Holiday in Zhaoqing

About Zhaoqing

Zhaoqing is located on the Xi River (West River) in Guangdong Province and is famous for the Seven Star Crags (Qixingyan) — a spectacular karst landscape in the city that has inspired poets, painters, and travelers for over a thousand years. The city served as an administrative center for 2,200 years and is now the cultural gateway to the rural west of Guangdong. The Seven Star Crags are Zhaoqing's landmark: Seven limestone peaks rise from an artificial lake, resembling the arrangement of the Big Dipper. The expansive park connects the crags with bridges, pavilions, caves, and gardens, creating a classic Chinese landscape of sublime beauty. The caves contain Buddhist stone carvings from the Tang and Song Dynasties. Dinghu Mountain (Dinghushan) is one of the oldest nature reserves in China (since 1956) and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: subtropical evergreen rainforest covers the 1,000-meter-high mountain with ancient trees, waterfalls, and Buddhist monasteries. The Qingyun Temple at the summit dates back to the Ming Dynasty and offers a wide view of the Xi River Valley on clear days. The old city wall of Zhaoqing is one of the best-preserved city walls from the Song Dynasty in southern China: over 2.8 kilometers long, up to 10 meters high, with towers and gates that are illuminated in the evening. The wall tells a thousand-year story of trade, defense, and cultural exchange. Zhaoqing is also home to Duan Inkstones — the most precious inkstones in Chinese calligraphy, made from local purple stone and served as imperial tribute gifts since the Tang Dynasty. The Inkstone Museum showcases masterpieces of this unique craftsmanship.