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Voykit pocket guide · China
Lin'an
临安
Lin'an is a half-day stop for Tianmushan or a commuter base for Hangzhou; one night if you want to hike Da'ming Mountain.
Lin'an, 30 km west of Hangzhou, is a quiet city with mountain scenery, bamboo forests and the Tianmushan range. Most travellers use it as a day-trip from Hangzhou or a base for hiking Da'ming Mountain. The city itself is modern and compact, with good local food.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 临安
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Chinese New Year
- 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 ¥200–350 excl. bed · Mid ¥350–600 excl. bed · High ¥600+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Bowl of noodles | ¥15–25 |
| Fish-head dish (stamp pepper fish head) | ¥60–100 |
| Beer (bottle) | ¥5–10 |
| Taxi within city | ¥10–20 |
| Metro to Hangzhou | ¥10 |
| Da'ming Mountain entry | ¥100–120 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HGH · Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
- About 1.5 h by taxi or bus; check metro connection via Hangzhou
Typical fares
- Lin'an → Hangzhou, metro
- about ¥10, 40 min (check)
- Lin'an → Tianmushan, bus
- about ¥20–30, 1 h (check)
- Taxi from Lin'an centre to Da'ming Mountain
- ¥100–150 (check)
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
Local buses and taxis cover the city; Hangzhou Metro Line 16 connects Lin'an to Hangzhou (about 40 min). For Tianmushan, take a bus from Lin'an bus station.
See and do
Known for
- Tianmushan (Mount Tianmu)
- Da'ming Mountain
- Taihu Lake Source
- Bamboo shoots and hickory nuts
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tianmushan (Mount Tianmu) | Bus from Lin'an bus station, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Da'ming Mountain | Bus or taxi, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Hangzhou | Metro Line 16, about 40 min | About 1 h |
Sleep
- City centre (near Qingshan Lake)
- Close to restaurants and bus stops for Tianmushan.
- Near Da'ming Mountain
- Closer to the hiking trail; fewer dining options.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xiè |
| How much is this? | 这个多少钱？zhè ge duō shǎo qián |
| I don't understand | 我不明白wǒ bù míng bái |
| Where is the toilet? | 厕所在哪里？cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ |
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
- Da'ming Mountain requires a park entry ticket plus a separate bus ticket and cable car fee; check the total cost before you go.
- Metro Line 16 runs until about 22:30; last trains from Lin'an to Hangzhou may be earlier.
- Some mountain roads close in winter after snow; check conditions.
Lin'an is safe for travellers. Watch for uneven mountain paths and slippery steps after rain. In winter, check road conditions for mountain driving.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lin'an yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tianmushan (Mount Tianmu)
- Da'ming Mountain
- Taihu Lake Source
- Bamboo shoots and hickory nuts
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: Lin'an, revision 4693240 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4693240
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/linan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.