Underrated Gems in Guangdong You Can't Miss

Beyond Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Guangdong hides many treasure towns! Today I'm sharing some relatively niche but absolutely worthwhile destinations—less crowded, stunningly beautiful, and incredibly budget-friendly~

🏞️ Qingyuan

📍 Location: Northern-central Guangdong, easily accessible with <1hr high-speed rail from Guangzhou.
🌟 Highlights: Dubbed "Little Guilin," its karst landscape features surreal peaks and emerald rivers—boat rides feel like gliding through a Chinese painting. Thrill-seekers love Gulongxia Rafting for summer adrenaline, followed by Qingyuan's famous tender chicken with springy skin and silky meat—a culinary revelation.

🪨 Yunfu

📍 Location: West-central Guangdong.
🌟 Highlights: A 1,300-year-old Zen Buddhist sanctuary. Guoen Temple (where the 6th Patriarch Huineng attained Nirvana) offers serene scripture-copying rituals. The 170-million-year-old Panlong Cave (one of the world's top three stone-flower caves) dazzles with gem-like mineral formations glowing like a fallen galaxy—utterly breathtaking.

🦀 Maoming

📍 Location: Southwestern Guangdong.
🌟 Highlights: Coastlines that rival paradise. China's First Beach boasts powder-soft sand and sapphire waters. Hunt crabs at Tongzi Bay during golden sunsets (if lucky, witness bioluminescent "blue tears"). Romantic Coast serves Hainan-worthy coconut-fringed beaches at 1/3 the price. Feast like royalty: $0.30 grilled oysters, $0.70 Huazhou desserts, seafood banquets under $5/person.

🥧 Jiangmen

📍 Location: Western Pearl River Delta.
🌟 Highlights: Chikan Old Town's colonial arcades transport you to early 1900s (a filming site for hit drama "The Knockout"). Bird Paradise brings Ba Jin's literature to life—cruise through wetlands teeming with 10,000 birds. Don't miss Chenpi (aged tangerine peel) delicacies like duck stew or red bean soup—an iconic local flavor.

Pack your bags, friends! These hidden gems promise unforgettable surprises.