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
Xingcheng
兴城
Half a day for the ancient city and a beach walk; one night if you want hot springs or the island ferry. Not a base for the region.
Xingcheng is a small coastal city in Liaoning with a well-preserved Ming-era walled town, a long beach, hot springs and an island ferry. Most travellers stop for a few hours between Beijing and Shenyang, or combine it with Huludao. The ancient city is free to enter; paid tickets for the wall and temples.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 兴城
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowded beach, hot), Dec–Feb (cold)
- Stay
- 1 night
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 ¥200–350 excl. bed · Mid ¥350–600 excl. bed · High ¥600+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Street snack (jianbing, skewers) | ¥5–15 |
| Sit-down meal (seafood) | ¥60–150 per person |
| Beer (bottle at a shop) | ¥3–6 |
| Taxi within town | ¥10–20 |
| Bus to beach | ¥2 |
| Ferry to Juehua Island | ¥120 round trip (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- JNZ · Jinzhou Bay Airport
- About 1.5 h by taxi; limited flights. Alternatively fly to Shenyang (SHE) or Beijing (PEK/PKX) and take the train.
Typical fares
- Xingcheng Station → Ancient City
- walking distance, about 5 min
- Ancient City → Beach
- taxi about ¥10–15, 5 min
- Xingcheng → Huludao
- bus about ¥10, 30 min
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
Walking covers the ancient city and the station. Taxi or local bus to the beach (about 3 km (1.9 mi)) and the port for Juehua Island. Bicycle rental available near the city wall.Walking covers the ancient city and the station. Taxi or local bus to the beach (about 1.9 mi (3 km)) and the port for Juehua Island. Bicycle rental available near the city wall.
See and do
Known for
- Xingcheng Ancient City (Ming dynasty)
- Juehua Island
- Hot springs
- Beach
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Huludao | Bus or taxi, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Jinzhou | Train or bus, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Fuxin | Bus, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Chaoyang | Train or bus, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
Sleep
- Near the ancient city
- Walking distance to the wall and railway station; most hotels are basic business style.
- Beach area
- Guesthouses and a few resorts near the sand; quieter outside July.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xie |
| How much? | 多少钱？duō shao qián? |
| I don't eat spicy | 我不吃辣wǒ bù chī là |
| Where is the toilet? | 厕所在哪里？cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ? |
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
- July Sea Festival draws huge crowds: avoid if you dislike packed beaches.
- Juehua Island ferry runs only in good weather; check the day before.
- Hot spring facilities vary widely; ask to see the room before paying.
Xingcheng is safe. Watch for pickpockets on crowded buses and at the beach in July. Tap water is not drinkable; buy bottled water.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Xingcheng yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Xingcheng Ancient City (Ming dynasty)
- Juehua Island
- Hot springs
- Beach
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: Xingcheng, revision 5328491 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5328491
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/xingcheng). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.