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Best Food in Huazhou (2026)
Huazhou is famous for its Huazhou-style braised beef brisket, slow-cooked with star anise and soy sauce until tender. Another local staple is the crispy fried river shrimpβ¦ π Must-Try Local Dishes
Huazhou is famous for its Huazhou-style braised beef brisket, slow-cooked with star anise and soy sauce until tender. Another local staple is the crispy fried river shrimp, often served with a side of sweet chili dip. For a quick breakfast, try the Huazhou rice noodle soup, a light broth with pickled vegetables and fresh herbs.
πͺ Top Street Food Stalls
Head to the night market on Renmin Road, where stall 17 (unmarked, but always busy) sells the best grilled squid skewers for 8 yuan each. For a classic Huazhou snack, visit Auntie Lin's Tofu Pudding cart near the East Gate, open from 5 PM to midnight. Her silky tofu with ginger syrup costs just 5 yuan.
π½οΈ Best Sit-Down Restaurants
For an authentic braised beef brisket meal, go to Old Chen's Kitchen at 88 Jiefang Street, open 11 AM to 9 PM. A full meal with rice and soup costs around 40 yuan. For seafood, try Harbor View Restaurant on Binjiang Road, where the steamed fish with ginger and scallions is a highlight at 68 yuan per person.
π₯ Breakfast Spots
Start your day at the Morning Buns Bakery on Zhongshan Road, famous for its flaky scallion pancakes filled with minced pork, 6 yuan each. Another option is the Congee House on Wenhua Street, serving a variety of savory rice porridges with toppings like century egg and lean pork, starting at 10 yuan.
π’ Evening Food Walks
The best evening food walk begins at the intersection of Renmin and Zhongshan, where you'll find skewers, grilled corn, and bubble tea stalls lining the street. Continue south to the Riverside Night Market, open from 6 PM to 1 AM, for fried dumplings and sugarcane juice. Most items cost between 5 and 15 yuan.
π΅ Budget and Prices
Street food snacks typically range from 3 to 15 yuan, while a filling meal at a local restaurant costs 25 to 50 yuan per person. Mid-range seafood dinners run about 60 to 100 yuan per person. Bring cash, as many small stalls do not accept cards or mobile payments.
π Neighborhoods to Explore
The Old Town area around Dongmen Street is packed with family-run eateries serving traditional Huazhou dishes. For a more modern food scene, visit the New District near the train station, where you'll find trendy cafes and fusion restaurants. Both areas are walkable and safe after dark.
That's a really thorough guide, I've been eating my way through Huazhou for a few years and you hit most of the high points. One thing I'd add is the steamed rice rolls from a small cart on Wenhua Street, just past the Congee House, they're only around 5 yuan and the woman makes them fresh with a thin egg and some dried shrimp. I also think the Harbor View Restaurant is solid but if you want a cheaper seafood fix, the family-run place on the corner of Binjiang and Renmin does a fantastic clams in black bean sauce for 35 yuan.
This is a solid guide, I've lived here for three years and I'd add that the grilled squid at stall 17 is worth the wait but get there before 7 PM or you'll be queuing for 20 minutes. One thing missing is the braised duck neck at a cart on the corner of Renmin and Wenhua, right outside the old pharmacy, they only sell from 8 to 11 PM and it's 10 yuan for a bag that's perfect with beer. I also prefer the congee at the Morning Buns Bakery over the Congee House because their pork and preserved egg version has a richer broth, though it's 12 yuan instead of 10.
The guide's spot on about Old Chen's Kitchen, but I'd suggest going for lunch rather than dinner. I stopped by at 1 PM once and the brisket had been slow-cooking since morning, so it was practically falling apart and the broth had this deep, concentrated flavor you don't get in the evening batch. Also worth noting that the Riverside Night Market has a guy near the entrance selling grilled tofu skin rolled with scallions and chili, 6 yuan per skewer, and he's usually there until they close at 1 AM.
3 Days in Huazhou: Itinerary 2026
Start your first day in Huazhou's historic center, focusing on the Old Town and Confucius Temple area. This compact neighborhood is walkable and packed with cultural sites, so yoβ¦ πΊοΈ Day 1 Overview
Start your first day in Huazhou's historic center, focusing on the Old Town and Confucius Temple area. This compact neighborhood is walkable and packed with cultural sites, so you can cover a lot without wasting time on transit.
ποΈ Morning: Old Town Walk
Begin at the Confucius Temple (No. 12 Wenmiao Road, open 8:00-17:00, entry 30 CNY). Afterward, stroll along the ancient city wall remnants on Dongmen Street, where you'll find small museums and traditional tea houses. Allow about 2.5 hours for this walk.
π Lunch: Local Noodles
Head to Laochenghuang Noodle House (89 Renmin Road) for a bowl of Huazhou-style beef noodles, a local specialty. A hearty bowl costs around 18 CNY and is served until 14:00. The restaurant is a 10-minute walk from the temple.
ποΈ Afternoon: Riverside Park
Take a 15-minute bus (Route 3, 2 CNY) to Binhe Park along the Luo River. The park features a restored Ming-dynasty pavilion and a small botanical garden. Spend 1.5 hours here before heading to the nearby Huazhou Museum (closed Mondays, free entry).
π Evening: Night Market
Return to the Old Town for the night market on Ximen Street, active from 18:00 to 23:00. Try grilled skewers (5-10 CNY each) and sugarcane juice (8 CNY). The market is a 5-minute walk from the bus stop at Renmin Square.
π Day 2: Suburbs & Temples
Dedicate day two to Huazhou's outskirts, starting with the Thousand Buddha Grottoes. Take bus Route 7 from the central station (30 minutes, 3 CNY) to the grottoes, which open at 8:30 and cost 50 CNY. The site includes a hillside trail with panoramic views.
π΅ Lunch: Tea Village
From the grottoes, take a taxi (20 CNY, 10 minutes) to Yunwu Tea Village. Enjoy a simple lunch of tea-infused rice at the village canteen (25 CNY) and tour the terraced plantations. Most tea houses offer free tastings if you purchase a small bag (from 40 CNY).
π― Afternoon: Ancient Water Town
In the afternoon, catch the 13:30 minibus (Route 12, 5 CNY) to Shuitou Ancient Town, a 40-minute ride. Explore the canals and stone bridges, and visit the Wang Family Ancestral Hall (entry 20 CNY). Allow 2 hours before the last bus back at 17:00.
π Evening: Local Opera
Back in the city center, attend a Huazhou opera performance at the Grand Theater (88 Jiefang Road, shows at 19:30, tickets from 80 CNY). The theater is a 5-minute walk from the bus terminal. Book tickets in advance during peak season.
πΏ Day 3: Nature & Markets
Spend your final day in the eastern hills. Take bus Route 9 (40 minutes, 4 CNY) to Qinglong Mountain National Forest Park, open 7:00-18:00, entry 60 CNY. Hike the main loop trail (3 hours) and visit the waterfall at the halfway point.
ποΈ Lunch & Shopping
After descending, grab lunch at the park's gate restaurant (noodle sets from 22 CNY). Then take a taxi (15 CNY) to the Huazhou Farmers Market on Yingbin Avenue, open until 17:00. Pick up dried mushrooms and local tea as souvenirs; bargaining is expected.
π Getting Around Tips
Huazhou's public buses run from 6:00 to 21:00 and cost 2-5 CNY per ride. Taxis start at 8 CNY for the first 3 km. For day trips to suburbs, consider renting a bike from the Old Town (20 CNY/day) to save time on short hops between attractions.
Nice itinerary, covers the main bases without overpacking the days. I'd suggest swapping the museum visit for a walk through the residential lanes south of Dongmen Street instead. There's a small temple called Ciji'an tucked between the houses at No. 45, and the caretaker will usually let you in for a few CNY if he's around. It's not in any guidebook but the courtyard has a 300-year-old ginkgo tree that's stunning in autumn.
For the opera, the theater has a side entrance on Wenhua Lane where they sometimes sell last-minute standing tickets for 40 CNY. You won't see much of the stage but the acoustics are fine and you can slip out during intermission if it's not your thing. I've done that twice and ended up staying both times.
The farmers market is best visited before 11am, that's when the vendors from the surrounding villages bring in the morning harvest. After noon it's mostly the same stuff but picked over and pricier. The dried mushroom sellers near the north entrance are the ones to trust, they've been there for decades and will let you taste before you buy.
I've done this itinerary a few times and it holds up well. One thing I'd mention is that the botanical garden section of Binhe Park is actually pretty small, maybe ten minutes to walk through, so don't feel rushed there. The Ming-dynasty pavilion by the river is where locals gather to play cards in the afternoon, and they're usually happy to chat if you show interest.
For the Huazhou Museum, the free entry is a real bonus but the exhibits are mostly in Chinese with no English translations. The second floor has some nice celadon ceramics from the Song dynasty that are worth a look even without the labels.
On Qinglong Mountain, the waterfall at the halfway point is more of a trickle in dry months. If you've had rain recently it's impressive, otherwise don't expect much. The main loop trail is well marked and the view from the top is the real payoff, you can see the whole city spread out on a clear day.
honestly this is a really well thought out itinerary, i've done almost this exact route a couple times. one thing i'd flag is that the bus route 7 to the thousand buddha grottoes can be a bit unreliable in the afternoon, sometimes it just doesn't show up for like 20 minutes. if you're on a tight schedule, just grab a taxi from the central station for about 25 cny, it's faster and saves the hassle.
also, the night market on ximen street is great but the sugarcane juice is way better at the stall near the east gate, the one with the old lady who's been there for years. she squeezes it fresh and it's only 6 cny instead of 8. the grilled skewers are solid though, the lamb ones are the best imo