# Western Guangdong travel guide (粤西)

Guangdong Province · South China, China · 14 places
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/guangdong/western-guangdong

## Quick itinerary

- **Day 1:** Panlong Gorge → Seven Star Crags → Dinghu Mountain
- **Day 2:** Zhaoqing → Yunfu (Guo'en Temple)
- **Day 3:** Yunfu → Lingxiao Rock → Hailing Island (accommodation)
- **Day 4:** Hailing Island → Maoming (Fangji Island)
- **Day 5:** Maoming → Zhanjiang (Huguangyan → Techeng Island/Donghai Island)

## The feel of the place

Western Guangdong’s greatest natural asset is its long, winding coastline, dotted with numerous high-quality beaches that make it a rich resource for coastal tourism. The region’s inland ethnic customs are also strong, and it has no shortage of cultural heritage sites.


## Getting there & around

Western Guangdong’s well-developed railways, highways and waterways will take you almost anywhere you want to go, and many towns have long had roads reaching every village.

### Helpful Tip

Zhaoqing Chengdong Bus Station runs direct coaches to Guangzhou North Station, where you can catch high-speed trains.

### Free Admission

Dinghu Mountain offers free admission before 5:30 and after 18:30.


## Eat & drink

Fengkai's Xinghua chicken and Huaiji's millet chicken are must-tries. The millet chicken is said to be raised on millet alone, with no processed food at all, so its skin is golden, its meat tender and its flavour fresh. Even the most discerning Cantonese diners praise it.


## Shopping

Bazi wine, made from a blend of fruits, is worth trying and bringing home, as is Baima tea and more. Huaiji's bird's nest wine is brewed from the golden-thread swiftlet nests that are abundant locally, turtle glue, angelica, cinnamon, ginseng, goji berries, astragalus and more than ten other precious medicinals, combined with aged Dizang rice wine. Both make excellent souvenirs.


## Where to stay

As a key destination for tourism development in Guangdong in recent years, accommodation capacity is certainly not a concern.


## Things to see

- **Panlong Gorge** (★★★★): Admission ¥60; Opening hours 8：30—17：00; Time needed 1–2 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/panlong-gorge
- **Dinghushan National Nature Reserve** (★★★★): Admission ¥70; Opening hours 8：00—18：00; Time needed 4–8 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/dinghushan-national-nature-reserve
- **Seven Star Crags** (★★★★): Admission Admission ¥70; boat fares to different sights range from ¥19–¥57; Opening hours 08:00-18:00 (all year 2026); Time needed 3–6 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/seven-star-crags
- **Fangji Island** (★★★★): Admission ¥180 (admission + round-trip ferry ticket); Opening hours Island arrival: 10:00 and 14:00. Island departure: 13:00 and 17:00. Schedules may be adjusted at short notice, so please check in advance. — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/fangji-island
- **China's First Beach** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day (all year 2026); Time needed 2–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/china-s-first-beach
- **Romantic Coast** (★★★★): Admission ¥80; Opening hours 9：00—18：00; Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/romantic-coast
- **Guo'en Temple** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 08:00-17:30 (all year 2026); Time needed 1-2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/guo-en-temple
- **Hailing Island** (★★★): Admission Dajiao Bay: ¥27 (single entry), ¥48 (unlimited entry within two days); Opening hours Open all day (all year 2026); Time needed 1–2 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/hailing-island
- **Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum** (★★★): Admission ¥70; Opening hours 9：00—17：30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/guangdong-maritime-silk-road-museum
- **Shabawan Bay** (★★★★): Admission ¥40; Opening hours 7：00—19：30; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shabawan-bay
- **Huguangyan Scenic Area** (★★★★): Admission ¥50; Opening hours 7：30—18：00; Time needed 2–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/huguangyan-scenic-area
- **Donghai Island** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 07:30-19:00 (all year 2026); Time needed 4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/donghai-island
- **Techeng Island** (★★★★): Admission Free (free to go onto the island; discounts for children/seniors/students/military personnel/disabled people); Opening hours 08:30-19:15 (all year 2026); Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/techeng-island
- **Xiashan Sea-Viewing Promenade** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours All day; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/xiashan-sea-viewing-promenade

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 2400–2410. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.