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
Hezuo
合作市
Use Hezuo as a transit base for Gannan: one night is enough to see the monastery and Milarepa Lhakhang, then move on to Xiahe or Maqu.
Hezuo is the capital of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, sitting at 2,900 m on the Tibetan Plateau. The main draw is the 17th-century Tsoe Gompa with its 13-storey Milarepa Lhakhang. Most travellers stop here for a single night between Xiahe, Lanzhou or the grasslands of Maqu.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 合作市
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, some services reduced)
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Noodle bowl | ¥10–20 |
| Bus Hezuo–Xiahe | ¥30 (check) |
| Bus Hezuo–Lanzhou | ¥80 (check) |
| Taxi within town | ¥5–10 |
| Guesthouse double room | ¥120–350 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GXH · Gannan Xiahe Airport
- 56 km (35 mi) from Hezuo; Sichuan Airlines from Chengdu, Lhasa, Xi'an and Yinchuan (check)35 mi (56 km) from Hezuo; Sichuan Airlines from Chengdu, Lhasa, Xi'an and Yinchuan (check)
Typical fares
- Bus Hezuo–Xiahe
- about ¥30, 2 h (check)
- Bus Hezuo–Lanzhou
- about ¥80, 5 h (check)
- Taxi within Hezuo
- ¥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
Hezuo is walkable; taxis cost about ¥5–10 within town. Buses from the station serve the prefecture.
See and do
Known for
- Tsoe Gompa (Hezuo Monastery)
- Milarepa Lhakhang
- Gannan Tibetan culture
- Gateway to the grasslands
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Xiahe (Labrang Monastery) | Bus from Hezuo station, about 2 h | 2–2.5 h |
| Maqu (first bend of the Yellow River) | Bus from Hezuo, about 2–3 h | 3–4 h |
| Luqu (Langmusi area) | Bus via Hezuo or direct from Luqu, about 1.5 h | 2 h |
Sleep
- Near the bus station
- Most guesthouses and budget hotels cluster here; convenient for onward buses.
- Town centre
- A few mid-range hotels within walking distance of the monastery.
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 | 我不明白wǒ bù míng bái |
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
- Altitude around 2,900 m: take it easy on arrival, drink water.
- Last buses to Xiahe and Linxia leave by late afternoon; check the schedule at the station.
- Tsoe Gompa may have entry fees and photography rules: ask at the gate.
Hezuo is safe for tourists. The main risks are altitude sickness and cold weather outside summer. Keep valuables secure in crowded buses.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hezuo yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tsoe Gompa (Hezuo Monastery)
- Milarepa Lhakhang
- Gannan Tibetan culture
- Gateway to the grasslands
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: Hezuo, revision 5244027 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5244027
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/hezuo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.