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Voykit pocket guide · China
Weizhou
Do Weizhou as a day trip; stay overnight only for beach time – ferry ~1 h each way, island entry ¥120, hostel ¥30‑250 per night.
Weizhou Island is China’s largest volcanic island, 39 km south of Beihai. With a 25 km² area you can see the main sights – Crocodile Hill, Shiluokou beach, the Gothic Catholic church – in a few hours. The island entry fee (¥120, ¥65 off‑season) covers all sites. Ferries run 3 times daily (≈60‑90 min). Overnight stays are cheap but not necessary unless you want relaxed beach time.
- Country
- China
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (possible rough seas, ferry cancellations)
- Stay
- 1 (optional extra night for beach time) 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 ¥300–450 excl. bed · High ¥500+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Seafood dish (market stall) | ¥15–20 |
| Coffee | ¥4–7 |
| Motor tricycle ride | ¥5–30 per trip |
| Scooter rental | ¥120/day |
| Ferry (second class) | ¥150–180 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BHY · Beihai Fucheng Airport
- —
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Motor tricycles ¥5‑30 per trip, day hire ¥100; scooters ¥120/day, e‑bikes ¥80/day, deposit ¥200‑300. No helmets supplied; carry Chinese driver’s licence if riding motor scooter.
See and do
Known for
- volcanic landscape
- South Bay beaches
- coral reefs
- Gothic‑style Catholic church
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Crocodile Hill (Volcanic Park) | Shuttle bus from island centre ¥20, then walk | ≈45 min |
| Shiluokou (Multicolored Beach) | Walk or tuk‑tuk from South Bay (≈15 min) | ≈20 min |
| Xieyang Island | Boat from Weizhou port ¥750‑1 200 shared, 30 min | ≈1 h total |
Sleep
- ta july (七月) hostel
- Dorm ¥30, private rooms ¥250, 5 min walk to South Bay, 25 min to Crocodile Hill
Language
Mandarin is the language of the whole country, written in Simplified characters; Cantonese dominates Guangdong and Hong Kong, and dozens of regional languages survive at home. English is on metro signs, airports and large hotels; elsewhere use a translation app. Pinyin (the romanisation) helps with names but tones change meaning.
- Translation apps: Baidu Translate, Youdao, Microsoft Translator and Apple Translate work without a VPN; Google Translate needs one or a roaming eSIM.
- Show destinations to taxi drivers in characters; copy them from Amap.
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
- Ferry may be cancelled in heavy sea – check schedule before departure
- Only one ATM (UnionPay only) – bring cash for the whole stay
- English is limited; Mandarin is spoken by most locals
Weizhou is generally safe for tourists; main risks are heavy seas that can cancel ferries and limited English, so plan transport in advance and carry cash.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Weizhou yet. Suggested stay: 1 (optional extra night for beach time) nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- volcanic landscape
- South Bay beaches
- coral reefs
- Gothic‑style Catholic church
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: Weizhou, revision 4888491 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4888491
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/weizhou). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.