Hefei

Hefei (合肥; Héféi) is the capital city of Anhui Province in China. It is an industrial, administrative and commercial centre bare of any special attractions. It is not often visited by foreign tourists, who mostly use it as a hub for trips into the hinterland of Anhui. It is however, possible to enjoy oneself for a day or two in Hefei before moving on.

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 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. Chances are the other person has negotiated to pay a lower fare and is riding on your back.

By motorbike
You can also jump on the back of a motorbike if taxis are scarce. There are plenty of motorbikes and they usually congregate on the corners of busy intersections. They are not legal, but are generally tolerated. They are unmetered and you negotiate a price beforehand.

By bus
Public buses are the dominant mode of public transport in Hefei. The central hub is in Municipal Square. A single bus fare to anywhere costs ¥1 for a non-air-conditioned bus or ¥2 for air-conditioned. All bus routes, schedules, and announcements are in Chinese. But don't let this put you off. An excellent way to navigate the Hefei bus system is to use Google Maps app. on your mobile phone. Using the "Get Directions" function, you can search bus routes, find bus numbers/stops in Engilsh and pinyin. The results are very accurate. Beware that in peak hours buses are absolutely crammed to the limit. There is no such thing as a "full" Hefei bus; the driver will always allow more people on.

By subway
As of March 2021, there are four subway lines in operation. The Line 1 goes north–south direction, passing the Hefei South Railway Station and Hefei Railway Station. You can change to Line 2 at Dadongmen (大东门) subway station. Line 2 goes east–west direction, passing right through the cite center.

Line 3 runs from the northeast to the southwest, and Line 5 operates in the south of the city. Line 4 is expected to open in 2021.

English service is available when buying tickets.

By bike-share
As with other modern Chinese cities now; all over this city (particularly at major intersections) there are rows of self-service "bike-sharing" bicycles lined up, available for rent (provided by companies such as 'mobike' & 'hellobike'). Most are regular city bikes (no gears), but some newer models are also electric (no pedaling needed, or pedal-assist for charging the battery as you ride). To unlock and activate a bike (as a foreigner), you must have a Chinese bank account, Chinese cell number, passport (for ID), then download Wechat or Alipay apps on your smart phone, link your bank/personal info to the app, and scan the bar code. It's usually very cheap (¥1 or 2 per use), and when finished remember to lock the mechanical latch, on the back tire.

See
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.

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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

Do

 * 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. Costs about ¥30/half an hour.
 * Watch dancing in the square Go in the evening to Municipal Square (市政府广场 Shì zhèngfǔ guǎngchǎng) or the square outside the main gate of Xinghua Park to see mass numbers of people (mainly older women) dancing.

Buy

 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

Eat
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: