Getting There
Wusu Airport is 15km (9 miles) southeast of town. Useful connections include flights from Hong Kong (two flights weekly), Beijing (ten flights daily), Shanghai (seven flights daily), and Xi'an (four flights daily). China Eastern Airlines runs an airport shuttle bus from its office at Yingze Dajie 158 (tel. 0351/417-8605), 2 hours before flights; shuttle fare is ¥10. Taxis to the airport cost around ¥50 (¥20 on the meter plus road tolls).
The main railway station is on the east side of town at the start of Yingze Dajie. Fast intercity CRH trains began running between Taiyuan and Beijing in April 2009 and it is now possible to travel between the two cities in a mere 3 hours. There are 14 CRH links per day. The fastest train to Datong is the K7808, which leaves at 1:27pm and takes a little over 5 hours. Pingyao is served by several daily trains on the Taiyuan-Yuncheng route (2 hr.). Of the services to Xi'an, the 2669 is the convenient, leaving at 9:50pm and arriving at 7:46am.
Most long-distance buses connect with Taiyuan's Main Bus Station (tel. 0351/404-2346) west of the railway station, but Wutai Shan (4 hr.; ¥66), is served from the shiny new easterly Dong Kezhan, while Pingyao (2 hr.; ¥25) buses leave from the Jian Nan station. Luxury buses link Taiyuan's Main Bus Station with Beijing's Lize Qiao Bus Station (7 hr.; ¥100 every 45 minutes and Datong (4 hr.; ¥88) every 20 minutes.
Getting Around
City bus fare is ¥1; with air-conditioning, the fare is ¥2. Taxis are abundant and the fare for the first 3km (2 1/2 miles) is ¥8; after that it's ¥1.10 per kilometer. Beyond 10km (6 1/4 miles), it's ¥1.60 per kilometer.
Tours -- A helpful branch of CTS is at Pingyang Lu 8 (tel. 0351/724-2162).
Fast Facts
Banks, Foreign Exchange & ATMs -- The Bank of China (Mon-Fri 8am-5:30pm) at Yingze Dajie 288 has an ATM and full foreign-exchange facilities.
Internet Access -- There's a wangba near Chongshan Si at Shangma Jie 20. It is open from 8am to midnight and charges ¥2 per hour.
Post Office -- The main post office (Mon-Fri 8am-7:30pm) is opposite the railway station.
Visa Extensions -- The PSB is at Houjia Xiang 9 (tel. 0351/461-2787; Mon-Fri 8-11:30am and 2:30-5:30pm).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
