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Practicalities
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Wenzhou's transport links have vastly improved with the construction of a rail link that runs to Hangzhou via Jinhua. The gleaming
train station
, replete with a glass-covered atrium, escalators and orderly crowds, is among the most pleasant stations in the entire country. In the far south of town, the station is connected to the centre and the waterfront by bus #33.
Wenzhou also has long-distance bus connections with all points north and south along the coast. Confusingly, there are four major bus stations travellers might use - the Main, West, Old South and New South stations. Although in theory Shanghai buses use the West station, Ningbo the Old South, Fuzhou buses the New South, and all buses the Main station, there is such hot competition between operators that when buying tickets , you might as well just go to the nearest station. You'll find ticket kiosks in and outside the stations, with people trying to grab your custom. The Main bus station, which has the greatest frequency of departures, lies 3km south of town on Niushan Bei Lu. Bus #103 travels from here downtown. Old South station is 1km southeast of downtown, on Feilu Nan Lu. Bus #3 goes directly downtown and to the waterfront from here. The New South bus station is on Shugang Gong Lu, two blocks west of the train station in the far south of town. Take bus #27 from the train station to get downtown. The West station lies just east off Lucheng Jie (bus #105 heads to the waterfront). With the anticipated completion in 2001 of an expressway that will run along the coast and link Xiamen with Ningbo, long-distance bus travel times should soon fall dramatically. The airport is 25km away to the east of town, and there's a CAAC bus which drops passengers at the main booking office remotely located in the southeast of town on Minhang Lu (8am-4pm tel 0577/8333197). Bus #5 runs from here along Renmin Lu, the southern perimeter of the central area, where a number of hotels are located. The other possibility is to arrive by ferry from Shanghai, in which case you'll find yourself at Anlanting dock in the northeastern part of town, on the Ou River. Bus #4 (running west along Wangjiang Dong Lu) takes you south along Jiefang Lu. The ferry ticket office is located on a small alley just to the east off the northern end of Maxingseng Jie (daily 8-11.30am & 1-4.30pm). There are departures every day and tickets range from A?275 (special class) through A?158 (first class) to A?53, though be warned that this is no luxury cruise - even first class is very functional and the lower ones can be hellish. Despite the proud ferry-route map on the wall of the office, all boat routes other than that to Shanghai are now defunct. Rumours have been afloat for several years now about a reinstated Fuzhou service, but so far nothing has materialized. Wenzhou's Bank of China is at 113 Chan Jie (Mon-Fri 8-11.30am & 1.15-4.45pm), while the main post office (daily 8am-5.30pm) is off Xinhe Jie.
Away from the hotels, there are a number of
restaurants
worth trying out which specialize, unsurprisingly, in
seafood
dishes. One of the liveliest and most popular places is the
Wenzhou Restaurant
at the junction of Wuma Jie and Jiefang Lu. Low-budget dishes are served on the first floor; go upstairs for Wenzhou-style
dianxin
(
dim sum)
and Shanghainese seafood, as well as smarter service. The
Awailou Restaurant,
on Huaicheng Lu in the east of town, with its sister restaurant
Dongwailou
on Huaicheng Lu near the Anlanting dock, are both good places to sample local seafood specialities, or simply to admire the incredible variety and size of some of the fish on display in the fishtanks. For a fun night out, head to
Wumadihao
on the corner of Wuma Jie and Shengli Jie. This second-floor disco/coffee bar complex is all the rage among Wenzhou's youth. Expect to hear all your favourite club music along with a smattering of Eighties-style Mandarin pop with a disco backbeat; also expect to be the centre of attention as the only foreigner in the joint. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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China,
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