Shangqiu to Anji Road Trip Guide: Essential Tips

The drive from Shangqiu (Henan) to Anji (Zhejiang) spans roughly 800 km on the G35 and G50 expressways, crossing four provinces. The route begins on the flat North China Plain, passes through the Huai River basin, and ends in Anji's rolling bamboo hills.

Historically, this corridor followed the Grand Canal's Silk Road branch, used since the Sui Dynasty for tea and porcelain shipments. Today, the G35 connects Shangqiu's ancient Liangyuan Garden ruins directly with Anji's modern ecological tourism zone.

Road quality is excellent: four-lane expressways with modern signage, but sections near Chuzhou have frequent truck traffic that reduces speed to 80 km/h in the right lanes. Speed cameras are abundant, especially near service areas.

Family suitability is high: most service areas have clean restrooms and mini playgrounds, but dedicated children's areas are rare. Anji is popular with families for its amusement parks and eco-resorts.

Pet-friendly framework is limited: only some service areas allow pets; carry a leash and muzzle as required by local rules. For fatigue management, plan stops every 2 hours; the best rest zones are at Bengbu (km 480) and Changxing (km 720). Rest areas on the G35 have opened 24/7 convenience stores and food courts; try local snacks like Bengbu's pickled fish or Anji's bamboo rice at these stops.

How to find the best stops and hidden gems between cities applies here: use service areas strategically between Bengbu and Nanjing.

Fuel prices on the route average ¥7.5/L for 92-octane, with tolls costing about ¥350 for a sedan. Budget ¥1,200 total for fuel and tolls; electric charging stations are sparse on the G35 but frequent near Anji.

• Best stops Shangqiu to Anji: Bengbu (longhu lake stop), Nanjing (Yangtze bridge viewpoint), Anji (bamboo sea).
• How long to drive Shangqiu to Anji: 9-10 hours with breaks, 5-6 hours of pure driving.
• Is it worth driving Shangqiu to Anji: yes, for the contrast between wheat fields and bamboo forests.
• Things to do between Shangqiu and Anji: visit Fengyang's Ming Imperial Tombs, explore Gucheng's small lanes.

North of the Huai River, the plain is arable loess, turning into rice paddies and tea gardens after Nanjing. The G50 section east of Xuancheng offers sweeping views of Tianmu Mountain's peaks, which belong to China's Subtropical Forest Zone.

Anji's key attraction is the Anji Bamboo Expo Park, part of the Yangtze River Delta's green belt. Local commerce thrives on bamboo products and white tea, sold at rest stops like Guangde Service Area.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the route include the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing (diversion only 30 km from G36) and the Grand Canal, which parallels the G35 for 100 km. Neither requires a major detour, but the mausoleum adds 1-2 hours.