Hefei

Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province. It is in central Anhui, west of Chaohu Lake, and sits between the Huai River plain and the Yangtze River basin. This position has historically made Hefei a crossroads within the region and a link between eastern and central China. The city has a population of more than 9 million and serves as Anhui’s political, economic, and educational center. Over the past several decades, Hefei has experienced rapid growth, transforming from a mid-sized administrative city into one of China’s notable hubs for science and technology. Several major national research institutions, universities, and technology parks are here and contribute significantly to its development. Hefei’s history spans over two thousand years.The area was a strategic site in various dynasties because of its location near waterways and transport routes.Although much of the old city has been replaced by modern development, a few historical structures—such as remains of ancient city walls—still offer a sense of the city’s past. Modern Hefei is characterized by broad roads, expanding residential districts, and large commercial areas.Newer zones such as the Binhu New District illustrate the city’s ongoing urban expansion.Its transportation system is well-connected, with high-speed rail lines linking Hefei to Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Beijing, and other major cities within just a few hours.

By plane By train Hefei has two major train stations. receives most of the high speed trains (G or D categories) from all over China. It is in a newly developed zone far south of the city center. is in the north part of the city. Few high speed trains arrive here, however, all of the conventional trains are operated through this station. Both stations are connected by the Hefei Metro. Go between the two stations by Line 1, costs ¥3 and takes around 30 to 40 minutes. By bus

By taxi Green, blue or orange taxis: These taxis are metered and start at ¥8 (November 2015). Black taxis: Black taxis are also properly signed and metered and are usually a more comfortable and newer car. The fare for these taxis starts at ¥9. Unmarked taxis: There are other unmarked cars (usually black Santanas) that may offer to give you a ride. You often see these kind of illegal taxis around the railway station, airport, or in the outskirts. These are unmetered and the price is negotiated beforehand. The fare will always be higher than usual. If you don't know Hefei well, the fare will be significantly higher. There is also the risk of taking a car that is not insured to carry you and having an unidentifiable driver. Saying that, there are times when legit taxis are very scarce, and if you really need to be somewhere, it might be an option. Legally, every taxi must have the driver's picture and licence number displayed in a plastic plate affixed to the dashboard. If you have any major problems with a taxi driver, discretely write down this number if you need to make a complaint and ask for a fa piao (receipt) at the end of your journey. Avoid getting into arguments with drivers if possible. Around the city area in Hefei, you can reasonably expect to pay between ¥10-30. In Hefei, a driver might occasionally try to pick up an extra passenger and carry them with you, i.e. pooling. They sometimes try this on foreigners who don't know how to object. Make it known if you don't want this to happen.

Hefei isn't known as a tourist destination, but if you are using it as a stop-off point there are some pleasant places to see. In particular, Hefei has many fine parks and gardens. Parks Museums Other Yu Feng Flower Market (裕丰花卉市场 Yù fēng huāhuì shìchǎng) A market that sells plants, pots, sculptures, aquariums, pets, paintings, ornaments etc. Bus 137 from Municipal square. Dà wéi Township (大圩乡 Outskirts of Hefei City). Go there to pick seasonal produce yourself from the farms or go fishing. Very comfortable in Spring. Catch bus 14 from Municipal square to 包河花园 Bāo hé huāyuán (35mins), then change to bus 23 or get a taxi to Dà wéi township. A taxi direct from Hefei will cost maybe ¥40-50.

KTV (Karaoke TV) Going to KTV at least once is an essential part of experiencing China. Many of the bigger, flashier places have a larger selection of English songs. Best to go with some Chinese friends/colleagues so you can see how it's done. Ten Fu Teahouse These are nice stores on Huayuan St (花园路) and near the corner of Mengcheng and Shouchun lu (across from the main gate of Xinghua Park). Complementary tea and snacks. You will be presented with some tea sets etc. but there is no pressure to buy. Take a picnic to Emerald Lake scenic area (翡翠湖风景区 Fěicuì hú). A good place to escape the bustle of the city and ride bicycles around the lake. Ferris wheel at Xinghua park Costs ¥10/person and you can get a good birds-eye view. Early in the morning you can also see observe people practising Tai Chi in groups. At other times of the day you might see older people singing traditional songs or playing er'hu or flute in pavilions. In summer, the park is filled with people flying kites. Have a massage There are a few well-known places (incl. Laohu massage) along Hupo Ave. in Hǔpò shānzhuāng (琥珀山庄) area. ¥40/hour. Go-Karting at Anhui Fu Bang Racing Club D1 Indoor Go-Karting (安徽馥邦赛车俱乐部D1卡丁车馆 Ānhuī fù bāng sàichē jùlèbù D1 kǎ dīng chē guǎn)新站区铜陵北路与物流大道交叉口馥邦汽车城3栋 New Station area, intersection of Tongling North Rd and Wuliu Ave., Fu Bang Motor City 3. Tian an Bowling Alley (合肥天安保龄球馆 Héféi Tiān'ān bǎolíngqiú guǎn) 马鞍山路68号 68 Ma'anshan Rd Drive duck boats around the lake at Bao Gong park or Xinghua park.

Carrefour Shopping Center on Ma’anshan Rd (家乐福 吗 鞍山路 Jiālèfú Ma'ānshān lù). 马鞍山路1000号 (1000 Ma'anshan lu Baohe district) Hóngxīng lù (红星路 Hóngxīng St.) A tree-lined street with little boutique clothing stores and some homeware/knicknack stores. 合肥步行街 Héféi bùxíngjiē (Hefei's main pedestrian street or 淮河路步行街 Huaihe Road Pedestrian Street). Includes Gu Lou, a well-known, high-quality department store on the Suzhou lu end of the mall. Also includes a Parkson department store and a Starbucks. Many clothing retailers. A cinema complex is near the temple. After 21:00 (and after 23:00 directly on Huaihe Road, before only around the Pedestrian Street), street sellers peddle goods and the pedestrian street is transformed into a night market. Huizhan Center (会展中心) Has a market of locally produced Chinese products, including painting, wooden sculptors and furniture, jade and tea pots. This is a fairly tourist free zone so expect to be able to get deals you might not be able to get in bigger cities.

Local specialties include: Crayfish (小龙虾 xiǎo lóngxiā). This is Hefei's signature food. The longxia are boiled and then eaten with dipping sauces, usually vinegary or spicy. One pound (一斤 yijin) of longxia is now around ¥50. Longxia are known as a spicy food and are typically eaten outside with beer. Chinese are often selective about where they buy longxia because longxia needs to be cleaned and cooked thoroughly. They are finger food typically eaten with gloves, which helps with the messiness. Fish Bites Lamb fresh mandarin fish stuffed with lamb Li Hongzhang's Combination prepared with fresh water prawn, snails, chicken, sea cucumber, abalone and shark's fin. Clay Pot Fish fresh fish from Changjiang River cooked with ham Pigeon and Mushroom soup Yellow Mountain fungus, baby pigeon slowly cooked in a clay pot Local food areas include:

Mid-range Splurge

Mobile service China’s three major mobile carriers — China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom — all provide good network coverage in Hefei. SIM cards can be purchased at official carrier service halls or authorized retail outlets, and a passport is required for registration. China Mobile: Provides the widest overall coverage in Hefei, with generally stable 4G service in both urban and suburban areas. China Unicom: Offers good data speeds in central districts and often has competitively priced data packages. China Telecom: Has strong coverage in the urban core, though signal quality may vary in some outer districts. 5G services are available in most central areas and major commercial zones of Hefei. Postal service China Post offices are located throughout Hefei, with major branches in central districts. Domestic mail and parcel delivery are generally reliable, while international shipments may require longer delivery times. Private courier companies such as SF Express, YTO, and ZTO are widely used and commonly available for express deliveries.

Anhui and neighboring provinces offer several destinations that are easily accessible from Hefei by long-distance bus or high-speed rail: Nanjing — Capital of Jiangsu Province, known for its historical sites, museums, and universities. High-speed trains from Hefei South Railway Station take about 1–1.5 hours, with frequent daily services. Wuhu — An industrial and river port city along the Yangtze River, offering waterfront areas and local Anhui cuisine. Approximately 1.5–2 hours by high-speed train or long-distance bus from Hefei. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) — Famous for its granite peaks, pine trees, and sea of clouds. Trains and buses from Hefei reach Huangshan City in about 2–3 hours, with onward transport to scenic areas.