Huizhou, China - a City of Half Hills and Forests, Half City Lake and Sea

Before leaving for our Asian trip, we were told a couple of times that we should visit Huizhou if we had the opportunity. Being in Guangzhou, we were not too far from it. Therefore we took the fast train to Huizhou, a city about an hours and 15 minute of train ride from Guangzhou. Stepping off the train, we were surprised to find a big modern train station in this not so well known Chinese city. The train station was not busy at all as it was not the summer travel season yet. Ground transportation outside the train station was well organized as there was a station personnel directing visitors where to board their cabs.

It was raining therefore we went into the Tourist Information Centre nearby to get shelter and some information about this city. A very friendly staff member was working there and greeted us politely. I didn't see too many Tourist Info Centres in China; this was the first one we came across. The lady there was polite and she answered all our questions patiently. She even helped us to locate a hotel and assisted us in making a reservation there. There were a number of booklets available and the information we got was helpful.

Desiring to be close to everything, we booked a hotel close to the downtown area. After we checked into our hotel, we went out for dinner and strolled around in the neighbourhood where it was bright with lots of lights flashing and people were out enjoying the evening.

"Half City Hills and Forest, Half City Lake and Ses" - This local saying describes Huizhou's geography well. It's not a concrete jungle; it is known for its green hills, numerous lakes, and a long coastline. Huizhou, a city with a population about 6 millions residents has experienced significant population growth over the last two decades, adding over a million people. This is largely due to inward migration for industrial jobs as Huizhou is famous for being a major electronics manufacturing hub. We looked forward to spending a few days in Huizhou, highly recommended by my brother who visited here before! RT, Huizhou China