Tuo City, originally known as Longchuan City, was established as the county seat in 214 BC after Emperor Qin Shi Huang pacified the Southern Yue. It was named in honor of Zhao Tuo, the first county magistrate who later became the ‘King of Southern Yue’. As a ‘World Hakka Ancient City’ and a ‘Famous City of Lingnan Culture’, Tuo City is one of the four well-preserved ancient cities in Lingnan during the Qin Dynasty. It is one of the earliest counties established in Lingnan history, known as the ‘First Ancient Town of Lingnan’, with a history of 2225 years. It is acclaimed as the ‘Ancient Town of the Qin Dynasty, Famous City of the Han and Tang Dynasties’ and is one of the first batch of historical and cultural cities in Guangdong Province.
Despite the vicissitudes of over a thousand years, Tuo City still preserves relics from the Qin Dynasty, such as the Yue King Well and Zhao Tuo’s former residence; the Zhengxiang Pagoda from the Tang Dynasty; the Yue King Temple, ancient city walls, and Xuanzhou government office from the Song Dynasty; the City God Temple from the Ming Dynasty; and the Academy and examination hall from the Qing Dynasty, among more than 100 cultural relics and historical sites. With a population of only 40,000, Tuo City has 179 surnames, and Tuo City Village, with a population of over 2,000, has 140 surnames, which is a rare phenomenon nationwide. Tuo City is also one of the four places in China where the Academy and examination hall coexist (Longchuan in Guangdong, Dingzhou in Hebei, Jixi in Anhui, and Jianshui in Yunnan). Tuo City has 89 ancient ancestral halls recorded in history, and 48 of them still exist today, earning the reputation of ‘China’s Ancient Ancestral Hall Museum’. Tuo City scenic area is known as the ‘Source of Lingnan Hakka, Root of Chinese Surnames, Zhao Tuo’s Rise to Kingship, and Window of Imperial Examination Culture’.
Opening hours: The scenic area is open all year round from 08:30 to 17:30.
Preferential policies:
A. Free policy: Children under 1.2 meters (including 1.2 meters) are free of charge; active-duty soldiers and disabled soldiers with valid certificates are free of charge.
B. Preferential policy: Children between 1.2 meters (excluding 1.2 meters) and 1.5 meters purchase child tickets; students with student IDs purchase discounted tickets; elderly people over 70 years old with ID cards purchase discounted tickets.
C. The above information is for reference only, please refer to the information disclosed by the scenic area on the day, thank you.
Service facilities: Parking lot – [Tuo City Parking Lot], Reference price: Free, Address: Next to Xuegong, Tuocheng Town, Longchuan County, Heyuan City, Guangdong Province; Spaces: 50
