Transport · Stations · Hefei
Hefei South Railway Station
合肥南站. Anhui's provincial capital high-speed station, a junction for east–west and north–south routes through central China.
About this station
Hefei South Railway Station opened in 2012 as the anchor for Anhui province's expanding role in the national high-speed network. Hefei sits at the geographical centre of eastern China, making it a natural interchange point: routes from Shanghai and Nanjing to the east, from Wuhan and Chengdu to the west, and from Fuzhou to the south all pass through.
The building is a considered modern design — a long, low facade with a wave-profile roof referencing Anhui's distinctive mountain-and-water landscape — without the excessive grandeur of some larger stations. The compact scale actually makes it more comfortable to use.
Hefei is primarily a practical city — Anhui's administrative capital with a growing technology sector — rather than a major tourist destination. But it serves as a gateway to Anhui's genuinely distinctive regions: the Huizhou architecture villages of Hongcun and Xidi (a UNESCO site), the Yellow Mountain (Huangshan), and the Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist pilgrimage site. All are accessible from Hefei by regional rail and bus connections.
Entry tips
Hefei South replaced the older downtown Hefei station as the primary high-speed hub. Allow 30 minutes. The building is well organised and less crowded than the megacity equivalents, making it a relatively stress-free departure experience.
Security flow
Standard three-stage process. The station is modern, clean, and has good wayfinding. Security queues are efficient outside national holiday periods.
Food inside the station
An Anhui-influenced food court with stinky tofu stalls (odour warning), Li Hongzhang hotpot, and sesame bun variants alongside national chains. One of the more characterful station food selections.
Food nearby
The southern suburb around the station is primarily commercial. The old city's Chenghuang Temple snack street is accessible by metro in about 25 minutes.
Transit to the city
Metro Line 4 connects Hefei South to the city centre, with connections at Wulihe to Line 1 for the old town area. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes (CNY 4). Taxis queue at the east exit.