ngl the guide nailed the main areas but missed that the business district near the train station has a solid breakfast scene. there's a place called Xiao Wang's on the corner of Wenyuan Road that does tofu pudding and youtiao for like 8 yuan total, opens at 5am so perfect for early temple visits. the Holiday Inn Express there is decent but the wifi can be spotty during peak hours, i had to work from the lobby a couple times

for the mountain resort area, if you're there in summer the mosquitoes are brutal near the east gate after dusk. grab a bottle of repellent from the pharmacy on Bishu Road before heading out, the local stuff works way better than anything i brought from home

one thing nobody's mentioned is that the wulie river promenade has a bunch of those electric scooters you can rent for like 10 yuan an hour. great way to cruise the whole riverfront without walking, just watch out for the random stairs and bumps along the path

arrow_drop_up 25 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

The guide's right about the Mountain Resort area being worth it, but there's a specific time to go. If you get there right when it opens at 7am in summer, you'll have the whole south part almost to yourself before the tour buses roll in around 9. I did that last July and saw a family of deer wandering near the Wenjin Ge library.

For getting around, Didi is fine but the local bus route 6 is actually better for the outer temples. It runs from the train station past both Puning Temple and Putuo Zongcheng Temple for the standard 2 yuan fare, and it runs until 10pm unlike most other routes. Just have the Chinese characters for your stop ready on your phone.

One thing nobody mentions is that most hotels in the city center don't have elevators, including some of the Jinjiang Inns. If you're on a higher floor with luggage, it's a workout. I'd call ahead and request ground floor if stairs are an issue.

arrow_drop_up 2 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

solid breakdown of the areas, ngl the mountain resort area is the move if you can swing it. one thing i'd flag for first-timers is that the city center gets loud at night with karaoke bars and scooters buzzing around until midnight, so bring earplugs if you're a light sleeper. i booked a room at the jinjiang inn near the main square and regretted not spending a bit more for the quieter east gate spot

for getting around, the bus route 118 is the one to know for the temple district, it runs from the train station straight to putuo zongcheng temple for 2 yuan and comes every 10 minutes. just keep your phone out with the stop name in chinese because the drivers rarely announce stops in english

the guide missed that the wulie river area has a small weekend flea market near the hebei hotel on saturdays, mostly old coins and calligraphy scrolls but a cool vibe if you're into that. also the night market there is fine for a quick look but the real cheap eats are the alley behind the bus station where students grab 10 yuan bowls of noodles

arrow_drop_up 1 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

Good work on this guide. I'd add that the bus routes are reliable but the drivers don't always announce stops in Mandarin, so keep Google Maps open or show the driver the name of your stop written down. For the flea market near the Wulie River, the antique sellers are more likely to give you a fair price if you speak a few words of Chinese, even just "duoshao qian" goes a long way. The honey at the Old North Gate market is a solid buy, but check that the jar is sealed properly before you hand over cash, I bought one last year that had crystallized badly because the lid was loose.

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

Auntie Wang's is great but if you want a sit-down spot for lamb, head to the place on the corner of Laoma Street and Xinhua Road, no english sign but there's a red lantern with gold tassels outside. their cumin lamb ribs are 38 yuan a plate and they come with a side of pickled garlic that cuts through the grease perfectly. for the quiet viewpoint behind the museum, bring mosquito repellent in summer, the hill is overgrown with weeds and the bugs get aggressive around 6 PM. i also want to mention the small bakery on Wenyuan Road two blocks past Xiaoli's, they do a walnut and red bean pastry for 2 yuan each that's perfect for the hike up Jiulong Mountain

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

honestly i've spent a lot of time at that night market on Bishui street and the grilled tofu is good but the real move is the candied hawthorn from the old lady at the second stall from the north end, she's been there for like 20 years and her syrup is thinner than the others which makes it less sticky on your teeth. also if you're up for a short walk from the market, there's a little bridge over the Wulie river about 5 minutes east where you can sit and watch the reflections of the city lights on the water, way more chill than the rooftop bar which is nice but can get loud on weekends. for the flea market near the river, the best stuff is usually gone by 9:30 so get there early if you want decent vintage porcelain, i snagged a qing dynasty style tea cup for 20 yuan last year but you gotta act like you're not that interested or they'll double the price

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply