Huizhou (惠州)

1. Introduction

Huizhou City, abbreviated as Hui and also known as Echeng, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. Located in the southeastern part of Guangdong, it is one of the cities encompassed by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The city borders Shenzhen and Dongguan to the southwest, Guangzhou to the northwest, Shaoguan to the north, Heyuan to the northeast, Shanwei to the east, and the South China Sea to the south. Situated at the eastern end of the Pearl River Delta and the northern part of Daya Bay, its northwestern region features the Nankun, Jiulian, and Luofu Mountains, the eastern part is dominated by the Lotus Mountain Range, the central area consists of river valley basins, and the southern part comprises the coastal plains of Honghai Bay and Daya Bay. The Dongjiang River flows across the city, converging with its tributary, the Xizhi River, in the urban area. The Municipal People's Government is located at No. 6 Yunshan West Road, Huicheng District.

Huizhou City is a provincial-level historical and cultural city in Guangdong Province. Since ancient times, it has been known as the "Famous Prefecture of Lingnan" and the "Eastern Gateway of Guangdong." Throughout history, many notable figures, including Su Dongpo, have resided here, leaving behind a wealth of poetry praising Huizhou, which has endowed the city with a profound cultural heritage. On October 18, 2015, with the approval of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Huizhou was officially designated as a National Historical and Cultural City. Moreover, Huizhou is the most important settlement and distribution center for the Hakka people, ranking first among the four major Hakka prefectures in terms of overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan compatriots of Hakka descent, making it the "Hakka Overseas Chinese Capital" of Guangdong Province.

Huizhou City is one of the nine prefecture-level cities in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone. It is a rapidly developing commercial, high-tech industrial, service-oriented, tourism-focused, and industrialized city with an export-oriented economy. As a significant base for high-tech industries and electronic manufacturing in mainland China, Huizhou has become one of the cities with the greatest development potential in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone. On April 25, 2016, CBN Weekly released a new ranking of Chinese city tiers, defining Huizhou as a second-tier city.

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2. History

2.1 Ancient Times

Huizhou was a terrestrial swamp area 70 million years ago, suitable for the survival of dinosaurs. In recent years, four batches totaling 38 dinosaur egg fossils and some dinosaur footprints have been discovered throughout Huizhou. During the late Neolithic Age, approximately 10,000 to 4,000 years ago, primitive humans began to thrive in the Huizhou area, engaging in fishing, hunting, and primitive farming. Currently, 28 ancient sites have been discovered throughout Huizhou, including hilltop sites and ancient cave sites, such as the shell midden sites at Hulu Ridge, Suwu Hill, and Hewu Hill in Boluo County. A large number of stone tools and pottery fragments have been unearthed from these sites.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, an ancient state named Fulou existed within the territory of present-day Boluo County, Huizhou. It is recorded in Lüshi Chunqiu: "In the states of Fulou, Yangyu, and Shengdou, many have no rulers." In 1993, during the construction of the Guangzhou-Huizhou Expressway, over 300 ancient tombs were discovered on Hengling Mountain in Boluo County. Most of these tombs date back to the Zhou Dynasty, yielding a large number of pottery items, primitive porcelain, bronze ware, jade objects, iron tools, and more. Among them, bronze yong bells and ding tripods bear witness to the aristocratic lifestyle of "feasting to the sound of bells and tripods" in the ancient state of Fulou.

In 214 BCE (the 33rd year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's reign), after Emperor Qin Shi Huang pacified the Baiyue region of Lingnan, he established Boluo County in Huizhou, which was under the jurisdiction of Nanhai Commandery. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Zhao Tuo established the Nanyue Kingdom, and Huizhou became part of its territory. In 111 BCE, after Emperor Wu of Han conquered the Nanyue Kingdom, he established nine commanderies. Huizhou was part of Boluo County under Nanhai Commandery.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Huizhou was part of the Eastern Wu territory. In the first year of the Xianhe era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (326 CE), Dongguan Commandery was separated from Nanhai Commandery, and Boluo County was placed under the jurisdiction of Dongguan Commandery. During the Xianhe era (326–334 CE), the famous Taoist figure Ge Hong retreated to Luofu Mountain in Huizhou to gather herbs and practice alchemy. He also established four Taoist temples on the mountain, making Luofu Mountain one of China's famous Taoist mountains.

In the second year of the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of Liang in the Southern Dynasties (503 CE), Dongguan Commandery was renamed Lianghua Commandery, with its administrative seat established in Boluo County (present-day Huidong County). This marked the first time a commandery seat was established in Huizhou.

In the tenth year of the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of Sui (591 CE), the Lingnan region established two chief military commands: Guangzhou and Xunzhou. The seat of the Xunzhou Chief Military Command was located in what is now Zhongshan Park in Huizhou City. From then on, Huizhou became the political, economic, and cultural center of the Dongjiang River basin. In the third year of the Daye era of Emperor Yang of Sui (607 CE), the Xunzhou Chief Military Command was renamed Longchuan Commandery. In 917 CE, Liu Yan established the Southern Han state, and Huizhou became the seat of Zhenzhou Commandery under Southern Han rule.

In the fourth year of the Tianxi era of Emperor Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty (1020 CE), to avoid the taboo of the crown prince Zhao Zhen's name, Zhenzhou was renamed Huizhou, giving rise to the name "Huizhou," which has been used ever since. In the first year of the Shaosheng era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1094 CE), Su Shi, at the age of 59, was demoted four times by the imperial court to the position of Deputy Military Commissioner of Ningyuan Army and exiled to Huizhou. Su Shi spent three years in Huizhou, during which he wrote over 160 poems, most of which praised the scenery and life in Huizhou. Among them, the line "If I could eat three hundred lychees a day, I'd gladly stay forever in Lingnan" became a widely celebrated verse. His concubine Wang Zhaoyun was also buried beside West Lake in Huizhou. In the fourth year of the Chunyou era of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1244 CE), the Juxian Hall was established in Huizhou, later renamed Fenghu Academy. Throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, Fenghu Academy remained the highest institution of learning in Huizhou.

During the Yuan Dynasty, Huizhou was established as Huizhou Route. In the Ming Dynasty, it was changed to Huizhou Prefecture. In the 18th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1385 CE), due to rampant piracy, Emperor Taizu of Ming sent people to build a defensive city in Pinghai within Huizhou to resist bandits. This city has been preserved to this day and is now a famous historical and cultural city in Guangdong Province.

2.2 Modern and Contemporary Times

In the late Qing Dynasty, Sun Yat-sen launched two uprisings in Huizhou. In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, Sun Yat-sen decided to seize the opportunity to launch an uprising. He established a command center in Taipei and ordered Zheng Shiliang and others to launch the Huizhou Uprising on October 6 in Sanzhoutian (now part of Yantian, Shenzhen). The rebel army once grew to 20,000 people and, following Sun Yat-sen's instructions, aimed to capture Xiamen. However, due to a lack of weapons and provisions, the uprising was declared a failure on November 1.

On June 2, 1907, Deng Ziyu, a member of the Tongmenghui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance), dispatched Chen Chun, Sun Yin, and others to launch the Qinvhu Uprising 20 li away from Huizhou (present-day Ruhu Town, Huicheng District) in response to the Huanggang Uprising. The rebel forces increased to over 200 people and repeatedly defeated Qing troops. However, due to the failure of the Huanggang Uprising and lack of support, they were outnumbered and eventually disbanded in Lianghua Market. After the uprising failed, Deng Ziyu was ordered to leave by the Chinese Secretariat of the Hong Kong government. Chen Chun went to Southeast Asia via Hong Kong, and Sun Yin was killed by the Guangdong authorities of the Qing government in 1909.

In 1925, warlord Chen Jiongming stationed heavy troops in Huizhou and attempted to capture Guangzhou. The National Government, led by Chiang Kai-shek, dispatched an Eastern Expeditionary Force of over 30,000 to suppress Chen. After 30 hours of fighting, they captured Huizhou City. A joint military-civilian celebration and a memorial service for fallen soldiers were held at Wangye Pavilion in Zhongshan Park in Huizhou.

After the outbreak of the Chinese War of Resistance Against Japan, in order to cut off the supply lines of the Guangzhou-Kowloon Railway and the Yuehan Railway, the Japanese army dispatched two divisions totaling 40,000 troops to land at Daya Bay in Huizhou on October 12, 1938, marking the beginning of their offensive in South China. The National Revolutionary Army put up a tenacious resistance but was ultimately overwhelmed and lost the area. A few days later, most of Huizhou fell into enemy hands. On October 24, Zeng Sheng, Secretary of the Hong Kong Seamen's Working Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, rushed to Pingshan in Huiyang to organize the Hui-Bao People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Corps, initiating guerrilla warfare against the enemy. In September 1940, based on this force, the Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Force was established. On December 2, 1943, it was reorganized in Tuyang Village, Huiyang County, and renamed the Dongjiang Column of the Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Force.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Dongjiang Special District was established in the Dongjiang River basin of Guangdong, with its administrative office located in Huiyang County. It was abolished in 1952. In 1956, the Huiyang Special District was established, with its office in Huiyang County, and was abolished in 1959. It was re-established in 1963 and renamed Huiyang Prefecture in 1970. In 1979, Bao'an County was separated to establish Shenzhen City. In 1988, Huiyang Prefecture was divided into four prefecture-level cities: Huizhou City, Dongguan City, Heyuan City, and Shanwei City.

3. Geography

Huizhou City is located at the eastern end of the Pearl River Delta. The southern part of Huizhou City features the Renping Peninsula, situated between Shenzhen's Daya Bay and Shanwei's Honghai Bay.

Huizhou City borders Heyuan City and Shanwei City of Guangdong Province to the east, is adjacent to the South China Sea's Daya Bay to the south, faces Hong Kong across the sea, borders Shenzhen City, Dongguan City, and Guangzhou City of Guangdong Province to the west, and is adjacent to Shaoguan City of Guangdong Province to the north. The geographical coordinates of Huizhou City are between 113°51′ and 115°28′ east longitude and 22°24′ and 23°57′ north latitude, with a width of approximately 152 kilometers from east to west and a length of about 128 kilometers from north to south. The land area of Huizhou City is 11,200 square kilometers, and its sea area is 4,520 square kilometers.

The northern part of Huizhou City is predominantly mountainous, while the eastern and southern parts consist of hilly terraces. There are very small plains along the Dongjiang River and the southern coastal areas. The highest peak in Huizhou is Lianhua Mountain, with an elevation of 1,337 meters. Additionally, there are 13 peaks with elevations above 1,000 meters, such as Feiyun Peak (1,281 meters) on Luofu Mountain, Baima Mountain (1,256 meters), and Tiantang Peak (1,210 meters) on Nankun Mountain. These 13 peaks and their subordinate mountain ranges encircle the administrative boundaries of Huizhou, forming a dustpan-shaped topography that is high around the edges and gradually opens toward the southern coast. Within this topography, the central area is mostly composed of hilly terraces formed by granite and red sandstone.

Huizhou City has over 20 rivers of various sizes, with the larger ones being the Dongjiang River and its tributaries, the Xizhi River and the Zengjiang River (also known as the Longmen River). There are approximately 130 lakes and reservoirs of various sizes, with the larger ones including West Lake, Baipenzhu Reservoir, Tiantangshan Reservoir, Xiangang Reservoir, Huashuxia Reservoir, Jiaodong Reservoir, and Shuidongbei Reservoir. The southern part of Huizhou City is coastal, with a coastline of 223.6 kilometers. It features two larger bays, Daya Bay (shared with Shenzhen) and Xunliao Bay, as well as hundreds of islands of various sizes.

Huizhou City is located in the subtropical zone, with the Tropic of Cancer running through it. It has a subtropical monsoon climate, characterized by abundant sunshine, ample rainfall, and pleasant weather throughout the four seasons. The average annual sunshine duration in Huizhou City is 2,023 hours. The average annual temperature ranges from 19.5°C to 22.2°C. The hottest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of 28.3°C, while the coldest month is January, with an average temperature of 13.0°C. The average annual precipitation ranges from 1,700 mm to 2,000 mm, with rainfall concentrated mainly in April and September, accounting for 82.5% of the annual total. | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------| | Record high °C | 28.3 | 30.1 | 33.4 | 35.0 | 38.1 | 39.8 | 42.7 | 40.9 | 38.4 | 35.3 | 34.2 | 30.2 | 42.7 | | Record high °F | 82.9 | 86.2 | 92.1 | 95.0 | 100.6 | 103.6 | 108.9 | 105.6 | 101.1 | 95.5 | 93.6 | 86.4 | 108.9 | | Average high °C | 18.6 | 19.3 | 22.2 | 26.1 | 29.3 | 31.3 | 32.7 | 32.5 | 31.2 | 28.6 | 24.2 | 20.4 | 26.4 | | Average high °F | 65.5 | 66.7 | 72.0 | 79.0 | 84.7 | 88.3 | 90.9 | 90.5 | 88.2 | 83.5 | 75.6 | 68.7 | 79.5 | | Daily mean °C | 13.7 | 14.6 | 18.0 | 22.1 | 25.3 | 27.3 | 28.4 | 28.1 | 26.9 | 24.0 | 19.4 | 15.2 | 21.9 | | Daily mean °F | 56.7 | 58.3 | 64.4 | 71.8 | 77.5 | 81.1 | 83.1 | 82.6 | 80.4 | 75.2 | 66.9 | 59.4 | 71.5 | | Average low °C | 10.2 | 11.6 | 14.6 | 18.8 | 22.1 | 24.5 | 25.2 | 25.2 | 23.7 | 20.2 | 15.6 | 10.8 | 18.5 | | Average low °F | 50.4 | 52.9 | 58.3 | 65.8 | 71.8 | 76.1 | 77.4 | 77.4 | 74.7 | 68.4 | 60.1 | 51.4 | 65.3 | | Record low °C | -1.9 | -0.9 | 2.6 | 7.8 | 14.2 | 18.1 | 20.5 | 20.8 | 15.5 | 9.2 | 4.4 | 0.5 | -1.9 | | Record low °F | 28.6 | 30.4 | 36.7 | 46.0 | 57.6 | 64.6 | 68.9 | 69.4 | 59.9 | 48.6 | 39.9 | 32.9 | 28.6 | | Average precipitation mm | 37.3 | 62.8 | 87.0 | 202.0 | 226.7 | 323.6 | 255.1 | 276.1 | 173.0 | 66.6 | 28.2 | 33.4 | 1,771.8 | | Average precipitation inches | 1.47 | 2.47 | 3.43 | 7.95 | 8.93 | 12.74 | 10.04 | 10.87 | 6.81 | 2.62 | 1.11 | 1.31 | 69.75 | | Average precipitation days | 6.3 | 10.6 | 12.6 | 14.5 | 18.3 | 18.7 | 17.2 | 18.4 | 13.0 | 6.6 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 146.1 |

4. Administrative Divisions

When Huizhou City was first established in 1988, it administered one district and four counties: Huicheng District, Huidong County, Huiyang County, Boluo County, and Longmen County. The municipal government was located in Huicheng District. In 1994, Huiyang County was upgraded to a county-level city and renamed Huiyang City. On March 6, 2003, ten towns under Huiyang City and one town from Boluo County were transferred to Huicheng District, and Huiyang City was renamed Huiyang District.

Huizhou City currently administers 2 districts, 3 counties, and 2 administrative management zones:

• Districts: Huicheng District, Huiyang District
• Counties: Boluo County, Huidong County, Longmen County
• Administrative Management Zones: National-level Daya Bay Economic and Technological Development Zone, National-level Zhongkai High-tech Industrial Development Zone

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Ethnic Townships | |-------------------|-------------------------|----------------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|----------------------| | 441300 | Huizhou City | Huìzhōu Shì | 11,342.98 | 6,042,852 | Huicheng District | 516000 | 22 | 48 | 1 | | 441302 | Huicheng District | Huìchéng Qū | 1,488.50 | 2,090,578 | Longfeng Subdistrict | 516000 | 10 | 8 | | | 441303 | Huiyang District | Huìyáng Qū | 1,205.44 | 1,404,137 | Danshui Subdistrict | 516200 | 6 | 6 | | | 441322 | Boluo County | Bóluó Xiàn | 2,855.11 | 1,210,878 | Luoyang Subdistrict | 516100 | 2 | 15 | | | 441323 | Huidong County | Huìdōng Xiàn | 3,526.73 | 1,018,076 | Pingshan Subdistrict | 516300 | 2 | 12 | | | 441324 | Longmen County | Lóngmén Xiàn | 2,267.20 | 319,183 | Longcheng Subdistrict | 516800 | 2 | 7 | 1 |

5. Economy

Huizhou City is located in the Pearl River Delta and is one of the nine prefecture-level cities in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone (which includes only Huizhou City proper, Huiyang, Huidong, and Boluo). According to data verified by the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Statistics, Huizhou's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017 was 383.058 billion yuan, representing a growth of 7.6% based on comparable prices. Calculated based on the average resident population, the per capita GDP in 2017 was 80,200 yuan, an increase of 7.4%, placing it at the upper-middle level within the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone. In 2020, Huizhou's regional GDP reached 422.179 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 1.5%.

5.1 Agriculture

Lychee is a specialty of Huizhou. Su Dongpo, while in Huizhou, wrote the famous line: "If I could eat three hundred lychees a day, I'd be content to stay forever in Lingnan." The picture shows lychees grown in Lujing Village, Sandong Town. Huizhou has a mild climate and abundant rainfall, making it suitable for crop growth. It is one of the main production bases for grain, meat, vegetables, and fruits in Guangdong Province. In 2012, the added value of agriculture in Huizhou was 12.76 billion yuan, accounting for 5.4% of the city's GDP. The six characteristic agricultural products of Huizhou are preserved mustard (Meicai), sweet corn, potatoes, yellow chives, lychees, and New Year tangerines. Among these, preserved mustard is a traditional specialty of Huizhou. Its name originates from the legend of the fairy Meigu bestowing the seeds, and it has a cultivation history of nearly a thousand years. During the Ming Dynasty, it was offered as tribute to the imperial court and was thus known as "Huizhou Tribute Vegetable." The place of origin for preserved mustard is Aipi Town in Huizhou City, which is consequently known as the "Hometown of Chinese Preserved Mustard." The Dongjiang River, one of Guangdong's three major water systems, and its tributary, the Xizhi River, traverse the region. The reservoir capacity within the city exceeds 1.6 billion cubic meters, serving as a major water source for Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and other areas.

5.2 Industry

Huizhou is an industrialized city with an export-oriented economy. The added value of its industry has accounted for over half of its GDP for many consecutive years, making it the leading sector among the three major industries. In 2012, the industrial added value of Huizhou was 137.54 billion yuan, constituting 58.1% of the city's GDP. Among this, the added value of enterprises above a designated size with foreign, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan investment was 72.05 billion yuan, making foreign-funded enterprises the most important type of industrial enterprise in Huizhou. After Huizhou was fully incorporated into the "Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta Region," Huizhou has aimed to establish itself as a "world-class petrochemical base, national-level electronic information industry manufacturing base, important agricultural product production and supply base in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao tourism and vacation base, and modern logistics distribution center."

The pillar industry of Huizhou's industry is electronics manufacturing. In 2012, the added value of electronics enterprises above a designated size in Huizhou was 44.04 billion yuan, making it the most crucial sector for Huizhou's economy. The four largest local electronics enterprises in Huizhou are the TCL Group, Desay Group, Huayang Group, and Qiaoxing Group. All four were included in China's "Top 100 Electronic Information Enterprises in 2008." Among them, the TCL Group, with operating revenue of 39.1 billion yuan, ranked 11th, following companies like Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and Haier Group. Both the TCL and Desay brands have also been recognized as "China Well-known Trademarks" by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce of China. Among the foreign-funded electronics enterprises investing in Huizhou are internationally renowned companies such as General Electric, Sony, Hitachi, Panasonic, LG, Samsung, Siemens, and NEC. According to a report by Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po in October 2004, Huizhou had become the world's largest production base for DVD and VCD optical pickups, the world's largest telephone manufacturing base, one of the world's largest battery production bases, one of Asia's largest printed circuit board manufacturing bases, one of China's largest color TV manufacturing bases, China's largest electrical product manufacturing base, and one of China's most important mobile phone production bases.

The industry with the most potential in Huizhou is petrochemicals. In the Daya Bay Economic and Technological Development Zone of Huizhou City, there are 15 completed and under-construction petrochemical projects, with a total investment of over 73 billion yuan. Among these, two projects have investments exceeding 10 billion yuan: the CNOOC and Shell Nanhai Petrochemicals Project and the CNOOC 12-million-ton refinery project. The CNOOC and Shell Nanhai Petrochemicals Project is a joint investment by Royal Dutch Shell, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and Guangdong Investment and Development Company, with a total investment of $4.2 billion, covering an area of approximately 4.27 square kilometers. It was the largest Sino-foreign joint venture project in mainland China at the time and officially commenced production on March 31, 2006. The CNOOC 12-million-ton refinery project is solely invested by CNOOC, with an investment of 19.3 billion yuan, covering an area of about 2.37 square kilometers. The project's foundation was laid on December 15, 2005, and it was expected to be completed and operational by 2008.

Huizhou is the "Mobile Phone Capital of China" and an important global mobile phone manufacturing base and industrial cluster. One out of every six mobile phones in China is made in Huizhou, accounting for one-sixth of China's total production and one-eighth of global production. In 2014, Huizhou's mobile phone production was approximately 263 million units.

5.3 Tertiary Industry

Compared to other cities in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, Huizhou's tertiary industry is relatively small in scale but has been developing rapidly. In 2004, the growth rate of the added value of the tertiary industry was 21.7%, ranking first in Guangdong Province. In 2012, the added value of Huizhou's tertiary industry was 86.51 billion yuan, accounting for 36.5% of the city's GDP. Within Huizhou's tertiary industry, real estate, commerce and trade circulation, and tourism are the most significant sectors.

Huizhou's real estate industry experienced a period of abnormal rapid development and formed a real estate bubble due to speculation in 1992. In 1993, the bursting of the real estate bubble quickly plunged Huizhou's real estate market into a downturn, from which it only began to gradually recover starting in 1998. Since the CNOOC and Shell Nanhai Petrochemicals Project settled in Huizhou in 2002, the real estate industry has heated up rapidly. Many well-known Chinese real estate developers, such as Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town and Guangzhou Hopson Development, have entered the market, revitalizing a large number of unfinished buildings and idle land, and a host of new residential communities have been successively launched.

The recovery of Huizhou's real estate industry has also driven the development of commerce and trade circulation. Currently, the top six external supermarkets in Huizhou by retail sales are Jusco, Walmart, Renrenle, Wanjia, Riyue, and ParknShop. In the home appliance retail sector, the chain stores of the two external brands, Gome and Suning, account for the largest share of retail sales.

Huizhou's tourism industry has achieved good development due to its numerous tourist attractions and its location within the economically developed Pearl River Delta Economic Zone. Residents of various cities in the Pearl River Delta are the main source of tourists for Huizhou. By 2005, Huizhou had 38 star-rated hotels and 11 tourist attractions of a certain scale, receiving a total of 10.02 million tourists throughout the year.

6. Transportation

6.1 External Transportation

Huizhou has historically been known as the "Eastern Gateway of Guangdong" and is one of the transportation hubs in eastern Guangdong, boasting a well-developed network of highways, railways, water transport, and air transport.

6.1.1 Highways

According to data from the end of 2016, the total length of highways open to traffic in Huizhou City is 13,540.7 kilometers, including 650 kilometers of expressways, with a highway density of 119.3 kilometers per hundred square kilometers. According to the National Highway Network Plan (2013-2030), the number of national highways passing through Huizhou has increased from two to six. These are the original National Highways 324 and 205, plus the newly added National Highways 220, 228, 355, and 236. As of January 2020, the completed expressways include G25 Huiyan Expressway, G35 Guanghui Expressway, G35 Huihe Expressway, G15 Shenshan Expressway, S30 Huishen Coastal Expressway, G1523 Chaowan Expressway, G0422 Renshen Expressway, S2 Guanghe Expressway, S14 Shanzhan Expressway, S23 Huidai Expressway, and Chaohui Expressway.

The main long-distance bus stations in Huizhou's urban area are:

• Huizhou Central Bus Station
• Huizhou South Line Bus Station
• Huizhou Zhongkai Bus Station

6.1.2 Railways

In terms of railway transportation, the Beijing-Kowloon Railway and the Guangzhou-Meizhou-Shantou Railway converge in Dongguan and then run through Huizhou, with a total length of 88.90 kilometers within Huizhou City. Additionally, a branch line connects from Huizhou West Station on the Beijing-Kowloon Railway to the Hui-Da Railway leading to Daya Bay. For high-speed rail, the Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway has a total length of 56 kilometers within Huizhou City and began operation on December 28, 2013. The Ganzhou-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway began operation on December 10, 2021, and the Guangzhou-Shanwei High-Speed Railway began operation on September 26, 2023. For intercity rail, the Guanghui Intercity Railway connecting Huizhou and Dongguan opened the Changping East to Xiaojinkou section on March 30, 2016, and the entire line opened on December 28, 2017. Huizhou's railway stations (including high-speed rail and intercity rail) include:

• Huizhou Station and Huizhou West Station on the Beijing-Kowloon and Guangzhou-Meizhou-Shantou lines.
• Huiyang Station and Huidongnan Station on the Xiamen-Shenzhen line.
• Zhongkai Station, Huizhou North Station, and Boluo North Station on the Ganzhou-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway.
• Luofushan Station, Boluo Station, Huizhou South Station, and Huidong Station on the Guangzhou-Shanwei High-Speed Railway.
• Xiaojinkou Station, Yunshan Station, West Lake East Station, Longfeng Station, Huihuan Station, Chenjiang South Station, and Lilin North Station on the Guanghui Intercity Railway, as well as the under-construction Huizhou North Station.

6.1.2.1 Urban Rail Transit

In a response to netizens via the Huizhou Municipal Government's Public Opinion Express, it was stated that the Shenzhen-Huizhou Intercity Railway project significantly impacts Huizhou's construction of a modern comprehensive transportation hub. Its construction requires comprehensive consideration after in-depth research and scientific analysis of factors such as route and station plans, passenger flow, and economics. The Shenzhen section of the Shenzhen-Huizhou Intercity Railway will be implemented first, while the Huizhou section will reserve conditions for connection. The Shenzhen-Huizhou Intercity Railway is part of Huizhou's urban rail transit projects.

6.1.2.2 High-Speed Rail

There are three intercity high-speed railways within Huizhou City: the already operational Xiamen-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway, Ganzhou-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway, and Guangzhou-Shanwei High-Speed Railway.

6.1.3 Water Transport

Water transport in Huizhou is divided into inland river transport and maritime transport. Inland river transport mainly relies on the Dongjiang River, sailing upstream to Heyuan City and downstream to Dongguan City and Guangzhou City. Maritime transport primarily relies on Huizhou Port located in Daya Bay. Huizhou Port is a deep-water seaport with three port areas: Aotou, Quanwan, and Mabianzhou, comprising 5 terminals and 11 berths, including one 150,000-ton crude oil berth and three 30,000-ton berths. In 2006, due to the operation of the CNOOC-Shell Nanhai Petrochemicals Project and the construction of CNOOC's 12-million-ton refinery project, Huizhou Port attracted interest from Hong Kong's Hutchison Whampoa, which became a joint largest shareholder through equity transfer. The newly formed company initially invested about 1.5 billion yuan to build two new 50,000-ton dedicated container berths. In 2005, the total port cargo throughput in Huizhou City was 15.1468 million tons, with Huizhou Port accounting for 12.71 million tons.

6.1.4 Air Transport

Huizhou also has an airport named Huizhou Airport, located in Pingtan Town, Huiyang District. Built in 1956, it was originally a military airport. In 1985, it was converted to a dual-use military-civilian airport. At its peak, it had 14 domestic routes. Huizhou Airport suspended operations in 2002. On February 5, 2015, Huizhou Airport resumed operations after a 13-year hiatus, initially opening four domestic routes to Shanghai, Kunming, Chongqing, and Hangzhou. In 2016, passenger throughput reached 550,000. In May 2017, the Huizhou Pingtan Airport plan aimed to function as "Shenzhen's Second Airport," undergoing expansion and renovation to establish a world-class airport cluster in the Pearl River Delta.

6.2 Urban Transportation

6.2.1 Public Buses

The main urban public bus companies are Jiaotou Bus, Dongjiang Bus, Huinan Bus, Eastern Passenger Transport, Jinda Transport, and Qiyun Group. Since January 1, 2017, the Huizhou Public Transport Management Co., Ltd. was established and operates under the TC (Transport Community) model. Fares are either flat-rate or zoned: flat-rate lines cost 2 yuan; zoned lines have a starting fare of 2 yuan for the first 12 kilometers, with an additional 1 yuan charged for every subsequent 6 kilometers (or fraction thereof).

Currently, the Lingnan Tong · Huizhou Tong card can be used on all urban bus routes, while a small number of cross-district routes support the Ministry of Transport's National Urban Public Transport Interoperable Card. The current preferential policies for Lingnan Tong are:

• Standard Card: Riding on Huicheng District bus routes enjoys a 0.4 yuan discount on the first ride. Transferring to another Huicheng District route within 60 minutes (for intra-district routes) or 120 minutes (for cross-district routes) grants an additional 0.6 yuan discount (i.e., a total discount of 1 yuan).
• Student Card: Riding on Huicheng District bus routes enjoys a 0.8 yuan discount on the first ride. Transferring to another Huicheng District route within 60 minutes (for intra-district routes) or 120 minutes (for cross-district routes) grants an additional 0.6 yuan discount (i.e., a total discount of 1.4 yuan).
• Standard and Student Cards: When riding bus routes in other counties/districts (Huiyang, Daya Bay, Huidong, Boluo, and Longmen), they enjoy local ride discounts.
• Senior Citizen Card (Huizhou Senior Citizen Preferential Certificate): Free rides.

6.2.2 Taxis

There are multiple taxi companies in the city, mainly including Qiyun Group, Xinminghui, Kangdi, Jintong, Yunxing, Lianjie, Lüdong Taxi, and Jiaotou Bus. Fares are categorized: Class I taxis (Camry automatic transmission natural gas taxis) have a starting fare of 8 yuan for the first 2 kilometers; Class II taxis (Elantra, new Santana manual transmission natural gas taxis, and BYD e5, e6 electric taxis) have a starting fare of 7 yuan for the first 2 kilometers. After 2 kilometers, the per-kilometer fare is 2.7 yuan for Class I and 2.4 yuan for Class II. From 23:00 to 05:30, after exceeding the starting distance, an additional 0.54 yuan per kilometer is charged for Class I and 0.48 yuan for Class II. For journeys exceeding 12 kilometers, an additional 0.81 yuan per kilometer is charged for Class I and 0.72 yuan for Class II. The waiting fee (including traffic congestion) is uniformly 0.5 yuan per minute.

6.2.3 Public Bicycles

Huizhou's public bicycle system is called "Huimin Bicycles" and is operated and managed by Guangdong Huimin Operation System Management Co., Ltd. There are numerous public bicycle rental points throughout the city. They are currently mainly distributed in areas within and south of the Third Ring Road (except for Shuikou Dahu Creek), Zhongkai High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and Huiyang Danshui.

7. Education

Huizhou City has 1,386 schools at various levels for basic education and senior secondary education, including 24 secondary vocational schools and 11 technical schools.

7.1 Primary Schools:

456 schools including Huizhou No. 7 Primary School, Huizhou No. 1 Primary School, Huizhou Donghu School, Huizhou No. 9 Primary School, Huizhou No. 11 Primary School, Huizhou No. 15 Primary School, Huizhou No. 2 Primary School, Huizhou Nantan Primary School, Huizhou Xiapu Primary School, Huizhou Dongjiang Primary School, Huizhou No. 3 Primary School, Huizhou Guangcai Primary School, Huizhou Shangpai Primary School, Huizhou No. 5 Primary School, Huizhou No. 6 Primary School, Huizhou Fumin Primary School, Huizhou No. 10 Primary School, Huizhou Xinhu Primary School, and Huizhou Shuibei Primary School.

7.2 Regular Secondary Schools:

252 schools including Huizhou No. 1 Middle School, Huizhou Middle School, Huizhou Experimental Middle School, Huizhou No. 8 Middle School, Huizhou Hua Luogeng Middle School, Huizhou No. 2 Middle School, Huizhou No. 3 Middle School, Huizhou No. 4 Middle School, Huizhou No. 5 Middle School, Huizhou Overseas Chinese Middle School, Huizhou No. 7 Middle School, Huizhou No. 9 Middle School, Huizhou Dongjiang Senior High School, Huiyang Senior High School, Huiyang Chongya Middle School, Huiyang Zhongshan Middle School, Huizhou Guangzheng Experimental School, Huizhou Zhixing School, Boluo Middle School, Longmen No. 1 Middle School, Huizhou Tian Jiabing Middle School, and Huidong Middle School.

7.3 Higher Education Institutions:

4 institutions including Huizhou University, Huizhou Economics and Polytechnic College, Huizhou Health Sciences College, and Huizhou City Vocational College.

8. Population

8.1 Ancient Population History

Huizhou and Heyuan City are located in the remote mountainous regions of Lingnan. Before the Tang and Song dynasties, apart from the local Baiyue indigenous peoples (Zhuang, Yao, Miao, Tanka, and She ethnic groups) and imperial armies sent to "pacify the south," these areas were rarely visited by Han Chinese from the Central Plains. According to the Huiyang County Annals (2003), by the end of the Yuan dynasty, the counties under present-day Huizhou's jurisdiction had only 9,545 households with a population of 45,410. In other words, there were fewer than one household and five people per square kilometer, making it essentially a wilderness. The ancestors of the current six million residents of Huizhou and Heyuan City mostly migrated in large numbers after the turmoil at the end of the Yuan dynasty, the establishment of the military garrison system in the early Ming dynasty, and the lifting of the maritime trade ban in the early Qing dynasty.

However, the ancient household registration system often only counted Han Chinese or sinicized indigenous populations. Therefore, the population figures for the counties under Huizhou's jurisdiction at the end of the Yuan dynasty mentioned above do not reflect the actual population.

8.2 Population Statistics

According to the 2020 Seventh National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 6,042,852. Compared with the 4,598,402 people recorded in the Sixth National Population Census, the population increased by 1,444,450 over the decade, a growth rate of 31.41%, with an average annual growth rate of 2.77%. Among them, the male population was 3,249,429, accounting for 53.77% of the total population, while the female population was 2,793,423, accounting for 46.23%. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 116.32. The population aged 0–14 was 1,254,406, accounting for 20.76% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 4,181,054, accounting for 69.19% of the total population; and the population aged 60 and above was 607,392, accounting for 10.05% of the total population, of which those aged 65 and above numbered 412,605, accounting for 6.83% of the total population. The urban population was 4,399,276, accounting for 72.8% of the total population, while the rural population was 1,643,576, accounting for 27.2%.

At the beginning of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 6.066 million, with an urbanization rate of 72.90%. The registered population was 4.0591 million, of which the urban population was 2.3298 million and the rural population was 1.7293 million. The annual birth rate was 9.40‰, the death rate was 3.16‰, and the natural growth rate was 6.24‰.

8.3 Ethnic Groups

The residents of Huizhou City are predominantly Han Chinese, with a Han population of 3.6178 million, accounting for 97.69% of the total population. In addition to the Han ethnic group, there are also ethnic minorities such as the Yao and She, with a combined population of 85,500, accounting for 2.31% of the total population. Besides the local Dongjiang people, Huizhou is also home to Hakka people, Hoklo people (Minnan ethnic group), and some migrants. Hakka people are widely distributed across the city's districts and counties, characterized by their ancestral homes in the form of walled villages. Hoklo people (Minnan ethnic group) are mainly distributed in Boluo County and Huidong County. There are over 800,000 Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan compatriots with ancestral roots in Huizhou.

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9. Culture

9.1 Culinary Culture

The local traditional cuisine of Huizhou City is known as Huizhou cuisine, an important component of Hakka cuisine, also referred to locally as Dongjiang cuisine. Traditional Huizhou cuisine, like Hakka cuisine in general, emphasizes flavors that are "rich, salty, well-cooked, and aromatic," characterized by generous use of oil and a pronounced salty taste. The ingredients primarily consist of meat and poultry, with relatively less use of vegetables, river fish, or seafood. These characteristics are closely related to Huizhou's mountainous terrain and the historical prevalence of labor-intensive agricultural work among its populace. The generous use of oil and rich, fatty dishes effectively provided sustenance, while the salty flavor served a frugal purpose and helped replenish bodily salt. The three most distinctive dishes of Huizhou cuisine are Dongjiang Salt-baked Chicken, Dongjiang Stuffed Tofu, and Preserved Mustard Pork Belly, collectively known as the "Three Treasures of Huizhou."

Local specialties of Huizhou mainly include Hakka Yellow Rice Wine, Dongjiang Glutinous Rice Wine, Preserved Mustard, Crispy Luo Vegetable and Hundred Herbal Oil from Luofu Mountain, Boluo Crispy Candy, and Longmen Rice Cakes. Huizhou's Hakka Yellow Rice Wine is a sweet rice wine brewed from glutinous or non-glutinous rice, often prepared when there is a new mother in the family to nourish her body postpartum. It is typically used to cook chicken, a dish locally known as "Chicken Wine." When relatives and friends visit to celebrate a newborn, this "Chicken Wine" is commonly served to guests.

9.2 Tourism

Huizhou City, nestled against mountains and facing the sea, is also a National Historical and Cultural City in Guangdong Province, boasting rich natural and cultural tourism resources. Huizhou has four national-level scenic areas: Luofu Mountain, Huizhou West Lake, Pinghai Sea Turtle Nature Reserve, and Nankun Mountain. Among these, Luofu Mountain and Huizhou West Lake are National Key Scenic Areas, Pinghai Sea Turtle Nature Reserve is a National Nature Reserve, and Nankun Mountain is a National Forest Park. Additionally, Huizhou has two provincial-level scenic areas in Guangdong: Gutian Nature Reserve and Pinghai Ancient City, where Gutian Nature Reserve is a Provincial Nature Reserve of Guangdong, and Pinghai Ancient City is a Provincial Historical and Cultural City of Guangdong.

Luofu Mountain, one of the National Key Scenic Areas, is located within Boluo County. It integrates Taoist and Buddhist traditions on a single mountain, blending natural and cultural landscapes. It is one of China's Ten Great Taoist Mountains, renowned as the "First Mountain of Lingnan" and a "Sacred Site of Chinese Taoism." Historically, many notable figures have visited Luofu Mountain or composed works about it. The Han Dynasty historian Sima Qian once compared Luofu Mountain to the "Yue Mountain." During the Xianhe period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the famous Taoist Ge Hong gathered herbs and refined elixirs on Luofu Mountain, establishing four Taoist temples there. Su Dongpo of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote the famous lines: "At Luofu Mountain, spring lasts all year round, / Loquats and bayberries ripen in turn. / If I could eat three hundred lychees daily, / I'd willingly stay forever in Lingnan," which helped make Luofu Mountain widely known.

Huizhou West Lake, another National Key Scenic Area, is located in the central urban area of Huizhou, a natural lake situated within a bustling city. Historically, Huizhou West Lake, along with Hangzhou West Lake and Yingzhou West Lake, were collectively known as China's Three Great West Lakes. The Southern Song poet Yang Wanli wrote in a poem: "Three West Lakes share the same autumn hue, / Qiantang, Yingshui, and Luofu," where "Luofu" refers to Huizhou West Lake. During the three years Su Dongpo was exiled to Huizhou, he often strolled along the lake's embankment with his concubine Wang Zhaoyun. After Wang Zhaoyun's death, Su Dongpo buried her in the pine forest beside the Qichan Temple at Huizhou West Lake. Later, monks from Qichan Temple raised funds to build the Liuhe Pavilion over her tomb in her memory.

9.3 National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

• Ye Ting's Former Residence

10. Sister Cities

10.1 Sister Cities within Mainland China

• Jilin City, China (Established in 2004)
• Wulong County, China (Established on June 19, 2008)
• Yangzhou, China (Established on December 23, 2009)
• Qufu, China (Established on December 21, 2010)

10.2 Sister Cities in Taiwan Province

• Hsinchu City, China (Established on August 17, 2010)

10.3 International Sister Cities

• Milpitas, United States (Established on October 5, 2004)
• North Vancouver, Canada (Established on October 21, 2009)

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Huicheng District

Huicheng District

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Redbud

Bougainvillea