The Erqi Pagoda stands at the heart of the modern city, a roundabout east of the station from which the main roads radiate off. The old city, cut through by the ruins of the old walls, is in the southeast of town.

Zhengzhou airport lies 3km east of the city, and a taxi into the centre should cost ¥15. The train station , in the southwestern corner of the city, is fronted by a bustling square dominated by a huge screen that entertains waiting passengers with TV programmes, mostly American, such as compilations of amusing home videos. Contrasted with the scene below - food stalls, migrant workers, families camping out with their luggage - it gives the whole area something of a surreal atmosphere. Most travellers who don't intend spending a lot of time in the city probably won't stray far beyond this area, as the cheap hotels, post and telecom offices and long-distance bus station are all located around here. It's not grotty but it is noisy. Some buses from western towns including Luoyang arrive at the small western bus station in the suburbs of the city, from where bus #24 will get you to the train station.

There are two clusters of city bus termini, one just north of the train station, one just south, on either side of the square outside. Bus #2, from the southern side, goes to the Erqi Pagoda, then up Erqi Lu; bus #10, from the northern side, goes up Renmin Lu, then Huayan Lu. Taxis are plentiful, and have a ¥6 minimum rate, but they are not allowed to enter the square in front of the station; you can hail them everywhere else. Most have CB radios, so if you understand Chinese you can hear them telling their mates about you. Maps , with details of bus routes, are available outside the train station, but these don't have any English on them. Maps with English labels are available from the International Hotel.