Shaoguan

Shaoguan (韶关; Sháoguān) is a small city in Guangdong Province in China. It is famous for its surrounding nature and the hot springs.

Get in

By train

A train ride from Guangzhou on the slow train takes about 3 hours and should cost ¥39 on the hard seater.

The bullet train from Guangzhou takes about 50 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes and costs between ¥70-105 depending on speed for a second class seat.

Shaoguan's two main train stations are Shaoguan Station (韶关站) and Shaoguan East Station (韶关东站).

By plane

When you get off from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, the intercity bus is convenient. The price of a ticket is about ¥100. Please note that you check the bus with certificate. When get off the bus, you can travel around by yourself with the map, that is so fun.

Get around

The main bus terminal is just next to the train station. Buses leave from here to the major sights. Locally operating buses start here, but the town center is within walking distance. Just cross the river opposite the train station and you are almost there.

Tourist guides will occasionally offer their services to newly arrived travellers. Prices are subject to negotiation.

See

• 🌍 Nanhua Temple (南华寺 Nánhuá Sì; 南华禅寺 Nánhuá Chánsì), Qujiang District (曲江区) (Special express buses to the temple are available from the Shaoguan East Railway Station. If arriving at Shaoguan Railway Station, take bus no. 23. You can also get there via bus no. 309, which departs from the Shaoguan South Bus Station), ☎ [phone]. 8AM-5PM. The former temple of Huineng (the sixth patriarch of Zen Buddhism) and the location of his mummified remains. As such, the temple is an important pilgrimage site for practitioners of Zen Buddhism. ¥20.  
• 🌍 Danxia Mountains (丹霞山; Dān xiá shān), Renhua County (仁化县) (Special express buses are available from both the Shaoguan Railway Station and the Shaoguan East Railway Station. Buses take about 50 minutes to get to the park), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Open 24 hours a day. A canyon like valley carved into the stone. The main attractions include an old monastery on top and various formations with sexual characteristics. Notable rock formations include Yangyuan Rock (阳元石), which resembles a phallus and Yinyuan Rock (阴元石), which resembles a vulva. ¥150 for persons aged 18 to 60, ¥75 for persons under 18 or over 60 who provide proof of age.  
• Nanling National Forest Park (南岭森林公园). Located in Ruyuan Yao Nationality Autonomous County, 8 kilometers from the bridge exit of Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway. The park covers area of 27300 hectares. It is the core zone of Nanling Mountain, the only preserved virgin forest in Guangdong and the oasis with the largest area in the areas with the same latitude in the world. The park has developed scenic spots including No.1 Peak in Guangdong (Shikengkong with altitude of 1902 meters), Water Loving Valley, Waterfall Groups and Small Yellow Mountain. 
• Guangdong Grand Canyon (广东大峡谷). The Grand Canyon is located in Guangdong Ruyuan Yao Autonomous Dabu Town, from the Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway in Ruyuan export 70kilometers. Canyon of up to 15 kilometers, more than 300 meters deep, belong to quartz sandstone. The original site of the Grand Canyon is a ravine in small basin, due to the Yanshan movement effects, makes the crust with block uplift of the expansion, and make partial massif rifting subsidence of the formation of rift valley. Be aware that the place is not really taken care of and that despite the various maps you will see here and there, you will only be able to access a very small part of the canyon, the rest being closed and under guard. The site is not really worth the trip unless you want to see a 100m high but very narrow waterfall. 

Do

Buy

Eat

Restaurants in Shaoguan are not set as densely as in Guangzhou. A good place to find many restaurants is Heping Road (和平路) at the northern end of the main shopping and pedestrian area. The choices include a McDonalds and various Chinese cuisines.

Drink

Sleep

• Dongyuan Hotel (东园招待所; Dōng​yuán​ Zhāo​dài​suǒ​) (Next to the river at the junction of Jianguolu (健国路) and Dongdinanlu (东堤南路)). Rooms can be bargained down to ¥50 per bed and night. 
• Hot Spring Hotel (泉景酒店; Quán​jǐng​jiǔ​diàn​), 1 Huanyuan West Street (环园西路1号; Huányuánxīlù), ☎ [phone]. 
• Danxia Hotel (大丹霞酒店; Dà​dān​xiá​ jiǔ​diàn​), 128 Jiefang Road (解放路128号; Jiě​fàng​lù​), ☎ [phone]. 

Go next

Routes through Shaoguan

Changsha ← Zhuzhou ←

N  S

→ Guangzhou