Can I change Taiwanese dollars to Chinese RMB at or near the ferry terminals in Keelung, Matsu Island, or Mawei, Fuzhou?
Tonight I'll take the ferry from mainland Taiwan to the Taiwanese island Matsu just off the coast of China, and tomorrow another ferry on to China itself, disembarking at a port named Mawei in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province.
Now as Murphy's Law dictates, my most recent ATM withdrawal is going to just fall short of covering my hostel rent and the two ferry tickets so I'll have to take out some more money.
Anyone who's read a few of my other posts might already be aware of how disgusted I am at ATM fees and charges which when combined between the banks and governments at both ends typically cost me about $15 AUD per withdrawal.
So I'd prefer to withdraw enough money to live on for a couple of weeks at change what I don't need for ferry tickets to RMB.
I expect it's not generally easy to change Taiwanese money in mainland China, but it might be possible at the ferry terminal at Mawei, even though it's not very well known.
It might be more possible in Keelung, which is a decent sized city, or in Matsu, which though small has a bank and sees a lot of mainland tourism.
It would be best if I could exchange in China or Matsu since experience has taught me that there's often unexpected extra fees when buying ferry tickets so it would be hard to guesstimate well when exchanging in Taiwan before I can pay for both tickets an know exactly how much NTD I'd need for it.
Best Answer
It appears that your best bet would be to exchange currency in Keelung, before making the trip to the mainland. One blogger noted that Matsu had no exchange services at the time of his visit in 2010.
??Does Keelung Port offer foreign currency exchange services?
The lobbies of East and West Pier of Keelung Port offer foreign currency exchange counter.
The exchange rate for foreign currency exchange will be announced on the exchange counter.
According to the regulations of Bank of Taiwan, we can only offer foreign currency exchange from New Taiwan Dollar to foreign currency to passengers with the Republic of China passports and will not able to exchange from foreign currency to New Taiwan Dollar.
A number of cruise ship web sites describe currency exchange tents on the dock and that 'this service is offered free and the exchange rate is good.' And that 'there are plenty of ATM's around.'
The Keelung Harbor Bureau decribes currency exchange in both the East and West Wharf Terminals or tents adjacent to ships (clearly with cruise ships but not clear regarding the ferries).
Pictures about "Can I change Taiwanese dollars to Chinese RMB at or near the ferry terminals in Keelung, Matsu Island, or Mawei, Fuzhou?"
I Asked a 30 Year China Expert \
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.