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
Pingliang
平凉
Skip unless you are a Taoist pilgrim or have a specific interest in Kongtong Mountain: half a day for the mountain and museum, then move on.
Pingliang sits at the foot of Kongtong Mountain, one of Taoism's sacred peaks, but the city itself is a quiet transport hub. Most travellers pass through on the Xi'an–Lanzhou rail corridor. The mountain and the free Pingliang Museum justify a few hours; there is little else to hold you overnight.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 平凉
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, some mountain trails icy)
- Stay
- 0 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 ¥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 (beef or lamb) | ¥10–20 |
| Bottled water (500 ml) | ¥2–3 |
| Taxi ride within town | ¥5–10 |
| Bus ticket (single) | ¥1–2 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- XIY · Xi'an Xianyang International
- About 4 h by train or bus to Pingliang; the nearest major airport.
- LHW · Lanzhou Zhongchuan International
- About 5 h by train or bus.
Typical fares
- Pingliang → Xi'an (train)
- about ¥100–150, 7 h (check)
- Pingliang → Lanzhou (train)
- about ¥80–120, 11 h (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
Taxis (¥5–10 within town) and bus routes 1, 2, 9 cover the centre. A tourist shuttle runs between the railway station and Kongtong Mountain (check schedule).
See and do
Known for
- Kongtongshan National Park (Taoist sacred mountain)
- Pingliang Museum (14,500 artefacts)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kongtong Mountain | Tourist shuttle from railway station or taxi (about 20 min) | 30 min |
Sleep
- Near Pingliang Railway Station
- Budget hotels and guesthouses; convenient for arrivals/departures.
- Kongtong Mountain base area
- A few hotels near the park entrance; quieter but limited dining.
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 toilet? | 厕所在哪里？cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ? |
| I don't understand | 我不明白wǒ bù míng bai |
| Can you help me? | 你能帮我吗？nǐ néng bāng wǒ 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
- Kongtong Mountain involves a lot of stairs; wear sturdy shoes.
- Pingliang Museum is closed on Mondays; no entry after 16:00.
- Train tickets to Xi'an and Lanzhou sell out on Chinese holidays; book ahead.
Pingliang is safe for tourists. Standard precautions: watch for pickpockets at the bus station and on crowded buses.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Pingliang yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Kongtongshan National Park (Taoist sacred mountain)
- Pingliang Museum (14,500 artefacts)
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: Pingliang, revision 5259191 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5259191
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/pingliang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.