Pearl River Delta

The nine-city urban cluster of Guangdong's Pearl River Delta, where Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and others combine Lingnan culture, overseas-Chinese watchtower villages and bay scenery.

The Pearl River Delta region follows Guangdong Province's official four-region division and covers the entire jurisdictions of nine prefecture-level cities: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing. Because it does not include Hong Kong or Macau, this scheme does not use the term "Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area". Guangzhou is a thousand-year-old trading city; the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian, Beijing Road, Yongqingfang and a night cruise on the Pearl River showcase Lingnan style, morning tea and Cantonese cuisine are must-dos, and Conghua in the north is known for its hot springs and the Liuxi River forest. Shenzhen is a modern metropolis, where theme parks such as Window of the World and Happy Valley, and the coastline of the Dapeng Peninsula with Jiaochangwei and the Dongchong and Xichong coasts each have their appeal. Zhuhai has Lover's Road and Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, with views across to Macau. Foshan is the home of martial arts and Cantonese opera, famous for the Ancestral Temple and Shunde cuisine. The Kaiping watchtowers and villages in Jiangmen are a World Cultural Heritage site that illustrates the history of overseas Chinese; Huizhou's West Lake and Mount Luofu are rich in culture, Xunliao Bay and Shuangyue Bay in Huidong are popular seaside resorts, and Zhaoqing has the scenic Seven Star Crags and Dinghu Mountain. A classic route is two to three days in Guangzhou and two in Shenzhen, then, depending on interest, Zhuhai, Foshan's Shunde, Kaiping or the Huidong coast, for five to eight days in total. For transport, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and Shenzhen Bao'an Airport are major hubs, Zhuhai Jinwan Airport and Huizhou Airport also have flights, and the high-speed and intercity rail network is dense, putting cities about an hour apart. Autumn and winter are best; summer is hot, humid and subject to typhoons, so check the forecast before seaside trips.

Destinations

Itineraries