Visiting Gaoyou

Planning your visit to Gaoyou

Gaoyou does not have an airport or train station, so your best option to get there is via personal guide and driver out of Nanjing. Our family arranged a trip to Gaoyou through “Our Chinese Daughter’s Foundation” (OCDF), and would happily use them again. Our trip to Gaoyou started by flying into Shanghai, then taking a train to Nanjing. In Nanjing, an OCDF guide picked us up and drove us the three-hour trip north to Gaoyou. The train is a great way to travel, but I would recommend having a guide help you get on and off the train as it can be very crowded and confusing, especially at peak travel times. It is possible to arrange a driver and guide right out of Shanghai to take you direct to Gaoyou but this is much more expensive.

Gaoyou Vice-Secretary Ni Wencai is very welcoming of visitors to Gaoyou. Mr. Ni was once director of the Gaoyou CWI and is a friend of adoptive families around the world. Don’t be surprised if you meet him in Gaoyou, even if you didn’t contact him in advance.

Hotels

The RunYangCun Holiday Hotel (Formerly the Hongsheng (弘盛) Hotel)is the best hotel in town, and the one I would insist on being booked into. Brand new in early 2005, it is a nice, modern, four-star hotel with spacious rooms. It is centrally located, and a great base from which to explore the city. The other hotel in Gaoyou I have heard of, The Shangri-La Grand Hotel, received less than glowing reviews from two families that have stayed there.

Gaoyou is off the beaten path, as far as tourism goes, and the industry isn’t well supported. If you see a Gaoyou souvenir you like even a little, buy it. They are few and far between. It is worth noting that, unlike some of the larger cities in China, you will find few people in Gaoyou that speak English. This can make ordering food, and making even minor arrangements with the hotel staff, a challenge. On the other hand, you can walk freely down the streets without vendors selling cheap knock-off goods hounding you.

You may have a hard time cashing traveler’s checks in Gaoyou as the hotel doesn’t take them, nor do they exchange US dollars. There is a bank, one block north of the Hotel (left out the front door) where you can exchange funds. It also has a bank machine out front where you can withdraw cash with a credit card. It is probably best to travel to Gaoyou with all the money you need already exchanged for RMB.

Things to do In Gaoyou

• For souvenirs, try the China Post office. It is kitty-corner across the intersection of Wenyouzhong Lu and Haichao Lu from the RunYang Cun Hotel. During a visit to Gaoyou in 2005 it was a great (and about the only) place to find souvenirs. There were find nice postcard books (15 yuan ea.), Gaoyou commemorative coin sets (80-120 y), and Gaoyou Stamp/History books (138-380 y), among other items. A return visit in 2006 found that they were no longer selling Gaoyou related souvenirs, but it’s worth checking in to see if they are again. Of course, you can also mail home your postcards from there to get that priceless Gaoyou postmark.
• If jade jewelry is your thing, there is a jewelry store at the North Gate of Renmin Park. It has an excellent selection of jade jewelry at reasonable prices. It is a great place for a keepsake, or gift, from Gaoyou. Make sure to bring along your guide or interpreter, as they don’t speak English.
• Take an early morning walk. Gaoyou can get quite loud and busy during the day. The morning is a refreshing time to walk around the quiet streets, and observe the residents starting their day. You will find dumpling vendors stuffing a day’s worth of dumplings and many people out exercising among other sights.
• Take a walk through Old Town. It’s short but very interesting. If you want to buy antiques or other items with a local flavor, this is the place. The shops seemed to keep 7AM—4 PM business hours during the summer. In the winter, many didn’t open until much later, if at all.
• Stop at one of the open-air food markets. They offer a fascinating look into the local culture. You will see large piles of produce and meat of all types spread out on tables for purchase. I know of two established markets, the Beimen Market north of the CWI (see map), the Zongshikou Market near the Renmin Hospital. There are also several markets that appear on the streets every morning. In the morning, you can follow the crowds to the larger markets, which is how I found them. The markets are busiest early in the morning.
• Hire a pedi-cab. If you’re feeling tired from walking around, take a pedi-cab, they’re everywhere. Bring along a card from the hotel to show the driver, who will get you back to the Hotel for only about 5 Yuan (61 cents). Car Taxis don’t cost much more.

Going to Gaoyou? Download the Gaoyou Visitors Guide (12.3 mb pdf)