Huizhou Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Huizhou

Huizhou is a prefecture-level city situated in east-central Guangdong Province, China, positioned 43 miles north of Hong Kong. It shares borders with Guangzhou to the west, Shenzhen and Dongguan to the southwest, Shaoguan to the north, Heyuan to the northeast, Shanwei to the east, and Daya Bay along the South China Sea to the south. The region covers a broad area within the Pearl River Delta, with its main urban metropolitan core located across the Huicheng and Huiyang districts.

Historically serving as a cultural center and prefectural capital during the Song dynasty, Huizhou developed as a notable commercial hub before evolving into a manufacturing center after the 1980s. The region's heritage includes Hakka walled villages scattered across its territory. While the population is predominantly Han Chinese—including Hakka and Hoklo communities—the area's historical demographics trace back to indigenous groups such as the Yao, She, Zhuang, Hmong, and Tanka. A variety of local languages are spoken across the area, including Hakka, Cantonese, Hokkien, and Huizhou dialects.

Among the central scenic features of the urban area is West Lake, originally known as Feng Lake. During his exile to Huizhou at age 59, the Song dynasty poet Su Shi compared the lake to Hangzhou's West Lake, gave it its current name, and funded the construction of two bridges. These bridges formed the Su Di causeway, commemorated as the "Su Di Play Moon" sight among the lake's scenic spots. For sports, the city features the Huizhou Olympic Stadium, which opened in 2010.

To the southeast lies Daya Bay, an expanse of water covering nearly 500 square kilometers off the South China Sea. Containing close to 100 islands and reefs, the bay experiences a subtropical oceanic climate with an annual average temperature of 21.8 °C. Historically a seasonal breeding area for gray and humpback whales, the marine ecosystem continues to host wildlife including critically endangered Chinese white dolphins and occasional humpbacks.

Huizhou experiences a humid subtropical climate characterized by long, hot, humid summers and short, mild, dry winters. The area is reached via regional highways and railways, with the urban center served by the Huizhou and Huizhou West stations along the Jingjiu Railway. Air travel is serviced by Huizhou Pingtan Airport, alongside coach bus connections to Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport.