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Voykit pocket guide · China
Tianshui
天水
Give Tianshui 1–2 days: the old town, Fuxi Temple and the city museum in Qinzhou, plus a full day for Maijishan Grottoes.
Tianshui is a Silk Road city in southeast Gansu, split into two districts about 18 km apart: Qinzhou in the west and Maijishan in the east. The western centre is walkable in half a day; the Maijishan Grottoes, 45 km out, take a full day. High-speed rail from Xi'an and Lanzhou makes it an easy one- or two-night stop.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 天水
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, lows below freezing)
- Stay
- 1–2 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 (check) · Mid ¥250–450 excl. bed (check) · High ¥450+ excl. bed (check) (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 |
|---|---|
| City bus ride | ¥2–3 |
| Maijishan Grottoes entry | ¥70 off-season / ¥90 peak |
| Fuxi Temple entry | ¥20 |
| Yuquan Temple entry | ¥20 |
| Nanguo Temple entry | ¥30 |
| Tianshui Traditional Noodles | check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- check · Tianshui Maijishan Airport
- Small airport with limited domestic service; the tram reaches it on the Maijishan side (2025). IATA code: check.
Typical fares
- Tianshui South Railway → Maijishan Grottoes (bus)
- about ¥8–10, 45 km (28 mi), 1 h (check)about ¥8–10, 28 mi (45 km), 1 h (check)
- City bus ride
- ¥2–3 per trip, cash or QR
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
City buses cost ¥2–3, paid in cash or by transit QR code. A tram links the two districts but only runs as far as the airport on the Maijishan side as of 2025. The Qinzhou centre is walkable; taxi fares: check.
See and do
Known for
- Maijishan Grottoes
- Tianshui Ancient Town
- Fuxi Temple
- Tianshui City Museum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Maijishan Grottoes | Direct tourist bus from Tianshui South railway station from 07:00, about 1 h, ¥8–10Direct tourist bus from Tianshui South railway station from 7:00 AM, about 1 h, ¥8–10 | About 1.5 h each way |
| Immortals' Cliffs | Bus no. 37 from near Tianshui railway station, or continue from Maijishan National Park | About 1–1.5 h |
| Lanzhou | High-speed rail from Tianshui South (time: check), or about 4 h by slow train / bus | About 1.5–4 h |
| Xi'an | High-speed rail from Tianshui South (time: check), or about 4 h by slow train, 5–6 h by bus | About 1.5–6 h |
Sleep
- Qinzhou District, around Central Square
- The western centre: Fuxi Temple, the ancient town and the city museum are within walking distance. Prices check.
- Maijishan District
- The eastern half, closer to the grottoes and the airport; 18 km (11 mi) from Qinzhou along Longcheng Rd. Prices check.The eastern half, closer to the grottoes and the airport; 11 mi (18 km) from Qinzhou along Longcheng Rd. Prices check.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxiè |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| Where is the bathroom? | 洗手间在哪里？xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ? |
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
- Bus timetables thin out on public holidays; check at the station.
- Maijishan Grottoes are cut into a cliff with many stairs; footing advice: check.
- The two districts are 18 km apart — allow for the transfer when you plan a day.
- Fuxi Temple entry needs your passport.
Tianshui is a low-crime city and the main risks are practical: stairs and cliff walkways at Maijishan, cold winters, and buses that thin out on public holidays. Keep cash or a working QR payment app for ¥2–3 city buses.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tianshui yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Maijishan Grottoes
- Tianshui Ancient Town
- Fuxi Temple
- Tianshui City Museum
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: Tianshui, revision 5300705 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5300705
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/tianshui). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.