Getting There
The nearest airport is at Wenzhou, 80km (50 miles) away, and is well served by domestic flights. My preference is to arrive early in the morning on one of the overnight trains from Hangzhou or Shanghai (hard sleeper ¥140) and disembark at about 6:30am. I then cross the Wenzhou Da Dao, Huochezhan Xi Shou road from the railway station, and jump on the 7am bus to North Yandangshan (¥28) at the Xinnan Bus Station. This way, I arrive at my hotel by about 8:30am and can be out exploring the cascades and cataracts by 10am. In Hangzhou, you can also take a bus at East Station at 7am or 2pm (¥85; 5 hr.). In Shanghai, take a bus at Zhiqing Bus Station at 2pm directly (¥150).
From Wenzhou, make sure that you are heading for North Yandangshan rather than east or south. The bus drives through a depressing repetition of anonymous factories until the bus turns off the main highway to the Lower Yandangshan Bus Station. This is a good place to purchase a map of the area for ¥5 as well as check your bearings on the excellent wall map. There are usually a few local loiterers offering overpriced (¥20) taxi rides to the resort area, known officially as Xianglingtou. If you would like to check out some of the locals' proffered accommodations, simply take the ¥3 ride up to the main bridge in the resort area and have a scout around.
For direct buses away from Yandangshan, Hangzhou has more than 40 buses per day starting at 6:40am and finishing at 7:30pm (¥140) as well as regular buses back to Wenzhou.
Getting Around
In the resort are simple minibuses whose official fares range from ¥2 to ¥10 depending on location. These are well marked and the stops are noted in English, although this has done nothing to stem the Wenzhou influence and drivers will now shamelessly demand ¥30 from those who are obviously tourists. In addition there are a number of venerated gentlemen zipping around in sanlunche (cycle rickshaws) that have been converted to battery power. Rates are negotiable (about ¥5 to Ling Feng) but poor suspension makes the local roads bone-jarring.
Visitor Information
A number of commercial travel agencies pose as visitor information offices but we finally tracked down the official Wenzhou Yandangshan Holiday Agency, Xiao Xia Lu 6 (tel. 0577/6224-4111; www.ydjr.com). Unfortunately it is only open until 5:30pm and the staff cannot speak any English.
Fast Facts
Banks, Foreign Exchange & ATMs -- Yandangshan only has an Agricultural Bank with only a Union Pay ATM rather than a Bank of China, so it is best to bring a good supply of cash with you. There is also a forex service at the Yandangshan Villas.
Internet Access -- There was as yet no wangba in the resort area at press time, although a number of hotels (such as the Sunshine) had broadband access in the rooms.
Post Office -- The main post office (8:30am-6pm) is in the Xianglingtou resort area, on the corner of Xue Xiao Xiang and the main road. This is also a good place to by a map of the scenic areas.
Visa Extensions -- There is a tiny PSB office on Bu Xing Jie, but extensions are better taken care of back in the larger cities.
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.
