West Lake
Five linked lakes, six bridges and the 'eighteen scenes' the city has counted for centuries — the highlight of the urban centre and completely free. Walk the Su Causeway at sunrise, then the Linghu and Ehu stretches in the afternoon.
Huizhou · Guangdong
Huizhou Tours & Travel Guide 2026 | West Lake, Luofu Mountain, Coast | JoyoTour
Huizhou is a Pearl River Delta city break: a free West Lake at its heart, the Taoist mountain of Luofu, and 200 km of coast at Xunliao Bay. Private Huizhou tours from US$129 a day.
The short version
Huizhou is a 2-day city break on the eastern edge of the Pearl River Delta, and its centrepiece — West Lake — is free. Between the lake, the Taoist mountain of Luofu to the north-west and the hot springs scattered around Longmen, two days covers the city well; add a third for the coast at Xunliao Bay and Daya Bay. It sits just over an hour from Guangzhou and Shenzhen by high-speed rail.
- West Lake is free and walkable — the 'half a city of hills, half a city of lake' the locals boast about.
- Luofu Mountain, the 'first mountain of Lingnan', is a 1,296 m Taoist peak with a cable car.
- The coast is the other half of Huizhou: Xunliao Bay and Daya Bay, 1 to 2 hours from the city.
- Huizhou food is Dongjiang Hakka cooking — salt-baked chicken, stuffed tofu and mei cai pork.
- It is about 1 hour from Shenzhen and 1.5 hours from Guangzhou on the high-speed line.
The place itself
What Huizhou is actually like
Huizhou is the Pearl River Delta city that people visit by accident on the way to somewhere else — and then wonder why they had not heard of it. It sits on the north-east rim of the delta, on the Dong River, and it has been a river-port town of some importance for more than 1,400 years. What makes it worth a stop now is a rare thing in this part of Guangdong: a real city centre wrapped around a lake, with hills and a mountain within reach.
The lake is the whole story of the centre. West Lake — Huizhou's, not Hangzhou's — is a shallow, five-basin expanse the city has grown around, threaded by six bridges and dotted with pavilions. The locals describe Huizhou as 'half a city of hills, half a city of lake', and on an early-morning walk along the Su Causeway that is exactly what it feels like. It is free, which in the delta is its own small miracle.
Beyond the city, Huizhou changes character fast. North-west is Luofu Mountain, a Taoist stronghold a shade under 1,300 m that Su Dongpo wrote about and that still has a cable car up to its summit. Out around Longmen there are hot springs and, further inland, the Nankun Mountain forests. And then east and south the city reaches the sea at Xunliao Bay and Daya Bay, where the sand is white and the water, by delta standards, is clean.
This is a Hakka city, and the food follows: the Dongjiang branch of Guangdong cooking, based on slow braising, salt-baking and stuffing. It is a quiet, well-kept, unpretentious place to spend two days, and it works as an easy add-on to a Shenzhen or Guangzhou trip.
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What not to miss — Huizhou
Luofu Mountain
The 'first mountain of Lingnan' and one of China's ten great Taoist mountains, with 432 peaks, more than 900 springs and waterfalls, and the 1,296 m Feiyun summit. A cable car spares you the climb; the mountain is also famous for its herb market and its sweet tea.
Xunliao Bay
The white-sand bay at Huidong, the coast half of Huizhou and its best beach, with sea sports, an off-shore coral dive and a long, gently curved shore. About 1.5 to 2 hours from the city centre.
Daya Bay
The big, island-filled bay between Huizhou and Shenzhen — nearly a hundred islets, fishing villages and the harbour at Aotou, with its squid and lobster. A half-day by boat, or a slow afternoon on the shore.
Longmen hot springs
Huizhou is unusually rich in hot springs, with three national 4A spring resorts in its Longmen county alone. The Nankun Mountain area pairs them with forest walks, waterfalls and a genuine cool-weather escape from the delta heat.
Pinghai ancient town
A Ming-dynasty walled town at Huidong, built in 1385 to hold the coast, with four surviving gate towers, a cross-shaped old street and a cluster of temples. The 'living fossil' of Lingnan coastal defence.
Getting there and away
Huizhou Pingtan Airport (HUZ) has a limited schedule, so most travellers come via Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX) or Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) and continue by high-speed rail or coach. The high-speed line puts Huizhou about 1 hour from Shenzhen and 1.5 hours from Guangzhou, with two main stations — Huizhou Station (the old west station) and Huizhou North. From Shenzhen by road it is roughly 3 hours by coach for around ¥56.
Inside the city, buses are cheap (about ¥2) and cover the sights; West Lake, the old town and the riverside are walkable. Buses 1, 2, 5, 7, 11 and 19 all reach the West Lake area, and the city's taxi flagfall is low. For the coast — Xunliao and Daya Bay — the trip is 1 to 2 hours by road, so plan it as a half-day or an overnight, not a spur-of-the-moment detour.
Best time to visit — Huizhou
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°C / 4°C · cool, damp | Quiet | Good |
| February | 14°C / 6°C · cool, damp | Very busy | Good |
| March | 18°C / 10°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| April | 24°C / 16°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| May | 28°C / 21°C · cool, damp | Busy | OK |
| June | 32°C / 25°C · very hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| July | 35°C / 28°C · cool, damp | Busy | Avoid |
| August | 34°C / 27°C · cool, damp | Busy | Avoid |
| September | 29°C / 23°C · very hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| October | 24°C / 17°C · clear and mild | Very busy | Best |
| November | 18°C / 11°C · clear and mild | Quiet | Best |
| December | 13°C / 6°C · cool, damp | Quiet | Good |
How many days do you need?
Two days for the city: day one on West Lake and through the old town and the Jinjiang riverside, day two out to Luofu Mountain for the cable car and the summit. A third day buys you the coast — Xunliao Bay for the beach, or Longmen for a hot spring and the Nankun Mountain forest. Four days lets you do both the mountain and the sea without rushing.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Huizhou worth visiting?
Yes, as a relaxed two-day city break — particularly if you are already in Shenzhen or Guangzhou. West Lake is free and genuinely pretty, Luofu Mountain is a proper day out, and the Dongjiang Hakka food is a reason on its own. It is not a headline destination, but it is an unusually easy and inexpensive one.
How do I get to Huizhou from Shenzhen or Guangzhou?
The high-speed rail is the easiest way: about 1 hour from Shenzhen and 1.5 hours from Guangzhou, with services through the day. Coaches also run, roughly 3 hours from Shenzhen for about ¥56. If you fly in, use Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX) or Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) and connect by rail; Huizhou's own airport has a thin schedule.
What is the best time to visit Huizhou?
October to April, when it is cool, dry and comfortable. June to August is hot and humid with heavy rain, and the coast can catch typhoon weather, though that is also when the beaches are warmest for swimming. Spring and autumn are the sweet spots for the lake and the mountain.
What should I eat in Huizhou?
Dongjiang Hakka cooking, which the locals call one of the three branches of Guangdong cuisine. The three essentials are salt-baked chicken, stuffed tofu and mei cai pork (braised pork with preserved mustard greens). Look also for Guangzhou-style mountain-stream fish, and the herbal tea and sweet tea from Luofu Mountain.
Is West Lake in Huizhou the same as Hangzhou's?
No — they are different lakes, though Huizhou's was once named alongside Hangzhou's and Yingzhou's as one of China's three great West Lakes. Huizhou's is a shallow, five-basin lake woven through the city, free to enter, and best walked at sunrise and dusk. It is smaller and quieter than Hangzhou's famous one.
Can I combine Huizhou with the coast?
Yes, and you should. The city and the coast are two different trips: the lake and Luofu Mountain in the centre, and Xunliao Bay or Daya Bay 1 to 2 hours east and south. Give the coast its own day or an overnight, since the road time makes a quick afternoon detour impractical.
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