Plan at a glance
Free streets and paid courtyards
Hubu Hill is at No. 229 Pengcheng Road in the southern gate area of Xuzhou's old city. Hubu Hill Historic Cultural District, Ximatai and Cui Tao's Former Residence are free and do not require reservation; the streets can be walked all day. Xuzhou Folk Museum includes the Yujia, Zhaijia and Zhengjia courtyard compounds. Its ticket costs CNY 25, with half-price admission for students and older adults.
Allow about 1.5 hours for a quick walk through the district. If you want to combine the Folk Museum, Ximatai, Huilongwo and dinner, allow 3–4 hours. The district is open all day, but the paid courtyards and exhibition areas open 09:00–16:30 and stop admitting visitors at 16:30, so visit the museum earlier in the afternoon.
What kind of visit suits it
Hubu Hill suits visitors interested in historic buildings, city walks and photography. The route includes sloped stone paths, steps and hillside courtyards, so flat shoes, water and sun protection are more useful than trying to collect every stop.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
View Visit Optionsvia Trip.comChoose your visit
Ximatai and the old-city view
Ximatai is associated with Xiang Yu, the ruler of Western Chu, and its upper level looks over the old city. The red walls and historic buildings are good photography subjects. Use it as the raised viewpoint on a short route or visit toward evening before continuing to Huilongwo as the light softens.
Cui Tao Hanlin Residence and the Folk Museum
Cui Tao Hanlin Residence is a large historic house with several connected courtyard compounds. Brick, wood and stone carvings are the main details to look for. The Folk Museum is made up of several old courtyards, and the layouts of Zhengjia, Zhaijia and Yujia compounds are different enough to reward a slower visit.
Seasonal scenery and photo points
Zhengjia Courtyard has a ginkgo tree estimated at about 500 years old, but autumn leaves are its main seasonal attraction. The Hubu Hill red wall on Zhuangyuan Street, the Yuanyang Building at Zhaijia Courtyard and the stone lanes of Huilongwo are useful photo points. Lantern-lit streets and evening scenes are better saved for after the paid courtyards.
Who this suits
Hubu Hill suits visitors interested in history, traditional buildings, photography and city walks. Visitors who find long slopes or many steps difficult can focus on the main streets, Ximatai and Huilongwo, then decide on the other courtyards after seeing the route on site.
Build your day
A 1.5-hour quick route
Enter the historic district from Hubu Hill Metro Station. Go first to Ximatai for the old-city view, continue to Cui Tao Hanlin Residence for its architectural details, and finish by walking along Zhuangyuan Street to Huilongwo. This route focuses on free areas and suits visitors with limited time or anyone who has not yet decided whether to buy the Folk Museum ticket.
A three- to four-hour complete route
Start in the afternoon at the Folk Museum and visit Zhengjia, Zhaijia and Yujia courtyards. Continue to Ximatai for the old-city view, then walk to Huilongwo for the evening streets and dinner. The paid courtyards stop admitting visitors at 16:30, so finish the museum before dinner; if you want the ginkgo in autumn, visit Zhengjia Courtyard earlier in the day.
Hubu Hill and Huilongwo
Hubu Hill and Huilongwo are close enough to form an afternoon-to-evening walk. Moonlight Night Market, restaurants in Huilongwo and the food streets around Fengchu Street and Fuguo Street are possible dinner choices. Individual shops may keep different hours, so choose after arrival rather than planning around one fixed restaurant.
Get there
Metro and buses
Take Xuzhou Metro Line 2 to Hubu Hill Station (户部山站), Exit 1 or Exit 4, then walk to the main district entrance. Bus routes 7, 34, 38 and You 2 also serve the area. For a first visit, the metro station is the easiest transport landmark.
Walking between areas
Hubu Hill Historic Cultural District, Ximatai, Zhuangyuan Street and Huilongwo connect well on foot. The courtyards sit on slopes and steps, so avoid repeated trips back to the metro station. Completing the paid courtyards first and then moving through the district toward Huilongwo is easier on the legs.
Driving
Parking pressure is high in the old city on weekends and holidays. Drivers can look for a public car park around Hubu Hill and Fengchu Street, then walk into the district. Plan the walking route after parking; the old-street entrance is for drop-off rather than long waits with a vehicle.
Know before you go
Keep the ticket and hours separate
The historic district, Ximatai and Cui Tao's Former Residence are free. The Folk Museum costs CNY 25, with half-price admission for students and older adults. The free streets can be walked all day, while the paid courtyards open 09:00–16:30 and stop entry at 16:30. Treat the two sets of hours and ticket rules separately.
Shoes, weather and crowds
The stone slopes and steps make flat shoes safer than hard-soled or high-heeled shoes. Xuzhou summers are hot, so carry water and use sun protection. The district is busy around holidays such as Labour Day and National Day; weekdays are better for a slower look at the courtyards and photos.
Nearby stops
Huilongwo is useful for evening streets and local snacks. Li Keran Art Museum is a quieter free stop, while Xuzhou Museum requires separate reservation and follows its own opening arrangements. Nearby food includes local Xuzhou dishes, clay-pot chicken, garlic fried fish and snack streets; opening hours and seating depend on the day.
Photography and visitor etiquette
Leave public passages clear when photographing the old buildings. Do not set up equipment for a long time in narrow entrances, on stairs or at exhibition doors. Residents' spaces, offices and closed rooms are not visitor areas; do not enter a door without an open-access sign.