Qingyuan

Qingyuan Prefecture consists of the following districts:

• Qingcheng District (清城区; Qīng​chéng​qū​) - centre of the city
• Yingde City (英德市; Yīng​dé​shì​) - 50 km northeast of the city centre, home to Baojing Palace
• Lianzhou City (连州市; Lián​zhōu​shì​) - 150 km north of the city centre, home to the Underground River
• Fogang County(佛冈县; Fó​gāng​xiàn) - 40 km northeast of the city centre, home to Huanghua Lake
• Yangshan County (阳山县; Yáng​shān​xiàn​) - 100 km north of the city centre, home to Shikengkong Mountain
• Qingxin County (清新县; Qīng​xīn​xiàn​) - home to caves and hot springs, just north of the city centre
• Lianshan Zhuang and Yao Autonomous County (连山壮族瑶族自治县; Lián​shān​ Zhuàng​zú​ Yáo​zú​zì​zhì​xiàn​)
• Liannan Yao Autonomous County (连南瑶族自治县; Lián​nán​ Yáo​zú​zì​zhì​xiàn​)

The area has been inhabited for thousands of years by both Han Chinese and ethnic minorities. The present city of Qingyuan was established as a prefecture level city in 1988.
Qingyuan is just north of the Pearl River Delta in a diverse landscape with both plains and mountains. The climate is subtropical monsoon with plenty of rain in the summer half and not too cold winters. The city can be visited all year but is most pleasant during April to October.

By plane

Qingyuan does not have its own airport but Guangzhou Airport is only 30 km away.

By train

Arriving by train will take you to Qingyuan Station some 15 km east of the city centre. Trains include from

• Guangzhou - less than one hour, ¥10-17
• Shaoguan - 1½-2 hours, ¥21-34

By bus

There are plenty of buses to the city arriving including from

• Guangzhou - 1½ hours
• Shenzhen - 2½ hours
• Hong Kong - 4½ hours

Old bus station: 3306600
New bus station: 3368565

• The Old VillageA village with scenic waterways and old-fashioned buildings.

• Feilai Temple1,400 years old temple beautifully situated at the bank of Beijiang River.

• Feixia Scenic Area

  phone: +86 763 3780168, +86 763 3780088
  Area along Beijiang River with hills on both banks.

• Baojing Palace of Yingde

  phone: +86 763 2222131
  address: Yingde City (英德市; Yīng​dé​shì​)

• Taihe Ancient Cave

  address: Taihe Town, Qingxin County (清新县太和镇; Qīng​xīn​xiàn​ Tàihé​zhèn​)

• Sankeng Hot Spring

  address: Sankeng Town, Qingxin County (清新县三坑镇; Qīng​xīn​xiàn​ Sān​kēng​zhèn​)

• Huanghua Lake

  address: Fogang County (佛冈县; Fó​gāng​xiàn​)

• Little Beijiang of LianyangThe river helps sustain 4 million people in the whole northwest part of Qingyuan. You can row on this river with a rowboat.

• Peak Shikengkong in Yangshan County

• Underground River of Lianzhou

• Three Gorges of Huangchuan

• Yinzhan Hot Spring Area

• Yao Ethnic Minority of Liannan

• Glass BridgeHigh above Gulongxia, not for those with fear of heights. There's also a glass viewing platform above the same valley.

Water-rafting

Not white-water rafting as we know it but a man-made cement slide on a mountain where two people sit in a small dinghy and hang on for dear life. No guide and no rowing required. Going with a tour agency can get you better prices as they often tie in the tour with shopping visits in which you listen to a lecture on a variety of products. Whilst it may seem boring, the entire tour including lunch can end up being cheaper than the entrance fee at the rafting site. There are several canyons to choose from.

• GulongxiaThe tallest canyon.

• HuangtengxiaEqually popular and also has a water park, a mountain luge trail, cable cars and a treetop walk.

Hot Springs

• Qingxin Hot Springs

• Yihe Hot Springs

Other

• Indigenous TribesVisit minorities in Liannan and Lianshan.

There are several local herbal and medicinal products on sale, such as deer wine and lingzhi, an expensive medicinal fungus.

Budget

• Green Recirt

Mid-range

• Baiyun Airport Hot Spring Resort

• Dragon Bay Natural Hot Spring Resort

• Gehao Holiday Hotel

• Grace Garden Hotel

• Hubin Bubugao Hotel

• Lilac Garden Hotel

• Qingyuan Yingde Baodunhu Villa

• Shampoola Forest Hotel

• Tianmengou Jiuzhouyizhan Resort

• Zoto Garden Hotel

Splurge

• Sofitel Riverside Qingyuan