Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Boats to Putuo Shan
Boats to Putuo Shan from Shanghai run from Wusong Dock at 251 Songbao Lu
(
T
021/56575500), in the far south of town. Overnight services leave at 8pm daily
and arrive at Putou Shan at 7am. The cheapest tickets (¥100) are for the large
common room, but you're better off in second class: ¥158 gets you a berth in a four-
bunk cabin with a washbasin; travelling first class gets you a two-bed cabin (¥350)
but doesn't offer much more comfort. Bring some food as the meals on board aren't
up to much.
There is also a fast service (4hr; ¥221), which leaves from a dock more than an
hour south of the city; your ticket includes the bus journey there from a pick-up point
at 1588 Waima Lu, just south of the Bund. Boats leave at 9.30am, 10am and 3.30pm.
Tickets for all boats can be bought in advance from Shanghai CITS or from the dingy
booking office at 59 Jinling Dong Lu.
Leaving Putuo Shan, there are several fast ferries back to Shanghai in the morning,
plus one or two slow overnight departures which leave at 4.30pm (¥80-350,
depending on class). You can buy tickets for outbound boats from any of the island's
hotels or at the jetty office (daily 6am-6pm). The slow service is worth considering:
chugging back into the city just after sunrise, it provides a memorable view of the
awakening metropolis.
Upon arrival, you can reach the town by following either the road heading
west or the one east from the jetty, or by picking up a bus from the car park just
east of the arrival gate. The westerly route is slightly shorter and takes you past
most of the modern buildings and facilities on the island, including the
Bank
of China
(daily 8-11am & 1-4.30pm) and the
CITS
office. A little farther
north is the
post office.
.
Accommodation and eating
There are several decent
hotels
on Putuo Shan, including a number of
converted monasteries, but be warned that in the peak summer months, and
especially during the weekend stampede out of Shanghai, you may face a trek
around town to find an empty room, not to mention very expensive rates. The
price codes in the reviews represent peak season, outside of which rates fall
sharply. Another option is to stay in a
private house
, standard practice for
Chinese tourists on Putuo Shan though technically illegal for foreigners, so use
your discretion. It's not hard to find people with houses to let - they congregate
at the jetty pier, and you should be able to bargain them down to around
¥100-150 per person, depending on the season.
Eating
is not likely to be the highlight of your trip to Putuo Shan - most food
must be brought in from the mainland, and is therefore expensive. Dingy-looking
eating houses can be found along the lane running northeast away from Puji
Temple and on the road between the jetty departure and arrival points. These
places specialize in
seafood
ranging from fish to molluscs and eel, t hough they
also do standard dishes and noodles. Otherwise, there are vegetarian restaurants at
all the main temples and an upscale vegetarian eaterie in the
Putuoshan Hotel
.
Hotels
Fu Quan
Not far north of the jetty, on the
eastern route into town.
T
0580/6092069.
The sign is only in Chinese and easy to
miss. Basic but agreeable rooms.
4
Putuoshan Hotel
On the main west road
from the jetty to the town
T
0580/6092828,
F
6091818. Very easy to spot, thanks to its
spacious grounds and opulent design, this
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