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Voykit pocket guide · China
Zhoushan
舟山
Spend 2 days: one day on Zhoushan Island (Putuo, Opium War Park, museum) and a half‑day on a nearby island (e.g., Daishan) – enough to see the main sights and try fresh seafood.
Zhoushan is an archipelago of 1,390 islands with a modest airport, good bus links from Shanghai, Hangzhou and Ningbo, and a range of mid‑range hotels. Two days let you visit Putuo Mountain, the Opium War Relics Park, Zhoushan Museum and a beach island, then return to the mainland.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 舟山
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (warm, less rain)
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (typhoon risk)
- 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 ¥120–180 CNY excl. bed · Mid ¥200–350 CNY excl. bed · High ¥400 CNY+ 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 noodle bowl | ¥30–50 |
| Fresh hairtail (per 200 g) | ¥20–35 |
| Bottle of Putuo Buddha tea (500 ml) | ¥25–40 |
| Taxi (first 3 km (1.9 mi))Taxi (first 1.9 mi (3 km)) | ¥15–20 |
| Bus ride within island | ¥2–3 |
| Ferry (main island ↔ Daishan) | ¥80–120 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HSN · Zhoushan Putuoshan International Airport
- Small domestic airport on Zhujiajian island; limited flights
Typical fares
- Shanghai → Zhoushan bus
- ≈¥130, 4 h (check)
- Ferry Dinghai ↔ Daishan
- ≈¥80 round‑trip (check)
- Taxi within Dinghai (5 km)
- ≈¥20–30
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
Buses (routes 1,3,6,7,15,23,29) connect main island districts; ferries link mainland (Shanghai, Ningbo) and outlying islands; taxis and bike‑share are available in towns.
See and do
Known for
- Putuo Mountain Buddhist site
- Seafood and fishing ports
- Island beaches and sand sculpture festival
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Daishan Island | Ferry from Dinghai port, about 1 h | ≈2 h total |
| East Pole (Dongji) Island | Ferry from Putuo district, 1.5 h | ≈3 h total |
Sleep
- Putuo Hilton Hotel Zhoushan
- Mid‑range, near bus terminal, gym and children’s park
- Manju Hotel
- Central Donggang, 200 m from sea, local cultural décor
- Narada Hotel Zhoushan
- Splurge, sea view of Putuo Mountain, close to night food stalls
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxiè |
| How much? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| Where is the bus stop? | 公交站在哪里？gōngjiāo zhàn zài nǎlǐ? |
| Can I have the menu? | 可以看菜单吗？kěyǐ kàn càidān ma? |
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
- Summer/autumn typhoons can disrupt ferry schedules – check forecasts.
- Last bus from mainland arrives around 22:00; plan accommodation accordingly.
Generally safe; watch for slippery decks on ferries and keep an eye on personal belongings in night markets.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Zhoushan yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Putuo Mountain Buddhist site
- Seafood and fishing ports
- Island beaches and sand sculpture festival
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Zhoushan: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12345
- Wikivoyage: Zhoushan, revision 5332325 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5332325
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/zhoushan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.