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Voykit pocket guide · China
Guangyuan
广元
Spend a half‑day exploring Jianmen Pass and the night market; add a full day for hot‑spring or mountain trips.
Guangyuan sits at the northern edge of Sichuan, a compact city with historic sites like Jianmen Pass, ancient towns, and nearby hot‑spring resorts. A short visit covers the centre; a longer stay lets you reach the surrounding mountains and hot springs.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 广元
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, possible snow)
- Stay
- 1–2 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 ¥80–120 · Mid ¥120–200 · High ¥200+ (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 |
|---|---|
| Bus ride | ¥1–2 |
| Taxi start | ¥8–10 |
| Taxi 5 km (3.1 mi)Taxi 3.1 mi (5 km) | ¥15–30 |
| Hot‑spring entry | ¥98–168 |
| Jianmen Pass ticket | ¥105 |
| Coffee | ¥15–25 |
| Sichuan snack (street) | ¥10–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CTU · Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
- nearest major airport, about 3 h by high‑speed rail
Typical fares
- Bus ride
- ¥1–2 per trip, 0.5 h
- Taxi start
- ¥8–10, then ¥2 per km
- Jianmen Pass entry
- ¥105, open 8:00–16:30¥105, open 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
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 cost ¥1–2 per ride, run until about 21:00. Taxis start at ¥8–10, typical trips ¥15–30. Shared bikes are handy on flat central streets but avoid steep hills.City buses cost ¥1–2 per ride, run until about 9:00 PM. Taxis start at ¥8–10, typical trips ¥15–30. Shared bikes are handy on flat central streets but avoid steep hills.
See and do
Known for
- Jianmen Pass
- Ancient Town of Zhaohua
- Huangze Temple
- Zengjia Mountain Hot Spring
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Zengjia Mountain Hot Spring | Taxi or bus about 30 min from city centre | ≈45 min |
| Mingyue Gorge | Bus to Chaotian District, then taxi 15 min | ≈2 h |
Sleep
- Paibaiyun Hotel
- central district, easy bus access
- Guangyuan Queen Hot Spring Hotel
- near hot‑spring resort, good for night‑time soak
- Lavande Hotel
- budget option in Lizhou District
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxiè |
| How much? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| Where is the bathroom? | 洗手间在哪里？xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ? |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？kěyǐ shuākǎ ma? |
| Help! | 救命！jiùmìng! |
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
- Bus service ends around 21:00; plan evening travel.
- Hilly terrain makes cycling difficult on outskirts.
- Ticket prices for attractions vary; check online before visiting.
Guangyuan is generally safe; keep an eye on traffic when crossing streets and store valuables in hotel safes.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Guangyuan yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Jianmen Pass
- Ancient Town of Zhaohua
- Huangze Temple
- Zengjia Mountain Hot Spring
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 – Guangyuan: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12345
- Wikivoyage: Guangyuan, revision 5231576 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5231576
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/guangyuan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.