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Voykit pocket guide · China
Hengyang
衡阳
Spend 1–2 days in Hengyang: a half‑day for Mount Heng and city parks, another day for museums and hot‑spring day trips.
Hengyang sits on the Xiang River, south of Mount Heng, and serves as a transport hub in Hunan. Its main draws are Mount Heng, Shigu Academy, city parks and nearby hot‑spring resorts. One full day covers the mountain and central sights; a second day adds a hot‑spring or river‑rafting outing.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 衡阳
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (rainy season)
- 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–¥150 excl. bed · Mid ¥150–¥300 excl. bed · High ¥300+ 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 ride (city) | ¥1–¥2 |
| Taxi start | ¥5 |
| Taxi across town | ¥20–¥30 |
| Mount Heng entry | ¥10 adult |
| Hot‑spring entry | ¥30–¥80 |
| Street food snack | ¥5–¥15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HNY · Hengyang Nanyue Airport
- Flights only to Shanghai Pudong and Beijing Nanyuan; bus stop 300 m from terminal
Typical fares
- Airport → city centre bus
- ≈¥2, 5‑min walk to bus stop
- Taxi to Mount Heng
- ≈¥100–¥150, 45 min
- City bus day pass
- ≈¥2 per person
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–¥2) cover most routes; taxis start at ¥5, typically under ¥30 for intra‑city trips. High‑speed rail at Hengyang East connects to Wuhan and Guangzhou (≈1½ h).
See and do
Known for
- Mount Heng (Nanyue)
- Shigu Academy
- Linghu Water Resort
- Hot springs in Leiyang and Qidong
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Heng (Nanyue) | Bus from Zhongxin or Linghu Bus Terminal (¥7–¥13); taxi ¥100–¥150 | ≈45 min |
| Leiyang Shennong Hot Springs | Bus K1/K2 to Leiyang (≈1 h) | ≈2 h total |
| Qidong Hongcheng Hot Springs | Bus K1/K2 to Qidong (≈1 h) | ≈2 h total |
| Jiulong Valley Rafting | Join a local tour from city centre (check price) | ≈3 h |
Sleep
- Budget guesthouses near Hengyang Railway Station
- Ask for rates, many accept cash; basic rooms ~¥50–¥150 per night
- Mid‑range hotels on Jiefang Road
- Rooms start around ¥300; examples: Huatian Hotel, Shenlong Hotel
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 bus stop? | 公交站在哪里？gōngjiāo zhàn zài nǎlǐ? |
| I need a taxi | 我要打车wǒ yào dǎ chē |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？kěyǐ shuākǎ ma? |
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 fares are cheap but may vary for suburban routes; confirm price before boarding.
- Taxi meters may be ignored during festivals; negotiate fare in advance.
- Mount Heng bus tickets cost ¥7–¥13; taxis to the mountain can be ¥100–¥150.
Hengyang is generally safe; keep an eye on traffic, especially buses and motorcabs, and use meters or negotiate taxi fares.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hengyang yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mount Heng (Nanyue)
- Shigu Academy
- Linghu Water Resort
- Hot springs in Leiyang and Qidong
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: Hengyang, revision 5244166 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5244166
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/hengyang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.