Why Guangdong Feels Like Three Provinces? The Answer Lies in This City!
Guangdong, the province with the longest coastline in China. When early September arrives, cities here are never short of enthusiastically "devouring" seafood. Zhanjiang and Maoming in the west are renowned for their massive output, while Chaozhou and Shantou in the east captivate people with an array of lively and fresh marine delicacies.
The Pearl River Delta in the central part also holds its own when it comes to seafood. North of Daya Bay lies a city between Guangzhou and Shenzhen that has never disappointed Cantonese food lovers with its diverse and vibrant seafood offerings. This city, often called "Little Guangdong," is—
Huizhou, where the Dongjiang River flows through the urban area, and West Lake lies nearby.
While Huizhou's seafood output may seem unremarkable, the variety and uniqueness of its offerings are astounding—over 80 types of exotic seafood, most of which are unheard of inland: "Buddha's hand" barnacles, "from hell" gooseneck barnacles, black bream, red snapper, and more. The ways Huizhou locals prepare seafood are equally diverse: boiled flower conch, pepper shrimp, seafood fried rice, and so on.
Fig. 1 photo by Ma璐Leslie, Fig. 2 photo by Chen Yan
Huizhou can be called a "kaleidoscope" of Guangdong's seafood scene. But Huizhou's diversity isn't limited to seafood—it's also a "melting pot" of Guangdong's culture.
It's often said that the three northeastern provinces of China resemble one province, while Guangdong alone feels like three. As a major immigration hub, Guangdong has welcomed waves of settlers over two millennia, forming three main groups: the Cantonese ("bringing chopsticks"), the Hakka ("bringing books"), and the Teochew ("bringing tea sets"), distributed across the province.
Huizhou borders two first-tier cities: Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
The Cantonese, Hakka, and Teochew differ greatly in cuisine, language, and customs, but they are not isolated from one another. Located at the convergence of these three groups, Huizhou, with its inclusive and open attitude, has become the city that best integrates all three—
Here, you can enjoy Cantonese, Hakka, and Teochew cuisine, speak Cantonese, Hakka, and Hoklo, and due to the convergence of migrants from all over, even Mandarin is surprisingly widespread. To understand why Huizhou is a "melting pot," one must start with its location and topography.
One phrase霸气地 describes Huizhou's geographical position: "Connecting to Changting in the east, linking to Ganzhou ridges in the north, controlling the strategic points of Chaozhou and Meizhou, bolstering the southern flank of Guangdong, with the vast sea spread out before it and mountains embracing it from behind." As one of only two cities bordering two of China's first-tier cities (the other being neighboring Dongguan), Huizhou faces the sea, sits at the confluence of two Pearl River tributaries, and is backed by rolling mountains in its central and northern parts—making it a microcosm of Guangdong.
Daya Bay, characterized by "large bays enclosing small ones," is dotted with numerous islands.
First, the sea. The reason Daya Bay teems with such a variety of fresh seafood is that it boasts the best near-shore water quality in all of Guangdong. Many Huizhou locals have childhood memories of gathering clams, catching crabs, and collecting mussels by the shore.
Daya Bay is not only a seafood paradise but also incredibly scenic. Millennia of seawater erosion have shaped its蜿蜒 coastline. Here, you can witness the神奇 phenomenon of "large bays enclosing small ones," such as the Twin Moon Bay, composed of two crescent-shaped bays—one calm as a mirror, the other turbulent with waves. There's also Xunliao Bay, nestled between mountains and sea, with洁白晶莹 sand that is 99% pure, earning it the reputation of a "heaven-sent white sand embankment."
Twin Moon Bay, surrounded by the sea on three sides, resembles two crescent moons.
Even more remarkable is Sea Turtle Bay, where sea turtles still come ashore to lay eggs every year. It is the northernmost and closest sea turtle nesting site to human habitation globally, and the last "nesting bed" for sea turtles along China's mainland coastline.
Huizhou's Daya Bay has the best near-shore water quality in Guangdong.
While the southern sea captivates visitors, the northern mountains stand like "reclusive sages."
Mountains like Luofu, Nankun, Xiangtou, and the main peak of Lianhua all exceed 1,000 meters in elevation, with clouds cascading over their slopes and stunning vistas. Luofu Mountain, known as the "First Mountain in Lingnan," is also celebrated as the "Ancestor of All Mountains in Guangdong" due to its融合 of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Taoist alchemist Ge Hong completed his medical masterpiece "Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies" on Luofu Mountain. This work inspired Chinese pharmacologist Tu Youyou's discovery of artemisinin. The wisdom of Ge Hong's medicine, from over 1,600 years ago, continues to safeguard human health across time.
Luofu Mountain is known as the "First Mountain in Lingnan."
Within Huizhou city, there is also Fei'e (Flying Goose) Ridge. Legend has it that an immortal rode a wooden goose from the north and, upon seeing Huizhou's beautiful mountains and waters, could not bear to leave. The wooden goose then transformed into a mountain ridge, giving the place its name. Hence, Huizhou earned the nickname "Goose City." Remember the movie *Let the Bullets Fly*, where Zhang Mazi "took office in Goose City"? Although the movie was filmed in Jiangmen, the real "Goose City" is actually Huizhou.
"Half the city is mountain hues, half the city is lake." Along with the mountains, it is the lake that shaped the layout of old Huizhou—another West Lake that Su Dongpo (Su Shi) fondly remembered a thousand years ago.
The Nine-Bend Bridge and Sizhou Pagoda of West Lake,
This is one of only two remaining Sizhou Pagodas in China.
Su Shi was humorously called the "Mayor of West Lake," not only for Hangzhou's West Lake but for many other West Lakes across cities where he left his poems and footprints. At the age of 57, he was exiled to Huizhou and lived there for two years and seven months. Huizhou's West Lake was originally called "Feng Lake," but after Su Shi, the name "West Lake" emerged and spread. Thus, the people of Huizhou say, "There are thirty-six West Lakes under heaven, but only Huizhou's bears Dongpo's name." He built "two bridges and one causeway" by the West Lake, which still facilitate travel for the people of Huizhou today.
Huizhou's West Lake, rich with the "Dongpo flavor," historically rivals Hangzhou's West Lake and Yingzhou's West Lake, earning the reputation that "the three West Lakes share the same autumn hues." Like Hangzhou's West Lake, Huizhou's West Lake also has a Su Causeway and Solitary Hill. His beloved concubine Wang Zhaoyun passed away in Huizhou and was buried on Solitary Hill.
With willows swaying gently and banyan trees brushing the water, Huizhou's West Lake
"Among the thirty-six West Lakes under heaven, only Huizhou's can compare with Hangzhou's."
"If you ask about the achievements in my life: Huangzhou, Huizhou, Danzhou." The peripatetic Su Shi defined the accomplishments of his life by these three cities where he was exiled in his later years, one of which is Huizhou.
The upheavals of his later years made Su Shi's mindset increasingly broad-minded, and his literary creations reached a peak. In Huizhou, he left nearly 600 poems and essays. The lychees of Huizhou captivated Su Shi so much that he wrote the timeless line: "If I could eat three hundred lychees a day, I wouldn't mind staying in Lingnan forever." Because of Su Shi, Huizhou gained attention from the world for the first time. His detailed writings about Huizhou's scenery and customs changed many Central Plains people's prejudices against Huizhou and even the entire Lingnan region.
"Since Dongpo was exiled to the South Sea, the world no longer dares to look down on Huizhou."
The people of Huizhou are well aware of "Dongpo's" contributions to the city.
After Dongpo, Huizhou became one of the most culturally and educationally advanced prefectures in Guangdong. Scholars and literati from the Central Plains flocked here, establishing academies and promoting the imperial examination system. Feng Lake Academy, founded during the Southern Song Dynasty, is one of the four great academies of Guangdong. After the Song Dynasty, Huizhou produced numerous talents, with nearly a hundred imperial examination graduates throughout history. Jiang Fengchen, a Huizhou imperial graduate of the Qing Dynasty, rightly said: "Since Dongpo was exiled to the South Sea, the world no longer dares to look down on Huizhou."
Beyond culture, Huizhou also holds significant importance in the military sphere. Due to its strategic location, Huizhou has always been a military stronghold and a coastal defense outpost, known as the "First Natural Barrier in Southern China."
The Chaojing Gate, hailed as the "Natural Moat of Huizhou,"
is one of the gates of the ancient city of Huizhou, a fortress on the East River.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Huizhou was one of the top two cities in Guangdong, alongside Guangzhou. In the first year of the Wanli era, the governor's office of Guangdong and Guangxi even moved to Huizhou. During the Republican era, the National Revolutionary Army's Eastern Campaign captured Huizhou, unifying Guangdong and laying the foundation for the Northern Expedition. In the Anti-Japanese War, Huizhou's strategic location made it a maritime breakthrough point for the Japanese army, who landed at Daya Bay and occupied Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
During the Anti-Japanese War, Ye Ting led behind-enemy-lines resistance in the East River area.
Looking back at the phrase "connecting to Changting in the east, linking to Gan Ridge in the north, controlling the strategic points of Chaozhou and Meizhou, and strengthening the support of Guangnan," it not only describes Huizhou's geographical position but also highlights its cultural position. Guangdong has always been a province of immigrants, and Huizhou is considered a "mini-Guangdong" because it lies at the confluence of the three major Guangdong cultures: Cantonese, Teochew, and Hakka. Immigrants from different periods and regions brought diverse cultures, which continuously collided and integrated in Huizhou.
Three or four decades ago, Huizhou's "plus version"—the Huiyang Prefecture—was headquartered in today's Huicheng District. Like a "behemoth," it encompassed not only present-day Huizhou but also areas such as Shenzhen, Dongguan, Shanwei, Heyuan, and Zengcheng in Guangzhou. Governing parts of the Cantonese and Chaoshan regions, Huizhou naturally became an ideal place for the integration of the three major ethnic groups.
Huiyang was originally very close to Huicheng District,
but in 1990, the Huiyang county seat relocated to Danshui Town, near Shenzhen.
Today, Huizhou borders the Cantonese region centered around Guangzhou to the west, the Hakka region represented by Ganzhou and Meizhou to the north, and the Chaoshan region represented by Chaozhou and Shantou to the east. Huizhou lies precisely at the transitional zone of these three regions.
For the Hakka people, Huizhou is a city of great significance.
Nanyang Shiju in Huiyang District is a typical Hakka walled village (Weiwu).
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, large numbers of Hakka people migrated from eastern Guangdong, southern Jiangxi, and southwestern Fujian to Huizhou, making it one of the "Four Hakka Prefectures" alongside Ganzhou, Meizhou, and Tingzhou. Some of them later moved overseas from Huizhou. To date, over a million overseas Chinese, compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, trace their roots to Huizhou, earning the city the title "Hakka Qiaodu (Hakka Overseas Chinese Capital)." In other words, for Hakka diaspora, "Huizhou" is the most recognized hometown name.
Although Hakka people form the largest demographic in Huizhou, due to its geographical location between the Cantonese, Hakka, and Chaoshan regions, Cantonese and Chaoshan people have also settled in or frequently visited Huizhou. Despite significant differences in language, culture, and customs among the three groups, they blend and coexist in Huizhou, creating a unique local character.
In Fanhe Village, Huidong County, one can see architectural styles from all three groups: Cantonese, Hakka, and Chaoshan.
Strolling through Huizhou, one can find arcade buildings, decorative windows, and ancient temples with Cantonese charm, as well as Hakka walled villages and woodcarvings featuring Chaoshan craftsmanship. Fanhe Village in Huidong County has three ancient temples: the Tiangong Temple (local Huidong belief), the City God Temple (Cantonese belief), and the Narcissus Palace (Minnan belief). It is rare to see temples of three different beliefs in a single village anywhere in Guangdong.
Figure 1: Lion dance of Cantonese culture;
Figure 2: Guangdong Han Opera of Hakka culture.
Huizhou's folk culture is highly inclusive, with prevalent activities such as Guangdong Han Opera, Cantonese Opera, fishing songs, Hakka mountain songs, dragon dances, lion dances, Spring Cattle dances, and the Yao ethnic group's Fire Dog dances. The folk rap tradition from the Cantonese region was adapted in Huizhou into Hakka dragon boat rap. In traditional lion dance performances, Huizhou features a variety of lion types: the Cantonese "Big Head Dog," the Qilin from the Dongjiang River Basin, the bullfight from Hakka mountainous areas, the flat-nosed lion from coastal regions, and the Fuklo White Pigeon Lion. The diversity is astounding.
When asking for directions on the streets of Huizhou, you might hear several different dialects, such as Cantonese, Min, and Hakka—
The various dialects in Guangdong are similar yet distinct.
The local Huizhou dialect is a unique language influenced by Cantonese and Hakka but with its own distinct phonology and identity. However, there's no need to worry about understanding it. Since even people from other counties in Huizhou find the Huizhou dialect difficult to comprehend, most Huizhou locals communicate in Mandarin, whether at home or elsewhere.
Interestingly, in some Huizhou households, you might encounter this scenario: the father's family speaks Hakka, the mother's family speaks Chaoshan dialect, the parents grew up studying in Huicheng District and are accustomed to conversing in the Huizhou dialect, yet they speak to their children in Mandarin. This is quite unconventional in the Pearl River Delta and even throughout Guangdong.
While various dialects can be heard in Huizhou,
the Huizhou dialect is spoken less and less.
A more relatable experience is naturally the food culture. Cantonese teahouse culture has long taken root in Huizhou. In the past, morning tea eateries were unseen in Huizhou, but now, enjoying morning tea, evening tea, and afternoon tea is very popular. Cantonese black tea, Hakka green tea, and Min-style oolong tea all have a strong market presence in Huizhou.
In Huizhou, it is not uncommon to enjoy a bowl of steaming rice noodles, juice-filled or sauce-rich rice noodle rolls, a platter of well-stewed marinated dishes, or even a pot of rich and flavorful slow-cooked soup for breakfast.
Fig. 1: Slow-cooked soup; Fig. 2: Rice noodle rolls.
Dim sum restaurants are now also easily found in Huizhou.
Photo/红薯大陈_Hedy
Huizhou's local cuisine is a fusion of Hakka, Cantonese, and Southern Fujian dishes. The "Three Treasures" of Huizhou cuisine—salt-baked chicken, preserved mustard greens with braised pork, and stuffed tofu—all belong to the Hakka culinary tradition. However, Huizhou's representative snack, Hengli rice noodles in soup, falls under the Cantonese category.
Fig. 1: A representative Hakka dish—preserved mustard greens with braised pork; Fig. 2: Dongjiang salt-baked chicken, one of Huizhou's "Three Treasures." Photo/康澜酱
The natural integration of Guangdong's three major local cultures, enriched by influences from Central Plains culture and overseas cultures, has ensured that Huizhou has never been underestimated. In the past, Huizhou was known as a renowned prefecture in Lingnan; today, it is the "Open Prefecture."
The Greater Bay Area's Most Promising "Huimin Prefecture" (Beneficial-to-People Prefecture)
Geographically, Huizhou encapsulates the entirety of Guangdong. However, its somewhat awkward location has also led to its economy performing modestly for a long time. After the reform and opening-up, the Huiyang region was divided into four parts, with Huizhou losing over 70% of its area. While Shenzhen and Dongguan soared, Huizhou repeatedly experienced growing pains.
A livable city blessed with blue skies and seas.
Today, as the "Eastern Gateway" of the Greater Bay Area, Huizhou is experiencing a rebirth.
As the "face" of the region, Huizhou's ecological environment holds a significant advantage in the Greater Bay Area, with air quality and green indices consistently ranking among the top in domestic cities. With its complete landscape of mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, some call Huizhou "Shenzhen's backyard garden." Nowadays, it is also affectionately referred to as the "designated team-building site for Greater Bay Area companies."
In recent years, its cargo throughput has exceeded 100 million tons.
Huizhou's courage and ambition in "making money" are no less than those of other cities in the Greater Bay Area. Thirty-three years ago, Huizhou sought to attract foreign investment but lacked a 10,000-ton-class port for cargo transport. In a bold move, the Huizhou municipal government approved the use of "directional blasting," leveling a mountain with 640 tons of explosives in an instant, laying the foundation for the port. Through sheer determination, the people of Huizhou "blasted" their way to building the 10,000-ton-class Huizhou Port.
Today, Huizhou has built one of China's largest petroleum refining and chemical bases. In 2021, the ExxonMobil Huizhou Ethylene Project, a multi-billion-dollar investment, commenced in Daya Bay. This world-class chemical complex project adds a significant footnote to Huizhou's reputation as the "Open Prefecture."
The Daya Bay Petrochemical Plant is a mirror of Huizhou's industry.
Huizhou is also a key transportation hub in the Greater Bay Area. The Beijing-Kowloon Railway and the Guangzhou-Meizhou-Shanwei Railway intersect here, while the Hui'ao (Huizhou Port) Railway connects with the Beijing-Kowloon and Guangzhou-Meizhou-Shanwei lines, forming a land bridge pattern linking the railways to the port. The opening of the Ganzhou-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway has created a "half-hour economic and living circle" between Huizhou's city center and Shenzhen-Dongguan. In the future, Huizhou's integration with the Greater Bay Area will only deepen.
In the past, it was said, "If you come to Shenzhen, you are a Huizhou person," implying that Huizhou's housing could not serve as a home for Shenzhen's migrant workers. Now, more and more people are coming to Huizhou not just for short stays or work but to settle down and become "new Hakka people."
Locals and outsiders—once in Huizhou, everyone becomes family. Open and inclusive, Huizhou is now full of vitality. The saying, "Shenzhen cannot lose Huiyang, just as the West cannot lose Jerusalem," is no longer mere banter.
"The world dare not underestimate Huizhou." Huizhou's past is a microcosm of Guangdong, and Huizhou's future is also the future of Guangdong.
At Qiaodong Seafood Street, experience the vibrant life of Huizhou.
Design | Ren Dong, Huizhou Peach
Unsigned image source | Visual China Group