#Chaozhou West Lake Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jun)
#5 of Best Things to Do in Chaozhou
Gardens
Address:
Xihu Scenic Area, Xiangqiao District, Chaozhou City
Opening times:
Open today at 08:00-22:00(Admission ends at 22:00)Opening Soon
Recommended sightseeing time:
1-2 hour
Phone:
0768-2220731
One-Day Tour of Chaozhou Ancient City: A Nanny-Level Travel Guide!
Chaozhou, a famous historical city in China, is one of the four great cultural cities of China and a national historical and cultural city. It has rich historical relics and traditional folk customs, and is also one of the birthplaces of Lingnan culture.
📍Itinerary
🚄Chaoshan High-speed Railway Station→Kaiyuan Temple Thai Buddha Hall→Han Wen Gong Temple→Chaozhou Ancient City Archway Street→Guangji Bridge→Guangji Tower→Yi Garden→Kaiyuan Temple→Xu Fuma Mansion→Chaozhou West Lake Park→🚄Chaoshan High-speed Railway Station
Kaiyuan Temple Thai Buddha Hall
🎫Ticket: Free🆓
🌈Explore Chaozhou's 'Little Thailand', with the Thai-style Buddha hall hidden in lush gardens. Stepping inside, the hall is filled with curling incense smoke and the glittering golden Buddha statues shine brightly.
🚌Transport: Take bus no. 110/104 to Han Wen Gong Temple stop.
Han Wen Gong Temple
🎫Ticket: Free🆓 Closed on Mondays
🌈A historic ancestral hall built to commemorate Han Yu, constructed to remember the ancient sage of Chaozhou, Han Yu.
🚌Transport: Take bus no. 110/104 to Han Shan Normal University West District bus stop.
Guangji Bridge
🎫Ticket: 20 yuan
⏰Hours: 10:00-17:30 (Weekdays) 9:00-17:00 (Weekends)
🌈A masterpiece of ancient Chinese bridge architecture, the bridge's unique design allows for night-time boat passage and daytime pedestrian crossing. Its opening and closing design, consisting of a pontoon bridge made up of 18 fishing boats, facilitates the switch between navigation and pedestrian traffic.
Chaozhou Guangji Tower
🎫Ticket: Free🆓 to climb the tower, 10 yuan to enter the tower
🌈Built during the Tang Dynasty, it is one of the iconic buildings of Chaozhou City. It attracts tourists with its exquisite craftsmanship and unique style, offering a panoramic view of the ancient city and a sense of its thousand-year history.
Chaozhou Archway Street
🎫Ticket: Free🆓
🌈One of the largest ancient archway streets in China, it integrates Chinese and Western architectural styles. The 22 Ming and Qing style stone archways and the Nanyang-style arcades complement each other, forming a unique overseas Chinese style. Riding shared bicycles is not allowed.
Kaiyuan Temple
🎫Ticket: Free🆓
🌈One of the important historical relics, with a profound Buddhist cultural heritage. The temple preserves many ancient buildings and cultural relics, including some stone carvings from the Tang Dynasty.
Xu Fuma Mansion
🎫Ticket: 20 yuan
🌈The earliest existing 'mansion-style' residence, built during the Qing Dynasty. It was once the residence of Qing official Xu Wenqiang, and the mansion preserves many ancient pieces of furniture and relics.
West Lake Park
🎫Ticket: Free🆓
🌈The park features tree-lined lakesides, pavilions, towers, and exquisite garden landscapes, with many sculptures and cultural relics, such as the stone carvings of the Eight Views of Chaozhou.
Chaozhou Museum
🎫Ticket: Free🆓
⏰Hours: 9:00-17:30 (Closed on Mondays)
⭐️Trips
1️⃣Most attractions are near the ancient city, if you want to play for two days, you can mainly stay near the ancient city.
2️⃣Mostly walking, it's best to wear comfortable shoes.
Carter.Bailey^86
A Chaozhou travel guide that even the locals don't know about
🛫️ A two-day, one-night weekend getaway
🔸Day1️⃣: Arrive in Chaozhou (Chaoshan Station) → Check into Chaomi Homestay → Stroll through Paifang Street → Explore the Guangji Bridge → Admire the Hanwen Gong Ancestral Hall → Visit the Thai Buddha Temple → Play in Huiru Park → Night tour of the Guangji Tower
🔸Day2️⃣: Check in at Kaiyuan Temple → Taste the charm of Yiyuan → Visit Xu Fuma Mansion → Enjoy the beauty of Chaozhou West Lake → Ascend to Hanbi Building → Search for delicacies on Xima Road → Watch the Guangji Bridge light show
🎟️ Popular paid attractions in Chaozhou
📍Guangji Bridge (10 yuan) 📍Yiyuan (10 yuan)
📍Xu Fuma Mansion (20 yuan) 📍Beige Buddha Light (10 yuan)
📍Danfu Institute (30 yuan) 📍Confucian Temple (10 yuan)
🎒 Essential travel checklist
🆔 Identification: ID card, driver's license, student ID (for discounts), a small amount of cash
📱 Electronics: Mobile phone, selfie stick, camera, headphones, power bank
👗 Clothing: Dress according to the weather, sports shoes👟
💊 Medicine: Gastrointestinal medicine, mosquito repellent, cold medicine, band-aids
🧴 Daily necessities: Skincare products, cosmetics, toiletries
👜 Others: Mask😷, water bottle, rain gear🌂, snacks, etc.
🚌 Chaozhou transportation tips
🚌 Bus: Green travel is recommended, bus operating hours are 7:00-19:00, use Alipay to get a ride code
🚕 Taxi/DiDi: Daytime starting price is 8 yuan, nighttime 10 yuan
🚄 Transportation options to Chaozhou
🚅 High-speed train: Chaoshan Station is the first choice, convenient and fast
✈️ Airplane: Jieyang International Airport, suitable for long-distance travel
🚗 Self-driving: During holidays, you need to report in advance to 'Chaozhou Traffic Police', pay attention to the vehicle quota restrictions in the ancient city area
🏠 Accommodation recommendation: Chaomi Homestay (Paifang Street in the ancient city)
🏮 Located within Paifang Street of Chaozhou, in the bustling center of the ancient city, with shopping, food, culture, and entertainment all available. Convenient transportation with many surrounding attractions such as Paifang Street, Kaiyuan Temple, Guangji Bridge, etc. Whether it's a family trip or a couple's vacation, Chaomi Homestay is your ideal choice!
CADEN MORENO
West Lake has no Broken Bridge, but it is adorned with patches of greenery that hug the mountains and the lake
As the protective moat of the ancient city of Chaozhou, it lies next to Hulu Mountain and serves as a natural barrier for the ancient city. Although it may not be as renowned as Hangzhou's West Lake, the "West Lake Fishing Rafts" here are considered one of the eight scenic spots of Chaozhou.
Speaking of West Lake... it actually resembles a narrow river more than a lake. It is said that this was originally a canal connected to the Han River, which was blocked during the construction of the northern embankment in the Tang Dynasty, resulting in the current West Lake.
If you're coming from the direction of the old city, you can stroll along the West Road, grabbing a bite to eat on the way.
The main attraction is actually the park beside West Lake, which not only faces the lake but also backs onto Hulu Mountain. If you have time, you can climb up to the "Companion Moon Pavilion" and take a look at the group of stone carvings on the mountain wall. There's even a TV tower.
Additionally, there's a Chaozhou zoo located in the northern part of West Lake Park, on the mid-slope of the hill. It's not a very large zoo, and given that Chaozhou's West Lake itself is not very big, the zoo within West Lake Park naturally isn't very large either. I hadn't even heard of it before coming here, but I stumbled upon it while wandering around the park.
The zoo doesn't have a large variety of animals, mainly common small ones, with fewer large animals. And since the space is limited, the animals' living area is quite restricted.
LANE MULLINS
Chaozhou| Experience unique tourist food and scenery
|Experience unique tourist food and scenery. Walking in the ancient city of Chaozhou, it's like being in a charming historical scroll. This surprising small city, full of strong New Year atmosphere, makes people feel as if they can feel the local people's expectation for the Spring Festival.🏮
About transportation:
Although it's not suitable for self-driving and it's difficult to take a taxi, you can choose to ride a shared electric bike, but be prepared for a long walk!🛵
Photo spots:
1️⃣Double dragon lanterns of Guangji Tower.
Full of New Year atmosphere, if there are many people, squat down and take a top-down shot.
2️⃣Chaozhou Prefecture.
It feels like the Forbidden City, with the local tricycle wind! It has the flavor of Nanluoguxiang!
3️⃣Various alleys.
People can stand in the middle of the alley to create a sense of depth.
4️⃣North embankment plank road.
A clean background can take fresh photos
5️⃣Guangji Bridge.
Only from the shore or the city building can you take a group photo. The allusion of 'crossing the river and dismantling the bridge' comes from here, admiring the wisdom of our ancestors.
6️⃣Chaozhou West Lake.
You can get the 'money comes, money comes' expression pack, I want to make a fortune in the year of the dragon!
Nearby food recommendations:
1. Xie Hua Liang Sesame Tea Almond Tea: Next to West Lake Park, a local afternoon tea shop that locals have been eating since childhood. The sesame paste is delicious, and the fried skewers are also delicious!
Business hours: 09:30-23:00
Recommendation index⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Sanli Men Rongji Beef Offal
Rongji Beef Offal: Night snack stall food! Delicious beef offal and satay dumplings recommended
Business hours: 22:00-04:00
Recommendation index⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Old Bing Qi Cong Song Licorice Fruit:
Highly recommended, a famous shop, at the head of Paifang Street, thirst quenching!
Business hours: 9:00-23:30
Recommendation index⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Aunt Hua's Old Cinema Fruit Juice:
Local people love fruit juice ice, recommend avocado and strawberry
Business hours: 10:30-00:00
Recommendation index⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Ba Bu Ba Bu Wheel Cake
Cheap and delicious, near Aunt Hua's Fruit Juice (Changli Road), three yuan each.
Business hours: 15:00-23:00
Recommendation index⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. Chao Tu Ji Fermented Tofu Chicken Wings
On Yi'an Road, a popular shop, the taste is also good!
Business hours: 11:00-12:30, 15:00-18:30
Recommendation index⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Very Delicious Round Egg Wine Material
Popular pickled shop, near Kaiyuan Temple.
Business hours: 15:30-01:00
Recommendation index⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Qiang Long Meat Loose
On Zhongshan Road, the food here is often bought by locals, suitable as a gift for others.
Business hours: 08:00-22:30
Recommendation index⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Feng Chun White Porridge
Suitable as a late-night snack, very popular! We went there at 12 o'clock and it was still crowded
Business hours: 18:00-05:00
Recommendation index⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
JamesonBrennan55
Sharing the citywalk route of Chaozhou Ancient City
🎈Huan Cheng West Road→🎈Zhongshan Road→🎈Taiping Road→🎈Kaiyuan Road→🎈Shuiping Road→🎈Huan Cheng East Road→🎈Xi Ma Road
📸A simple stroll around Chaozhou Ancient City👀
✨Check-in points🔸Chaozhou West Lake🔸Paifang Street🔸Guangji Bridge🔸Kaiyuan Temple
✨Various exhibition halls along the way
✨There are also many specialty shops for eating and drinking~
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
🔶Chaozhou West Lake
🔶Chao Town Old Tail Beef Offal
🔶Li Clan Ancestral Hall
🔶Jun Cheng Yicang
🔶Chaozhou Xiangqiao District Museum
🔶Chaosheng Old Wei's Almond Tea
🔶Kaiyuan Temple
🔶Kick Peach Coffee
🔶Ancient City Paifang Street
🔶Xia Shui Men City Tower
🔶Guangji Tower
🔶Guangji Bridge
🔶Old Bin's Special Oyster Pancake
🔶Xia Shui Men Freshly Squeezed Juice
🔶Chao Juyuan
🔶Songfa Life Experience Hall
🔶Yang Zhong Art Museum
🔶Wu Ji Ming Marinated Goose
OAKLEY HOLT
Chaozhou West Lake, Hanbi Building and Gourd Mountain
🏞️Heading west along Zhongshan Road in the ancient city of Chaozhou, you come to Chaozhou West Lake, one of the thirty-six West Lakes distributed across the country. This is a long, slender lake, somewhat reminiscent of Slender West Lake, with a large mountain at the back of the lake, named Gourd Mountain, probably because it looks like a gourd.
🚶♂️Crossing the rainbow bridge over the lake, you come to the core of the park, where there is a monument to the soldiers who died in the War of Resistance. The Hanbi Building on the left is very eye-catching, with a group of statues named 'Welcome the Revolutionary Army into the City', depicting the history of the main force of the Nanchang Uprising Army taking over Chaozhou City. There is a bas-relief of 'Zhou Enlai's Speech Place' by the lake, where Premier Zhou once gave a speech. On the other side of the building, there are statues of several revolutionaries, including Premier Zhou, looking majestic.
🚶♂️Hanbi Building is a two-story building, with a plaque reading 'Hanbi Building' embedded in the eaves of the top floor, and a red five-star symbol above it. The building was first built in 1922 and was named for its green surroundings by the mountain and water. It was damaged by the Japanese during the War of Resistance and was rebuilt in 1964 according to the original design. The building is now mainly used as an exhibition hall, displaying the history of the Nanchang Uprising Army's occupation of Chaozhou City. As the Revolutionary Army fought here for seven days and left the seeds of revolution, the theme of the exhibition is named 'Chaozhou Seven Days Red'.
🚶♂️Leaving Hanbi Building and continuing south, there is a pavilion in the middle of the lake, which is very beautiful against the backdrop of the lake and mountains. Following the stone steps at the foot of the mountain, you start to climb. Gourd Mountain is not high, and soon you see a pavilion named Spring Wave Pavilion, and further up are the Yanta Stone Carvings, the most conspicuous of which is the word 'Park' inscribed by Wang Yankang. The Wild Goose Pagoda is like a mini version of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built on a high platform, but its origin is not found.
🚶♂️There are also sights such as the Waist City Ruins and the TV Tower on the mountain. After descending the mountain, you walk back along the lakeshore to the vicinity of the north gate, where there are few people and stone steps to climb the mountain. This is a secret place where nature and culture are intertwined. There are many inscriptions hidden on the big rocks, and the environment is quiet, so I couldn't help but stay here for a while. Among them, there is a huge rock with the words 'Living Man Cave' carved on it. I was curious about the name. It turns out that during the Ming Dynasty, someone was playing here and wanted to give this rock a nice name. Suddenly, a child fell into the lake. He rushed over to save him, and thus came up with the name 'Living Man Cave'.
📍Address: Xiangqiao District, Chaozhou City
👍Recommendation: Hanbi Building, Gourd Mountain Cliff Carvings
💰Cost: Free to visit