Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: CHENGDE
By train
Chengde can be accessed from Beijing's main and North stations (8 daily; 5hr
30min-9hr), though unlike elsewhere in northeast China, it's faster to arrive by bus. The train
station sits to the south of town; from Beijing you'll chug through rolling countryside, with a
couple of Great Wall vistas on the way. Heading back, tickets are easy to buy at the station,
though there's a helpfully located ticket office just east of the
Mountain Villa
hotel.
By bus
Travelling from Beijing to Chengde by bus (3-5hr), you'll pitch up in one of several
locations. There's a station of sorts immediately in front of the train station, though more
and more services are using the East station, which lies 7km to the south (bus #118 to Bishu
Shanzhuang, or
￥
20 by taxi). From Beijing, the two best departure points are the Liuliqiao
and Sihui bus stations. Heading back to Beijing you'll find buses in front of the train station.
In addition, sleeper-style services (which are, oddly, a little cheaper than the regular buses)
leave at 9.30pm from Nanyingzi Dajie, stopping at the train station (10pm) on the way.
GETTING AROUND
Getting around Chengde can be slow going - public transport is crowded and at peak hours
during the summer the main streets are so congested that it's quicker to walk. The town itself
is just about small enough to cover on foot. It's easy to walk between the two westernmost
temples, and even on to Puning Si, though this last section is busy, tedious and best navigated
by taxi.
Bybus
Local buses are infrequent and always crammed. Buses #5 and #11 go from the train
station to Bishu Shanzhuang; bus #6 skirts Bishu Shanzhuang on its way to the Puning Si;
bus #118 heads from town to the northern temples; and bus #10 goes from the centre to Pule
Si, Anyuan Miao and Sledgehammer Rock.
By minibus
Hotels will be able to help with chartering a minibus for around
￥
300 a day
(bargain hard).
Bytaxi
Taxis are easy to find, but the drivers are often unwilling to use their meters - flagfall
is
￥
5, and a ride around town shouldn't cost more than
￥
10.
ACCOMMODATION
There are plenty of hotels in Chengde town itself, plus a couple of expensive places on the
fringes of Bishu Shanzhuang. Unfortunately, strict enforcement of local government rules
means foreigners are barred from cheaper accommodation. If you're really slumming it, try
the side-alleys opposite the
Super 8
. On the plus side, rates at approved hotels are highly ne-
gotiable and off-peak discounts of up to two-thirds are available.
Ming's Dynasty Hostel
明朝国际城市青年酒店
, míngcháo guójì chéngshì qīngnián
jiŭdiàn Chezhan Lu 0314 761 0360,
mingsdynastyhostel.com
.
Just a few minutes on
foot from the train station, this is a great addition to the town, especially for budget travellers.
