Hefei.

With far fewer exchange students than the coastal cities, Hefei's social scene runs through university clubs rather than an expat circuit, so joining one early is the fastest way to meet people and practise Mandarin. Evenings tend to centre on the Huaihe Road pedestrian street in Luyang, a 920-metre strip of shops, bars and snack stalls. USTC alone counts nearly 17,000 students across its Hefei campus, so there is no shortage of classmates, even if most of them are Chinese rather than international.

• Join a university club early, the quickest way to meet people here.
• Evenings centre on the 920-metre Huaihe Road pedestrian street in Luyang.
• USTC alone counts nearly 17,000 students, mostly Chinese rather than international.

Hefei is one of the cheapest provincial capitals in China. A one-bedroom rental averages around 205 dollars a month outside the centre and 257 dollars in it, well below prices on the coast. An inexpensive meal costs around 4 dollars, a mid-range one closer to 29, and a single metro or bus ride runs 2 to 6 yuan. A monthly transport pass costs around 30 dollars. Alipay and WeChat Pay cover almost every payment here, right down to market stalls, so cash is rarely needed.

• A one-bedroom rental runs about 205 to 257 dollars a month depending on area.
• An inexpensive meal costs about 4 dollars, a mid-range one closer to 29.
• Metro and bus rides cost 2 to 6 yuan, a monthly pass about 30 dollars.

University dorms are usually the best-value option in Hefei and the standard first move for exchange students. Off campus, a one-bedroom rental averages around 205 dollars a month outside the centre and 257 dollars nearer it, well below coastal-city prices, though listings are almost entirely in Chinese, so bring a Chinese-speaking friend to view rooms. Most private renting happens around the university district in the west of the city and near Swan Lake in Baohe, both a short metro ride from campus.

• University dorms are usually the best-value housing option in Hefei.
• A one-bedroom rental averages 205 to 257 dollars a month depending on area.
• Listings run almost entirely in Chinese, so view rooms with a local friend.

Hefei Metro opened in 2016 and now runs five lines, close to 200 stations and 275 kilometres of track, one of China's newer big-city networks. Single fares run 2 to 6 yuan, paid by tapping a phone through WeChat or Alipay rather than a physical card. Meituan Bike and Hello Bike cover short trips for about 1.5 yuan per half hour, unlocked the same way through a mini-program. Service runs from 6am to 11pm, and outside those hours DiDi is the standard app-based taxi option.

• Hefei Metro runs five lines and close to 200 stations since opening in 2016.
• Single fares run 2 to 6 yuan, tapped by phone through WeChat or Alipay.
• Meituan Bike and Hello Bike cover short trips for about 1.5 yuan a ride.

The University of Science and Technology of China anchors Hefei's academic reputation: founded in 1958 and relocated here in 1970, it ranked first in China and second worldwide in the Nature Index Research Leaders in 2025, and belongs to the elite C9 League. Hefei University of Technology, dating to 1945, runs a dedicated International Education College with 467 students from 67 countries and partnerships with more than 50 overseas universities. Anhui University, founded in 1928, has accepted international students since 1980 and now holds agreements with 74 overseas universities.

• USTC ranked first in China and second worldwide in the 2025 Nature Index.
• Hefei University of Technology hosts 467 international students from 67 countries.
• Anhui University has taken international students since 1980, with 74 partner universities.

For a full semester you need an X1 student visa; anything under 180 days uses the X2. Your host university sends an admission letter plus a JW201 or JW202 form, and you take both to a Chinese embassy or visa centre back home. Requirements and fees swing a lot by nationality, so check your own local embassy rather than trusting a mate from another country.

The bit people forget: an X1 visa only gets you in the door. Within 30 days of landing you must convert it into a residence permit at the local Public Security Bureau (Entry-Exit office), which means a health check and passport photos. Miss the deadline and the fines are real.

• X1 visa, stays over 180 days, needs JW202 + admission letter
• Residence permit, apply within 30 days at the local PSB
• Medical exam, required for the permit, budget €50–80
• Rules vary by nationality, always check your own embassy

Anhui, or Hui, cuisine is one of China's eight great culinary traditions, born over a thousand years ago in Huizhou near Mount Huangshan and built on wild, foraged ingredients: game birds, river fish, bamboo shoots and mountain mushrooms, slow-braised and stewed rather than fried. Stinky mandarin fish, salted and fermented for days before braising, is the signature dish, alongside Li Hongzhang chop suey, a chicken and seafood stew supposedly invented for a nineteenth-century diplomat's American hosts. Chao Lake, right on Hefei's doorstep and one of China's five largest freshwater lakes, supplies much of the fish, shrimp and crab on local menus.

• Stinky mandarin fish, salted and fermented before braising, is the signature dish.
• Li Hongzhang chop suey mixes chicken and seafood in one hearty stew.
• Chao Lake, on Hefei's doorstep, supplies much of the local fish and crab.

Luyang, the old downtown, centres on the 920-metre Huaihe Road pedestrian street, with roughly 1,500 shops blending modern fronts with traditional Jianghuai architecture. Baohe holds USTC's main Jinzhai Road campus, and nearby, Swan Lake (Tian'e Hu) draws crowds for its 800-metre beach and nightly light and fountain shows. Shushan, the city's official municipal seat, anchors much of the semiconductor, electric-vehicle and display-tech industry that has made Hefei's economy one of China's fastest growing. All three sit within a few metro stops of each other.

• Luyang's Huaihe Road pedestrian street holds around 1,500 shops over 920 metres.
• Baohe holds USTC's campus, near Swan Lake's beach and nightly fountain shows.
• Shushan, the municipal seat, anchors much of Hefei's tech and research industry.

Hefei's own charms are modest, but its access to southern Anhui's mountains is not. Huangshan, Yellow Mountain, is one to two and a half hours away by high-speed rail, and close by sit Hongcun and Xidi, UNESCO-listed since 2000 for their almost perfectly preserved Ming and Qing merchant villages. Nanjing is under an hour away, fares from about 67 yuan, for a bigger-city weekend. Closer to home, Chao Lake, one of China's five largest freshwater lakes and right on Hefei's edge, makes an easy afternoon out, boats, lakeside walks and the local fish it is famous for.

• Huangshan is one to two and a half hours away by high-speed rail.
• Hongcun and Xidi, UNESCO-listed since 2000, sit close to Huangshan's merchant villages.
• Nanjing is under an hour away by rail, fares from about 67 yuan.

Brush up your survival Mandarin before you arrive, English is far rarer here than in Shanghai or Beijing, so daily errands become real practice. Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay early, since cash is barely used even at small market stalls, and download a VPN in advance for any blocked apps and search engines. Winters are cold and damp, averaging under 3 degrees, so pack proper warm layers for both outdoors and in. Trains to Nanjing and Huangshan leave from both Hefei South and Hefei railway stations, so double-check which one your ticket uses before you leave.

• Brush up your Mandarin, English is far rarer here than on the coast.
• Set up Alipay, WeChat Pay and a VPN before you arrive, not after.
• Check whether your train uses Hefei South or Hefei railway station.