Exploring Heyuan: A Hakka Ancient City and Family Self-Drive Vacation
Heyuan, a less famous city in Guangdong, is rich in Hakka culture, with the emerald-like Wanlv Lake, the largest in South China, winding lakeside roads, hot springs, resort towns, Hakka cuisine, and a slow-paced, down-to-earth lifestyle. In the rainy and hot June of southern China, I decided to take my family and baby on a light weekend vacation to Heyuan.
Hakka ancient city, green Heyuan. A three-day, two-night light trip to Heyuan. With a baby, an SUV is best for a family road trip. This time we drove the Haval H6 Platinum Edition, a national popular car in the 100,000 yuan class. It has plenty of space and sufficient power. After installing the baby's car seat, we set off with peace of mind. Heyuan is less than 200 kilometers from Guangzhou, a two-hour drive on the highway. We stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton in the Heyuan Bavaria Manor, which is convenient for getting to many places and close to the city center. We could soak in hot springs at the hotel, and in the following days, we could either relax at the hotel or visit Wanlv Lake, Guishan, Dongjiang Gallery, and Taiping Ancient Street.
Heyuan Bavaria Manor
As a father, I drove for two hours with our six-month-old baby, Caipu, arriving at Heyuan Bavaria Manor around noon. The previous day's torrential rain had given way to a fine, sunny day—Heaven's favor, I suppose. This exotic, castle-like complex has a distinctly European style, with colorful houses and windmills. There are wooden cabins, villas, apartments, hotels, and also Tulou (earthen building) hotels, Jiayuan Theater, the Black Forest amusement park, and a hot spring and food street. Staying here, you can enjoy Munich-style beer and pork knuckles, as well as Heyuan's Tulou and Hakka cuisine.
Heyuan Four Points by Sheraton
Self-driving family time in Heyuan, enjoying Bavarian German charm. In June, the rainy season, the day before was a downpour, but this day cleared up. A rare family moment—taking the baby on a road trip to Heyuan. Beautiful Wanlv Lake, Hakka cuisine and culture. We stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton in the Heyuan Bavaria Manor, enjoying the beautiful lakes and mountains. It had been a long time since I last visited Heyuan, and it has changed so much over the years. Among many accommodation options, we chose this German-style hotel. Quality service, great value for money. The lobby is elegant and luxurious, the rooms spacious and comfortable—truly the king of value. The whole Bavaria Manor is full of vibrant colors, instantly lifting one's spirits. Staying here for two nights, we enjoyed moments of beauty all the time.
After a noon rest at the hotel, we drove to Wanlv Lake in the afternoon, the largest lake in South China. The lake covers 370 square kilometers, with a storage capacity of 14 billion cubic meters. Surrounding it are 1,100 square kilometers of continuous green mountains and over 360 scattered islands. The lake is as green as emerald. It is the main water source for Hong Kong and also the source of Nongfu Spring. A boat trip on the calm lake creates ripples, and an aerial view shows the vast green expanse, very pleasing to the eye. Cruising on the lake, you can enjoy the lush scenery on both sides.
Aerial view of Wanlv Lake. There were few visitors in the afternoon. A boat glided across the calm surface, heading into the depths of the lake. The islands on both sides have various shapes—some look like giant crocodiles, others like natural harbors. A mountain sea hidden deep in the mountains, right next to Heyuan city, it is a natural treasure, as beautiful as poetry.
With such lush greenery everywhere, I truly love it.
From the Jinghuayuan Pier at Wanlv Lake, winding mountain roads led us to Guishan in Heyuan, a national AAAA scenic area. The main peak, Haohan Peak, is 1,056 meters high. Guishan embraces the mountain and faces the lake, surrounded by mountains and water, with beautiful natural scenery. There are many waterfalls and rafting spots, making it a cool place in summer. Glass bridges, forest baths, negative oxygen ions—you can enjoy the mountains and water here in summer. Below is a natural swimming pool where many locals swim in the evening.
At the entrance to Guishan scenic area, a retired old man was fishing by the pool. With few people around, we took the opportunity for various posed photos, blending with the ancient-style gate tower and distant mountains. A quiet road merged with the sleek lines of the Haval H6. Little joys on the journey, also a reliable companion.
As China's national pop car, the Haval H6 has achieved many successes in the SUV market. This Haval H6 Platinum Edition constantly surpasses itself, with numerous breakthroughs on the existing foundation. It is equipped with a 1.5GDIT engine and a wet 7-speed DCT transmission, a "golden power" system, and comes standard with ECO, NORMAL, and SPORT driving modes. What I like most is the paddle shifters, making driving more comfortable, and allowing free gear shifting. The AI intelligent driving assistance system and intelligent navigation are also outstanding. I increasingly like this understated but capable Haval H6.
In the evening, under the guidance of a good friend, we went to a local specialty restaurant, Tielu Farmhouse Kitchen, for authentic Hakka cuisine: salt-baked chicken, Hakka stuffed tofu, Wanlv Lake stone-stream fish, Dongpo pork, chive stir-fried river shrimp, and Wuzhimaotao root gongfu soup. Delicious! Hakka cuisine is one of the three major cuisines in Guangdong. Since Heyuan is a Hakka city, it's a must to experience local authentic food. Hakka dishes are characterized by saltiness, fragrance, and freshness. Eating at a farmhouse is the most authentic.
Salt-baked chicken is a must-order Hakka dish. Braised pork (red-cooked pork) became famous because of Su Dongpo. Stone-stream fish is a unique species in Wanlv Lake, worth tasting. Tielu Farmhouse Kitchen is quite famous among locals, located on a hillside with scattered buildings and good food.
The next day, the weather was kind again—bright and sunny. From below the Xinfengjiang Reservoir Dam, you can see highways, railways, and the beautiful Xinfengjiang River reflecting the clear water and blue sky, picturesque. The pastoral scenery blends seamlessly with the city views. Such a Heyuan is truly captivating, intoxicating.
A dad's daily routine: road-tripping with the baby. It's been a while since we started traveling with the baby. From when she was over two months old, we went to Nanchang, Guilin, Zhanjiang, etc. Now Caipu is six months old, and we took her to Heyuan. Caipu enjoys the car ride, quiet and not fussy. This time we got her a Baby First car seat, very user-friendly design. Once Caipu sat in it, she behaved well, allowing me to drive with peace of mind. With a car seat on road trips, taking Caipu around China is more reassuring. We visited Heyuan's Bavaria Manor, Wanlv Lake, Guishan, Dongjiang Gallery, Wanlv Valley, and also watched the tallest fountain in Asia, ate Hakka food, and had morning tea. In the future, I plan to take Caipu on a road trip around China to show her the great rivers and mountains of our motherland.
Taiping Ancient Street is a famous street in the old town of Heyuan, once a distribution center for small commodities in eastern Guangdong. Built during the Qing Dynasty, it was originally called Cross Street, a narrow alley about 300 meters long. The poet Gu Cheng wrote a poem about an alley: "Alley, winding and long, without door, without window. I take an old key, knocking on the thick wall." Now Taiping Ancient Street has been renovated into a brand-new pedestrian street. Although it's now mainly clothing stores and milk tea shops, a few shops are well preserved. One shop selling lanterns and couplets looks very festive; locals come here to buy items for weddings, with a sea of red. Next door is a tailor shop. I learned that the owner has been working quietly for over 50 years. His eyes are still sharp, able to thread a needle himself.
Taiping Ancient Street also has a food alley with malatang, grilled milk tea, steamed buns, beef offal, and various snacks. There is a large space for diners to sit and enjoy, with an antique atmosphere and, of course, air conditioning—very cool.
At the other end of the street, next to the park, there is shade where local elderly people gather in the afternoon to cool off and play cards. Such a leisurely life.
Asia's Tallest Musical Fountain
Actually, it's called the Heyuan Xinfengjiang Musical Fountain. Located in the city center along the Xinfengjiang River, this is the dragon vein of Heyuan. Every night at 8 o'clock, with music and narration, light, sound, water, and color integrate. The main jet reaches 169 meters, a water column shooting straight into the sky, magnificent and spectacular. There are also 1,068 nozzles forming different fountain shapes, with 618 sets of colored underwater lights. In cheerful music, through eight types of water effects (straight jet, water curtain, water wave, water pine, inward throw, swing, net weaving, etc.), they continuously combine into dozens of changing, gorgeous fountain landscapes—some like flowing gold and splashing colors, fire trees and silver flowers; others like peacocks spreading tails or rainbows drinking from a stream. I remember this musical fountain has been around for over ten years. I saw it many years ago, and it is still as beautiful as ever, like this city—changing day by day, yet holding on to the most simple life, providing an ever-present attraction for evening strollers.
The happiest days in Heyuan: waking up every day to a clear blue sky and white clouds. Watching the scenery from the balcony, colorful houses, white clouds surging from the opposite mountain. The comfort of the Four Points by Sheraton in Heyuan: if it's hot, stay in the room and enjoy the view; if you want to go out, drive around the area.
At noon, I met friends for morning tea in Heyuan, at Zhonghua Tea House in the city. The best way for Cantonese to meet is to drink tea and chat. The offerings at Zhonghua Tea House are quite good for Heyuan. We ordered shrimp dumplings, red rice rolls, squab, chicken feet, fried dumplings, boat congee, and osmanthus cake. Having friends in different cities is a blessing; eating and drinking together is the happiest.
One car, one family, a comfortable weekend trip. After going through wind and rain, we welcome the gentle breeze and light clouds. That's the norm of life: not to compare, not to force, to live a plain life—that is truly precious. Just like the Haval H6, brave to be yourself may be enough.
Heyuan is a leisurely Hakka city in eastern Guangdong. June in Heyuan is hot and bright, with a long history and rich cultural heritage. I was lucky that Heyuan had calm weather throughout. In this Hakka ancient city, eating Hakka food is the most comfortable, seeing the beautiful Dongjiang Gallery and Wanlv Lake, meeting a few friends, feeling the city's warmth, and discovering different lifestyles—worth savoring.
