Do not choose a China hotel from the city name alone. Write the exact airport, railway station or border crossing on the booking, then choose a stay area that keeps both arrival and the next departure sensible.
One repeatable method
Read every city in the same order
- 1Arrive
Copy the exact airport code, railway station or port from the confirmed ticket.
- 2Stay
Use the default only when it also works for your sights, luggage and next departure.
- 3Depart
Choose the onward ticket by its named station and complete transfer chain.
Copyable source table
The arrive–stay–depart matrix
Version 1.0. The compact view names decision-critical gateways; the underlying review covers all 54 nodes.
| City | Named gateways | Neutral first-trip stay default | Wrong-node warning | Last-night rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing北京 | PEK · PKX · Beijing South · West · Chaoyang | Wangfujing / Dongdan for a compact central first visit | PEK and PKX are different airport corridors; South, West and Chaoyang stations are not interchangeable. | Move gateway-side only when the confirmed node, departure window or mobility risk outweighs the final city evening. |
| Shanghai上海 | PVG · SHA · Hongqiao rail · Shanghai · South · Songjiang | People's Square / East Nanjing Road as a neutral central start | PVG is not SHA; Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station are connected but serve different booked journeys. | Move gateway-side only for a very early confirmed departure or unusually high transfer risk. |
| Xi'an西安 | XIY · Xi'an North · Xi'an · Xi'an East | Inside or near the City Wall for historic-core evenings | XIY, Xi'an North, Xi'an East and Xi'an Railway Station are separate nodes; copy the full ticketed name. | Use an XIY buffer only when the confirmed flight window and traveller needs justify it. |
| Chengdu成都 | TFU · CTU · Chengdu East · South · West | Chunxi Road / Taikoo Li for central evening access | TFU and CTU create very different arrival chains; Chengdu East is a separate rail anchor. | Choose airport-side only from the actual code, departure band and a conservative transfer check. |
| Guangzhou广州 | CAN · Guangzhou · East · South · Baiyun · North | Beijing Road / Yuexiu as a central first-visit hypothesis | The railway stations must match the ticket; the city name alone is not enough. | Airport-side may fit an early CAN departure after terminal and ground-transport recheck. |
| Hangzhou杭州 | HGH · Hangzhou · East · West · South | Hubin / the east shore for West Lake and city access | The airport, East and West stations pull in different directions; West Lake is not one hotel pin. | Move airport-side only when the confirmed HGH departure and transfer risk justify it. |
| Zhangjiajie张家界 | DYG · Zhangjiajie West · Zhangjiajie Railway Station | Choose Zhangjiajie city or Wulingyuan from the confirmed sight order | The airport, rail stations, Tianmen Mountain, Forest Park gates and Grand Canyon are separate anchors. | A city-side final night may reduce risk for an early DYG flight. |
| Chongqing重庆 | CKG · Chongqing North · West · East · Shapingba | Jiefangbei for a first visit centred on the river and skyline core | North, West, East and Shapingba are not interchangeable; vertical terrain makes map distance misleading. | Move airport-side only for an early CKG departure or substantial mobility and luggage risk. |
| Guilin / Yangshuo桂林 / 阳朔 | KWL · Guilin · North · West · Yangshuo · Mopanshan · Zhujiang | Guilin for gateway nights; Yangshuo town or Yulong River for countryside nights | Yangshuo Railway Station is not in Yangshuo town; railway, road and Li River journeys end at different places. | KWL-side lodging is a departure-risk tool; a Guilin city final night may already be enough. |
| Shenzhen深圳 | SZX · Shenzhen North · Futian · Shenzhen/Luohu · East · three checkpoints | Futian as a neutral first-trip, business and transport start | Futian Railway Station is not Futian Checkpoint; Shenzhen Station is beside Luohu but is not the border process. | Move airport-side only when an early SZX departure or connection risk outweighs the final city evening. |
National map · 10 city cards · Data
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The ZIP contains the national schematic, ten city cards, CSV, JSON, source notes, licence, attribution examples and file checksums.
Suggested citation
Homeground China (2026), “First Trip to China: 10-City Airport, Station and Stay Map,” version 1.0, reviewed 23 August 2026. https://homegroundchina.com/guides/first-trip-china-airport-station-stay-map/
Open reuse licence
Original map graphics and compiled data: CC BY 4.0
You may share and adapt Homeground China's original map graphics, city cards, annotations and compiled dataset, including commercially, with reasonable attribution.
- Credit Homeground China and link this canonical page and the licence where practical.
- Say when you have changed the material; do not imply endorsement.
- Third-party names, trademarks, source pages and facts are not relicensed.
- The asset is schematic and not a live timetable, route guarantee or navigation product.
Read the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence · Download the pack licence
Original v1 asset attribution: © 2026 盛世美达（北京）国际旅行社有限公司, operating as Homeground China.Ten consistent decision cards
Use the default, then test the exception
北京
Beijing
- Arrive / depart
- PEK · PKX · Beijing South · West · Chaoyang
- Start with
- Wangfujing / Dongdan for a compact central first visit
- One-move rule
- Usually keep one central base.
PEK and PKX are different airport corridors; South, West and Chaoyang stations are not interchangeable.
Open the detailed guide上海
Shanghai
- Arrive / depart
- PVG · SHA · Hongqiao rail · Shanghai · South · Songjiang
- Start with
- People's Square / East Nanjing Road as a neutral central start
- One-move rule
- Usually keep one base unless a gateway-led short stay dominates.
PVG is not SHA; Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station are connected but serve different booked journeys.
Open the detailed guide西安
Xi'an
- Arrive / depart
- XIY · Xi'an North · Xi'an · Xi'an East
- Start with
- Inside or near the City Wall for historic-core evenings
- One-move rule
- One base is normally enough.
XIY, Xi'an North, Xi'an East and Xi'an Railway Station are separate nodes; copy the full ticketed name.
Open the detailed guide成都
Chengdu
- Arrive / depart
- TFU · CTU · Chengdu East · South · West
- Start with
- Chunxi Road / Taikoo Li for central evening access
- One-move rule
- Keep one city base; give outer branches their own time.
TFU and CTU create very different arrival chains; Chengdu East is a separate rail anchor.
Open the detailed guide广州
Guangzhou
- Arrive / depart
- CAN · Guangzhou · East · South · Baiyun · North
- Start with
- Beijing Road / Yuexiu as a central first-visit hypothesis
- One-move rule
- Keep one base unless an event or south-side route dominates.
The railway stations must match the ticket; the city name alone is not enough.
Open the detailed guide杭州
Hangzhou
- Arrive / depart
- HGH · Hangzhou · East · West · South
- Start with
- Hubin / the east shore for West Lake and city access
- One-move rule
- One base works for most first trips.
The airport, East and West stations pull in different directions; West Lake is not one hotel pin.
Open the detailed guide张家界
Zhangjiajie
- Arrive / depart
- DYG · Zhangjiajie West · Zhangjiajie Railway Station
- Start with
- Choose Zhangjiajie city or Wulingyuan from the confirmed sight order
- One-move rule
- At most one deliberate base move; avoid daily ping-pong.
The airport, rail stations, Tianmen Mountain, Forest Park gates and Grand Canyon are separate anchors.
Open the detailed guide重庆
Chongqing
- Arrive / depart
- CKG · Chongqing North · West · East · Shapingba
- Start with
- Jiefangbei for a first visit centred on the river and skyline core
- One-move rule
- Usually keep one verified low-friction base.
North, West, East and Shapingba are not interchangeable; vertical terrain makes map distance misleading.
Open the detailed guide桂林 / 阳朔
Guilin / Yangshuo
- Arrive / depart
- KWL · Guilin · North · West · Yangshuo · Mopanshan · Zhujiang
- Start with
- Guilin for gateway nights; Yangshuo town or Yulong River for countryside nights
- One-move rule
- One deliberate Guilin–Yangshuo base move can be rational.
Yangshuo Railway Station is not in Yangshuo town; railway, road and Li River journeys end at different places.
Open the detailed guide深圳
Shenzhen
- Arrive / depart
- SZX · Shenzhen North · Futian · Shenzhen/Luohu · East · three checkpoints
- Start with
- Futian as a neutral first-trip, business and transport start
- One-move rule
- Choose one base from the booked border, rail or flight chain.
Futian Railway Station is not Futian Checkpoint; Shenzhen Station is beside Luohu but is not the border process.
Open the detailed guideReady for editorial layouts
Three high-confusion city graphics
Beijing covers a two-airport decision, Shanghai a combined airport–rail district, and Zhangjiajie a stay-base decision that changes the following day.
Method
What the data does—and does not—claim
- City selection combines international-entry value, common multi-city routes, gateway complexity and Homeground's ability to maintain the facts.
- Airport, station and port identities use official operator or government sources. Stay defaults and move rules are Homeground editorial judgements.
- No timetable, guaranteed transfer duration, airline–terminal assignment or border opening hour is frozen into this asset.
- High-risk gateway facts are reviewed monthly, on a material operator change, and within 72 hours before an outreach batch uses the asset.
Official sources reviewed24
- China Railway passenger service and live journey searchChina Railway 12306
- National airport statistics and airport contextCivil Aviation Administration of China
- Beijing airport codes and passenger-service entry pointsBeijing Municipal Government
- Seven Beijing railway stations and their metro accessBeijing Municipal Government
- Pudong International Airport passenger informationShanghai Airport Authority
- Hongqiao International Airport passenger informationShanghai Airport Authority
- Xi'an Xianyang Airport Terminal 5 openingXi'an Municipal Government
- Xi'an East Railway Station opening and transfer guidanceXi'an Municipal Government
- Current Chengdu airport service adjustmentChengdu Airport Group
- Chengdu railway-station identitiesGoChengdu / Chengdu authorities
- Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Terminal 3 openingGuangzhou Municipal Government
- International and regional flight move to Terminal 3Guangzhou Municipal Government
- Current roles of Guangzhou and Guangzhou Baiyun railway stationsGuangzhou Municipal Government
- Current Hangzhou Airport T3 and T4 use and T2 worksHangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
- Hangzhou Airport metro linesHangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
- Chongqing Airport T3B passenger processChongqing Municipal Government
- Chongqing East Railway Station openingChongqing Municipal Transport Commission
- Guilin Liangjiang Airport ground transportGuilin Liangjiang International Airport
- Shenzhen checkpoints and passenger servicesShenzhen Port Office
- Yangshuo Station location and distinct Li River portsLi River Scenic Area
- Current Shenzhen Airport T3 and satellite-hall passenger facilitiesShenzhen Municipal Government
- Shenzhen airport and city railway-station contextShenzhen Municipal Government
- Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport and current terminal contextHunan Airport Group
- Five Wulingyuan ticket-gate identitiesHunan Department of Culture and Tourism