Major city · China
Cixi City慈溪市
Skip as a sightseeing stop: one night only if you have business here, or use it as a cheap base between Ningbo and Hangzhou.
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- CNY
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct–Nov
- avoid Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), Chinese New Year week
- Airports
- NGB · HGH · PVG
- Nights
- 1
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.
Cixi is a manufacturing city of about 1.5 million people in Zhejiang, roughly halfway between Ningbo and Hangzhou. It has almost no conventional sightseeing: the draw is cheap hotels, hot-spring-style bathhouses, bayberry in June, and easy access to Ningbo and the Hangzhou Bay Bridge. Come for work or a quiet overnight, not for a landmark.
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Cixi City, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 (≈ US$30) carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones…China-wide
- SIM or eSIMA roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.China-wide
- Tap waterNot for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5 (≈ under US$1), and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms.China-wide
- TippingRestaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.China-wide
- Plugs & powerSockets A/C/I. US/Canada (A/B): fits · UK/Ireland (G): adapter · Australia/NZ (I): fits. 220 V: US 120 V-only devices (hair dryers) need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.China-wide
- SafetyCixi is a low-crime city and walking the centre at night is generally fine.
- RestroomsPublic toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls.China-wide
- Emergency numbers110 police · 119 fire · 120 ambulance (not 911, 999 or 000)
- Sundays & holidaysMany museums and palaces close on Mondays; the Forbidden City too (outside holidays).China-wide
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportNGB Ningbo Lishe International (Closest big airport; about 1–1.5 h by road to Cixi).
- Getting aroundTaxis are the default: metered, cheap by US standards, and the only reliable way to cross the city.
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- CoffeeCoffee in a café¥25–45 (≈ US$4–7)
- Street or quick mealNoodle or rice bowl¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
- BeerBeer in a club (per bottle, by the dozen)¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5)
- Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, about 3 miTaxi across the centre¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5)
- SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥80–200 (≈ US$12–30)
- Museum or sight ticketBathhouse admission¥50–240 (≈ US$7–35)
- Budget bedCheap guesthouse room, a night, per roomCN¥80 (≈ US$12)
- Mid-range bedCheap guesthouse room, a night, per roomCN¥150 (≈ US$25)
- High-end bedCheap guesthouse room, a night, per roomCN¥250 (≈ US$35)
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.
- Airports
- NGB Ningbo Lishe International (Closest big airport; about 1–1.5 h by road to Cixi) · HGH Hangzhou Xiaoshan International (About 1.5–2 h by road via the Hangzhou Bay Bridge) · PVG Shanghai Pudong International (Long transfer, 2.5–3.5 h by road or rail plus a change)
Weather and climate
Cixi City: 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
9°C48°F
2°C36°F
10 rd
Feb
11°C52°F
4°C39°F
11 rd
Mar
15°C59°F
7°C45°F
14 rd
Apr
21°C70°F
12°C54°F
14 rd
May
26°C79°F
18°C64°F
14 rd
Jun
29°C84°F
22°C72°F
15 rd
Jul
34°C93°F
26°C79°F
12 rd
Aug
33°C91°F
26°C79°F
13 rd
Sep
28°C82°F
22°C72°F
12 rd
Oct
23°C73°F
16°C61°F
9 rd
Nov
18°C64°F
10°C50°F
8 rd
Dec
12°C54°F
4°C39°F
8 rd
High / low °C°F · rd = rain days
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
Taxis are the default: metered, cheap by US standards, and the only reliable way to cross the city. Local buses cover the centre but signage is mostly Chinese. Ride-hailing apps work if you have a Chinese payment method set up. There is no metro in Cixi; the nearest rail connections are in Ningbo and Yuyao.
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Door to door: 1–1.5 h
Bus or taxi to Ningbo, then metro; high-speed rail from Yuyao North is another option
Old bund, Tianyi Pavilion and good seafood; the best full day out from Cixi.
Door to door: 2–2.5 h
High-speed rail from Yuyao North or Ningbo, about 1 h to Hangzhou East
West Lake and tea hills; doable as a long day, better as an overnight.
Door to door: 3–4 h
High-speed rail from Yuyao North or Ningbo to Shanghai Hongqiao
Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep in Shanghai.
Butterfly Temple (Liang Shanbo temple)
cautionDoor to door: 30–45 min
Taxi from the centre
Small temple tied to the Butterfly Lovers legend; check opening hours before you go.
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
Xushan downtown (浒山)
Main commercial core: hotels, KTV, bathhouses and restaurants within walking distance.
Around Zhishan Park
Quieter, greener edge of the centre; a few mid-range hotels and cafés.
Near the bus and rail links
Practical for one night if you are moving on to Ningbo or Hangzhou the next morning.
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- ¥250–450 (≈ US$35–65) excl. bed
- Mid
- ¥450–900 (≈ US$65–130) excl. bed
- High
- ¥900 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| Business-hotel double room1 × 1 night × CN¥450 | CN¥450 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × CN¥600 | CN¥1,200 |
| Taxi across the centre, one trip1 × CN¥25 | CN¥25 |
| Bathhouse admission2 × CN¥60 | CN¥120 |
| eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥120 | CN¥240 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | CN¥204 |
| Trip total≈ CN¥1,120 per person per day, bed included | CN¥2,239≈ US$350 |
2026 estimate in yuan; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Coffee in a café | ¥25–45 (≈ US$4–7) |
| Noodle or rice bowl | ¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5) |
| Hot pot for two | ¥80–150 (≈ US$12–25) |
| Beer in a club (per bottle, by the dozen) | ¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5) |
| Taxi across the centre | ¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5) |
| Bathhouse admission | ¥50–240 (≈ US$7–35) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥80–200 (≈ US$12–30) |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- Air quality is poor on still days because of the factories; check the AQI if you are sensitive.
- Most staff speak little English; have your hotel name and address written in Chinese.
- Some KTV and club venues are adult-oriented; agree prices before you sit down.
- Summer is hot and humid with heavy rain in June and August; winter is damp and cold.
Emergency numbers
- Police
- 110
- Fire
- 119
- Ambulance
- 120
Pocket card
Fill in, then print or save as PDF
Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.
Cixi City慈溪市
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
—
—
—
请带我去这个地址Please take me to this address
Emergency
- Police110
- Fire119
- Ambulance120
Embassy
No embassies in Cixi; most countries have embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Shanghai. The US consulate-general is in Shanghai.
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Taxi across the centre: ¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5)
- Bus Cixi → Ningbo: about ¥30–50 (≈ US$5–7), 1–1.5 h
- High-speed rail Yuyao North → Hangzhou East: about ¥50–80 (≈ US$7–12), 1 h
Say or show
- 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
- 谢谢 — Thank you (xiè xiè)
- 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duō shǎo 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)
- 请带我去这个地址 — Please take me to this address (qǐng dài wǒ qù zhè ge dì zhǐ)
Keep your hotel's Chinese name and address saved offline; drivers rarely read pinyin.
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 Cixi City. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Apr–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), Chinese New Year week · month by month →
- 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 4 day-trips, door to door
- 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Airport-to-bed contracts for NGB and HGH: last bus and rail times field-checked, taxi fallback.
- Walking cluster around Xushan downtown with rescue anchors for late arrivals.
- Place pages for Zhishan Park and Butterfly Temple with verified hours.
- Hostile-arrival fixtures for Chinese New Year and typhoon-season closures.