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Teaching and Living in Zhengzhou China

Download Printable Taxi Instructions for Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou is the capital of Henan, the most populous province in China. It is situated about 20 km south of the Yellow River. This is the region of China where ancient Chinese civilization began to emerge roughly 5000 years ago. Beneath part of the modern city of Zhengzhou, lies the ancient Shang Dynasty capital Aodu, some of whose rammed earth ramparts can still be seen (and walked on!) today.

Between the 21st Century B.C. and the 11th Century A.D., more than 200 emperors from 20 dynasties established their capitals in Henan province, making modern Henan a haven for archaeologists and historians of ancient Chinese culture.

Today, Henan is predominantly known for its abundant agricultural and mineral resources. As a provincial capital, Zhengzhou is a major center for industry, commerce, education, transportation, and government services. Like many other large inland cities in China today, Zhengzhou is undergoing rapid development, with all of the attendant social, environmental, and economic strains that such swift change engenders. It is an ideal place to observe, engage, and interact with the new China that is emerging in the 21st century.

Zhengzhou municipality’s population is officially around 6.5 million. The same figures also say that only 2 million actually live within the urban area of the municipality, but this is, perhaps, not entirely accurate as there has been a large influx of transient workers from the countryside.

Weather in Zhengzhou China

Average low/high temperatures (Celsius) in:

Average Number of Rainy Days:

Seasonal Concerns in Zhengzhou

• The summer and autumn months can be particularly wet, with quite heavy thunderstorms and lightning. By contrast, the winter months tend to be very dry.
• Gobi Desert Dust: The Gobi Desert’s dusty and sandy winds get as far as Zhengzhou all the year around, but are especially bad in the spring/early summer. Don't expect to keep your home dust-free.
• Central Heating: The heating is turned on in most buildings in mid-November and is turned off in mid-March. The coldest days indoors are during the 2-3 week periods just before the heat comes on in November and just after the heat has been shut off in March. Affordable portable electric space heaters can be purchased to help get you through these chilly shoulder weeks of the year.

Clothing - What to Pack for Zhengzhou

General: You might like to bring some nice clothes (a suit and/or nice slacks and shirt for men, one or two nice dresses for women) as you will occasionally be asked to attend some official dinners and may find yourself sitting next to the mayor or the governor. Also, large-size shoes of any kind are very hard to come by (though they can be purchased in the large coastal cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong).

You can buy a wide variety of fabrics at the cloth market in the city and have clothes (including suits) tailor-made at extremely low prices if you are so inclined. Tailor-made slacks, for instance, cost around 40 RMB (cotton) to 50 RMB (wool). Depending on your size, (generally the largest for women is a US 10/UK 12, for men sizes are somewhat more generous) you can find many ready made clothes.

Winter: During the winter months, you might need thermal underwear depending on where you’re from and how cold you feel winter here to be. Warm pyjamas, mittens, scarves, extra woollen socks, warm boots, and winter coats are all necessary but can be bought/made here unless you’re an odd size. Long, warm trousers are acceptable wear for both men and women in the winter.

Summer: Longer shorts are now quite acceptable to wear, especially for men, and even for women for casual wear. Sleeveless shirts are okay, but too “strappy” may be considered inappropriate. Most people in Zhengzhou commonly wear skirts/dresses or long trousers.

In between: Cotton or woollen jumpers (sweaters) and cardigans.

Transportation To, From, and Within Zhengzhou

Within Zhengzhou:

The city has a well-developed public transportation system and you can get most places by bus for 1RMB (or 2RMB for some of the newer air-conditioned buses). Bus passes can be purchased to eliminate the hassle of always needing to carry exact change. Many people cycle nearly everywhere in the city but cycling in China is not for the faint of heart! It involves a different approach to traffic patterns than cycling at home. Taxis are abundant and easy to use.

By Air:

Zhengzhou’s new airport has flights to and from nearly every major city in China. Domestic air tickets can be booked and purchased from travel agents in every part of the city. Most offer you the option of booking tickets by phone and having the tickets delivered to where you live. When the courier arrives, you pay him or her and collect your ticket(s). Currently, a one-way ticket to Beijing costs around 600 RMB. Another way (often cheaper) is to book directly via the air company. For example, if you book a ticket with China Southern airlines more than a month in advance, you can ask for a discount (50%)! But you need to ask for it! Teachers and students can sometimes receive discounts on airfares (30 to 40%) when booking tickets for travel. The China Southern Office is located on Hua Yuan Lu near Wei Wu Lu. Very helpful, but don’t expect much English. Check out the prices beforehand on the China Southern website: http://www.csair.com/en/ An airport shuttle bus runs between the airport and the Civil Aviation Hotel 民航大酒店 (Mín Háng dà jiǔ diàn) on 金水路 (Jīnshuĭ Lù Corner of Dongming Lu) in the heart of Zhengzhou. It costs a mere 15 RMB to ride the shuttle in either direction so, even if you need to take a taxi onward/to the Civil Aviation hotel, it can save you a lot of money. (Taking a taxi to most other destinations within the city from the Civil Aviation hotel will only cost 8-16 RMB.) If you decide to take a taxi directly to or from the airport, expect to pay around 120 RMB for the trip. Ask the driver to use the meter, and then pay him or her an extra 10 RMB in addition to the metered fare to cover the highway toll.

By Train:

Zhengzhou is the largest railway junction within China, so you can go almost anywhere in China from here. Yet it is often hard to get tickets on short notice, particularly if 2 you want a soft sleeper berth. You can book and purchase tickets yourself up to 10 days in advance by calling the railway reservation number (68356666). Many travel agents in the city will also book train tickets for you for a small commission (usually 30 RMB per ticket). For information about departure and arrival times and ticket prices, call the railway information hotline (68352222). The web address http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/ is useful for those with limited Chinese to determine train schedules and have some idea of ticket prices though the prices are quoted in USD and cannot be bought from the site.

By Long-Distance Bus:

These coaches will get you where you want to go cheaply, if you don’t mind a smoke-filled atmosphere. There are several long distance bus stations located throughout the city, including one directly opposite the train station. The buses are inexpensive and quite convenient when travelling to other cities and towns within Henan Province. You can also travel to major cities in other provinces on sleeper coaches, if you’ve got the time and want an adventure.

Important Places in Zhengzhou

• Public Security Bureau (郑州公安局 Zhèngzhōu Gōngānjú) Located on 二七路 (Èr qī lù), this is the place where you get foreign residence permits and re-entry visas in Zhengzhou. The phone number is 6622 2023, ext. 3111. Like most other government offices, it is closed for a few hours in the middle of the day (usually 12:00 to 2:30). If you are studying or teaching, your school’s foreign affairs office or an administrative person will assist you in applying for your foreign residence permit after you arrive, and they may offer to assist you with re-entry visas as well. If you’re travelling outside China, and you don’t already have a multiple entry visa or a residence permit, you’ll need to get a re-entry visa from the PSB before you leave. They will need your foreign expert card (if applicable), passport and a passport photo. To be on the safe side, put your return date as a few days later than the date you plan to return as visas are good before but not after the date put on them. Visa prices vary according to your nationality. Re-entry visas normally require at least 2 full business days to process.
• For the physical exam to get your residence permit, you must go to the Health Immunization and Quarantine Bureau (健医局Jìan Yī Jú) in the western outskirts of the city. The phone number is 65943363. Call to make sure they are open before you make the long trip there. As with obtaining other permits and visas, your college foreign affairs office will usually assist you with these arrangements. You may request an x-ray negative (hard copy) for your required chest x-ray exam (if the one you bring from home is rejected) and refuse the usual (and useless) fluoroscopy exam, but it may cost you an additional 20 RMB to do so. (See also Medical Matters)

Banking Information in Zhengzhou

ATMs (or cash points) are now popping up everywhere around Zhengzhou. Check with your bank at home to see if they know which Chinese banks are compatible with your bankcard system.

Most banks here use Visa, Master Card or Cirrus lines to connect you to your account so bank/cash cards that use those systems can be used at nearly all self-service ATMs. Your home bank can inform you at what rate it will exchange and what, if any fees are charged when you make this type of withdrawal from a cash account.

One can use Visa, MasterCard, or Discover Card to draw a cash advance either from the machines or directly at the tellers in the bank mentioned below (or possibly in other large 3 branches). There is a charge, however, apart from whatever interest may accrue before the balance is paid back, on Visa and MasterCard amounting to 4% of the amount withdrawn.

The larger local branches of the Bank of China also offer the option of writing yourself a personal check (with your passport) to obtain cash. There is about a 30 RMB charge to do this. It usually takes about 40 days for a check to clear. They should notify you by phone when the money arrives.

The closest bank to Zhengzhou University is the Bank of China 300-400 meters south of the east gate on 大学路 (Dà xué lù). Some phone numbers for this branch are 6743 7288, 6743 8002, or 6743 7157.

The main branch of the Bank of China (中国银行Zhōng Guó Yín Háng) is also the best option for more elaborate banking transactions as it provides the most complete range of services. The bank is located in the north part of town near HUFE at the corner of 花园 路 (Huā yuán lù) and 农业路 (Nóng Yè lù). At both the one by Zhengda and the one by HEFU, you can also do wire transfers.

Foreign currency accounts can be set up at all branches. However only at the larger branches can currency be exchanged and traveler’s checks cashed. The two branches mentioned above offer both of these services. According to hearsay, US dollar traveller’s checks can also be purchased at the Bank of China.

Medical Matters in Zhengzhou

• Sometimes for more minor or routine complaints, local hospitals are suitable. The place to go is the Number One Hospital. The Number One Hospital is connected to the medical school, located up the street from Zhengzhou University, and is considered the best hospital in the province.
• A number of the doctors there have been overseas and can therefore speak some English.
  The advantage of this hospital is that it is large and therefore has more resources
• to draw from. Even if an accident happened in front of a local hospital, you want to be transferred to Number One Hospital.  河南省第一附医院 (Hénán Shéng Dìyī fù yīyùan)
• Located on the corner of 大学路 (Dà xué lù) and 建设东路 (Jìan shè dōng lù).
• A good contact at #1 is Dr. Zhang Jinying (h) 66956772 (o) 66913287 (mobile) 135 0383 0283
• It’s better not to walk into any Chinese hospital on your own, but have someone from your school bring you in so that they can help you go through the procedures and introduce you to a doctor that can treat you.  

Telecommunications in Zhengzhou

Making phone calls, whether locally within Zhengzhou, long distance within China, or internationally, is now quite cheap using phone cards that can be purchased virtually anywhere in the city. Some cards use scratch-off pin codes, others use magnetic strips to keep track of your available balance. Some public phones will only take the magnetic strip cards. Not all telephones in China can make overseas calls. Some phone lines are just for on campus, others are for the city, some are China long-distance and a few have an international facility. However, whatever sort of phone line you have, you can usually receive calls from anywhere.

** Please note that most numbers within Zhengzhou have gone from seven to eight digit numbers. If a phone number listed in this handbook or some other number in Zhengzhou only has seven numbers try prefixing a six to the front and you should have the current correct phone number**

People at Home Calling You

When people from other countries want to call you they need to dial: 00 (or, from some countries 001) +86 (the international code for China) +371 (the code for Zhengzhou) + your eight digit number

For more information on telecommunications in China please refer to our Phones in China section

Post Offices and Parcels

**Please advise those who might send you packages that it is always better for you to know that you are meant to receive a package as you are not always informed of packages arriving in a timely manner. It is always better for you to be expecting a parcel and then enquiring about its arrival to ensure that all goes smoothly (people should know you are "looking" for your parcel)**

Zhengzhou University: There are two post offices nearby. The larger post office is at the corner of 中原路 (Zhōng yuán lù) and 大学路 (Dà xué lù).

For packages from overseas, you must go to this branch.

The other, much smaller branch is one block east of the intersection of大学路 (Dà xué lù) and south of 桃源路 (Táo yuán lù). Parcels arriving for you from within China may need to be collected there.

At Zhengzhou University, sending parcels is simple. A small postal branch office is also located on campus near the sports stadium, where stamps and envelopes can be purchased and where letters and money remittances can be sent.

Henan University of Finance and Economics: There is a small post office just outside the east gate of the school but only letters can be sent from there.

There seems to be no system in regards to receiving parcels. Some come to the school post office, others have to be picked up at the larger post office. If you stay in a rented flat you can, with some help, figure out the address of your flat. Then letters and small parcels (especially padded envelopes) will arrive directly to you without going through the foreign affairs office or campus post. If you are not at home, usually a card is left by China Post to let you know a package has arrived and to pick it up.

Shopping in Zhengzhou

• Fabric: The largest fabric wholesale market in the city (one of the largest in China) can be found fairly near Zhengzhou University, it is called 纺织大世界 (Făng zhī dà shì jiè). It not only has a wide selection of materials but also other sewing equipment and curtain rails.
• Clothes: If you don’t want to have clothes made, then you have an ever-increasing number of stores to buy ready-made items. Jeans West is here along with a number of places where you can buy brand-name clothing that has been made for export. There are also numerous brands that are native to China.
• Household items: Nearly any household item can be purchased in Zhengzhou (furniture, pots, pans, irons, heaters, small ovens, rice cookers, food processors, microwaves, etc.). Wholesale markets near the train station sell all of these things at good prices. You will pay more for these items at the larger department stores like Dennis and Kingbird, but the reliable brand names and the good warranty and repair service options may make it well worth the extra money.
• Toiletries: Items such as soap, shampoo, shaving cream, toothpaste (Colgate and Crest), etc. are readily available, as Proctor and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, and other multinational corporations have started joint ventures in China. The name-brand shampoos and conditioners are still relatively expensive, however. Contact lenses solution can be found here. Deodorant is still more difficult to come by but is now available at Watson’s (along with many other less-frequently found items) in the new Carrefour.
• Art Supplies: There is a shop opposite the south entrance to the Experimental Middle School on NongYe Lu. There is also an impressive array of writing utensils, stationary and other such supplies on the third floor of the 金林市场 (Jīn Lín Shìchăng) close to the train station. The first floor also has some gift items that make nice “Chinese” gifts to send home if you don’t have a chance to go to more touristy areas where those items abound.
• Food: Each of the Dennis and Kingbird/Century Mart department stores around town contains a supermarket. The flagship store of the Dennis department store chain has opened a new building just behind/off its 人民路 (Rénmín Lù) location. On the main floor is a very western grocery called Better by Dennis. (Where even the odd avocado has been obtained!) There is also a food court on the main floor that has TCBY yoghert, a Haagan-Daz ice cream/ Illy coffee stand, and other delacacies. The French food wholesaler Metro (much like Sam’s Club in the US) has just opened on the east side of ZhengZhou. It has a wide selection of imported foods. Also, Carrefour (a French supermarket chain) has opened near Cai Yuan at the corner of Wen Hua Lu and Bei Huan Lu putting pain au chocolat, salmon, ground beef and other treats in easy reach of language students. On Wei San Lu (road) east of the corner of Jing Qi Lu, there is a collection of small shops that have an interesting assortment of Western imported goods. While you will not find everything there that you can find back home, you will certainly find a great enough variety to keep you quite happily fed.
  Zhengzhou is not as well stocked as Beijing or Shanghai for Western food goods, but most supermarkets have basic foods Westerners use like peanut butter, porridge oats, orange juice, jams, Knorr stock, potato chips, tomato puree, pasta, Dove chocolate, instant coffee, Lipton tea, Oreo cookies, Crest toothpaste, ice cream, corn flakes, and Nabisco cookies.

Restaurants in Zhengzhou

Obviously, there are all sorts of Chinese restaurants throughout the city. There are a whole range of Chinese restaurants, from inexpensive and dirty to very expensive and clean. There are many small, inexpensive restaurants around the schools, as well as cleaner, moderately priced ones. Virtually every kind of Chinese food can be found, e.g. Sichuan, Hunan, Cantonese, Beijing duck, hot pot etc.

Western Food: Western-style restaurants are popping up all over Zhengzhou, especially fast-food franchises such as McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Dicos. Other pizza cafes and Taiwanese-style coffee houses are also quite trendy at the moment. There is a chain of pizza/”Italian” restaurants called Pasta, Pizza, Cappuccino located throughout the city. The five-star Crowne Plaza Hotel has a stylish coffee shop and an Italian pizzeria restaurant, both of which are expensive but which are nice to go to once in a while as a treat, especially on “half-price pizza night” (Monday evenings) or during “half-price dessert hours” (each day after in the afternoon from about 3pm). Currently, the best value-for-money Western food “escape” is to go to the Sofitel atrium Monday-Saturday (3:30-6:30) for afternoon tea where you can sink into plush seats and enjoy a bottomless cup of tea or cappuccino with a buffet of sweet & savoury snacks for a mere 39 RMB!

Places to Escape To in Zhengzhou

• Hotels:
  • The Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza is actually two hotels in one, with discounted rooms in the Holiday Inn section of the hotel (behind the Crowne Plaza section) that allow you to enjoy all the facilities of the Crowne Plaza’s five-star splendour (swimming pool, gym, sauna, western restaurants, etc.) while paying lower room rates.
  • Weilaid Conifer Hotel - discounted room rates can usually be found at the Weilai Conifer Hotel as well (tel. 65612288), which has several bowling lanes in addition to a small swimming pool.
  • Sofitel Hotel - the manager of the Sofitel Hotel has provided discounts on room rates, Sunday brunches, and use of the swimming pool and changing room facilities. Always ask for a special rate on rooms before booking your reservations. If the hotel manager or assistant manager knows that you live in Zhengzhou, he will usually be willing to give you special room rates to earn your loyalty.
• Swimming Pools:
  • On the south side of the city is the Li Jiang Swimming Centre (漓江温泉游泳训练中心) located on 航海中路边(Háng Hǎi Zhōng Lù). It has two Olympic-size pools as well as several water slides and a large wading pool with play structures for younger children. Admission prices are a around 20RMB per adult. Be aware that guests are expected to wear swimming caps in this swimming complex. If you forget to bring yours, you can either buy one on the spot or (as many other swimmers do) ignore the regulation.
  • There is another swimming pool on the north side of town, opposite 中洲乐园 (Zhōngzhōu Lèyuán) on 东风路 (Dōngfēng lù). It is located in the reddish building that says Continent Qiangzi Club. A ticket costs 20 RMB.
• Museums:
  • Other relaxing indoor attractions in Zhengzhou include the Henan Provincial Museum (河南省博物院) (20 RMB entrance) and the Zhengzhou City Museum (郑州市博物馆). The provincial museum in particular requires at least a half day visit to do justice to the many impressive exhibits, which range from prehistoric times up through the Qing Dynasty. Both museums provide self-guided audio tours in English for around 30 RMB, a bit expensive but well worth the extra cost if you want to get the most out of the displays.
• Nature Hikes and Scenic Spots:
  • The Jin Shui River Parkway (in parts) provides a natural scenic corridor that runs through the entire city from southwest to northeast.
  • Zhengzhou boasts numerous other parks but the Forest Park (森林公园) with it’s zip lines and rope bridges makes it worth a visit.
    • Yun Tai Shan (Cloud Platform Mountain (云台山), only about an hour and a half away, is home to one of the tallest waterfalls in China.
    • Baligou Scenic Area also about one and a half hours north in a bus is an excellent day trip.
    • Longtanxia Gorge Scenic area which is 2 hours by bus W of Zhengzhou via Xin’an is also excellent value as a day trip.
  • Buses leave the Peoples Hall at the corner of Hua Yuan Lu and Jin Shui Lu for the three previously mentioned day trips and provide a Chinese speaking tour guide. You will have to book and pay for these tours through a travel agent prices are quite reasonable.
• Song Shan (嵩山森林公园) and the Shaolin Temple (少林寺) complex are a couple hours to the west by bus or train.
• Luoyang, also a couple hours west, is the location of the Longmen Grottos (龙门石窟).
• Kaifeng, about an hour to the east was the location of many ancient capitals and boasts many historical sites.
• For those who like to get off the beaten track, about hour west by train, near the town of Gong Yi, you can explore the large burial sites of most of the Song Dynasty emperors on your own, following trails that lead past dozens of thousand-year-old stone statues that are now half-forgotten in the midst of wheat, corn, and sesame fields.
• A favourite mountain retreat site for a summer or fall weekend getaway is Rooster Mountain (鸡公山Jī Gōng Shān), 3-4 hours south of Zhengzhou on the Henan-Hubei border. The broad mountaintop is both a nature reserve and a holiday resort center, dotted with several small hotels and guesthouses of varying quality and offering some spectacular views and hiking trails. The Cai Zheng Hotel (tel. 0376-6912072 or 0376-6912072) offers clean rooms for around 120 RMB a night. This mountain used to be a summer haven for westerners in the early 1900s, and dozens of western-style summer homes can still be found scattered across the mountaintop. Make sure you ask about the availability of hot running water when booking your accommodations. It can be very intermittent, particularly during the off season.

Travel Agents to book day trips…

• Shelly Wan at Dahe International Travel Service
  Room 603 Dahe Jinjiang Hotel, 66 Huayuan Lu corner of Wei Wu Lu.
  Phone Mob 138 3839 7596,
  email shelley2113@hotmail.com
  Shelley speaks excellent English and is very helpful.
• Karen Zheng at Henan Professional Workers International Travel Service
  5th Floor Longxiang Hotel 16 Jinshui Lu in the block west of Huayuan Lu
  Phone Mob 130 7373 7936
  email zhengkai2007@hotmail.com
  Karen Also speaks excellent English and also is very helpful.