Zhaoqing (肇庆; Zhào​qìng​) is a city near Guangzhou in Guangdong Province in China. It is famous for its fresh air and its beautiful mountainous surroundings. With an urban population of 1.2 million, it is much smaller than neighboring cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Get in

By plane

There is long-distance intercity bus service from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to Zhaoqing. It is convenient and safe.

By train

• 1 Zhaoqing rail station (肇庆火车站). 
• 2 Zhaoqing East Station (肇庆东站). High-speed rail station. 

By bus

Buses from Guangzhou leave frequently. You can catch them from Yuexuenan (越秀南) or from the bus terminal near the train station.

Buses to Kaiping leave from the downtown bus terminal. Buses from Hong Kong and Macau arrive nearby on Duanzhou 4th Rd.

• 3 Long distance bus terminal (肇庆长途客运站). Next to the rail station. 
• 4 Downtown bus station (Zhaoqing Yue Yun Bus Terminal) (at the intersection of Duanzhou 4th Rd and Wenming Rd). 

Get around

There are various city bus routes. Fares are from ¥2 to ¥4.

• Bus 12 links city train station and main bus station
• Bus 21 goes to the Dinghu Shan reserve from the main bus station

See

In the city

• 1 Seven Star Crags Park (七星岩公园; Qī​xīng​yán GongYuan​; Qixingyan Garden) (just north of downtown Zhaoqing). Seven rocky peaks (crags) sit here in the middle of a beautiful lake. The arrangement of the peaks resembles the Big Dipper constellation, so the crags are known as the Seven Star Crags, and the lake as Star Lake. The site is sometimes known as "little Guilin" due to its resemblance to the spectacular Guilin scenery. There are also some temples and pagodas in the park.  
• 2 Water and Light display (音乐喷泉). A big fountain with songs playing. The show takes place every day at 20:00, in Star Lake, opposite to the big plaza at the end of Tianning Rd (天宁路) . 
• 3 Piyun House (披云楼) (on the north side of the ancient city wall, west of People's Road). A fancy looking three-storey building, built as a lookout in the year 1118 AD (Song Dynasty). 
• 4 Yuejianglou (阅江楼; Yuè​jiāng​lóu​). A Ming Dynasty-period mansion that served as the headquarters of the Fourth Revolutionary Army, commanded by Ye Ting, in the early 20th century. Now, the Zhaoqing city museum is located in this building (or possibly a building very close by - unsure). Judging by pictures online, it seems that this museum has some interesting exhibits, but they are only described in Chinese. 
• The leaning pagoda (Yuankui Pagoda, 元魁塔 Yuánkuí Tǎ). Not as steep as Pisa but not straight either. 
• Sharon White Mother Temple (白沙龙母庙). White Dragon Temple in Duanzhou District in the western suburbs of turtle mountain east, South West, Jianyu Ming Wanli fifteen years (1587). The temple is the only church, Dragon Pavilion and the part, the" eight Zhaoqing roof turtle song Yin" and" white moon" not far from the temple. Dragon Pavilion building area of 28 square meters, blue glazed tile Xieshan Ding, column inscribed " book gives Long Zhangen the country; inscriptions parent Deze Pei Chinese" poetic couplet; the only remaining Dongxiang, an area of 56 square meters. The temple of Zhaoqing city in 1984 was classified as heritage conservation units. 
• Ling Hill Fort (羚山炮台) (on the east city outskirts). Xijiang Antelope Canyon entrance north of antelope hills. One of seven forts built in Zhaoqing in 1920 by Luo Yang to defend against Lin Hu. 
• Baogong temple (包公祠). Zhaoqing Bao temple is west of Zhaoqing, is an imitation of buildings, except the church, mountain door, and hall, East, West Peidian, bell tower, Drum Tower, pavilion, corridor, such as well, covers an area of 11500 square meters, and other Baogong compared, its size at the forefront, but also reflects the ridge South ancient architectural features and style. 
• 5 Dinghu Mountain (Dinghushan, 鼎湖山). A nature reserve about 20 kilometers northeast of the city. Has nice walking paths through temples, trees, waterfalls and pools. Beware, it can be packed on holidays. To get there you can take the local bus no. 15 from Tianning rd. (天宁路) - the bus heading south. (updated Nov 2016)
• 6 Xiaozhou Village (小洲村). The village is a short taxi ride from University City. Some travelers describe this district as full of historical buildings, fruit orchards and canals and relate that in the 2000s became an artists' haven. Others report that development has obliterated all traces of the village and that the district is a typical industrial suburb adjoining a huge field used as an outdoor latrine. (updated Oct 2012)

Buy

• Street Market, Wenming rd, (文明路). A street market selling mostly clothing and footwear. 
• Lakeside mall (湖滨商场). 

Sleep

• 1 OYC. Classified as 5-, 6-, or 7-star depending on what brochure you read, this luxury resort, next to "Seven Star Crags" lake, has a large series of artificial hot springs in the basement. Mostly frequented by rich Chinese. ¥1,000 (basic);¥100,000 (presidential). 
• Zhang Shan Hotel (江山大酒店; Jiāng​shān​ Dà​jiǔ​diàn​), 40 Jianshe Road (建设路40号; Jiàn​shè​lù​). Doubles for ¥90 and tripples for ¥120 

Go next

• Deqing County, Guangdong
• Guangning County‎
• Sihui, Guangdong‎
• Kaiping, a good base for visiting the diaolou-towers