Qingyuan, formerly romanized as Tsingyun, is a prefecture-level city in northern Guangdong province, China, on the banks of the Bei or North River. During the 2020 census, its total population was 3,969,473, out of whom 1,738,424 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of urbanized Qingcheng and Qingxin districts. The primary spoken language is Cantonese.
Covering 19,015 km2 (7,342 sq mi), Qingyuan is Guangdong's largest prefecture-level division by land area, and it borders Guangzhou and Foshan to the south, Shaoguan to the east and northeast, Zhaoqing to the south and southwest, and Hunan province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to the north. The urban core is surrounded by mountainous areas but is directly connected with Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta by Highway 107.
Qingyuan is known for its chickens (清远鸡), and naturally, this makes it an excellent place to try chicken dishes.
Qingcheng District: knife cut glutinous rice, white cut Qingyuan chicken, Chau heart big congee
Qingnew District: Shantang preserved meat, Shuangtan tofu, Shuangtan Shankeng snail, Shitan soy sauce chicken
Fogang County: Shuitou pork, Gaogang sour tofu, taro black goose, Minan white cut chicken
Yingde City: Kowloon tofu, Lei Cha congee, Big Bay cabbage bun, yellow flower meat, Yingde black tea
Yangshan County: Yangshan chicken, wheat soup, Taiping Shui soup, Huangben autumn cake, Libu red yeast meat
Yao Autonomous County, Liannan: Yaoshan tea oil, Yao cell rice wine, big glutinous rice cake, big leaf tea, Handzhashan fern bundle meat
Lianzhou: Lianzhou Crystal pear, beef mixed, Steamed cut powder, star steamed pork Pork Lianshan Zhuang Yao Autonomous County: Rice fish, smoked bacon, Glutinous rice cake
Qingyuan Tie Guan Yin（清远铁观音）: Clearwater Tie Guan Yin is a type of oolong tea, renowned for its unique floral and fruity fragrance. Its leaves are shaped like iron blocks, hence the name "Tie Guan Yin."
Qingyuan Biluochun（清远碧螺春）: Biluochun is a green tea, and the tea leaves from the Clearwater region may have a distinctive flavor influenced by the local climate and soil conditions, characterized by freshness and a crisp taste.
Qingyuan White Hair Silver Needle（清远白毫银针）: This is a type of white tea, known for its tender buds and prominent white hairs. White tea is crafted with a simple process that emphasizes preserving the natural flavors of the tea leaves.
Qingyuan Puerh Tea（清远普洱茶）: The Clearwater region may also produce Puerh tea, a fermented tea with a unique aged flavor.
There are several local herbal and medicinal products on sale, such as deer wine and lingzhi, an expensive medicinal fungus.
The area has been inhabited for thousands of years by both Han Chinese and ethnic minorities. The present city of Qingyuan was established as a prefecture level city in 1988.
Qingyuan is just north of the Pearl River Delta in a diverse landscape with both plains and mountains. The climate is subtropical monsoon with plenty of rain in the summer half and not too cold winters. The city can be visited all year but is most pleasant during April to October.
