Campus and getting there

Xiangya Hospital is at 87 Xiangya Road in Kaifu District, with the main campus around Xiangya Road and Furong Middle Road. Metro Line 6 has a Xiangya Hospital station; follow the signs from the exit to the outpatient building. When taking a taxi, say “Xiangya Hospital outpatient department” rather than just “Xiangya”, since Changsha also has the Second and Third Xiangya Hospitals.

The hospital switchboard is 0731-84328888. The international medical department is a separate unit within the hospital and separate from general clinics; public materials say it has its own appointment pool and consulting area and does not take general clinic slots. Visitors who need English-language help can ask the international department directly; general clinics and emergency care do not therefore provide all-day English service, so do not treat the international department's arrangements as hospital-wide.

The outpatient entrance of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, with the hospital's Chinese and English names above the door
The outpatient entrance on Xiangya Road in Kaifu District. Huangdan2060 · Photo credits ↗

Booking, documents and passports

General clinic slots open seven days ahead at 8 a.m. each day. On a phone, use the “Xiangya Hospital, Central South University” WeChat account, WeChat mini-program or Alipay; the booking line is 0731-89753999, answered 24 hours; self-service machines are on each clinic floor, and the counters can also help. Booking is under the patient's real name, and you should bring the document used for the booking. For a first visit, it is best to arrive 30 minutes before your appointment to allow time for registration, a queue number and finding the clinic.

The international medical department serves foreign patients; public information states that it provides consultations in English and multilingual escorts, that fees are self-paid or covered by commercial insurance and not by Chinese medical insurance, and that some commercial insurers have direct-billing arrangements. How general clinics register a passport is not stated on the hospital's public pages. Do not assume a self-service machine can read a passport; go first to a staffed counter or the service desk in the outpatient hall to ask about registration and a queue number. Before travelling, call 0731-89753999, say you are a foreign visitor with a passport wanting a general clinic appointment, and ask whether online booking is possible; that is safer than trying at the hospital. The international department is appointment-only; arrive at your booked time.

Emergency care, costs and limits

The emergency and fever clinics are open 24 hours on public holidays; check the hospital’s notice for regular days. For sudden chest pain, breathing difficulty, confusion, serious injury or persistent high fever, go straight to emergency rather than waiting for a general clinic slot; in a critical situation call 120 and give your location and the nearest landmark. General clinics handle booked specialist problems, while emergency handles cases that need immediate assessment, with different entrances and procedures.

The international medical department follows a self-pay or commercial-insurance route, which is not the same as the general clinic's insurance settlement. General clinic registration, tests and medicines are paid according to the hospital's procedures on the day; public materials do not promise that general clinics can settle overseas insurance directly, so do not apply the international department's direct billing to general clinics. If you need direct billing, confirm the hospital and covered items with your insurer first, then book the international department. If you only need a regular medicine or to collect a report, first check whether a general clinic has a slot; do not use emergency resources for that.

A Xiangya Hospital medical building in red brick and glass curtain wall
A Xiangya Hospital medical building. General clinics, emergency care and the international department are in separate areas; follow the signs on arrival. Kailinc · Photo credits ↗

Useful official references

Check the relevant official service before making arrangements. These links are references, not a guarantee of current services.