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Capital of Anhui, China
Photo: Photograph taken by Nat Krause in August, 2005., Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Hefei (合肥; Héféi) is the capital city of Anhui Province in China. It is an industrial, administrative and commercial centre devoid 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.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
包公园 Bāogōngyuán
The park is free, the attractions can be accessed for a through ticket of ¥50, you can also buy individual tickets for each attraction for ¥5-35. This is a combination of a very pleasant park with tea houses, gardens, a lake, a tower and of course the restored underground tomb of Lord Bao himself as well as the tombs of his family. The park is worth walking through. The attractions and in particular the exhibition in Qingfeng Tower require a certain background on Chinese history. The park is dedicated to an imperial officer who lived roughly one thousand years ago and gained popularity by upright and impartial governance.
逍遥津公园 Xiāoyáo jīn gōngyuán
Many amusement rides and duckboats for hire. Gets very crowded on weekends and holidays.
合肥杏花公园 Xìng huā gōngyuán
Usually less crowded than Xiaoyaojin park. In spring and summer, people fly kites there and practice tai chi early. Has amusement rides and duckboats for hire.
环城公园 Huán chéng gōngyuán
瑶海公园合肥 Yáohǎi gōngyuán
三国新城遗址公园 Héféi sānguó xīnchéng yízhǐ gōngyuán
There are some minor pavilions etc. there, and the trees are very picturesque in Spring.
大蜀山 Dàshǔ shān
The view across Hefei is great on a clear day and there is a TV tower at the top. It can get crowded on days when the weather is nice. The walk up to the top of the mountain takes about 30 minutes. The Hefei Zoo is near but not much; it's a long walking distance along Wangjiang road.
翡翠湖风景区, Fěicuì hú
Hire tandem bikes and pedal around the lake. Good place to have a picnic or read a book. Few people and quiet.
巢湖, Cháo Hú
This is the great lakes of China. Sights on or around the lake include Lao Shan in the middle and Zhongmiao Temple on the northern bank. There are also some natural springs. Catch bus at 合肥汽车站 (Hefei Bus station) at 明光路168号Míngguāng lù 168 hào.
丰乐生态园 Fēng lè shēngtài yuán
安徽省合肥市双凤工业区魏武路中段 Shuāng fèng gōngyè qū wèi wǔlù zhōngduàn (Shuangfeng inductrial area, Wei Wu middle Rd)
紫蓬山 Zǐ péng shān
肥西县 Feixi county. A forest park with some walking tracks. There is a large Buddhist temple at the top of the mountain and multi-storey Buddhist statues carved into the side of the mountain. Best to have a driver/take a local. Stop somewhere to try 肥西老母鸡 Féixi lǎo mǔjī (famous Feixi old hen) for lunch. About 30-45 mins drive from Hefei.
安徽名人馆
Has 50 wax figures of prominent people in Anhui history and 23 scenes.
安徽博物院庐阳馆
Also known as ‘the old museum’, the Anhui Museum’s Luyang Branch has exhibitions on modern art and Communist Party history.
合肥科技馆 Héféi kējì guǎn
黄山路446号 Huángshān lù
安徽博物院蜀山馆
The Anhui Museum’s Shushan Branch (also known as ‘the new museum’) includes the massive Warring States Chu Cauldron and a full-scale relocated Huizhou ancient residence, showcasing exquisite wood, stone and brick carvings and tracing Anhui's civilizational history from prehistoric times to the Qing Dynasty.
安徽省地质博物馆
Large natural sciences museum with an extensive collection of rocks, minerals, gemstones and fossils, including dinosaur fossils.
安徽省美术馆
渡江战役纪念馆
Dedicated to the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, a.major military campaign launched by the People’s Liberation Army in the final stages of the Chinese Civil War. The campaign was fought over a large area of the Yangtze basin and culminated in the successful capture of Nanjing, the capital of China during the Republican period. Another Yangtze River Crossing Campaign memorial museum can be found in Nanjing.
李鸿章故居
Li Hongzhang was an important statesman and military leader during the late Qing Dynasty. Originally from Hefei, he spent much of his career in Beijing and other cities, but often stayed here when he returned to his hometown. The residence is now a museum and has exhibitions on Li Hongzhang’s life.
合肥植物园 Héféi zhíwùyuán
There's a nice bonsai garden there.
开福寺 Kāi fú sì
合肥野生动物园 Héféi dòngwùyuán
Adjacent to Fěicuì lake.
天鹅湖 Tiān'é hú
市蜀山区 Shushan district. There is an artificial beach there + 合肥大剧院 Héféi dà jùyuàn (Hefei Poly Grand Theater). Live theater and concerts and MBox cinema.
合肥海洋世界 Héféi hǎiyáng shìjiè
繁华大道321 Fánhuá dàdào.
合肥徽园 Héféi huī yuán
Pavilions showcase each city in Anhui.
合肥欢乐岛 Héféi huānlè dǎo
A leisure and amusement park with rides, activities etc.
岱山湖 Dàishān hú
岱山湖旅游度假区肥东县 Daishan Lake tourist resort, Feidong county. Somewhere to go if you have a driver and want to get out into the countryside. There are some minor attractions there incl. 4 wheel buggies, skirmish, and a Buddhist temple with large statue on the lake.
合肥步行街 Héféi bùxíngjiē
Along the mall is 李鸿章故居 Lihóngzhāng gùjū (Former residence of Li Hong Zhang) + 合肥明教寺 Héféi míngjiào sì (Mingjiao temple). From the Suzhou lu end of the mall is 市政府广场 Shì zhèngfǔ guǎngchǎng (Municipal government square).
合肥城隍庙 Héféi chénghuángmiào
A bustling market + temple area where you can buy everyday items. Known for cheap products.
三河古镇 Sānhé gǔzhèn
Day trip 40 km. Small but orderly town which is well known for its 米酒 Mǐjiǔ (rice wine). It has some cultural attractions like temples and pagodas. Unlike in other ancient towns, most of the buildings are newly built, if in a style resembling old Chinese houses. Streets are unusually wide and straight. It is a pleasant trip out of Hefei, especially if you have not visited any Chinese ancient towns yet. You may end up disappointed if you have seen other gǔzhèn before. Avoid visiting on weekends if you can.
雪霁山庄 Xuě jì shānzhuāng
A traditional Anhui opera hall and restaurant. Have dinner in a traditional Anhui setting and watch a local Hui opera show. Good ambience. There is usually one show every evening. Call for show times.
安徽大剧院 Ānhuī dà jùyuàn
安徽省黄梅戏剧院 Ānhuī shěng huángméixì jùyuàn
桐城路136号 136 Tongcheng Lu.
安徽省歌舞剧院 Ānhuī shěng gēwǔ jùyuàn
宝他区曙光路45号 bāo hé qū shǔguāng lù 45 hào. (45 Shuguang lu, Baohe district)
安徽省话剧院 Ānhuī shěng huàjù yuàn
合肥市金寨路445号 Jīnzhài lù 445 hào
万盛江淮大戏院 Wànshèng jiānghuái dà xìyuàn
合肥市淮河路252号 Huáihé lù 252 hào
宁国路龙虾美食街 Níngguó lù lóngxiā měishí jiē
Hefei's most famous longxia street. Even though this appears to be an attempt at a tourist attraction, most of the restaurants cater only to large groups (solo travelers may have trouble), and the service is unfriendly.
琥珀山庄美食街 Hǔpò shānzhuāng měishí jiē
Street is lined with restaurants and vendors selling bbq. Pedestrian street filled with tables. Very cheap.
李鸿章杂烩
A local restaurant known for serving a version of Li Hongzhang hotchpotch, a mixed stew with meat and vegetables.
秦淮饭店
A restaurant offering Anhui and Chinese regional dishes.
万豆皇（豆腐脑店）
A small eatery known locally for tofu pudding and traditional snacks.
顺德烤鸭店
A restaurant specializing in roast duck and northern Chinese dishes.
Hefei’s first German bar and one of the first establishments in the city to serve imported draught beer – German, of course. With its helpful staff, spacious layout, mellow ambience and a decent selection of bar snacks and East-West fusion food, Bitburger is a popular destination for the more discerning tourist or business visitor. German-brand draught beers start at around ¥45. Imported wine store sells red and white wine at medium to top range prices (¥100–500).
Top range sports bar located in The Hilton Hotel. Showing live sports on a multitude of widescreen TVs and with its athletic-themed staff, Soho Bar is the best place in town to watch Premier League football, rugby and whichever international sports events you care to imagine. Due to the plethora of TVs available, staff are quite happy to let you take over the remote control to find the game or event of your choice. Draught Tiger beer is chugged out for about ¥45.
CoCo都可（淮河路店）
Chain tea and beverage shop offering milk tea and fruit tea drinks.
喜茶（三孝口店）
Tea beverage shop offering a variety of tea-based drinks.
蜜雪冰城（育新街八一大道店）
Chain beverage shop known for tea drinks and soft ice cream.
瑞幸咖啡（三孝口店）
Coffee chain shop offering brewed coffee and other beverages.
Tims咖啡（合肥滨湖店）
Coffee and beverage shop serving espresso, tea, and related drinks.
They offer accommodation ranging from studio to three bedrooms serviced apartments that are equipped with a home entertainment system and dining and living areas.
Westin is the best hotel by stars - 6-star hotel - in Hefei. The price is relatively high but very nice service. Because of the spending, only recommended for business trips.
合肥希尔顿酒店
International-brand hotel located near Hefei Railway Station.
合肥皇冠假日酒店
Business-oriented hotel along one of Hefei’s main arterial roads.
合肥融创诺富特酒店
Hotel located in the southern part of Hefei near commercial developments.
合肥三孝口希尔顿欢朋酒店
Mid-range hotel located in Hefei’s central commercial area.
锦江之星（合肥淮河路步行街店）
Budget hotel near Huaihe Road Pedestrian Street.
合肥城隍庙 Chénghuángmiào
A bustling market area with sellers peddling low end household goods and knicknacks. Always bargain.
合肥万达广场 Wàndá guǎngchǎng
A very large shopping mall and cinema complex. Has Starbucks, movie cinemas, and a variety of restaurants on the top level. The mall is very new. 包河区马鞍山路与芜湖路交叉口(Ma On shan lu)
合肥银泰购物中心 Héféi Yíntài gòuwù zhòngxīn
Another very large shopping mall with restaurants on top level. This mall has a huge range of designer stores, from high-end to mid-range. No cinemas.
百大CBD购物中心 Bǎidà CBD gòuwù zhòngxīn
Comprises one large, multi-level department store. There is also a Habitat Coffee lounge in the center that has a very nice atmosphere. No restaurants or cinema.
合肥国购广场 Guo Gou guǎngchǎng
A large shopping mall and cinema complex. Has a number of restaurants on the top level (but not as much variety as Wanda) + movie cinema. The center contains a very large Carrefour supermarket/dept. store. This is one of the older malls in Hefei.
元一时代广场 Yuán yī shídài guǎngchǎng
Has a Walmart and Parkson department store + cinemas. This is one of the older malls in Hefei.
合肥白水坝 Bái shuǐbà
A medium-sized mall mainly based around one large TESCO supermarket. The center has quite a few clothing stores and restaurants, incl. Thai and Korean. In warmer months, sellers set up a small night market in the square outside.
By train
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 bus
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.
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.
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.
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…
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