清远市

Why this place

Qingyuan is the mountainous prefecture north of the Pearl River delta, and its limestone karst hills at Yingxi are known as 'little Guilin' — but they are quieter and you can walk them. The rivers here are used for rafting and for slow river-boat trips.

What to see

• Yingxi karst hills and the surrounding farmland, with the Peng family ancestral village
• Lianzhou underground river — a boat trip through a large limestone cave system
• The Feixia and Yuantan rivers for rafting and river trips
• The Yao minority villages of the northern hills

What to eat

• Qingyuan chicken — the local 'qingyuan ji' breed is famous across China
• Northern Guangdong mountain vegetables and the local cured meats

Best time

October–December and March–April; river rafting is best May–September