There is a fairy tale world in Qingyuan, Guangdong. It is already popular in Guangdong before it opens. It is fun, beautiful and delicious.
Legend has it that there is a mountain in Yinghong Town, Yingde City, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province. At the foot of the mountain lived a scholar who failed the exam many times. He couldn't stand the collusion between the village overlord and the salt merchants, which led to the salt ratio. Mi Gui, in order to help the common people, wrote a petition to impeachment, and finally the petition was successful. In order to commemorate the scholar, the villagers named the mountain Xiucai Mountain.
The shape of Xiucai Mountain looks very much like a pen stand, and the lake at the foot of the mountain happens to be in the shape of an inkstone. The pen stand and the inkstone are combined into one, connecting the mountains and rivers, forming a geomantic treasure land.
Between the east and west reservoirs of Yinghong Town, surrounding the "Xiucai Mountain", a unique chocolate kingdom in China - Aoyuan Chocolate Town - has been built. It is said that 15 billion was spent on the construction investment of the entire town, which is truly a heavy investment.
The Chocolate Kingdom covers an area of about 8,000 acres. Entering from the entrance village, you will pass by the Chocolate Factory, Sugar Cloud Country, Milk River Country, Tea and Chocolate Town, Yingde Spring Forest Water World, and Yingde Spring Water World. DoubleTree Resort by Hilton De'ao Park, etc. This is the largest chocolate culture exhibition base in Asia and the only tourist resort in China that integrates natural hot springs, black tea culture, leisure and entertainment, and themed vacations.
How popular is Chocolate Kingdom? It is said that it will open on December 31. There will be an electronic music band and fireworks that night, but before the opening time, the tickets are almost sold out, and even the rooms are almost booked. . It can be said that all people in Guangdong are looking forward to the day when it opens!
We took advantage of the holiday to drive to the Chocolate Town to have a look.
1. I came to the world in a fairy tale
Because the Chocolate Town has not yet opened, projects such as the Chocolate Factory and Milk River Country have not yet opened, but just from the appearance Can't wait to go in and play.
The entire town is in the style of a European castle. Once you enter the village, it is like entering a world in a fairy tale. The most eye-catching sign at the entrance to the village is a colorful Ferris wheel. Later, you can sit on the Ferris wheel and overlook the chocolate town.
There are also cocoa tribes, cocoa forests, etc. inside. Chocolate lovers will definitely find elements of chocolate here.
Little girls probably like Tangyun Kingdom the most. The sweet buildings and pink colors make it seem like they have walked into a princess’s castle, perfectly realizing the tourists’ princess dream.
There is also a chocolate factory, where it is said that you can make chocolate by yourself.
As a person who likes travel photography, you will definitely not miss the castle architecture in Naoxi Country. The castle is dotted with chocolate elements. No matter how you shoot it, it feels like you are in a fairy tale. I used a drone to appreciate the gorgeous beauty of the castle up close.
Next to Milki Kingdom are some amusement equipment. It is said that there are more than 30 kinds of amusement equipment. Young people who like adventure and seek excitement will definitely find amusement rides here. There are also some milder games, which are very suitable for families to travel together. The Chocolate Kingdom is a tourist attraction where you can experience childlike innocence and fun.
Before these amusement facilities are opened, tourists can still come to the Chocolate Town to enjoy hot springs and delicious food.
2. Soak in a hot spring
The purpose of our trip to the Chocolate Town is to enjoy the hot springs and delicious food. Whenever the weather gets colder, Cantonese people enjoy taking hot spring baths.
Quanlin Water World covers an area of about 20,000 square meters and has a six-sense themed soaking pool and a British stone themed soaking pool.
The real hot springs in Guangdong are concentrated in Qingyuan, Zengcheng and other places. The hot spring water here is rich in elements beneficial to the human body. During holidays, Guangzhou people will drive their cars and bring their families here to enjoy the hot springs. Life.
Many tourists still don’t know that although the Chocolate Kingdom has not opened, the Tea and Chocolate Town and the DoubleTree Hilton Resort have opened. Food and accommodation are very convenient. As long as you book a room here, you can enjoy the hot springs for free. . Therefore, when we came here to travel, there were really few tourists, and it was like the entire hot spring area was taken over.
The highest temperature of the natural hot spring water here can reach 70 degrees, and the water temperature in each pool is maintained at the most comfortable temperature for the human body, about 40 degrees. The whole body is soaked in the warm hot spring water, which is really comfortable for all four bodies.
The service staff was also very attentive. They handed us towels and brought tea, which was very considerate.
In the summer, you can also play in the cold pool at Water World. I heard that there is a surfing pool where you can feel the power of the waves.
3. Stay one night at Ogilvy & Mather Yinghong Inn
My neighbors have been looking forward to the opening of the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel in the Chocolate Kingdom for a long time. In fact, it has been open for two years. It's been months.
However, I prefer to stay at Ogilvy Yinghong Inn.
Ogilvy Inn is not far from the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton, and is also very close to the hot springs. It is also located in the town of tea and chocolate. Tea and Chocolate Town covers an area of about 21,000 square meters. It is a thousand-year-old Lingnan ancient cultural village built with British-style architectural styles. It takes the British black tea highly praised by the Queen as its culture and integrates a black tea museum, a Western-style church, and an ice and snow world. , catering and retail, creating a rich fairy tale world for tourists. During the day, every hour on the hour, the big clock in Tea and Chocolate Town will still chime the time.
I heard that the investment promotion in the town has been completed. After the opening, the shops here will become lively. We also saw that some people have taken wedding photos here, and many people have even checked in here. It has long been an internet celebrity place resounding throughout Qingyuan.
Most of the guest rooms in Ogilvy Hotel are decorated in a blue Mediterranean style, giving people the feeling of sleeping in the embrace of the ocean.
There are double bed, queen bed rooms, etc. I personally prefer parent-child rooms. The only regret about this trip to Chocolate Town is that I didn’t bring the children with me. Because the parent-child room is really suitable for a family to stay together, and the price-performance ratio is super high.
If I stay alone, I choose a duplex double room. The first floor is the bathroom and living room, and the second floor is the bedroom. The area of each room is super large, and you can also go to the large terrace to view the town. Beautiful views, extremely comfortable stay, and super quiet at night.
4. What to eat in Chocolate Town?
1. Dinner at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel
I happened to meet him when I was traveling to Chocolate Town On Thanksgiving Day, I chose to have a semi-buffet dinner at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel. Not only could I enjoy the buffet food carefully prepared by the chef, but I could also order food.
If you ask Cantonese people, what is the most famous food in Qingyuan? 100% of people will say Qingyuan Chicken.
Qingyuan Chicken
Qingyuan Chicken is also called No-Maj chicken. According to historical records, people in Qingyuan have had a chicken-eating culture since the Song Dynasty, and even reached the point where it would be impossible to have a feast without chicken. Legend has it that in 1972, US President Richard Nixon was going to visit China, which was a huge event at the time. In order to receive Nixon, the country specially sent a food inspection team to look for food everywhere.
At that time, someone from the food group came to Qingyuan to visit his comrades. When his comrades entertained him with chicken grown in Beijiangtan, he was shocked by the taste of the chicken. The chicken was elastic and smooth, and the skin was It's refreshing and crispy, and not greasy at all. It tastes different from the chicken in other cities. He immediately reported the discovery, and later served US President Richard Nixon with Qingyuan Chicken. It also made Qingyuan Chicken famous all over the country.
Before the long-distance driving license test was cancelled, people from Guangzhou would come to Qingyuan to take the long-distance test. When the coaches went home, they would buy a cage of Qingyuan chickens and take them home. Speaking of which, the popularity of Qingyuan Chicken is partly due to these coaches.
Yingde is rich in black tea. The highest quality fresh black tea leaves are repeatedly stir-fried in a pot and braised together with hens that have never laid eggs. The aroma of the tea slowly blends with the aroma of the chicken, and the color, aroma and fragrance are combined. It's extremely tempting and really delicious to eat.
When dining at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, you can also enjoy the night view of Chocolate Town while dining in the restaurant.
2. Beijiang delicacies hide a hidden chef
Guangdong has many traditional delicacies, but what many people lament is that the traditional delicacies are not passed down due to the complicated process. The taste is getting less and less. Unexpectedly, I met a mysterious chef in a small town who cooked traditional Chinese food to perfection.
Beijiang is the mother river of Qingyuan. The chickens and fish raised by it are tender and highly praised by Guangdong people. There is a "Beijiang Fresh" restaurant near Ogilvy Jiayinghong Inn. If you come to Chocolate Town, don’t miss it to taste the chef’s craftsmanship.
Beijiang Fresh Chicken
Only Cantonese people understand the saying of "Lao Chicken", which means "pick it up, pick it up, the prosperity will rise". Some people say "the more you eat, the more you get" mean. Fishing for chicken started in Yangshan, Qingyuan. It uses 280-day fan chicken that eats millet and grew up in Beijiangtan, and adds 7 or 8 kinds of seasonings, such as coriander, camellia oil, peanuts, sweet garlic slices, shredded onions, shredded white onions, cashews, etc. The ingredients are endless. same.
When eating, everyone uses chopsticks to break up the fragrant and golden whole chicken and mix it with the seasonings. It is lively and the taste is excellent. It is refreshing, smooth, elastic, fragrant and tender, and leaves a fragrance on your lips and teeth. Once you eat it, you will never forget it.
Squirrel fish and eel
For chefs, squirrel fish and eel are extremely difficult to cook. Therefore, many restaurants are now unwilling to cook these two dishes. Because it is time consuming and laborious.
The squirrel fish prepared by Beijiangxian chefs is evenly cut, the fish belly is intact, the taste is sweet but not greasy, the meat is tender and smooth, and the taste is very good.
There is also a plate of eel, which looks like a flower when plated together. It is extremely beautiful and it is not something that ordinary chefs can achieve this level of perfection. The bones and flesh cannot be separated yet because the knife skills are too complicated. In the past, only distinguished guests or high-end banquets could taste this dish. In order to save trouble, people nowadays use lobster to replace the grandeur of eel.
These three dishes alone are enough to make us admire the chef with admiration. Upon closer inspection, we found out that the chef is a local and used to be a famous hotel chef, and his food is indeed extraordinary.
A day in the Chocolate Town is a day of physical and mental satisfaction
The Chocolate Town is full of excitement during the day, which is a visual and physical enjoyment. At night, stay in the European-style hotel When you visit the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel or the Ogilvy Inn, it is the happiest summary of a day full of satisfaction. When you see these incomparable views and eat the incomparable food, you are even more looking forward to the opening of Chocolate Town. .
At this moment, I suddenly felt envious of the owners of Aoyuan. They should be the people closest to happiness.
TIPS:
Chocolate Town will only open on December 31. After the opening, it is said that tickets will be charged. Currently, you can only stay and dine in Tea and Chocolate Town.
Transportation: Suitable for self-driving
Address: Shunying Avenue, Yingde Yinghong Town, Qingyuan, Guangdong