Stand on Lingfeng Road West in the old urban core and the name Jiaying is still everywhere — in shop signs, in school gates, in the way people describe where they are from. This is the historic Jiaying city, the seat of the prefecture that once governed the "Five Counties of Jiaying," and it remains the natural starting point for understanding Meizhou.
Meizhou suits travellers interested in Hakka culture, temple architecture and mountain scenery rather than nightlife or beach resorts. The city is the heartland of Hakka settlement in eastern Guangdong, and its sights cluster around two things: the Hakka story of migration and return, and the hills and tea terraces of Meixian District outside the urban core.
This guide covers the specific sights listed for the city, notes how to link them into a single day, and answers the practical questions a first-time visitor tends to ask.
Top things to do in Meizhou
1. Hakka Museum of China
The Hakka Museum of China sits on Dongshan Avenue in Meijiang District, inside Hakka Park. It is the single best introduction to who the Hakka are and why Meizhou matters to them, covering the southward migration from around the Yellow River, the hostility that pushed communities into the mountains of Guangdong, and the later dispersal overseas.
Entry is free, and it is closed on Mondays, opening 09:00-17:30 Tuesday to Sunday. Take bus nos. 1 or 6 and get off at Hakka Park. Because the museum sits inside the park itself, pair the two in one outing rather than treating them as separate stops.
2. Hakka Land
Hakka Land, also known as Hakka Park Scenic Spot, is in Dongsheng Village, Sanjiao Town, Meijiang District. It is the city's large purpose-built Hakka cultural scenic area, and it is where you go to see the built expression of Hakka identity — the architecture, the settlement layout and the cultural displays that returning and overseas Hakkas have funded across Meizhou.
It is open 08:00-17:30 and is reached by bus routes 4, 15 and 25. Allow a half day; the site is spread out and rewards slow walking rather than a quick circuit.
3. Yannanfei Tea Garden
Yannanfei Tea Garden, also called Yearning Tea Plantation, lies in Yanyang Town, Meixian District. Meizhou's mountainous location gives it clean air and natural scenery, and this tea garden is the most established place to climb a mountain slope planted with tea and look out over the surrounding hills.
Catch bus no. 17 from the stop at the Jiaying University West Gate; the bus terminates just outside the tea garden. Tickets are ¥80 for adults, with reduced rates for children depending on height. Go in the morning for clearer air and cooler walking.
4. Temple of the Thousand Buddha Pagoda
The Temple of the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, or Qianfotasi, stands on the summit of Lianhua Hill in Dongyan, Jinshan Sub-District, Meijiang District. It combines a working temple with a hilltop pagoda, and the climb gives you a view back over the city rather than just a building to look at.
It is open 07:00-18:00 and entry is free. Bus routes 12, 13, 16 and 20 serve the area. Combine it with a stop at the Hakka Museum of China, which is also in Meijiang District, if you are working through the city's sights in one stretch.
5. Lingguang Temple
Lingguang Temple is in Yinna Village, Yanyang Town, Meixian District, in the same part of the county as the tea terraces. It is one of the area's long-established religious sites and is open around the clock, which makes it unusually flexible to fit into a day.
Entry is ¥40. To get there, catch bus nos. 17, 41 or 46 to Ye Jianying Memorial Park and transfer to bus no. 39. Because it shares a town with Yannanfei Tea Garden, the two are worth doing as one trip out of the city.
6. Meizhou Confucian Temple
The Meizhou Confucian Temple, or Meizhou Xuegong, is on Lingfeng Road West in Meijiang District. Education has been highly valued in Meizhou since ancient times, and this temple is the clearest physical reminder of that tradition in the old urban core.
It sits in the historic Jiaying city area, so it works best as part of a walk through the old streets rather than a standalone excursion. Read the surrounding street names as you go; the Jiaying name is still in wide local use.
7. Meixian District Museum
The Meixian District Museum is at 7 Fudong Er Lu, Xincheng, in Meixian District. It is a smaller, quieter counterpart to the Hakka Museum of China and is useful if you want to look at the district's own collections without the crowds of the central museum.
Note that it is closed on Mondays, like the Hakka Museum of China, so plan both for the same part of the week. It is a sensible stop if you are already heading out towards Meixian District for the tea gardens.
8. Jiaying University
Jiaying University is the city's local university and is known for its research into Hakka culture, attracting Hakka students from other provinces. For a visitor, it is a low-key stop rather than a formal attraction, but it is a genuine part of how the city understands itself.
The university's west gate is also the practical bus stop for the no. 17 service out to Yannanfei Tea Garden, so it is easy to fold into a day that is already heading to Meixian District.
9. Longguizhai Waterfall
Longguizhai Waterfall, or Longguizhai Pubu, is in Tangkeng Town, Fengshun County. It is a roaring waterfall in rural Meizhou, and it is the option to choose if you want scenery that is not built around Hakka heritage sites.
Entry is ¥50. It lies outside the main urban area, so treat it as a half-day or full-day trip on its own rather than something to squeeze between city sights.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Hakka Museum of China on Dongshan Avenue, arriving for the 09:00 opening. It is free and closed on Mondays, so check the day before you commit. Take bus nos. 1 or 6 and get off at Hakka Park, then walk the park itself once you have finished inside.
Afternoon. Move on to Hakka Land in Sanjiao Town, open 08:00-17:30 and served by bus routes 4, 15 and 25. If you would rather spend the afternoon outdoors, take bus no. 17 from the Jiaying University West Gate out to Yannanfei Tea Garden instead, and climb the tea slopes.
Evening. Return to Meijiang District and walk Lingfeng Road West to see the Meizhou Confucian Temple in the old Jiaying core. Finish with salt baked chicken or Yong tau foo, the Hakka dishes most associated with the city.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Meizhou?
Meizhou has a humid subtropical climate with short, mild winters and long, hot, humid summers. April to June brings the heaviest and most frequent rainfall, and the mountainous topography means flooding is a serious concern, so those months need care. Spring is also when the plum varieties — green, white and flowering — come into bloom on the hillsides.
Which sights are free, and which charge admission?
The Hakka Museum of China and the Temple of the Thousand Buddha Pagoda are free. Lingguang Temple charges ¥40, Longguizhai Waterfall ¥50, and Yannanfei Tea Garden ¥80 for adults with reduced rates for children depending on height.
What should I eat in Meizhou?
Salt baked chicken is among the best-known Hakka dishes and is found in many other cities too. Yong tau foo, or stuffed tofu, is another local staple — the story goes that when Hakka people first came south there was no wheat flour for dumplings, so they substituted tofu, and the meat-based fillings became a feature of Hakka cuisine. Preserved beef and ginger candies are also locally popular, and from around August or September you will see pomelos in village orchards.
How do I get to the sights outside the city centre?
Buses cover most of them. Bus no. 17 leaves from the Jiaying University West Gate and terminates just outside Yannanfei Tea Garden. For Lingguang Temple, take bus nos. 17, 41 or 46 to Ye Jianying Memorial Park and transfer to bus no. 39. Meizhou is also a rail hub, with high-speed services from Meizhou West and regular services from Meizhou railway station.
Pick your dates around the plum blossom and the drier months, then build the day around the Hakka Museum of China and one trip out to Meixian District.