As the May Day holiday approaches, Shaoguan in northern Guangdong Province has prepared a range of attractions spanning sports, nature, food and hot springs. Clear weather is forecast for much of the five-day break starting May 1. Below are six curated routes and key events on offer.
Route 1: Ecological leisure: two days for families and light hikers
Day 1: Lianhua Mountain National Forest Park (莲花山国家森林公园) – Shaoyang Tower (韶阳楼) – Sunlight Lake Grassland (阳光湖千亩草原) – Mengzhouba Night Market (孟洲坝夜市)
Day 2: Nanhua Temple – Maba Man Site (马坝人遗址) – Luokeng Tea Plantation (罗坑茶园) – Luokeng Grassland (罗坑大草原)
This route combines forest walks in a national park with a visit to Nanhua Temple, a Chan Buddhist monastery dating back to the 7th century, and the Maba Man archaeological site. Luokeng Grassland offers open space for picnics and camping.
Route 2: Tea picking and fruit harvesting in Qujiang: two days for couples and campers
Day 1: Nanhua Temple – Luokeng Tea Plantation – barbecue and camping at Luokeng Grassland
Day 2: Jinglülun Town (经律论小镇) – Zhang Jiuling Park (张九龄公园) – jaboticaba fruit picking
Qujiang District's tea plantations are the focus of this route, with hands-on tea picking and processing experiences available. The route ends with seasonal fruit picking at local orchards.
Route 3: Danxia and ancient villages: two days for photographers and hikers
Day 1: Danxia Mountain – Yangyuan Stone – light show
Day 2: Tea picking at Hongshan Tea Garden (红山茶园) – Shitang Ancient Village (石塘古村) – Shuangfeng Fort (双峰寨)
Danxia Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and namesake of the Danxia landform, anchors this itinerary. Shitang Ancient Village features well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty architecture.
Route 4: Ecological tea mountain tour: two days for tea enthusiasts
Day 1: Yanxishan Tea Farm (沿溪山茶场) – Jinji Ridge (金鸡岭) – South China Educational History Research Base at Pingshi (华南教育历史研学基地•坪石)
Day 2: Yunmen Temple (云门寺) – lake cycling at Nanshui Lake (南水湖)
This route combines high-altitude tea farms in Lechang with the wartime education history base at Pingshi, where universities relocated in the 1940s. Nanshui Lake offers a scenic cycling route.
Route 5: Yao township wellness: two days for hot springs and forests
Day 1: Yunmen Mountain glass bridge (云门山玻璃桥) – orchard picking at Yangguang Lake (阳光湖) – hot springs at Lanshanyuan or Ligong (蓝山源 / 丽宫)
Day 2: Guoshanyao Cultural Park (过山瑶风情园) – Guangdong Grand Canyon (广东大峡谷)
Shaoguan has more than 100 natural hot spring sites. This route pairs hot spring bathing with canyon hiking and visits to Yao cultural attractions.
Route 6: Hakka heritage and family science tour: two days for families
Day 1: Chebaling Nature Reserve (车八岭) – Mantang Hakka Dwelling (满堂客家大围) – mulberry picking
Day 2: Happy Farm animal interactions (开心农庄) – Zhouqian Ancient Village (周前古村) – loquat picking
Chebaling, a national nature reserve, offers educational trails. The Mantang Hakka Dwelling is one of the largest surviving Hakka enclosed houses in Guangdong.
Key events during the holiday
A provincial football fixture will headline the sporting calendar. On May 3 at 4:00 pm, Shaoguan will host Dongguan in the 2026 Guangdong City Football Super League at Xihe Sports Center. The stadium has undergone a full renovation. Tickets are priced from 8.8 yuan and are available through a lottery system on WeChat, with reservations closing at 10:00 pm on April 29. Match ticket holders can enjoy discounts at Danxia Mountain, Yunmen Mountain and the Guangdong Grand Canyon.
Danxia Mountain will feature costumed street performances, intangible cultural heritage displays and traditional boat shows from May 1 to 4, with a 20% discount on admission. The Guangdong Grand Canyon has scheduled high-wire acts and bonfire events. Yunmen Mountain will host pig-catching games, duck-herding contests, nighttime fire pot performances and fireworks displays. Shaoguan Municipal Museum will hold handicraft workshops on Yao embroidery and plant dyeing.
For dining, local specialties include Nanxiong Meiling spicy goose, a free-range goose braised with pickled bamboo shoots and spices, along with morning tea staples such as shrimp dumplings, chicken feet and rice noodle rolls. Mengzhouba Night Market and Junlin Night Market serve street food including fried skewers, beef offal and sweet cakes.
Author | Feng Huiting
Photo | Nanfang Plus
