Huizhou (Guangdong)

Huizhou (惠州; Huìzhōu in Mandarin, Fui4ziu1 in Hakka) is a city in Guangdong. It is one of the most architecturally pleasing mid-sized cities in all of Guangdong, and one of the very richest.

Understand
The sight of Huizhou to the average traveller invariably arouses surprise. Some 40 miles north of Shenzhen, in verdant, tropical countryside, a common reaction is "Where did this place come from?" Until the 1980s, Huizhou was a sleepy Guangdong town on the Pearl River Delta. It has since exploded with industry, attracting investment from Japanese, Korean, European and American companies.

Talk
Hakka is the main language spoken in Huizhou, though many locals also speak Cantonese due to its proximity to Cantonese-speaking cities in the Pearl River Delta. As elsewhere in mainland China, Mandarin is the official language, and spoken by most younger locals.

Get in
Huizhou is well served by highways linking it with Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong border is a 1½-hour bus ride away.

By plane
(惠州平潭机场, ) offers domestic service from various cities around China, but no international flights.

Larger international airports nearby include Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport , and Hong Kong International Airport.

If you get off the plane at Shenzhen airport, you can get here by Intercity Bus. The earliest bus begins at 07:10. It will take you about 1½ hours.

By train
The city has a couple of mainline railway stations near the downtown area, namely Huizhou Railway Station and Huizhou North Railway Station.



There are also stations in some of the city's suburban districts and rural counties. For example, Huiyang District is served by Huiyang Railway Station (which was previously known as Huizhou South Railway Station) and Huidong County is served by Huidong South Railway Station.

The above stations link Huizhou with many cities around China. Trains from other cities in the Pearl River Delta such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen are especially frequent.

In addition to the mainline railways, there is a special intercity railway that runs between Dongguan West Station and Huizhou, and has its own stations. The eastern terminus of the line (as of August 2023) is Xiaojinkou Station (小金口站), which is actually right next to Huizhou Railway Station. Other stations on the line within downtown Huizhou include Yunshan Station (云山站) and Xihu East Station (西湖东站). Xihu East Station is conveniently located for visiting West Lake. Since May 2024, the line has been extended to Guangzhou and Zhaoqing, and passengers can change to other trains at Guangzhou South Station.

There are plans to link Huizhou by high-speed underground train with Shenzhen, which will effectively provide the city with a rapid-transit link to downtown Hong Kong.

By bus
The main bus station (Huizhou coach terminal) has regular buses to Guangzhou Tianhe (¥64, 2 hr 30 min), Shenzhen Louhu (¥60, 1 hr 20 min) and many other cities in the province.

There are also direct but less frequent coaches to Hong Kong which can be cheaper than getting the bus to the border then the MTR. These pick up at hotels in Huizhou rather than the bus station.

Get around
Huizhou has a comprehensive, clean and cheap bus system. Most bus rides cost a flat rate of ¥2, just drop your notes/coins into the box (no change given) or ¥1.6 if you have a "lingnantong" transport card - well worth investing in if you plan to stay in Guangdong long term (can also be used in the Guangzhou metro). Can be purchased from selected newsagents for a ¥20 deposit.

Taxis are everywhere. Flagfall for regular taxis is ¥5 or for the more opulent Kande Hotel Taxis which operate throughout the city, ¥8.

Eat
Huizhou has no shortage of Japanese and western restaurants. Traditional Chinese food can be sampled on every corner. Hong Kong/Canton food is for obvious reasons especially popular with the locals. For those self-catering, Park'n'Shop, Vanguard and Walmart have a wide selection of western foods.

There is a few vegetarian (usually Buddhist) restaurants in Huizhou.

Drink
The English Bar and Relax Bar (both on the river) are very popular with expats and serve imported draft beers and liquors. The cocktail bar at the 5-star Kande Hotel (West Lake) is another popular hangout for expats.

Sleep

 * Golden Jazzy Hotel (金爵大酒店). The Golden Jazzy Hotel provides a low-cost option for travellers who want to go to the northern part of the city.
 * Golden Jazzy Hotel (金爵大酒店). The Golden Jazzy Hotel provides a low-cost option for travellers who want to go to the northern part of the city.
 * Golden Jazzy Hotel (金爵大酒店). The Golden Jazzy Hotel provides a low-cost option for travellers who want to go to the northern part of the city.

Go next

 * Hong Kong - nicknamed the Pearl of the Orient, Hong Kong is a city with heavy British influence. You can experience Western and Chinese culture in Hong Kong.
 * Shenzhen