Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · China

Putian莆田

Give Putian one night for the Mazu temple on Meizhou Island; skip the city itself unless you are on a Fujian coast loop.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
Oct–Dec, Mar–Apr
avoid Jul–Sep (typhoon season), May–Jun (heavy rain)
Airports
FOC · XMN
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
  • China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
  • China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
  • China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
  • China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.

Putian is a mid-size Fujian coast city on the Fuzhou–Xiamen high-speed line, best known as the birthplace of Mazu worship and the ferry base for Meizhou Island. The urban core is a working city of shoe factories and malls with thin sightseeing; the draw is the island temple, 40 min by road plus ferry, and the Mazu birthday festival in spring. Most travellers pass through in a day or use it as a stop between Quanzhou and Fuzhou.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Putian, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Street or quick mealXinghua rice noodles or noodle soup¥10–25 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Beerdraught in a restaurant / can at a convenience store¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5)¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Metro or bus rideCity bus ride¥1–3 (≈ under US$1)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥50–100 (≈ US$7–14)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum or temple entryfree–¥50 (≈ US$7)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personCN¥80 (≈ US$12)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥400 (≈ US$60)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥800 (≈ US$120)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CN¥300 (≈ US$45) · Mid CN¥600 (≈ US$85) · High CN¥1,200 (≈ US$170)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Mazu temple on Meizhou IslandMazu culture and pilgrimageShoe manufacturingXinghua rice noodles
Airports
FOC Fuzhou Changle International (About 1.5–2 h to Putian by road or airport coach) · XMN Xiamen Gaoqi International (About 1.5–2 h by road; high-speed rail via Xiamen North is an alternative)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Putian: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

16°C

10°C

8 rd

Feb

17°C

10°C

10 rd

Mar

19°C

12°C

13 rd

Apr

24°C

17°C

14 rd

May

27°C

21°C

16 rd

Jun

30°C

24°C

17 rd

Jul

33°C

26°C

13 rd

Aug

33°C

26°C

14 rd

Sep

31°C

25°C

11 rd

Oct

27°C

21°C

7 rd

Nov

23°C

17°C

6 rd

Dec

19°C

13°C

6 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

City buses cover the centre and cost a few yuan; taxis and ride-hailing are cheap for short hops. Meizhou Island needs a road transfer to the ferry pier plus the ferry, so plan half a day. High-speed rail links Putian station to Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Xiamen.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Meizhou Island and Mazu Temple

go

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h each way

Bus or taxi to the ferry pier, then ferry to the island

The main reason to come; island ticket and ferry are separate costs.

Jiuli Lake, Xianyou County

caution

Door to door: About 2 h each way

Bus or car to Xianyou, then local transport to the scenic area

Waterfall and lake walk; entry around ¥50.

Southern Shaolin Monastery

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h each way

Bus 201 from Putian Railway Station to Xitianwei, then shuttle

Reconstructed temple; free entry, martial arts shows cost extra.

Quanzhougo

Door to door: About 1 h

High-speed rail from Putian station

Better base for old-town sights and food.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Chengxiang District (city centre)

Political and cultural core near Shouxi Park and Putian Museum; most mid-range hotels and easy bus links.

Licheng District

Commercial core with malls and upscale residential blocks; good for shopping and restaurants.

Meizhou Island (Xiuyu District)

Sleep on the island only if you want the temple at opening or the Mazu festival; limited rooms, book ahead.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥250–450 (≈ US$35–65) excl. bed
Mid
¥450–900 (≈ US$65–130) excl. bed
High
¥900 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 1 night × CN¥400CN¥400
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × CN¥600CN¥1,200
Meizhou Island ticket plus return ferry2 × CN¥110CN¥220
High-speed rail Quanzhou–Putian, one way2 × CN¥40 · checkCN¥80
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥70CN¥140
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥204
Trip total≈ CN¥1,122 per person per day, bed includedCN¥2,244≈ US$350

2026 estimate in yuan; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
Xinghua rice noodles or noodle soup¥10–25 (≈ US$2–4)
Beer: draught in a restaurant / can at a convenience store¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
5 km taxi¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4)
City bus ride¥1–3 (≈ under US$1)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week¥50–100 (≈ US$7–14)
Museum or temple entryfree–¥50 (≈ US$7)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Putian is generally safe for tourists; the real risks are typhoon-season ferry and rail cancellations, summer heat and humidity, and traffic when crossing roads.
  • Meizhou Island needs a paid island ticket plus a separate ferry ticket; both are extra to the free temple entry.
  • Typhoons can cancel ferries and rail in Jul–Sep; keep a buffer day.
  • English is limited outside hotels; have your destination written in Chinese.
  • Shoe and souvenir markets sell copies; check what you are buying.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire
119
Ambulance
120

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Putian莆田

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

请到这个地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire119
  • Ambulance120

Embassy

Most countries have embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Guangzhou, Shanghai or Xiamen; check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Ferry to Meizhou Island, return: about ¥45 (≈ US$7), plus ¥65 (≈ US$10) island ticket
  • Taxi city centre → ferry pier: ¥60–100 (≈ US$9–14) (check)
  • High-speed rail Putian → Quanzhou: about ¥30–50 (≈ US$5–7), 40–60 min (check)

Say or show

  • 不好意思 — Excuse me / Sorry (bù hǎo yì si)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xiè xie)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duō shao qián)
  • 可以刷卡吗？ — Can I pay by card? (kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma)
  • 洗手间在哪里？ — Where is the toilet? (xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ lǐ)
  • 请到这个地址 — To this address, please (qǐng dào zhè ge dì zhǐ)

Putian has no airport; use Fuzhou or Xiamen and connect by rail or coach.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Putian. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Dec, Mar–Apr · avoid Jul–Sep (typhoon season), May–Jun (heavy rain) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for FOC and XMN: coach and rail options field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Chengxiang centre, Licheng malls, Shouxi Park and museum, Meizhou Island.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Mazu Temple, Putian Museum, Southern Shaolin, Jiuli Lake) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Typhoon and ferry-cancellation fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources