Chéngdé Lóu Coiled Dragon House RestaurantCHINESE, HAKKA$
(承德楼圍龍屋酒家; Chéngdélóu Wéilóngwū Jiŭjiā %0753 233 1315; 41 Fuqi Lu, 富奇路41号 mains ¥33-120; h8am-8pm)
From inside a maze-like 19th-century Hakka house, this atmospheric eatery serves local dishes such as salt-baked chicken (盐局鸡; yánjú jī; ¥58) and pork braised with preserved vegetables (梅菜扣肉; méicài kòuròu; ¥48). The manager speaks English. A taxi here from Méizhōu centre costs ¥18.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Méizhōu’s airport (梅县机场; Méixiàn Jīchǎng), 4km south of town, has flights to Guǎngzhōu (¥700, daily) and Hong Kong (¥1000, Mondays and Fridays).
Bus
Méizhōu has two bus stations and a local bus terminal (市公共汽车总站; Shì Gōnggòng Qìchēzhàn cnr Meijiang Dadao & Xinzhong Lu): the main bus station (粤运汽车总站; Yuèyùn Qìchē Zŏngzhàn %0753 222 2427; Meizhou Dadao), north of the river, and Jiāngnán bus station (江南汽车站; Jiāngnán Qìchēzhàn %0753 226 9568; Binfang Dadao) to the south. Most buses to Méizhōu drop you off at the former.
ACháozhōu ¥78, 2½ hours, two daily (10.20am and 3pm)
ACháyáng ¥29, three daily (5.45am, 7am and 11.10am)
AGuǎngzhōu ¥175 to ¥193, five hours, 15 daily (7am to 10.30pm)
AHong Kong ¥280, eight hours, two daily (7.40am and 2.40pm)
AShàntóu ¥69, 2½ hours, 13 daily (8am to 5.20pm)
AShēnzhèn ¥178 to ¥187, six hours, 10 daily (6.45am to 5pm)
AYǒngdìng ¥49, three hours, two daily (6am and 12.45pm)
Train
The train station, south of town, has four daily trains to Guǎngzhōu (¥65 to ¥142, 5½ to seven hours, 12.12am, 8.36am, 3.25pm and 10.53pm) and two early trains to Yǒngdìng (¥19 to ¥72, two hours, 2.41am and 3.14am).
8Getting Around
A taxi ride into Méizhōu town centre from the airport, 4km south, costs about ¥20. Buses 3 and 11 also go into town.
Bus 6 links the airport and train station to both bus stations. Anywhere within the city by taxi should cost no more than ¥25.
Most sights are scattered in different villages, and almost inaccessible by public transport, so it makes more sense to hire a taxi for a day. Expect to pay about ¥450.
Dàbù 大埔
%0753 / Pop 540,000
Dàbù (大埔) sits on the border with Fújiàn, in the easternmost part of Guăngdōng, about 89km from downtown Méizhōu. It's encircled by mountains and rivers, which means beautiful natural scenery and nicely preserved old towns.
You can stay in downtown Dàbù and make day trips to surrounding areas.
4Sleeping & Eating
There are rooms for ¥80 and upwards with air-con on Wanxiang Dadao (畹香大道), about 240m from the bus station.
Your best bet for food are the tiny eateries on Dàbù Gourmet Street.
Ruìjĭn HotelHOTEL$$$
(瑞錦酒店; Ruìjĭn Jiŭdiàn %0753 518 5688; www.ruijin-hotel.com; 2nd St, Long Shan, Neihuan Xilu; 内环西路龙山二街 r ¥888-988, ste ¥1688-1988; aiWs)
Large, plush rooms and an attractive swimming pool make this a great place to stay. Discounts are often available. The hotel is a 20-minute walk from Dàbù bus station (大埔汽車客運站; Dàbù Qìchē Kèyùn Zhàn). Turn left at the hotel entrance and walk several blocks up until you reach a T-junction, then head left and you’ll see the station.
Dàbù Gourmet StreetHAKKA$
(大埔美食街; Dàbù Mĕishí Jiē Huliao Tongyen Lu; h8am-5pm)
Littered with tiny eateries, Huliao Tongyen Lu, built in the Qing dynasty, is known as Dàbù Gourmet Street. Comb it (it's only 330m) for Dàbù and Hakka snacks such as pancakes (薄饼; báobĭng) and bamboo-shoot dumplings (笋粄; sŭnbăn).
8Getting There & Away
Méizhōu has buses to Dàbù from Jiāngnán bus station every 30 minutes (¥24, one hour).
Buses head daily from Dàbù to the following:
ACháozhōu ¥67, three hours, one daily (8.10am)
ACháyáng ¥5, 30 minutes, two daily (5pm, 5.30pm)
AGuăngzhōu ¥238, 6½ hours, eight daily (7.30am, 8am, 8.40am, 9am, 1.10pm, 6.30pm, 7pm, 7.30pm)
AMéizhōu ¥24, one hour, frequent
AShàntóu ¥78, three hours, one daily (7.40am)
AShēnzhèn ¥226, six hours, five daily (8.20am, 9am, 1.30pm, 2.50pm, 3.30pm)
AXiàmén ¥105, 4½ hours, one daily (6.40am)
Cháyáng Old Town 茶阳古镇
%0753 / Pop 55,000
People still take long siestas in lazy Cháyáng (茶阳古镇; Cháyáng Gǔzhèn), 27km from downtown Dàbù County. Its old streets (老街; lǎojiē) with pillared arcades are nice to lose yourself in for a couple of hours.
1Sights
Soviet Department Store BuildingHISTORIC BUILDING
(百货大楼; Băihuò Dàlóu Shengli Lu, 胜利路 )
This weather-beaten, three-storey building just opposite Cháyáng Guesthouse (茶陽賓館; Cháyáng Bīnguăn) was a department store built in the 1950s with Soviet funds. Patches of yellow paint still cling onto its facade, and you can make out Mao-era slogans on its red pillars.
If you walk along the river and cross the bridge, then go straight, turn left and walk to the end of the road, you’ll see the stunning Xuán Lú (旋盧) villa.
4Sleeping & Eating
Most just pass through Cháyáng and stay in Méizhōu, but if you get stuck, there are a few simple budget options in the south of town, and a clean business hotel at the roundabout (there's only one) on the north side with rooms for around ¥100.
There are noodle joints, snacks and even a more upmarket seafood option, but for more variety, head to Méizhōu or Cháozhōu.
8Getting There & Away
Buses run from Cháyáng to Méizhōu (90 minutes) every half hour from 7.10am to 6pm.
Băihóu Old Town 百侯镇
%0753 / Pop 30,290
Scenic Băihóu (百侯镇; Bǎihóu Zhèn) is known for its Qing dynasty buildings. These were the stately residences and public spaces of the Yang (楊) family, a family known for the number of scholars and government officials it nurtured. Băihóu literally means 'a hundred noblemen'.
1Sights
Buildings with a flamboyant hybrid style tend to cluster around the southern end, while ancestral halls and village houses are in the north. Between them are winding paths, peanut vines, longan and wampi trees, and a huge lily pond.
Qĭnán VillaHISTORIC BUILDING
(企南軒; Qĭnán Xuān )
Lack of upkeep and old age (early 18th century) means Qĭnán Villa looks a bit like a princeling-turned-pauper. The stone carvings around its elegant arches and the terraces fringed with urn-shaped balusters are now overgrown with black moss and weed. The villa was built as a study with 27 rooms in the early decades of the Qing dynasty.
Zhàoqìng HallHISTORIC BUILDING
(肇庆堂; Zhàoqìng Táng ¥15; h8.30am-noon & 2-5pm)
Inhabited by the third and fourth generations of the founder, a pharmaceutical merchant, this balmy courtyard residence (c 1914) features stone, wood and ceramic carvings, and stained-glass windows from Italy. The stately two-storey structure in front of it was the study quarters of the younger members of the family.
Hăiyuán InnHISTORIC BUILDING
(海源客棧; Hăiyuán Kèzhàn )
An eye-catching early-20th-century mansion, the Hăiyuán Inn combines Southeast Asian features, Western details and the attributes of a hakka (走马楼; zǒumǎ lóu), a two-storey residence with a wide wooden corridor that keeps the rooms safe and dry.
4Sleeping & Eating
Although there is loads of potential for a tourist town, options here are virtually nil as most people still move on and stay in nearby Méizhōu.
There are a handful of simple places to eat in the Băihóu Tourist Area (百侯旅游区; Băihóu Lǚyóu Qū) and around the bus station (百侯
客运站; Bǎihóu Kèyùn Zhàn), 1km north.
8Getting There & Away
All southbound buses from Dàbù pass through Băihóu (¥6). Tell the driver you want to get off at Băihóu Tourist Area (百侯旅游区; Băihóu Lǚyóu Qū). From Dàbù, it’s 20 minutes (11km).
Shàntóu 汕头
%0754 / Pop 4.9 million
If you like history, the industrial town of Shàntóu (汕头) has a couple of interesting sights on its outskirts that can be covered on a day trip from Cháozhōu.
Chen Cihong Memorial HomeNOTABLE BUILDING
(陈慈黉故居; Chén Cíhóng Gùjū ¥12; h8.30am-5.30pm)
This attractive complex was built by a businessman who made his fortune in Thailand in the 19th century. He had the region’s best raw materials shipped here and assembled in imaginative ways that incorporated Asian, Western and Moorish motifs. Board the northbound bus 103 from People’s Square (eastern edge) in Shàntóu. The hour-long ride will cost you ¥7.
Cultural Revolution MuseumMUSEUM
(文革博物馆; Wēngé Bówùguǎn ¥10; h9.30am-5.30pm)
The only museum in China that honours the victims of the Cultural Revolution sits atop Tǎshān Park (塔山风景区; Tǎshānfēngjǐngqū), 25km north of Shàntóu's city centre. Names and inscriptions are engraved on the walls.
Take eastbound bus 102 from the long-distance bus station to Tǎshān Lùkǒu (塔山路口). After the 45-minute ride, cross the road and walk 800m to the entrance, then another 3.5km uphill (take the path on the left).
It is more pleasant to stay in the old town of Cháozhōu, but if you do want more than a day trip in Shàntóu, there are perfectly fine accommodation options, with chain hotels near the bus stations, starting from ¥100.
Buses run from Cháozhōu (¥14, one hour, 13 daily, 7am to 6.40pm). Shàntóu's main bus station and CTS bus station run buses every 30 minutes to an hour to Cháozhōu (¥17, one hour, 8.20am to 4.10pm); Guǎngzhōu (¥90 to ¥150, 5½ hours, 7am to 11pm); and Méizhōu (¥60, 2½ hours, 6am and 5pm).
Hǎinán
Hinan Highlights
Hiku
Around Hiku
Central Highlands
Boting
The East Coast
Bo'ao
Shimei Bay & Ri Yue Bay
Sanya
Xinglong
Hǎinán
Pop 9 million
Why Go?
China’s largest tropical island boasts all the balmy weather, coconut palms and gold-sand beaches you could ask for. Down at Sānyà it’s see-and-be-seen on the boardwalks or escape altogether at some of Asia’s top luxury resorts. Thatched huts and banana pancakes haven’t popped up anywhere yet, but there’s a hint of hipness coming from the east coast beachside towns, and the budding surf scene is helping to spread the gospel of chill out.
Money is pouring into Hǎinán (海南) these days to ramp up the luxury quotient. You can cruise on the high-speed rail, but cycling is still the better way to get around. When you’ve had enough of a lathering on the coast, the cool central highlands are an ideal place to be on two wheels. The good roads, knockout mountain views, and concentration of Li and Miao, the island’s first settlers, give the region an appealing distinction from the lowlands.
When to Go
AApr–Oct Low season is hot, hot, hot, but ideal for hotel bargains.
ANov–Mar Cool dry months are perfect for cycling under the blue South China sky.
ANov–Jan Winter winds blow in the island’s best surfing season.
Best Places to Eat
A Ā Bo Pó
A Hǎikǒu Qílóu Snack Street
A Sānyà Market #1
A Sea Story
A Bǎnqiáo Road Seafood Market
Best Places to Sleep
A Hǎikǒu Banana Youth Hostel
A Narada Resort
A Resort Intime
Hǎinán Highlights
1 Sānyà Soaking up the sun, sand and cocktails at China’s top beach resort.
2 Central Highlands Cycling through the island’s mountainous spine, home of the Li and Miao.
3 Hòuhǎi Beach Taking surfing lessons and chilling out at laid-back guesthouses right on the beach.
4 Seven Fairy Mountain Hiking and hot-spring soaking in the rainforest.
5 Xīnglóng Getting a whiff of Hǎinán’s unexpected coffee scene in Xīnglóng.
6 Bǎnqiáo Road Seafood Market Bargaining for fresh local seafood at the seafood market in Hǎikǒu.
7 Bó’áo Taking in traditional villages and empty beaches.
History
Until the economic boom of the last 30 years, Hǎinán had been a backwater of the Chinese empire since the first Han settlements appeared on the coast almost 2000 years ago. Largely ignored by a series of dynasties, Hǎinán was known as the ‘tail of the dragon,’ ‘the gate of hell’, and a place best used as a repository for occasional high-profile exiles such as the poet Su Dongpo and the official Hai Rui.
More recently, China’s first communist cell was formed here in the 1920s, and the island was heavily bombarded and then occupied by the Japanese during WWII. Li and Han Chinese guerrillas waged an effective campaign to harass the Japanese forces but the retaliation was brutal – the Japanese executed a third of the island’s male population. Even today resentment over Japanese atrocities lingers among the younger generation.
In 1988 Hǎinán was taken away from Guǎngdōng and established as its own province and Special Economic Zone (SEZ). After years of fits and starts, development is now focused on turning tropical Hǎinán into an ‘international tourism island’ by 2020. What this really means, besides developing every beach, and building more golf courses and mega-transport projects (such as a high-speed rail service around the island, a cruise-ship terminal and even a spaceport), is not entirely clear.
Climate
The weather on Hǎinán is largely warm in autumn and winter, and hot and humid in spring and summer. The mountains are always cooler than the coast, and the north is cooler than the south. Hǎinán is hit by at least one typhoon each year, usually between May and October.
8Getting There & Around
Both Hǎikǒu and Sānyà have international airports. Hǎikǒu, the capital city on the island’s north coast, is the point of entry for long-distance buses and trains coming from the mainland. And yes, there’s no bridge: even trains cross the Qióngzhōu Strait on the ferry.
Getting around most of Hǎinán is both cheap and easy. A high-speed rail service makes a loop around the island and buses ply the three main expressways (east, west and central). The train is quicker and costs only slightly more than buses; however, most stations are not centrally located and require a bus or taxi transfer to the main town.
Hǎikǒu 海口
%0898 / Pop 2.2 million
Hǎikǒu (海口) means ‘Mouth of the Sea’, and while sea trade remains relatively important, the buzzing provincial capital at the northern tip of Hǎinán is most notable for its booming construction. New and restarted projects are everywhere.
Hǎikǒu doesn’t have much in the way of sights, save for its restored downtown; however, there are some decent beaches a short bike or bus ride away, the air is fresh and clean (though worsening yearly because of traffic), and some visitors find themselves quite satisfied just hanging out here for a few days.
Hǎikǒu
1Sights
1Hǎikǒu Old TownB2
4Sleeping
2Hǎikǒu Banana Youth HostelA1
3Hǎinán Mínháng BīnguǎnA3
5Eating
Ā Bo PóA2
4CarrefourB3
5Hǎikǒu Qílóu Snack StreetA2
6Drinking & Nightlife
6Small CafeB2
7Shopping
7Xīnhuá BookstoreA2
Transport
8China Southern AirlinesA3
1Sights
Hǎikǒu Old TownAREA
(海口老街, Hǎikǒu Lǎo Jiē MAP GOOGLE
MAP ; Zhongshan Lu, 中山路 )
The streets around Zhongshan Lu are a looking glass into Hǎikǒu’s French colonial past, with cobblestone blocks of porticoed row houses – some restored, some charmingly decayed. Though still a work in progress, ‘Old Town’ aims to be a dining and shopping destination, and some cute cafes, bookshops, and markets hawking handicrafts and spices have popped up recently. In the meantime, you can see active scenes of local life in the smaller alleyways.
Hǎinán MuseumMUSEUM
(海南省博物馆, Hǎinán Shěng Bówùguǎn 68 Guoxing Dadao, 国兴大道68号 h9am-5pm Tue-Sun)F
This modern colossus of a building should be your first stop when you arrive in Hǎinán. The displays on ethnic minorities, as well as Hǎinán’s 20th-century history, which included fierce resistance against the Japanese and later Nationalists, are particularly informative (and in English too!). You’ll need your passport to enter. The museum is about 2km southeast of Hǎikǒu Park, along the river. Bus 43 runs here from the Clock Tower bus stop. A taxi will cost around ¥30.
2Activities
A few kilometres west of the city centre is a long stretch of sandy beaches, of which Holiday Beach is the nicest. Take bus 37 (¥2) and get off anywhere; alternatively, rent a bike in town.
Lonely Planet China Page 120