Live Your Best Lives
When winter arrives, no one can resist the gentleness and romance of the sea. Warm waters, gentle breezes, and balmy sunshine... After a busy year, I really want to go on vacation!
However, Hainan and Yunnan have been overcrowded recently, and it is not easy to find a warm, fun and delicious place. So, You Xiaoxia found such a place. The coastline here is 4,100 km long, ranking first in the country. The clear sea water, lazy beaches and warm sunshine are more suitable for vacation than Sanya.
The winter here is not too cold, with a temperature of 15℃-20℃, allowing you to walk on the street in light clothes. The Spring Festival atmosphere here can be said to be the strongest in the country.
The key point is that it is full of delicious food, with countless mouth-watering dishes and snacks. Even CCTV often comes here to check in.
It is the well-known province of food - Guangdong. Guangdong people love to eat and know how to eat, and it is not a false reputation. Cantonese, Chaoshan and Hakka cuisines are the three major ones. Shunde has also been selected as the "World Food Capital" by the United Nations.
If you don't want to go to Hainan or Yunnan and live in such a crowded environment, why not come to Guangdong for a winter getaway? While other cities are being hit by cold fronts, the average temperature here remains at 20°C. And best of all, flights departing from Hangzhou or Shanghai this month are only 200 yuan!
Photo @OTA
If you're a foodie who's afraid of the cold, come here to eat, drink, soak up the sun on the beach, and experience the rich folk culture...and spend a warm holiday with an average temperature of 20°C!
From Shunde, the "birthplace of Cantonese cuisine," to the coastal town of Yangjiang, known as Asia's best beach, wading through the clear, warm sea and savoring Chaoshan beef hotpot and Hakka salt-baked chicken, the trip is truly worthwhile! So, what's the best way to enjoy Guangdong in winter?
Along the long coastline in the south of the country, this narrow province always gives people new culinary surprises.
Chen Xiaoqing, known as the director who knows food best, once said: "Shantou is a particularly precious island of Chinese cuisine. If a gourmet has not been to Shantou, he is not really a gourmet at all."
Chaoshan refers to the Chaoshan cultural area and the Chaoshan dialect area, including the four cities of Shantou, Chaozhou, Jieyang, and Shanwei. Beef hotpot is the No. 1 most worthwhile dish in Chaoshan.
Snowflake, Diaolong, Spoon-core, Three-flowered Toe... Chaoshan people are extremely particular about eating beef, and a cow is broken down into more than ten different parts.
In addition to various parts, the hand-made beef balls are also a must-try. They are tender and chewy, and can really be played like ping-pong balls!
In fact, Chaoshan has much more than just beef hotpot. There are also sashimi, desserts, various rice cakes, rice rolls, oyster omelets... As Liang Wendao said: "In Chaoshan, it is difficult to find anything unpalatable."
Beyond its delicious cuisine, Chaoshan boasts a rich history and rich culture. Starting in the Tang Dynasty, Chaoshan became a key gateway along the Maritime Silk Road, leaving behind a unique culinary culture, as well as distinctive arcade architecture, ancestral halls, and teahouses.
Among them, Shantou has the largest area of arcades in mainland China. Standing in it, the prosperous scene of old Shantou in the 1930s has already emerged.
The ancient city of Chaozhou, where human life and human culture coexist, is like the old city in old Taiwanese movies. There are almost no foreign restaurants in the entire ancient city, and there are only human life that has been deposited over the years.
02. Shunde Sashimi
“Food is in Guangzhou, chefs come from Fengcheng”
Fengcheng is now Shunde, Foshan. As one of the "Hometown of Chefs" and "World Food Capital", Shunde is an important origin of Lingnan cuisine and is worth a special trip to eat.
It is an important freshwater fish farming area in Guangdong. The "Mulberry Fish Pond" in textbooks originated here. Due to this production method, Shunde's fish-eating culture is quite long.
In Shunde, there are many ways to eat fish, including stuffed dace, fish cakes, steamed fish, fish noodles, and fish skin dumplings. Different parts of the fish are prepared in different ways. The fish skin is served cold, the fish head and bones are steamed, and the fish meat is used to make porridge...
Photo@Documentary "Searching for Flavors in Shunde"
Shunde sashimi, which can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys, represents the highest level of fish eating for Foshan people. The smooth and firm sashimi is paired with various ingredients, which is crispy and mixed with freshness, fragrance and sweetness.
The secret sauces prepared by each family using bean paste, sesame oil, sand ginger powder, etc. are really amazing.
"China's youngest World Heritage Site"
Kaiping City, Jiangmen City, is a famous "hometown of overseas Chinese and watchtowers" and has been rated as one of the "50 most worthwhile places for foreigners to visit in China". The thousands of watchtowers here are unique.
Picture@Photo.net
The Kaiping Diaolou are "China's youngest World Heritage Site". The unique architectural complex is a testimony to China's earliest "fusion of Chinese and Western styles".
Photography @tourists story seven
The upper part of the building has ancient Greek colonnades, ancient Roman columns, cylindrical towers of European castles, Gothic spires, Baroque pediments, and Rococo patterns. It is hard to believe that this is a building designed by simple villagers.
"The first of the four famous gardens in Lingnan"
Qinghui Garden is a typical Lingnan garden-style building built in the Ming Dynasty. It is known as one of the "Four Famous Gardens in Guangdong" along with Liangyuan in Foshan, Yuyin Mountain Villa in Panyu, and Keyuan in Dongguan. However, the one with the largest area, the most attractions, the most ingenious layout, and the most beautiful gardens is undoubtedly Qinghui Garden in Shunde.
There is a bustling traffic outside the garden, ancient trees and painted decorations inside the garden, and the lingering Cantonese opera in the ears. It seems as if you have traveled through a hundred years in an instant.
“When you come to Foshan, you must visit the Ancestral Temple”
The Ancestral Temple is a unique place in the hearts of Foshan people. If you come to Foshan and haven't visited the Ancestral Temple, you haven't really been to Foshan. Today, the Ancestral Temple is a folk museum that combines the ancient architectural art of the Ming and Qing dynasties with the traditional culture of Foshan.
Three famous people were born here: Wong Fei-hung, Ip Man, and Bruce Lee. In the Ancestral Temple, we can see the memorial halls of Wong Fei-hung and Ip Man, and watch lion dance performances.
Photo @CCTV "Aerial China"
The ancient city of Chaozhou, where human life and human culture coexist, is like the old city in old Taiwanese movies. There are almost no foreign restaurants in the entire ancient city, and there are only human life that has been deposited over the years.
Check in at the Muqian Mansion, which has a strong French and Nanyang style, sit in the teahouse, drink a cup of Phoenix Dancong tea, and listen to a Teochew opera, and experience the leisurely and literary life of the old Teochew people.
Quanzhou, a city full of the flavor of life, has a rich southern Fujian style, which has created unique folk customs, architecture, food and art, such as red brick swallowtails and palace walls with ridges.
Modern and contemporary arcades and Western-style buildings, as well as various time-honored shops, line the streets. You can walk around the clock tower to find snacks and delicacies and feel the mark of time.
Guangdong's 4,100-meter-long blue coastline is somewhat underrated. Hailing Island, known as the "Beidaihe of the South," and Nan'ao Island, with its gentle, Kenting-like atmosphere and romantic charm... Winter offers not only affordable airfare but also the unique tranquility and healing nature of winter.
Beyond its endless coastline, Guangdong is also a treasure trove of culinary delights and cultural treasures. The hidden culinary secrets of Chaoshan Ancient City and the Chimelong Park amusement park are enough to fuel your winter energy.
"Beidaihe in the South"
Hailing Island, surrounded by mountains on three sides and boasting a 16.5-kilometer coastline, offers breathtaking views of western Guangdong. The world's first underwater archaeology museum also makes this small island a key stop on the Maritime Silk Road.
Picture @TuChong Creative
This place is filled with rich subtropical charm, with sunshine, white sand, blue waves and green mountains, and it has a strong Hainan flavor. However, compared with Sanya, it is less crowded and quieter, making it a great place for a seaside vacation. It was even named one of the "Ten Most Beautiful Islands in China" by National Geographic China.
Picture @TuChong Creative
Among them, the Ten-Mile Silver Beach on Hailing Island is the most famous, with a total length of 9.7 kilometers and an average width of 150 meters. It is known as "the No. 1 Beach in Asia".
The best place to watch the sunset on Hailing Island is on Mawei Island, the westernmost corner. When the sunset glows all over the sky, stop and wait for the sun to set, and quietly enjoy the evening sunset sea view.
“The closest point to Taiwan in Guangdong”
In addition to delicious food, Chaoshan also has a hidden treasure island - Nan'ao Island. It is the closest point to Taiwan Province in Guangdong Province and is only 162 nautical miles away from Kaohsiung.
Cross the Nan'ao Bridge and you will enter Nan'ao Island. The lighthouse, fishing stalls, deserted small beach, windmills, grassland... everything here will not disappoint you.
If you don't want to visit the traditional attractions on the island, a casual stroll is also a good choice. Seabirds often fly here, and the background is the Nan'ao Bridge, which has turned the natural barrier into a thoroughfare.
“The island that welcomes warm spring first”
Zhangzhou Dongshan Island, very close to Guangdong, is located at 23° Tropic of Cancer. It is the most beautiful island among many islands that bids farewell to winter and welcomes warm spring the fastest.
It has everything a perfect island should look like. You can catch the tail end of winter, soak in a warm seawater hot spring, find the filming location of "The Left Ear", and experience the colorful Italian-style fishing village of Nanmen Bay.
Or you can walk slowly on the Blue Bridge of Sufeng Mountain Highway, which is comparable to the Kenting Ring Road, with towering cliffs on one side and the boundless sea on the other.
"Food + Architecture + Folk Customs Tour"
Come to Guangdong during the Spring Festival, where the festive atmosphere is the strongest. Celebrate a traditional Chinese New Year, check out the delicious food in Guangzhou and Shunde, travel to small and beautiful islands, and learn lion dancing and Wing Chun!
You can enjoy a traditional lion dance performance, listen to a Cantonese opera, learn a Wing Chun move from a martial arts master, and visit the Wong Fei-hung Memorial Hall to learn about his legendary life.
Experience the unique architectural features of Lingnan, from the exquisite brick carvings of the Ancestral Temple to the world cultural heritage sites of Kaiping Diaolou and Qinghui Garden. The beloved Lingnan style is worth your visit.
Finally, we selected a sea view hotel to stay for 2 consecutive nights. The Spring Festival is all about making the most of your vacation time!
“Food + Ancient City and Village + Island”
January in Chaoshan is a pleasant time of year, and there's nothing quite like enjoying a beef hotpot in the middle of winter! Experience making hand-pulled teapots, brewing Kung Fu tea, and watching Nanyin Chaozhou opera, all while immersing yourself in traditional Minnan culture.
The unique arcade architecture, ancestral hall culture, teahouse culture, Buddhist culture, and Mazu worship are all surprising. The streets and alleys are bustling with folk performances, and you can also go to Nan'ao Island for a vacation and sea view, which is unique!
"Traveling from Guangdong to Fujian"
If you're looking to enjoy Guangdong and then travel to Fujian, Xiamen welcomes you! The atmosphere of Xiamen's Spring Festival isn't just about excitement, but warmth. Early spring in the south welcomes the short-lived "firecracker flowers," which bloom annually during the Lunar New Year holiday, covering the mottled brick walls of the artistic streets and alleys.
Gulangyu Island is definitely worth a second or third visit. China-TravelNote has curated a lesser-known itinerary for islanders, where you can try the private dishes of overseas Chinese in Indonesia, climb to the rooftop of an old private villa, and visit Moonlight Rock, which has beautiful scenery and few people, without having to queue.
Old Xiamen and new Xiamen are separated by only a wall. The Eighth Market and Zhongshan Road... here are hidden ancient delicacies and you can also find the old Xiamen people.
Nan'ao Island and Dongshan Island are two of the most beautiful islands in eastern Guangdong and southern Fujian. Enjoy the azure blue sky and ocean at a seaside hotel, explore the uncommercialized Hekeng Tulou cluster, and stay overnight in the ancient village of Yunshuiyao.
Explore Quanzhou, a treasure city selected as a World Heritage Site in 2021, and Chaozhou, the "origin of flavor," all at once!
“All the fun theme parks in one place”
Guangdong is full of festive atmosphere during the Spring Festival. Visitors can stroll through flower streets, eat delicious food, watch dragon dances, visit ancestral temples, climb to the top of the world's second tallest tower, Guangzhou Tower, and overlook the entire Guangzhou from the Ferris wheel at sunset!
Enjoy the best of domestic attractions at Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park.
There are also Zhuhai Ocean Kingdom, the Marine Biological Exhibition Hall, the world's largest whale shark hall night park activities, grand fireworks show... Experience them all at once without any regrets!
Guangdong is perfect for winter! Enjoy surfing on the beach, watching the sunrise and sunset, or feasting in small towns and experiencing the local customs and New Year atmosphere. Come to Guangdong for a unique winter date.
