The details on this page are believed to be correct, but no guarantee of any sort is given or implied. That is completely your responsibilty. However if you can correct or add to anything here, then please e-mail me and I will include it.
As I am not a travel agent, I cannot help with your travel plans.
Express buses travel between Taicheng and Hong Kong each day. The trip takes less than four hours and is cheaper if you avoid public holidays. You should consult a travel agency or your hotel for the best buses.
China Travel Service also have their own direct buses between Taicheng and the Hong Kong border, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Guilin. There is a central office in Taicheng, and a counter in the foyer of the Overseas Chinese Hotel across from the upstairs McDonalds Restaurant.
Ferries of the Chu Kong Passenger Transport Company sail daily from the China Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong. There was one to the river port of Gongyi (i.e. 公 益) in Taishan County, but this seems to have been discontinued. They now offer ferry services from the China Ferry Terminal and Hong Kong International Airport to Zhong Shan and Zhu Hai. There appear to be onward connections by company bus to Gongyi.
The new expressway system is extensive, with Taicheng on the Guangdong South Coastal Expressway and the Guangdong Xin(hui)-Tai(shan) Expressway. Please consult the road map provided on another page.
There is no airport or train service. The railway was removed during the Japanese War, and the railway station no longer exists.
There are some 50 taxis of one sort or another in Taicheng, but booking is essential. You can also ride the "moto che", as a passenger on a motorcycle, but bring your own helmet. They cost about Y5, but foreigners should be more generous. These "moto che" can be found on most street corners, with their riders lounging around waiting for clients. During daylight hours there is also an extensive local bus service.
Cars can be rented in Taicheng, but are comparatively expensive and usually unnecessary.
Accomodation can be booked independently, or through the China Travel Service (Hong Kong).
Jimmy Tsang of HuaFa Computer Technology Incorporated can help, but as he has returned to the USA, that will be through his local contacts. He may be contacted at jimmy@taishan.com
The only hotels known to me personally are:
| Name | Address | Telephone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
Garden Hotel  |
West Nanmen Road Taicheng Town Taishan City 529000 Guangdong Province People's Republic of China |
(07657)525890 | Cash and credit cards only 3 stars Western & Chinese restaurant CTS charges HK$320/night. |
Overseas Chinese Hotel  |
1 Tongji Road Taicheng Town Taishan City 529405 Guangdong Province People's Republic of China |
(07657)524768 | Cash and credit cards only 2 stars Chinese restaurant only Opposite the upstairs McDonald's Restaurant. CTS desk in foyer CTS charge HK$200-250/night. |
There are many local Chinese restaurants and takeways, but if you get desperate you can always visit the McDonald's Restaurant upstairs on Tong Ji Road across from the Overseas Chinese Hotel. There is now also a KFC in the centre of town on the pedestrian mall. But before you get that desperate, try the Good Place Coffee Shop on Xihao Lu, which is just around the corner from McDonald's. Alternatively try the Old Tree Cafe on the right hand side corner of Namen Lu and Gexin Lu down by the Manmade Lakes.
You can also visit the CRC Supermarket for groceries in the shopping mall off Chenyixi Plaza near the Central Post Office at the far end of the pedestrian mall. They have a wide selection of most things, but not of breakfast cereals. Rolled oats is the only cereal available that didn't have its own milk powder and sugar included. Another shopping mall is being constructed opposite the Overseas Chinese Hotel and may be finished by this date.
The Protestant Church (Tel 552-5709) is off the pedestrian mall at 186 Tai Xi Road, and open 08:00-11:30 and 14:00-17:30 Monday to Saturday, and 08:00-17:30 on Sundays. It has fellowship and services Fridays and Saturdays 19:30-20:30, and Sundays 12:00-13:00.
The Catholic Church is within a few blocks of the centre of town, but I forgot to record its location. It is painted a bright pink and is above and surrounded by the rooms used by the Taishan Translation Service.
The Bureau of Overseas Chinese Affairs (Tel 552-6752) is at 38 Huan Nan Back Street. While they do have good English-language staff, you should retain your own interpreter to facilitate your dealings with them.
The Bank of China seems to be the only place where travellers’ cheques can be changed, but all banks have ATMs through which you can draw on your own Cirrus/Maestro card account.
Internet access is available through a variety of Internet Cafes. One is located on the 3rd floor of the Xinhua Bookstore at the other end of Huancheng Lu which runs next to Macdonald's. They have local maps on the 2nd floor and a small range of computer requistes on the ground floor.
The local hospital is opposite the Xinhua Bookstore. Access to these medical facilities by foreigners has not been determined.
The YMCA have an upstairs office off the pedestrian mall at 153 Tai Xi Road, but the facilities they offer have not been determined.
The Taishan Translation Service has been established since 1979 and can be contacted through its princial, Ken Guan. He is offering 3000 yuan per month and a free appartment for any native English speaker who is willing and legally allowed to work four hours per day Monday to Friday inclusive as a teacher of English. The service can be contacted at:
Taishan Translation Service
10ka
55 Huan Bei Da Dao
Taicheng
Taishan City, Guangdong
People's Republic of China
Telephone: 0086-750-5188875 (m); 0086-750-5501491 (w)
Email: ken_lark@hotmail.com
The local museum gives a history of the overseas emigrations from here though the English titles are rather "cute". Telephone to make sure someone will let you in. It's on the second floor at Shi Hill, Huan Bei Avenue.
An exhibition of stunning computer-enhanced photographs of local scenery is at the Taishan City Art Gallery (Tel 553-8185) at 93 Huan Bei Da.
A walk through the pedestrian mall in the old city after dark is both safe and worthwhile. The architecture is a mixture of Chinese and Western influences, and recently restored. Most nights there are crowds of locals taking the night air, and many road stalls where you can spend your yuan.
Stone Flower Mountain (Sek Fa Shan) is a major tourist attraction about 10 minutes from the city centre by taxi. There's a small temple to the "Goddess of Mercy" and a low but interesting mountain to climb.
The new Tongji Sightseeing Tower is 20 to 30 minutes walk from the city centre, from where you can see all of Taicheng. You cross the bridge on Tongji Lu Road from the old city centre, and take the second left onto Tai Hai Lu. The park in which the tower is located is half a block on the right with a chrome gate and brown stone arch. There is an entrance fee to the park, which is open 05:00 - 00:30, and also to the tower which is open 08:00 - 00:30.
Taishan
Genealogy
Copyright: ©2002-7 Jon Kehrer,
Canberra