghai | ¥104 |
| Bus to Xiaoyang pier (Shanghai) | ¥20–30 |
| Taxi to Xiaoyang pier (Shanghai) | ¥400 |
| Island taxi ride (short trip) | ¥30–50 |
| Seafood meal on Dawang Beach street | ¥50–120 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PVG · Shanghai Pudong International Airport
- Main gateway to Shanghai; shuttle bus or metro to East Sea Bridge area
Typical fares
- Fast ferry Shanghai → Gouqi Island
- ¥104, about 2.5 h (check schedule)
- Taxi Shanghai → Xiaoyang pier
- ≈¥400
- Island taxi short ride
- ¥30–50
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
Taxis are the only public transport; bikes are possible on steep roads – drive cautiously.
See and do
Known for
- Dawang Beach
- abandoned fishing villages
- hand‑fishing trips
- goji (wolfberry) picking in late summer
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dawang Beach | Fast ferry Shanghai → Gouqi Island (≈2.5 h, ¥104), then island taxi ≈10 min | ≈3 h total |
| North‑east sunrise point | Island taxi from Dawang Beach ≈15 min | ≈30 min |
| Abandoned fishing villages | Island taxi or bike, 20–30 min from Dawang Beach | ≈45 min |
Sleep
- Dawang Beach hotels
- 4‑5‑story hotels along the main beach; suitable for a night if you prefer to stay.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| I would like seafood | 我要海鲜wǒ yào hǎixiān |
| Where is the beach? | 海滩在哪里？hǎitān zài nǎlǐ? |
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
- Island drivers often exceed safe speeds on narrow switchback roads.
- Dawang Beach guards close the beach at 17:00 and warn against swimming beyond 5 m; drownings have occurred.
- Ferry schedules can vary; check times before travel.
Generally safe; watch fast island drivers and beach guard warnings; keep valuables secure on ferries.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gouqi Island yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Dawang Beach
- abandoned fishing villages
- hand‑fishing trips
- goji (wolfberry) picking in late summer
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Gouqi Island: www.wikidata.org/wiki/QXXXXX
- Wikivoyage: Gouqi Island, revision 5048750 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5048750
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/gouqi-island). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.