Transport · Airports
China Airport Guide
Reference pages for 22 major airports across mainland China and Hong Kong: terminals, transit visa rules, Priority Pass lounges, food, sleep options, and transfers to the city.
North & East China
Beijing, Shanghai, and the major airports of the northern and eastern provinces: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang.
Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing
Beijing's main international gateway with three terminals, an Airport Express train, and 72/144-hour transit visa exemptions.
Beijing Daxing International Airport
Beijing
Zaha Hadid's starfish terminal south of Beijing, hub for China Southern and Eastern, with its own metro express line.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Shanghai
Shanghai's main international hub, served by the world's only commercial Maglev line and a 144-hour multi-province transit visa exemption.
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
Shanghai
Shanghai's domestic-focused western airport, integrated with the Hongqiao high-speed rail hub, and closer to the city centre than Pudong.
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
Hangzhou
Hangzhou's growing gateway, now served by a metro link built for the 2022 Asian Games and included in the 144-hour Yangtze Delta TWOV zone.
Nanjing Lukou International Airport
Nanjing
Nanjing's international airport with metro access and inclusion in the 144-hour Yangtze Delta transit zone, serving Jiangsu's historic capital.
Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport
Qingdao
Qingdao's new Jiaodong airport replaced Liuting in 2021, with metro access and 72-hour transit visa exemption for qualifying routes.
Shenyang Taoxian International Airport
Shenyang
Shenyang's main airport, gateway to Liaoning province and the industrial northeast, with metro access and 72-hour transit exemption.
Harbin Taiping International Airport
Harbin
Gateway to China's far northeast, Harbin's airport is the entry point for the Ice and Snow Festival and shows the city's distinctive Russian-influenced heritage.
Tianjin Binhai International Airport
Tianjin
Tianjin's international airport, close to Beijing and served by metro, with a 144-hour transit visa exemption and direct access to one of China's oldest port cities.
Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport
Dalian
Dalian's compact airport at the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, known for seafood, a Russian–Japanese colonial legacy, and easy metro access to the city.
South, Southwest & Northwest
Guangdong, Fujian, Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong SAR.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
Guangzhou
China Southern's home hub and one of Asia's busiest airports, with outstanding Cantonese food, luxury airside hotels, and 144-hour transit exemption.
Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport
Shenzhen
Shenzhen's sleek Fuksas-designed terminal, connected by metro and ferry to Hong Kong, with a 144-hour transit exemption for the Pearl River Delta.
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
Chengdu
Chengdu's older airport closer to the city centre, now sharing traffic with Tianfu (TFU), with metro access and 144-hour Sichuan province transit exemption.
Chengdu Tianfu International Airport
Chengdu
Chengdu's new flagship airport 50 km south of the city, designed as the future primary hub for western China's busiest aviation market.
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport
Xi'an
Gateway to the Terracotta Army and the Silk Road, Xi'an's airport has metro access and authentic Shaanxi Muslim food stalls in the terminal.
Kunming Changshui International Airport
Kunming
China's gateway to Southeast Asia, Kunming's high-altitude airport serves Yunnan's diverse cultures and is a hub for cross-border routes to neighbouring countries.
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport
Chongqing
Gateway to the Yangtze gorges and China's inland megacity, Chongqing's airport has direct metro access and Sichuan hot pot available airside.
Fuzhou Changle International Airport
Fuzhou
Fujian's provincial capital airport, serving a coastal city with strong overseas Chinese links to Southeast Asia and a distinctive local seafood cuisine.
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
Xiamen
Xiamen's airport, home of Xiamen Airlines, serves a compact island city known for its colonial architecture on Gulangyu and the closest mainland Chinese airport to Taiwan.
Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport
Ürümqi
Gateway to China's vast northwest, Ürümqi's airport connects Central Asia routes and serves as the hub for Xinjiang Air's Silk Road network.
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong
Asia's premier hub airport on its own artificial island, with Cathay Pacific's flagship lounges, in-town check-in, and Norman Foster's landmark terminal.