Hezhou Travel Guide

Chinese Name: 贺州 (hè zhōu)
Population: 245,900
Area: 11,800 square kilometers (4,556 square miles)
Location: in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southwestern China
Administrative Division: 2 districts (Babu, Pinggui); 2 counties (Zhaoping, Zhongshan); 1 autonomous county (Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County)
Area Code: 0774
Zip Code: 542800
GDP (2019): CNY 70.01 billion (USD 10.15 billion)
Nationalities: Han, Yao, Zhuang
 

Hezhou is situated in the northeast of Guangxi, neighboring Guangdong to the east, Hunan to the north, Guilin to the west and Wuzhou to the south. Hezhou is a green city where the forests cover 76% of the land and it has developed the forest resources into 17 tourism destinations. As early as in the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1912), Hezhou was the commodity distribution center of Guangxi, Hunan and Guangdong. Therefore, many cultural landscapes and places of interest had been preserved such as Huangyao Ancient Town, the most complete ancient architectural complex of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Hezhou is also a multi-ethnic settlement, among which Zhuang and Yao people have been living together for a long time. The Yao people hold the great Panwang Festival on the 16th day of the tenth month in the lunar calendar when tens of thousands of people sing and dance to sacrifice to ancestors Pangu, attracting plenty of tourists.

Guposhan National Forest Park lies 21 kilometers (13 miles) northeast of Babu District (the city proper). There are twenty peaks in the park which are higher than one thousand meters. Around the beautiful landscape of the forest park, there are stockaded villages of the Yao and Hakka locals. Visitors can view folk performances and learn the marriage customs of different minorities. There is a Valentines' Lake in the depth of the Valentines' Forest. It is a wonderful summer resort for swimming. Some times, boys and girls of the Yao minority will sing antiphonally around the lake. Usually, two-day stay is suggested and visitors and lodging in the hotels in the park. 

Huangyao Ancient Town is a historic cultural town of over nine thousand years. Every autumn, flocks of egrets will fly here. This is a town full of cultural relics and stories, so a local guide will help visitors known better about the old town. ( Huangyao Ancient Town Pictures)

Other Scenic Spots: Luhua Hot Spring, Daguishan Forest Park, Zhuangyuan (Number One Scholar) Village of Xiushui Town  Hezhou is located at the convergent area jointing up Guangxi, Hunan and Guangdong provinces. The road transportation of the city is well developed. With Hezhou as the center, highways can stretch to Guilin, Liuzhou, Nanning and Guangzhou.

The local bus station is sited at 2, Qianjin Xi Lu of Babu District, from which buses go to Yangshuo in three hours and to Guilin in about four hours.

Hezhou Airport is in the plan now and it will be built in Huilong Town, Zhongshan County. Hezhou enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate, and the weather is characterized by moderate temperature, sufficient sunshine and abundant rainfall. Its annual average temperature falls around 20℃ (68℉). 

 When to Go: all the year round
 

 History: He Shire as the first administrative organization in this area was set up by the Kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdom Period (220-280). It was changed to He Zhou (prefecture) later in the Sui Dynasty (581-618).      

 Physical Features: Hezhou is situated in the hilly area in southeastern Guangxi, and its terrain generally slopes downward from the north to the south.                

 Special Local Products: Baimao Tea, silkworm, honey dates, sun-cured tobacco, green plums.

 Local Highlights:
The city proper of this area is not big. The urban area that has been completely constructed is only 15 square kilometers (6 square miles). The most stunning natural scenery is in the suburbs and countryside.

In addition, colorful traditional festivals of ethnic minorities are most attractive, including Panwang Festival and Qingren (Valentines') Festival the Yao ethnic minority, Temple Fair and the song festival in the third day of the third lunar month.