茂名市

Why this place

Maoming is a petrochemical city on the western Guangdong coast, but it is known in China for lychees — the surrounding counties produce some of the best in the country, and the fruit season is celebrated. Its coastline is long and relatively undeveloped.

What to see

• The lychee orchards and the harvest in June and July
• First Beach and the coastal resorts along the South China Sea
• Xinyi's Yunkai Mountain and the volcanic rock landscape inland

What to eat

• Lychees and longans in season — genuinely the best reason to be here in June
• Coastal seafood and the local Cantonese-style cooking

Best time

June–July for lychees; October–December for the coast