When I was living in mainland China in 2010, I remember reading articles about the inauguration of flights between Shanghai and Taipei, and thinking about how strange a story it was. The two cities were literally just over the water from one another—why hadn’t there been air service previously?
Now, of course, I wasn’t nearly as aware back then of tensions between the two countries, even keeping in mind how much less severe (and talked-about they were). But I digress.
The good news is that, in spite of them, it’s easier than ever to travel from Taiwan to China (or vice-versa). The better news? I’ll be outlining all your options for doing so below.
Is it Possible to Travel from Taiwan to China (and Vice-Versa)?
Whether you want to travel from Taipei to Beijing or another city pair, it is certainly possible to travel between Taiwan and China. There are dozens of flights per day between the two countries, linking multiple cities in both China and Taiwan to one another. In some cases, as I’ll describe over the next few paragraphs, you can even travel by ferry (albeit only over short distances).
Now, the second part of this question is a bit more complicated, and a bit more specific to each traveler. Namely, do you possess the necessary legal credentials to travel from China to Taiwan, or vice-versa? For Western travelers, this usually isn’t an issue—Taiwan allows visa-free entry; if you need to a visa to China, one is relatively easy to get. However, both Taiwanese and Chinese nationals may face difficulties entering the other country.
Ways to Travel Between China and Taiwan
Fly from Taipei to Beijing
There are several flights per day from Taiwan Taoyuan Airport (TPE) near Taipei, and Beijing’s Capital Airport (PEK). In general, I recommend using a Taiwanese carrier such as EVA Air or China Airlines, rather than a mainland Chinese airline, given that all airlines tend to have similar prices on these routes.
Fly from Taiwan to Shanghai
In contrast to Taiwan to Beijing, you can fly from several airports in Taiwan to Shanghai. If you’re departing from Taipei, you can either fly from Taoyuan (TPE) to Shanghai’s main Pudong International Airport (PVG), or from Songshan (TSA) to Hongqiao (SHA), Shanghai’s closer-in city airport. You can also fly nonstop from Kaohsiung (KHH) to Shanghai (PVG).
Fly from Taiwan to secondary cities in China
If you’re originating at Taoyuan Airport (TPE), you can fly to several cities in mainland China. These include larger cities like Guangzhou (CAN) and Shenzhen (SZX), both of which are in the Pearl River Delta near Hong Kong. However, you can also fly to Chongqing (CKG—which, to be fair, is massive in its own right) and to coastal Xiamen (XMN).
Ferry from Kinmen to Xiamen
Want to go from Taipei to China by boat? While I don’t recommend going by ferry from Keelung to the Kinmen Islands (you can instead hop a short domestic flight from Taipei Songshan), you can ride a ferry from Kinmen’s main island to Xiamen City. Which, as a fun fact, is close enough to the archipelago that you can easily see the skyline on a clear day!
Ferry from Matsu to Fuzhou
Likewise, if you’re in the Matsu Islands (which, again, I would recommend accessing via domestic flight), you can take a boat from there to China. However, instead of traveling to Xiamen, your boat will drop you off in Fuzhou, which is further north in Fujian province.
Will There Ever Be a Bridge Between Taiwan and China?
A few years ago, I was shocked to see a document that foretold of a bridge being built between China and Taiwan. I was less shocked, however, when I learned that this was part of the “reunification” propaganda China has been putting out for years. (The tl;dr version of this is that China publicly states that Taiwan will “come to its senses” and “peacefully” reunite wit China. Yes, I know—barf).
Politics notwithstanding, it is at least possible from an engineering perspective to built a bridge from China to Taiwan. What’s less clear is whether Taiwan would want this, or whether Beijing would waste the time and money on it when their goal of absorbing Taiwan remains a pipe dream. I suppose that only time will tell—I’ll update this post if things change.
Other FAQ About Traveling Between Taiwan and China
Can you go from Taiwan to China?
Yes, it’s possible (easy, even) to travel from Taiwan to China, usually (but not always) via flights from Taoyuan Airport to major airports on the Chinese mainland. Whether or not you possess the necessary documents to make the trip is more dependent upon your individual circumstances.
Can Taiwanese people go into China?
Taiwanese people can go into China—and hundreds of thousands of them do every year. While political differences between the countries keep tourism relatively low, many Taiwanese people study or work in China, due to a wider variety of opportunities, and also often a better value proposition.
Can you get a boat from Taiwan to China?
You can travel by boat from Taiwan’s Kinmen and Matsu island groups to the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Fuzhou, respectively. However, these services exist primarily with local people in mind; if you want to travel between Taipei and Beijing or Kaohsiung and Shanghai, it’s preferrable to fly.
The Bottom Line
It’s relatively easy to travel from Taiwan to China, in spite of the political situation. Well, unless you hold a Chinese passport, in which case it can be a little more complicated. At any rate, I do recommend visiting China even if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Taiwan lover. No matter how problematic the Chinese government it, the Chinese mainland remains one of the world’s most fascinating destinations to explore, and not just because of its vast size. Speaking of which, whether you stay entirely in Taiwan or decide to take a more extensive trip around Asia, I hope hope you’ll consider hiring me to plan your itinerary.
