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Voykit pocket guide · China
Xinyang
Spend 1–2 days in Xinyang: see Jigong Mountain and Nanwan Lake, use bike or cheap taxi for short trips.
Xinyang, southern gate of Henan, offers two main sights—Jigong Mountain with caves and Nanwan Lake with waterfalls—both reachable within 30 km. A day or two covers the highlights; bikes cost ¥1.5 per half‑hour, taxis start at ¥6 for 2 km.
- Country
- China
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, humid)
- 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 ¥80–120 excl. bed · Mid ¥120–200 excl. bed · High ¥200+ 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 and ambulance 119
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Bike‑share half‑hour | ¥1.5 |
| Taxi start (2 km (1.2 mi))Taxi start (1.2 mi (2 km)) | ¥6 |
| Jigong Mountain entry | ¥59.9 |
| Nanwan Lake entry | ¥60 |
| Coffee | ¥15–25 |
| Local snack (Liangfen) | ¥10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- XAI · Xinyang Minggang Airport
- 45 km (28 mi) from downtown, flights from major Chinese cities28 mi (45 km) from downtown, flights from major Chinese cities
Typical fares
- Airport → city centre, taxi
- ≈ ¥120, 45 km (28 mi) (check)≈ ¥120, 28 mi (45 km) (check)
- Bike‑share half‑hour
- ¥1.5 per 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
Bike‑share (¥1.5 per 30 min) or taxi (¥6 start, ¥0.8 per 0.5 km (0.3 mi) after 2 km (1.2 mi)). City centre is walkable.Bike‑share (¥1.5 per 30 min) or taxi (¥6 start, ¥0.8 per 0.3 mi (0.5 km) after 1.2 mi (2 km)). City centre is walkable.
See and do
Known for
- Jigong Mountain
- Nanwan Lake
- Tea culture
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jigong Mountain | Taxi ~30 min from city centre | ≈45 min total |
| Nanwan Lake | Taxi ~40 min or bike 12 km (7.5 mi)Taxi ~40 min or bike 7.5 mi (12 km) | ≈1 h total |
Sleep
- City centre hotels
- Convenient for attractions and transport
- Minsu guesthouses
- Cheaper, book via mobile apps
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxie |
| How much? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| Where is the toilet? | 厕所在哪里？cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ? |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？kěyǐ shuākǎ ma? |
| I would like a taxi | 我要打车wǒ yào dǎ chē |
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
- Check opening hours for Jigong Mountain caves (price ¥59.9).
- Taxi meters now transparent; confirm start fare.
Generally safe; traffic can be busy, watch for taxis’ meter start.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Xinyang yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Jigong Mountain
- Nanwan Lake
- Tea culture
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: Xinyang, revision 5198359 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5198359
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/xinyang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.