Travel experience in Hangzhou

For only 132,000 VND, you can travel comfortably in Hangzhou by subway, with unlimited trips and distance.

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, China, is a famous tourist city, 5 times the size of Hanoi, with many scenic spots and monuments. This is the place to host the 2023 Asian Games (Asiad 19), with the participation of 45 countries and territories.

Hangzhou has a very developed transportation system and diverse tourism services. This is one of the cities with the best public transportation system in China. In one trip, you can take the opportunity to admire this legendary land and cheer for the Vietnamese team.

Travel from Vietnam to Hangzhou

If you have time to spare, you can travel by road through the Huu Nghi Quan border gate in Lang Son and then take the high-speed train from Nanning to Hangzhou. The high-speed train ride takes about 11 hours, and the one-way ticket price ranges from 2.5 million to 4 million VND per person.

If you choose air travel, there are about 10 airlines operating daily flights from Vietnam to Hangzhou, transiting in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong. Round-trip fares range from 5.5 million to 8 million VND per person. You can also fly directly to Shanghai and then take the high-speed train from Shanghai to Hangzhou, the two cities are less than 200 km apart and take about 1 hour by train. One-way high-speed train fares are about 240,000 VND.

Travel experience in Hangzhou where the 19th Asian Games took place — **Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou.** Photo: Zheng Heng

Enter China

China's international airports have strict security controls, so check-in times can take more than an hour. Plan ahead so your schedule doesn't get affected.

- Document check and body temperature measurement: there are automatic devices at the airport to perform these two steps. You only need to bring your passport. For many months now, China has not required travelers to carry a Covid-19 vaccination certificate or test results, but you can still request a random rapid test on the spot. In case you are asked to test for Covid-19, stay calm and follow the instructions of the customs officer. It takes about 10 minutes, and if your health is normal, you will quickly continue your journey.

- Check documents, take photos, take fingerprints: usually there will be a customs officer asking you the purpose of your trip to China, the time and place of arrival, who you are traveling with. If you cannot speak Chinese or English, don't worry, they can communicate with you through translation software.

- Baggage screening: China does not allow visitors to enter the country with certain types of food. Therefore, fruits, meat and fish (including canned) will be left at the airport. Only certain types of dry food (noodles, vermicelli) are cleared through customs. But don't worry because China has a rich cuisine and affordable prices.

Buy transportation card in Hangzhou

With 6 main metro lines and more than 10,000 buses running on 1,100 routes, Hangzhou provides enough public transportation for visitors to get to any attraction in the city.

If you mainly travel in the city center, buy a Hangzhou One Day Pass for 15 yuan (RMB) equivalent to 50,000 VND for unlimited travel on the metro for 24 hours from the first swipe; or a Hangzhou Three Day Pass for 40 RMB (132,000 VND) for travel within 72 hours. These cards can be purchased at any metro station. You just need to bring your passport and cash. You can also buy individual train tickets for 2-4 RMB (6,600-13,200 VND) per trip, but buying individual tickets will be time-consuming and much less convenient than using the above cards.

To get to further destinations, in addition to the subway, you can buy a special bus card. The One Day Card costs 15 RMB, allowing you to travel 8 times a day from the first use until midnight of that day. The Two Day Card costs 25 RMB, allowing you to travel 16 times in two days. Buses in Hangzhou are mostly electric, very spacious, safe and comfortable, however, if you travel during rush hour, you should use the metro because buses are often slower.

If you can communicate in Chinese, you can install ride-hailing apps to call a taxi in Hangzhou with an opening price of around 11 RMB, and 3 RMB for each additional kilometer.

Hangzhou also has tens of thousands of bicycles for rent via the app. You only need to deposit 200 RMB to get a Transportation Smart Card type Z to rent and ride your own bike anywhere in the city.

Install Baidu app - China's most popular digital map, allowing you to easily find your way and the fastest means of transportation, even if you don't know Chinese.

Some main competition venues at Asiad 2023

Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium: The lotus-shaped stadium, called "The Big Lotus", will host the opening ceremony and be the main venue for the 2023 Asian Games. It will also be where the teams will compete in athletics. Take metro line 6 to Olympic Sports Centre station.

Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena: aquatic sports arena, where swimming, diving, and artistic swimming take place. Take metro line 6 to Olympic Sports Centre station.

Linping Sports Center: for football, volleyball, karate. This is where the matches of the Vietnam football team take place. You can take metro line 9 to Linping station.

Hangzhou Normal University Cangqian Gymnasium: where volleyball matches are held. Take bus line 286 or 148 to Hangzhou Normal University Cangqian Campus West stop; or take metro line 5 to Hangzhou Normal University Cangqian Campus station.

Xiaoshan Guali Sports Centre: a modern stadium located in Xiaoshan District where kabaddi and wushu competitions are held, close to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport. Take bus 360 to get to the stadium.

Note that all locations in Hangzhou are very large, so you should reserve enough time to move around, and wear soft-soled shoes for walking. In the evenings or on days when there are no scheduled matches, you can stroll around the pedestrian street, visit Hangzhou's attractions, and enjoy famous Chinese street food.

According to vnexpress.net

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