Shunde Food Day Tour — A Deep Dive into UNESCO's "City of Gastronomy"
Named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2014 — the second in China after Chengdu. The cradle of Cantonese cuisine, where "Eat in Guangzhou, but the cooks come from Fengcheng." Klook day tours from HK$ 480 including transport + 4 meals + sights.
At a Glance
| Standard charter tour | HK$ 580 / Klook HK$ 480 |
|---|---|
| + 4 meals + sights | HK$ 780 / Klook HK$ 680 |
| VIP private (4 pax min.) | HK$ 1,080 / Klook HK$ 880 |
| Total time | 10–12 hours |
| Departures | Hong Kong / Guangzhou / Shenzhen |
| Includes | Charter + meals + Qinghui Garden + Shunfengshan Park |
1. What Shunde is
Shunde is a district of Foshan in Guangdong, 30 minutes from Guangzhou and 2 hours from Hong Kong. Historically known as Fengcheng (Phoenix City), it is the heartland of Cantonese cuisine — one of China's eight great culinary traditions. The old proverb says "Eat in Guangzhou, but the cooks come from Fengcheng" — meaning Cantonese cuisine flourishes in Guangzhou but Shunde's chefs do it best.
In 2014 UNESCO designated Shunde a Creative City of Gastronomy — the second in China after Chengdu (2010). Only 41 cities worldwide hold the title.
The Shunde culinary style is built on five qualities: "fresh, tender, smooth, sweet, clean." The emphasis is on live ingredients (fish, poultry), light cooking (mostly steaming and blanching), and minimal heavy seasoning. It is the standard-bearer for "healthy and light" Chinese cooking.
2. Top 10 must-try Shunde dishes
- Shuangpinai (double-skin milk pudding) — invented in Shunde, made from buffalo milk and egg white. Renxin, Minxin and Long De are all great spots. ¥18–25.
- Ginger milk curd — hot milk poured over ginger juice sets instantly; warming for the stomach. ¥22.
- Raw fish (yusheng) — thin slices of freshwater grass carp eaten raw with garlic, ginger, scallions and peanuts. ¥88/plate.
- Sauna chicken — live chicken steamed for 20 minutes in a "sauna" basket. Juicy. ¥158/whole.
- Jun'an steamed pork — whole suckling pig steamed (not roasted) — more tender, sweeter. ¥388/portion.
- Chrysanthemum fish — fish cut to resemble blooming chrysanthemums, steamed with sauce. Visually stunning. ¥168.
- Lunjiao cake — white fermented rice cake, soft, springy, fragrant. ¥12.
- No-rice congee — a "fake congee" using only the broth base to cook ingredients. ¥88–138/pot.
- Pan-fried fish cake — minced freshwater fish pan-fried into patties — crisp outside, tender inside. ¥28.
- Renxin sweets sampler — ginger milk curd + double-skin milk + mango pomelo sago. ¥68 set.
3. Suggested 1-day itinerary
- 08:00 Hong Kong meet-up — Lo Wu / Futian / Kowloon;
- 08:30–11:00 — charter coach to Shunde;
- 11:00–12:30 brunch — local Shunde teahouse: chicken feet, siu mai, har gow;
- 12:30–14:00 Qinghui Garden — one of the four great Lingnan gardens, free / ¥15 entry;
- 14:00–15:30 Renxin original double-skin milk shop — the founding store;
- 15:30–17:00 Shunfengshan Park — free photo spot;
- 17:00–19:30 dinner — the classic raw fish + sauna chicken + Jun'an steamed pork combo;
- 19:30–22:00 charter back to Hong Kong.
4. The four food districts of Shunde
- Daliang (city centre) — double-skin milk, roast pigeon, Huagai Road food street;
- Jun'an — birthplace of Jun'an steamed pork and sauna chicken;
- Ronggui — traditional teahouses and raw fish;
- Leliu — chrysanthemum fish and the mulberry-fishpond tradition.
5. Best time to visit
- October–December: most comfortable weather.
- March–May: crab-apple blossoms in Qinghui Garden.
- Avoid: June–September thunderstorms and heat (hard on outdoor stops); some restaurants close around Spring Festival.
6. Package comparison
| Package | Includes | Face value | Klook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Charter + 2 meals + 1 sight | HK$ 580 | HK$ 480 |
| Food + culture | + 4 meals + Qinghui Garden + Shunfengshan | HK$ 780 | HK$ 680 |
| VIP private | 4 pax min, all-inclusive | HK$ 1,080 | HK$ 880 |
7. How to save money
- Pre-book on Klook: save HK$ 100;
- Group of 4: VIP charter works out to HK$ 220/person — saves HK$ 260 vs HK$ 480 standard;
- Depart from Guangzhou: HK$ 100 cheaper than from Hong Kong (no cross-border leg);
- Avoid weekends: restaurants get crowded and the experience suffers.
8. Self-guided vs guided group
| Mode | Price | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guided group | HK$ 480–880 | Charter sorted + curated restaurants | Tight schedule, fixed itinerary |
| Self-guided | HK$ 300–500 | Free, deeper | Need to research routes |
I recommend: first time, take the guided group; on a return trip, go self-guided for depth.
9. Practical tips
- Bring: Mainland Travel Permit / passport;
- Payment: Shunde takes WeChat / Alipay; some old shops are cash only;
- Avoid: oversized restaurants packed with tourists — find a 30–50-table local spot instead;
- Double-skin milk: Renxin (oldest store in Daliang) vs Minxin (popular with younger crowd) — both have devotees;
- Raw fish: insist on 100% live freshwater fish killed on the spot to avoid parasite risk.
10. Why book through us
- Includes charter + food + sights;
- No cross-border or routing research needed;
- Free cancellation up to 72 hours ahead;
- Mandarin, English, Japanese and Cantonese customer service.