The May Day holiday is coming to an end, but it's still not too late to escape the crowds. Forget the packed theme parks and popular city walks—Guangdong Province is full of peaceful, fascinating alternatives.
Here are five stunning off-the-beaten-path spots where you can experience everything from local history to ancient tribal culture.
1. Step back 369 years: the "loneliest" grotto in Yingde
Location: Guanyin Mountain, Yingde, Qingyuan
Trip type: Day trip (approximately 2 hours from Guangzhou)
Why go now: A natural cave temple that impressed Dutch explorers in the 17th century.
Before Guangzhou's skyscrapers, the West encountered China through sites such as Guanyin Yan (观音岩). This riverside cave temple was first sketched by Dutch illustrator Johan Nieuhof back in 1656, and later illustrated by British painters.
Today, you can climb the cliffside stairs to explore ancient calligraphy carvings (摩崖石刻) and enjoy a panoramic view of the misty Beijiang River. It's free, quiet, and feels like a forgotten chapter of history. A half-day visit is enough, and you can be back in Guangzhou by dinner.
2. Guangdong's "little Erhai": a lakeside escape in Qingyuan
Location: Taohua Lake, Qingxin District, Qingyuan
Trip type: Overnight (or a long day trip)
Why go now: Guangdong's "little洱海 (Erhai)"—without the Yunnan crowds.
Taohua Lake (桃花湖), nicknamed "Guangdong's Little Erhai," is a stunning reservoir surrounded by karst peaks. With over 4,000 mu of crystal-clear water dotted with small islands, it resembles Yunnan's famous lake—except that it's only about two hours from Guangzhou.
You can hike village trails through limestone peaks, sip coffee at a lakeside café, or simply watch the sunset turn the water gold. If you want to stay overnight (highly recommended for sunrise and sunset), several guesthouses have rooms with floor-to-ceiling lake views starting at around RMB 500.
3. Encounter Xianbei heritage: the Nomads of the South
Location: Xiaonan Village, Heshan, Jiangmen
Trip type: Day trip (1.5 hours from Guangzhou)
Why go now: The only village in Guangdong built by ancient nomadic warriors.
You don't need to go to northern China to see the legacy of the steppe. Xiaonan Village (霄南村) is a rare preserved settlement built by the descendants of the Xianbei people—nomads who ruled northern China 1,500 years ago.
The village was founded in the Southern Song Dynasty and combines Lingnan architecture with the history of the Tuoba (Northern Wei) Dynasty. Explore the ancestral halls, look for the distinctive 鲜卑 (Xiānbēi) totems, and try the local herbal tea (凉茶), which has been made here for over 200 years. The village is small—2 to 3 hours is enough—so pair it with lunch at a local farmhouse restaurant.
4. The floating island: a photographer's dream in Conghua
Location: Liuxihe National Forest Park, Conghua, Guangzhou
Trip type: Day trip (1 hour from Guangzhou)
Why go now: Beat the traffic—it's only an hour from the city center, but it feels a world away.
Liuxihe National Forest Park (流溪河国家森林公园), also known as the "Lungs of Guangzhou," is centered around a massive reservoir dotted with 22 lush islands.
Rent a bike or take a boat to explore "Stork Island," where thousands of egrets nest. The water is emerald green, and the mountains are covered with bamboo. You can easily explore the park, enjoy a lakeside lunch, and return to Guangzhou in the evening.
5. A "window" to the West: the oil rig turned paradise
Location: Haoxin Lake, Maonan District, Maoming
Trip type: Overnight (or a long day trip if you leave early)
Why go now: See how an industrial wasteland became a stunning turquoise lake.
Haoxin Lake (好心湖), also known as the "Maldives of Western Guangdong," is a breathtaking sight. It was once a massive oil shale mining pit, but it has been transformed into a giant, crystal-clear lake with water so blue that it resembles a tropical ocean.
It's an ideal spot for a relaxing jog, a sunset stroll, or a Western-style picnic on the "beach." The adjacent Open-pit Mine Museum provides a fascinating industrial history of how this "scar" was healed. Entry is completely free, and it's very "Instagrammable." Although it's the farthest spot on this list, you can make it work by taking an early morning train, spending 3–4 hours at the lake, and catching an evening train back.
Reporter: Xie Maishi
Photo: Nanfang Plus
