Huizhou Urban Area

Where Su Dongpo lived in exile: Huizhou West Lake, Shuidong Street, Hejiang Tower and the Dongpo Shrine at Baihefeng, plus the Taoist Mount Luofu, the bamboo sea of Nankun Mountain and Longmen hot springs nearby.

Huizhou lies in southeastern Guangdong Province, at the eastern end of the Pearl River Delta. The Dong River and the Xizhi River meet in the city, with Dongguan to the west and Shenzhen to the south. It is a historic Lingnan cultural city, where the Northern Song poet Su Dongpo lived in exile for more than two years and left the famous line, "Eating three hundred lychees a day." This destination centers on the old town of Huicheng and covers Mount Luofu in Boluo County to the north and Nankun Mountain and the hot springs in Longmen County (the Huidong coast, including Xunliao Bay and Double Moon Bay, is listed separately as "Huidong · Xunliao Bay · Double Moon Bay"). There are three areas to explore. First is the old town: Huizhou West Lake (a free 5A scenic area, with the Su Causeway, Sizhou Pagoda and the Dongpo Memorial Hall), Yuanmiao Taoist Temple, the Chaojingmen ancient city wall and the Huizhou Museum, plus the arcaded buildings of Shuidong Street across the river, Hejiang Tower and the Dongpo Shrine at Baihefeng. You can cover it in 1–2 days on foot, with short taxi rides. South of town, the Honghua Lake greenway and Guabang Pavilion on Gaobang Mountain are good for cycling and for climbing up to view the city; northwest of town are Tangquan hot springs and a "knockoff" Hallstatt town built by Minmetals. Second is Mount Luofu, the Taoist "Seventh Cave-Heaven," with the Chongxu Old Temple, Huanglong Temple and a cable car up the mountain. At its foot is the largest herbal medicine market in Lingnan, and you can stay a night. Third is Longmen, with the bamboo sea of Nankun Mountain for summer escapes and hot spring resorts such as Longmen Iron Spring. The climate is subtropical monsoon. October to April is cool and dry, best for hiking and city strolls, and winter is the time for hot springs; summer is hot with frequent thunderstorms, when Nankun Mountain offers relief. Getting there: from Shenzhen North Station, a high-speed train reaches Huizhou South Station in about 30 minutes; intercity and high-speed trains from Guangzhou East Station and Shenzhen run to Huizhou North Station and Huizhou Station. The city has buses and shared bikes, but driving or chartering a car is recommended for Mount Luofu, Nankun Mountain and the Longmen hot springs. Plan on 2–3 days. Local dishes include Dong River salt-baked chicken, stuffed tofu, preserved mustard green braised pork belly, Hengli soup noodles and Longmen rice cake, with snacks clustered around Shuidong Street and West Lake.

Top sights

Where to eat