Lishui

Lishui (丽水市) is a city in Zhejiang province.

Understand
The area now known as Lishui (丽水 Líshuǐ) has been populated since the Neolithic age. The current city of Lishui was founded in 589 AD during the reign of emperor Yang Jiang of the Sui dynasty as Chuzhou (处州). The name of Lishui is first attested in 621 as a county administered from Chuzhou. The name of the city finally got the name of Lishui during the Qing or Ming dynasty. During the Ming dynasty both pagodas by the city were built. During the Sino-Japanese war Lishui was the administrative capital of the non-occupied Zhejiang province after the fall of Hangzhou. The current administrative unit of Lishui City was created in 2000. The pronunciation of its first character is "lí" instead of the usual "lì".

By plane
Lishui has no airport of its own.

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport  serves domestic and international flights. To transfer to Lishui, take a taxi or metro to Hangzhou East railway station and then travel by bullet train (approximately 1.5 hours). There are also 4 buses a day going straight from Lishui to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (around 3h 15min. Ticket ¥122).

Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Serves domestic and some international destinations. Terminal 2 is attached to Hongqiao railway station, which is 3 hours by high-speed train from Lishui. From Terminal 1 there is a shuttle bus to Terminal 2, or take metro line two stops to the railway station.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The largest international airport in the vicinity of Lishui. Serves domestic and international flights from all over China and the world. To get to Lishui, first travel to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station (about 1.5h subway ride from Pudong) and then take a bullet train to Lishui Station (3 hours).

Wenzhou Longwan International Airport serves domestic and international flights. There are services to airports throughout China. The airport is on the east side of the city. To travel to Lishui, first go to Wenzhou South station and then travel by bullet train for approximately 35 minutes.

By bus
Public buses run fairly often depending on the route. Single and double-digit buses cost ¥1.5 (or ¥1.2 with prepaid bus card) in coins or bills (no change given). Board the bus, drop the coins in the machine or beep your card and you're set. Longer distance buses (often with 3 digits) cost ¥3–4.

By taxi
Taxis are easy to find around most major sites. Fares start at ¥8. Within the city, you'll pay between ¥8-25. Taxi drivers are honest but very few speak English. To make it easy on your taxi driver, show them the name and address in Chinese.

Around Liandu



 * Kuocang Ancient Rd. (括苍古道) - old mountain path connecting two Lishui counties. Path leads through mountain tops, old villages and temples, from Jinyun (access by long-distance bus - you need to tell the driver to drop you at Kuocang Gudao) to the outskirts of Lishui, where you can board 305 bus to the city center. Hike takes 5-6h.
 * Kuocang Ancient Rd. (括苍古道) - old mountain path connecting two Lishui counties. Path leads through mountain tops, old villages and temples, from Jinyun (access by long-distance bus - you need to tell the driver to drop you at Kuocang Gudao) to the outskirts of Lishui, where you can board 305 bus to the city center. Hike takes 5-6h.

Hiking

 * Baiyun Shan (白云山 - Chinese 'the Mountain of the White Clouds'). Large mountain park in the Northern part of Lishui. Many paved hiking trails with occasional pavilions, providing shelter from rain. Large Buddhist temple at the top. At the foot of the mountain, there is a small museum about rock carving, a large pottery shop and a few stalls and restaurants. Nice place for morning coffee. Access by bus bus no 1. Just hop on the bus going North and get off at the last stop. You can't miss it. Free entry.
 * Nanming Shan (南明山 - Chinese 'the Mountain of the Southern Brightness'). Mountain south of the city that is popular with locals. There is an old temple, rock carvings, waterfalls, koi fish ponds and an outdoor gym on the top of the mountain with fantastic views of the city. You can reach it by taking bus number 1 South. The mountain is at the very last stop. Free entry.

Cope
Lishui has much better air quality than the rest of China. It is also cleaner and the people are very friendly. Traffic is much safer as people drive more carefully and have more respect for traffic rules than the rest of China. However, the tap water in Lishui is not potable. Most large places will have Western toilets and smaller places might have a Western toilet as the handicapped option. Bring your own toilet paper and hand soap and if there's a bin beside the toilet then use that as most toilets cannot handle paper. International credit cards are generally not accepted so carry plenty of cash. ICBC, CCB and Bank of China ATMs are best for international withdrawals.