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Voykit pocket guide · China
Zhoukou
周口
Give Zhoukou one full day for Huaiyang's Taihao Mausoleum and Longhu lake; skip it as a base unless you are already in East Henan.
Zhoukou is a prefecture-level city of about 8.7 million on the Shaying River, known as the birthplace of Laozi and the ritual centre of the ancient Chen and Cai states. Its draw is Huaiyang District, 30 km east, where the Taihao Mausoleum, Longhu wetland and the Pingliangtai ruins sit close together. The urban core is a working regional city with a museum, a Guandi temple and a large evening square, not a sightseeing town.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 周口
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and heavy rain), Jan–Feb (cold, dry)
- 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 |
|---|---|
| City bus ride | ¥1–2 |
| Taxi, first 2 kmTaxi, first 1.2 mi | ¥6 (¥7 at night) |
| Noodle or rice meal | ¥15–35 |
| Taihao Mausoleum entry | ¥40, ¥20 during temple fairs |
| Pingliangtai ruins entry | ¥30 |
| Zhoukou Guandi Temple entry | ¥13 |
| Longhu lake boat ride | ¥30 per adult |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CGO · Zhengzhou Xinzheng International
- Nearest airport; direct trains from Zhoukou East to Xinzheng Airport station, about 1 h, ¥60–244
Typical fares
- Zhoukou East → Xinzheng Airport, train
- ¥60–244, about 1 h
- Taxi, first 2 km
- ¥6 day, ¥7 after 23:00¥6 day, ¥7 after 11:00 PM
- Bus to Huaiyang
- about ¥10, 30–40 min
Get around
City buses cost ¥1–2 per ride and reach most sights. Taxis start at ¥6 for the first 2 km, then ¥1.6/km, with a night rate from 23:00. Huaiyang District is a separate 30 km trip: use the bus station there or a metered taxi.City buses cost ¥1–2 per ride and reach most sights. Taxis start at ¥6 for the first 2 km, then ¥1.6/km, with a night rate from 11:00 PM. Huaiyang District is a separate 30 km trip: use the bus station there or a metered taxi.City buses cost ¥1–2 per ride and reach most sights. Taxis start at ¥6 for the first 1.2 mi, then ¥1.6/km, with a night rate from 23:00. Huaiyang District is a separate 19 mi trip: use the bus station there or a metered taxi.City buses cost ¥1–2 per ride and reach most sights. Taxis start at ¥6 for the first 1.2 mi, then ¥1.6/km, with a night rate from 11:00 PM. Huaiyang District is a separate 19 mi trip: use the bus station there or a metered taxi.
See and do
Known for
- Taihao Mausoleum (Fuxi)
- Longhu National Wetland Park
- Pingliangtai ancient city ruins
- Birthplace of Laozi
- Zhoukou Guandi Temple
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Huaiyang District (Taihao Mausoleum, Longhu lake) | Bus or taxi from central Zhoukou, about 30–40 min | About 1 h |
| Kaifeng | Bus from Zhoukou Central or East bus station, ¥56–65 | 2–3 h |
| Shangqiu | Bus, ¥40–60 | 2–3 h |
Sleep
- Chuanhui District, around Wuyi Square
- City centre; walkable to the Guandi Temple and riverside parks, buses to everywhere.
- Zhoukou East Station area
- Convenient for a one-night rail stop; few restaurants, so eat before you arrive.
- Huaiyang District
- Best if the mausoleum and lake are your main reason; 30–40 min by bus or taxi from the centre.
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 bus station? | 汽车站在哪里？qì chē 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
- Some taxi drivers overcharge; insist on the meter.
- Buses may leave only when full rather than on schedule.
- Summer rain is concentrated in Jun–Sep; check forecasts before day trips.
- Museum and temple hours are limited and can change; confirm before travelling.
Zhoukou is a low-crime regional city; the practical risks are overcharging taxis, long bus waits and summer heat. Keep to lit central streets at night and use the meter.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Zhoukou yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Taihao Mausoleum (Fuxi)
- Longhu National Wetland Park
- Pingliangtai ancient city ruins
- Birthplace of Laozi
- Zhoukou Guandi Temple
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Zhoukou municipal government: www.zhoukou.gov.cn/page_pc/index.html
- China National Tourist Office: www.cnto.org/
- Wikivoyage: Zhoukou, revision 5251462 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5251462
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Zhoukou周口
请到这个地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Zhoukou; most countries keep embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Shanghai, Guangzhou or Zhengzhou.
Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and an eSIM before arrival; foreign cards are not accepted everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/zhoukou). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.