Self-Drive to Baishuizhai in Zengcheng, Guangzhou: Stay at a Trendy Guesthouse, See the Waterfall, Pick Fruit, and Eat Roast Chicken

📍 Guangzhou · 👁 1 reads · ❤️ 75 likes

Those who love travel always have a restless heart. As work keeps us busy and unable to go far, whenever we have free time, we take trips around Guangzhou. As a family of three, we enjoy roaming the hills and streams and eating farm-style cuisine, finding joy in it all.

A few days ago, we took a self-drive trip to Paitan Town in Zengcheng. In the morning, we hiked up to see the waterfall with the greatest drop in the country. In the afternoon, we picked fruit and savored farmhouse dishes. At night, we sipped tea at a guesthouse and enjoyed the waterfall view. The next day, we went to Hanhu Village to admire the rice paddy scenery...

We always think the most beautiful scenery is far away, yet we overlook the beauty closer to home. Having lived in Guangzhou for many years, we came to Baishuizhai in Zengcheng and discovered that the waterfall with the highest drop in the country is right here — it is the Baishui Xian Waterfall.

Baishuizhai Scenic Area has 28 attractions, including the First Ladder of Southern Heaven, Longevity Turtle Pool, Meeting Immortals Bridge, and Waterfall-Viewing Platform. There are two paths up the mountain: the wooden plank trail passes many sights and isn't too tiring even for a long walk, while the other stone staircase is steeper, suited for young people with good stamina.

Worried our little one wouldn't have enough energy, we didn't linger long at spots like the Water-Edge Plank Trail and Wonder Valley. At the First Ladder of Southern Heaven and Meeting Immortals Bridge, we snapped photos and continued upward. Passing through Divine Turtle Valley, we saw crystal-clear running water and uniquely shaped rocks, and couldn't help but marvel at nature's extraordinary craftsmanship.

Originally we planned to stop at the 1,299th step, but the scenery along the way was so beautiful, the air so exceptionally fresh, and our toddler surprisingly energetic, so we quickly reached the first goal.

Already panting and tired, we noticed the 1,499th step was just above us, so we summoned our energy and climbed up in one go, finally catching sight of the magnificent Baishui Xian Waterfall — so thrilling!

Standing below the Baishui Xian Waterfall, I felt so insignificant; the waterfall, like a white dragon, cascaded down from the sky. The mist enveloped my whole body, sweeping away the heat and leaving a wonderfully cool and refreshing sensation.

Legend has it that the immortal He Xiangu attained enlightenment and ascended to immortality here, transforming into this waterfall, hence its name Baishui Xian Waterfall. The drop is a staggering 428.5 meters — indeed it deserves the title of the waterfall with the highest drop in China.

The distant mountains echo the Baishui Xian Waterfall, creating a scene as picturesque as a scroll painting, soothing to the soul. If you're fit, you can continue all the way up, passing ladders like the Scenic Vista Ladder, the Immortal Source Cave, the Warrior Ladder, and the Heavenly Pool, and eventually reach the 9,999-step Summit Ladder, where there are also attractions like the Ninth Heaven and Seven Immortals Lake.

After coming down, we got hungry. The speciality street in the Baishuizhai Scenic Area has all kinds of snacks. At the entrance, they sell Mishi red persimmons and Hakka mugwort rice cakes. I especially love persimmons; a basket for 10 yuan is about 1.5–2 kilos — such a bargain.

Mishi red persimmons are a speciality of Mishi Village in Paitan, Zengcheng. They boast a seductive bright red color, are smaller than ordinary persimmons, sweeter, with fine, seedless flesh. I ate many in one go.

Zengcheng in Guangzhou has many local products. Besides lychees, Simiao rice, and sweet potatoes, there's seasonal fruit picking, making it ideal for a family road trip with kids.

A few minutes' walk from the Baishuizhai Scenic Area exit, you'll see an orchard where you can still glimpse the Baishuizhai waterfall.

Seasonal fruits now include grapes, red-fleshed guavas, and golden kiwifruit. You go in, pick what you like (no sampling on the spot), clip them into your basket, and pay by weight. Muscat grapes are 20 yuan per jin (500g), red-fleshed guava and golden kiwifruit are 15–20 yuan per jin, prices vary by month; confirm on-site.

Muscat grapes are half the size of ordinary grapes, with crisp, sweet, juicy flesh and a rose fragrance. Carrying our basket into the vineyard, we saw the Muscat bunches wrapped in netting; we just had to pick plump, rounded grapes and snip them off.

Ever since our kid went grape-picking in Nanxiong, Shaoguan, he's become an expert at snipping grapes. In the end, we had to stop his spending spree for fear of a wallet massacre—haha!

People who've lived too long in the city increasingly yearn for rural life, and busy as we are, we're no exception. Today, arriving at Hanhu Village and seeing the golden rice paddies, we paused to watch clouds drift and the wind ripple through the fields — a beautiful sight.

Hanhu Village lies in the northern mountains of Paitan Town, Zengcheng. Its rice fields and guesthouses are well-known, as is the famous Paitan grass jelly.

Paitan Town abounds in mesona (grass jelly herb). The jelly made from it is glossy black, rich in gelatin, and has a unique delicate fragrance. Eaten with honey or condensed milk, it helps clear heat, relieve summer heat, and prevent colds. It's worth mentioning that Paitan mesona, along with lychees, Simiao rice, and black olives, are known as the 'Four Treasures of Zengcheng'.

If you want to try Paitan grass jelly, head to Tanyun Tianju Guesthouse in Hanhu Village. Our kid loves the honey version, while I prefer the condensed milk one. Sitting on the terrace, you can eat grass jelly while gazing at the rice paddies, soaking up the idyllic rural scenery.

After a day in Zengcheng, if you don't want to head back downtown, you can stay at a guesthouse right next to Baishuizhai Scenic Area, less than 50 meters from the main entrance. By day, sit on the rooftop terrace brewing tea and admiring the views; by night, sip wine, sing, or take a swim—relax and breathe the fresh air.

Congxinyin Art Design Guesthouse was designed by a Singapore-based British Royal architect. As you enter, there's a pool filled with natural mountain spring water from Baishuizhai. It looks ordinary by day, but at night the shifting lights make it extraordinarily charming.

The courtyard features a koi pond, a swing chair, and a grassy lawn—a small space brimming with life, where you can sit with coffee and a book, spending a leisurely, carefree day.

In the lobby, the wooden slats on the ceiling catch your eye. The designer aimed to express the infinite cosmos, a metaphor for the Penglai wonderland people yearn for.

The rooms are stylish and light-luxury, drawing inspiration from mountains, water, and forests. The amenities rival five-star hotels, with high-end German bathroom fixtures.

The best rooms have superb views and large round bathtubs where you can soak while enjoying the scenery outside. Many young ladies come here for Instagram-worthy shots, and it's also perfect for couples.

With our child, we chose a tatami room. Our kid loves Mishi red persimmons and clamored to watch TV, so dad switched on the projector to play cartoons.

Winter is a great time to soak in hot springs. You can buy tickets for Gaotan Hot Spring and enjoy an evening dip with the family, which helps ward off the cold and warms you up for health.

Zengcheng’s Specialities and Cuisine

After years in Guangzhou, we're picky about food. This time in Paitan, Zengcheng, we tried authentic farmhouse dishes and found the Paitan roast chicken, mountain stream snails, and Hakka stuffed tofu truly excellent—we were fully satisfied.

Baishuixian Farmhouse:

Right next to Baishuizhai Scenic Area, we ordered Paitan roast chicken, mountain stream fish, and mountain stream snails. The chicken, roasted over lychee wood, had skin as crispy as paper and flesh that was tender, smooth, and juicy—delicious from the inside out.

The mountain stream fish were deep-fried to a crispy, fragrant crunch, even the bones were chewable—perfect with a drink.

The mountain stream snails stir-fried with perilla leaves were incredibly aromatic; the snail meat was crispy and flavorful, truly addictive!

Junji Bamboo Rice:

When autumn breezes blow, it's time for cured meats. For cured-meat taro bamboo rice, you must visit Junji Bamboo Rice. A friend warned us to avoid peak meal times, or the wait could be long.

We came in the afternoon when it wasn't crowded. The cured-meat taro bamboo rice arrived and was best eaten hot: the taro was soft and smooth, the cured meats savory, the rice glossy and fluffy—I devoured two bowls in one go.

As a snail fan, I specially ordered the stream snail chicken pot. The chicken was braised until charred outside and tender within, savory and delicious. The snails were crisp and tasty, though a bit small, leaving me wanting more.

With the area's good water quality, tofu made from soybeans is incredibly silky. In particular, the Hakka stuffed tofu, pan-fried to golden and slightly charred, was exceptionally good.

For authentic Paitan Gaizai rice noodles, go near the Gaoshan Cured Meat Factory in Gaotan Village. At Shengji Breakfast Shop in the morning, you can see the making process: they grind late-season rice into a slurry and steam it into flat noodles. The result is pleasantly chewy with a strong rice aroma. We ordered stir-fried Gaizai noodles, and the taste was really good!

Besides Gaizai noodles, they also have pork offal congee, beef brisket rice noodles, wonton noodle soup, and more.

Seeing the day darken and wanting to head back downtown, we happened to pass Paitan Market and popped in to buy groceries, lest we get stuck in traffic and arrive too late when the markets were closed.

Paitan Market is spacious and bright, with fruit, rice, seafood, meat, and vegetables. Zengcheng Simiao rice is known as the 'King of Chinese Rice,' so we bought a couple of jin to make cured-meat rice at home.

We all love Mishi red persimmons. Farmers were selling them for 2 yuan per jin—incredibly cheap—so we simply bought more to take home.

Late-season flowering cabbage is another Zengcheng speciality. Despite its large leaves and thick stems, stir-fried with pork cracklings, it's sweet, crisp, tender, and never stringy. I love it every winter, so I bought two jin for dinner at home.

Travelogue Directory

1. Baishuizhai Mountain Hike and Waterfall Viewing

2. Fruit Picking Family Fun

3. Hanhu Village Rice Field Scenery

4. Baishuizhai Internet-Famous Guesthouse

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