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
Zhengzhou
郑州
Give Zhengzhou 2 nights as a rail hub for the Henan Museum and Shaolin or Kaifeng day trips, not as a sightseeing city in its own right.
Zhengzhou is the capital of Henan and one of China's biggest rail junctions, about 2 h from Xi'an and 5.5 h from Beijing by high-speed train. The city itself is modern and spread out; its value is as a base for the Henan Museum, the Shaolin Temple at Dengfeng and the old capital of Kaifeng. Two nights covers the museum and one day trip; three nights adds a second.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 郑州
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, wet), Chinese New Year travel rush
- Stay
- 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 ¥250–450 excl. bed · Mid ¥450–900 excl. bed · High ¥900+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥15–35 |
| Noodle soup or dumplings | ¥15–40 |
| Beer: draught / can at a convenience store | ¥15–30 / ¥5–10 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | ¥15–20 |
| Metro ride | ¥2–9 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥50–150 |
| Museum or tower entry | Free–¥98 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CGO · Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport
- About 30 km (19 mi) southeast of the centre; Metro Line 2's Chengjiao extension and mainline rail both reach it.About 19 mi (30 km) southeast of the centre; Metro Line 2's Chengjiao extension and mainline rail both reach it.
Typical fares
- Airport → city, shuttle bus
- about ¥15, roughly 1 h (check)
- Airport → city, taxi
- about ¥120–140 (check)
- Metro, central ride
- ¥2–9
- High-speed train Zhengzhou → Xi'an
- about 2 h (check)
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
The metro covers the centre and the airport; fares run ¥2–9 by distance and trains start about 06:00, last around 23:00 (Chengjiao line stops earlier, about 22:00). Buses cost ¥1–2. Taxis start at ¥8 by day, ¥10 after 22:00, then about ¥1.5 per km; insist on the meter.The metro covers the centre and the airport; fares run ¥2–9 by distance and trains start about 6:00 AM, last around 11:00 PM (Chengjiao line stops earlier, about 10:00 PM). Buses cost ¥1–2. Taxis start at ¥8 by day, ¥10 after 10:00 PM, then about ¥1.5 per km; insist on the meter.
See and do
Known for
- Henan Museum
- Shaolin Temple day trips
- Erqi Memorial Tower
- Rail hub for Kaifeng and Luoyang
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng | Bus or car from Zhengzhou, about 1.5–2 h each way | 3–4 h |
| Kaifeng | High-speed or regular train from Zhengzhou East or Zhengzhou Station, about 30–60 min | 1–1.5 h |
| Gongyi | Train or bus west of the city, about 1 h | 1–1.5 h |
| Zhongmu County | Metro or bus east of the centre, about 1 h | 1–1.5 h |
| Xuchang | High-speed train south, about 30–40 min | 1–1.5 h |
Sleep
- Erqi Square
- City centre, Line 1 and Line 3, walk to the tower and the night market; loudest and busiest.
- Zhengzhou East Station area
- Zhengdong New Area; best if you arrive or leave by high-speed rail, 45 min by metro from Erqi Square.
- Jinshui / CBD around Ruyi Lake
- Modern hotels, malls and the lake; quieter, good metro links on Line 1.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xie |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duō shao qián |
| Please use the meter | 请打表qǐng dǎ biǎo |
| Where is the metro? | 地铁站在哪里？dì tiě zhàn zài nǎ lǐ |
| I don't understand | 我不懂wǒ bù dǒng |
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
- Zhengzhou Station and Zhengzhou East Station are different places: check which one your train uses before you book a hotel.
- Some taxi drivers ask a flat fare instead of using the meter; ask for the meter or use the metro.
- Summer is hot and wet, with most rain in July and August; winter is dry and cold.
- The Henan Museum and several other museums close on Mondays and stop issuing tickets in the last hour.
Zhengzhou is a normal big Chinese city and feels safe by day and night in the centre. The real risks are traffic, taxi fare games and summer heat; keep bags zipped in the Erqi Square crowds.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Zhengzhou yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Henan Museum
- Shaolin Temple day trips
- Erqi Memorial Tower
- Rail hub for Kaifeng and Luoyang
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: Zhengzhou, revision 5290710 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5290710
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Zhengzhou郑州
请到这个地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Beijing; several countries keep consulates-general in Shanghai, Guangzhou or Chengdu. Check your own country's list before you travel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/zhengzhou). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.