Top Things To Do In Hefei City, Anhui, China, Travel Review – Part 2

Who doesn’t like travelling around the world. No matter where you are headed to, it’s bound to be a new enriching experience as every country has its own charm. But travelling in China is a bit different experience, partly because of the language and cultural differences. I visited Hefei from Suzhou (March, 2018) and it was overall a memorable trip. I have already written Hefei City, Anhui, China, travel review – Part 1. In this post (Part 2), I’ll share further details about the top things to do in Hefei City, China.

In order to ensure a better travelling experience in China, you are recommended to learn basic Mandarin and try your hand using Baidu Map to find the relevant tourist attractions from the following list. The list is presented in no-particular order and they could be visited as per your own convenience and interest.

Lord Bao Park (包公园, Bāogōngyuán)

This park is named after the Song Dynasty government official and a legendary figure Bao Gong (also known as Bao Zheng, 包公, Lord Bao) who was from Hefei. He is famous in China for his integrity, honesty, and anti-corruption activities that he orchestrated during his lifetime.

The park contains the tomb of Lord Bao and his family members along with a memorial temple. Entry to the park is free, but if you want to visit the tomb and temples, you need to pay RMB 50 as an entrance fee.

Well, in 2013 the Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev visited the Lord Bao park. Actually, he was invited by the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang whose hometown is Hefei. Later, during his official trip to Russia, the Chinese premier Li Keqiang visited the hometown of Dmitry Medvedev.

There are photos from Dmitry Medvedev’s visit displayed in the park.

Women Street (女人街, Nǚrén jiē)

If you want to eat delicious local Chinese food, then you should stop by the Women’s Street. Please check out my other post- authentic Chinese street food restaurant in Hefei, Anhui. The street is located right behind the Sanxiaokou (三孝口, Sānxiào kǒu) subway station (on Changjiang Road). The street is also famous for shopping, particularly for the women.

Xiaoyaojin park (逍遥津公园, Xiāoyáo jīn gōngyuán)

It shouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Hefei is a city of huge parks. Xiaoyaojin park is just another example of beautiful parks located in the capital city. Free entry.

During my park visit, I saw locals enjoying sunshine on a springs day. Also, there were some senior citizens doing dance practice on Chinese folk songs, I was very much touched by the song and recorded a few videos. The Chinese song is really very much pleasing to the ear.

Here is the video I recorded when the senior citizens were dancing on some Chinese folk song-

Xinghua Park (合肥杏花公园, Xìng huā gōngyuán)

A nice park to walk around. There are pavilion and chairs in the park to sit down and relax. Not very crowded. Free entry.

Dashu mountain (大蜀山, Dàshǔ shān)

The mountain area is a very famous scenic spot in Hefei and its located slightly far from the downtown. You’ll need to take a taxi or bus to get to the mountain base – a one-way bus drive takes nearly 40-50 minutes (or 20 minutes by taxi) to reach the mountain.

The hiking trail is rather smooth and you can reach the top in 30 minutes of slow walking. From the mountain top you’ll get a very clear view of Hefei city. There is also a TV tower at the top.

Kai Fu Buddhist Temple (开福寺, Kāi fú sì).

A beautiful temple is also located far from the downtown – but worth a trip in you are travelling to Hefei city. In fact, the temple is located very close to the Zoo and Dashu mountain. So you can plan a day long trip to visit them one by one.

Hefei Zoo (合肥野生动物园, Héféi dòngwùyuán)

I really loved my trip to Hefei Zoo. You can spend nearly a half day here. There are lots of animals, including giraffes, lion, tigers, monkeys.

Bring your kids, they’ll have fun. Entry fee -RMB 50.

I recorded so many videos in the zoo, and some of them are available on my YouTube Channel. Here is one for a quick access, do check out the little girl who was so cute at mimicking the sounds-

Yaohai Park (瑶海公园合肥, Yáohǎi gōngyuán)

I think Yaohai Park is probably the most laid-back park in Hefei city. Free entry. A good place to fly kites. You can also hire a duckboats and explore a big lake located in the park. There are amusements rides available for the children.

 

Emerald Lake scenic area (翡翠湖风景区, Fěicuì hú)

Although a little far from the downtown Hefei, a visit to the Emerald Lake scenic area is one of the top things to do in Hefei. You can get a bus to the Emerald Lake, you may need to change the bus in between (depending on your route – ask locals or use Baidu Map). Free entry.

Swan Lake (天鹅湖, Tiān’é hú)

A very beautiful lake which is located only a few bus stops away from the Anhui Provincial Museum.

There are quite a few small parks alongside the huge lake. I saw locals having fun on the artificial beach near the Swan Lake.

Hefei Sea World/aquarium (合肥海洋世界, Héféi hǎiyáng shìjiè)

It’s not a very big aquarium, but if you have time and interest, it’s worth stopping by. In fact, you can complete your aquarium visit within an hour or so. There is also one cafeteria on the first floor (slightly overpriced).

To my surprise, the aquarium entry fee is quite high. I had a student card and got a 50% discount (I paid RMB 140 with Alipay). Without a discount, you’d pay RMB 280 for one-time entry.

There are so many beautiful sea creatures at the Hefei Sea World Aquarium, including jelly blubber (Catostylus mosaicus), Pacific sea nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens), black star northern sea nettle (Chrysaora melanaster), and Common stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca).

Here is the video I recorded for jelly blubber (Catostylus mosaicus)-

Anhui Provincial Museum (安徽省博物馆, Ānhuī shěng bówùguǎn)

This is a very huge multistory museum. A good place to learn about the evolution of Anhui’s culture, traditions, socioeconomic history, etc. Not crowded. Allow half day. Free entry.

Yu Feng Flower Market (裕丰花卉市场, Yù fēng huāhuì shìchǎng)

If you are into flowers, then this is the place worth checking out. Yu Feng Flower Market is a medium size local market to buy seasonal flowers in Hefei. You can also buy pots, paintings, etc.

The market also offers cute parrots, little rabbits, and of course a numerous variety of local flowers.

Hefei Science and Technology Museum (合肥科技馆, Héféi kējì guǎn)

A museum worth spending a couple of hours exploring China’s scientific and technological endeavors.

I think by now I have already listed too many places to visit and top things to do in Hefei.

So, I’ll humbly stop here.

That’s all in this post about the top things to do in Hefei, China. Hope you enjoy your Hefei city trip. 🙂

Do check out my other posts about Hefei (Hefei City, Anhui, China, travel review – Part 1 and authentic Chinese street food restaurant).

If you have any question about the top things to do in Hefei city, feel free to post in our forum so that others could also contribute and learn. For regular updates like us on Facebook, or follow on Twitter!

If you find the write-ups useful, don’t forget to buy me a beer!

Happy travelling in Anhui, China.

Cheers!

Last updated: Monday, May 7, 2018