Hunan · China
Yongzhou travel guide
Yongzhou is a city in Hunan, China, home to about 5,290,000 people.
- Best months
- September and October
- Nearest airport
- LLF13 km · Yongzhou Lingling Airport
- Currency
- CNYrenminbi
- Time zone
- Asia/Shanghai
- Language
- Chinese, Putonghua, Standard Chinese
About
About Yongzhou
Yongzhou (Chinese: 永州; pinyin: Yǒngzhōu) is a prefecture-level city in the south of Hunan province, People's Republic of China, located on the southern bank of the Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, and bordering Guangdong to the southeast and Guangxi to the southwest. With a history of 2000 years, Yongzhou is one of the four ancient counties in Hunan.
Yongzhou sits on the southern bank of the Xiang River, the same river that flows through Changsha and Xiangtan. The prefecture encompasses an area known as Xiangnan (湘南) that is worth a visit, with lush green mountains with caves, waterfalls, beautiful rivers with swimming opportunities and ancient towns with unique literary culture and history. The most notable feature of Yongzhou might be the Nüshu script, a local script understood only by women in Jiangyong County. Yongzhou has a long history, with origins dating back to around 201 BC, and was once part of the state of Chu.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Yongzhou
See
The city's urban area doesn't have much to offer, but there are a few attractions in Lingling District, 20 km south of the CBD.
- Liuzi Temple
- Yongzhou Museum
- Ningyuan Temple of Culture
Do
- Xiaoxiang Park
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Yongzhou
1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Huafeng Huatian Hotel | 3.5 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Yongzhou
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Yongzhou are September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; May is the wettest, with about 223 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Yongzhou: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Yongzhou Lingling Airport (LLF), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line; Shaoyang Wugang Airport (WGN, 103 km) and Chenzhou Beihu Airport (HCZ, 147 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Trains north to Changsha are frequent and cheap. Fast trains are available as well. If coming from the north, just go south to Guangxi and you are near to Guilin, where you have all the fantastic karst formation with hiking and climbing opportunities. When you drive your own private car or rent a car to Yongzhou from neighboring cities, you can conveniently enjoy the scenery along the way. In Yongzhou, most attractions offer free parking, which makes your trip convenient.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
LLF · Yongzhou Lingling Airport
WGN · Shaoyang Wugang Airport
HCZ · Chenzhou Beihu Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Yongzhou
Eat
Food here resembles that found in Guangxi. As in the rest of Hunan, people here enjoy fen (粉, a noodle made of rice), which comes with different ingredients. This particular fen is different throughout the province, and it is fun trying out the varieties. The ones here have somewhat of a Guangxi style. Hunanese people love spicy food, so if you cannot handle that, make sure to ask the eatery to use less chili.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Yongzhou: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Yongzhou?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Yongzhou are September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; May is the wettest, with about 223 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Yongzhou?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Yongzhou Lingling Airport (LLF), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line; Shaoyang Wugang Airport (WGN, 103 km) and Chenzhou Beihu Airport (HCZ, 147 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Yongzhou?
renminbi (CNY).
Nearby
Destinations near Yongzhou
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.