惠州市

Why this place

Huizhou is where Su Dongpo was exiled in the eleventh century, and he liked it so much he wrote about staying permanently — the lake and the hills he wrote about are still the centre of the city.

What to see

• West Lake (Huizhou's own) and the Su Dongpo memorial, in the city centre
• Luofu Mountain, a Taoist mountain with hot springs and a long temple tradition
• The Nankun Mountain and the hot springs of Longmen county
• The old county towns and Hakka villages of the surrounding hills

What to eat

• Hakka and Cantonese mix — salt-baked chicken, stuffed tofu and river fish
• Huizhou is known for its 'Meicai kourou' — pork with preserved mustard greens

Best time

October–December and March–April