About Guangzhou
Brief Introduction top
Guangzhou, a provincial capital of Guangdong, is the largest and most prosperous city in southern China. It is situated in the mouth of the Pearl River Delta, with the Baiyun (White Cloud) Hill in the north and the Zhujiang (Pearl) River Delta Plain in front. The city is 125 kilometers northwest of Hong Kong on the Pearl River.
The spoken language of Guangzhou - Cantonese - is incomprehensible to most northern Chinese, who typically speak Mandarin. A word in Cantonese has nine tones instead of the four tones in the Mandarin dialect. (The area around Guangzhou was overcrowded even 200 years ago, and many peasants from the region emigrated to Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe; as a result, Cantonese is the most common dialect among early overseas Chinese.)
Shopping and Food top
The interesting thing about shopping in Guangzhou is browsing the weird and wonderful collection of animals, food and medicines in Qingping Market. The rugged and rough side to this city is open for everyone to see here, just make sure you hold your nose if you visit in the summer. Guangzhou also has some reasonable department stores including the South Mansion Department Store that gets most of its stock direct from Hong Kong.
Eating is everyone's favorite activity in Guangzhou. When it is time to eat here, the range and diversity of dishes will impress even the most expert Chinese food connoisseur. Guangzhou dishes are among the most famous in China. This fame derives partly from the excellent resources and fertile land surrounding the area and partly from the scarcity of money in the city.
Entertainment top
As one of the fist cities to 'open up' to the west, Guangzhou has long had a vibrant and colorful nightlife. It used to be that visitors to the city found it threatening and dangerous and the city nightlife centered around numerous 'massage parlors'. All this has changed however and, while the nightlife here can't compare with Shanghai or Hong Kong, there are some good little bars and a great live music scene here. Guangzhou people are also very raucous! This creates a fun and lively atmosphere in many of the city's clubs and pubs. The best places to try are around Shamian Island, which is becoming the most cultured and refined area of the city. For a taste of Guangzhou's famous Canton pop try the Shui Bian Bar which regularly features live music from throughout the province.
Transportation top
Guangzhou boasts good domestic transportation links to most major Chinese cities and Hong Kong. There are also a few flights to International Asian and Australian destinations.
*By Air:
The city's Baiyun airport is situated 12km from the center of town. There is an airport bus that travels between the CAAC office next to the train station and the airport.
There are regular domestic flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, and Hong Kong. China Eastern and Air China both operate out of the airport and tickets to most destinations in China and some international ones can be booked through Ctrip. International flights are less convenient and tend to be very expensive compared to flights from Hong Kong. There are weekly or bi-weekly flights to Singapore, Malaysia, Osaka and Sydney from Guangzhou.
*By Train:
There are two train stations in Guangzhou; the old one in the center of town and a newer one to the east of the city. Make sure you check which station your train departs from! Trains leave from both stations for Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Kunming, Chengdu and Xian. Tickets can be bought from CITS near the station or inside the station itself- this however is not a good option as the station is usually very busy and it's not a nice place to hang about. Your best bet is to get tickets through a hotel- you'll have to pay for this service but it is a worthwhile luxury!
*By Bus:
There are two major bus stations in Guangzhou. The Provincial bus station which is next to the bus station serves Guilin, Macau and Hong Kong. There are also buses from the Garden Hotel, the White Swan Hotel and the LiuHua Hotel to Hong Kong. The Liuhua bus station, which is opposite the railway station serves most Guangdong destinations, Hainan, sleeper buses to Guilin and Shenzhen. Times and costs vary according to the type of transport used.
*By Boat:
There are regular ferry services to Hong Kong from Guangzhou. The port, Panyu is approximately a forty minute taxi drive from the center of town. Most boats to Hong Kong take approximately 2 hours and tickets can be bought at the pier.
Tourist Attractions top
*Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall
It was built in 1931, the commemorative structure named after the pioneer of Chinese Democratic Revolution and for the Revolution of 1911. It was designed by the well-known architect of modern China, Lu Yan Zhi, who was also the designer of the Dr. Sun’s Mausoleum in Nanjing. The building complex is composed of the arch over the gateway, the auditorium, and the several-storied buildings to the east and west. The auditorium is octagonal--in the shape of the palace hall.
*Chen's Ancestral Shrine
It is also known as Guangdong Folk Art Museum was built in the 1890s and has nine halls and six courtyards. Its windows, door frames, and pavilions are lavishly decorated with intricate carvings and sculptures. It is now the largest and best preserved and decorated ancient architecture existing in Guangdong province. The decoration combines wood carving, brick carving, stone carving, clay sculpture, ash sculpture, brass and iron foundry, grotto, New Year painting, and other art forms. The special historical, artistic, and scientific aspects of the temple have made it an important attraction in Guangzhou.
*Temple of Six Banyan Trees
Built in 537, the Temple of Six Banyan Trees is a renowned Buddhist site in the region. It enshrines three large Buddhist statues--the biggest copper Buddhist statues existing in Guangdong province. The thousand-Buddha copper pillar cast in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) is kept on the top story of the pagoda. The 184-foot pagoda appears to have nine stories; inside, however, there are 17 levels. Because of the colorful exterior carvings, it is popularly known as the Flower Pagoda.
*Original Xiguan Architecture
At the end of the Ming dynasty, there was a surge in building huge residences and homes for business men and officials. A few of these fascinating buildings remain and can be found in the area south of the Zhujiang River and east of Renmin Rd. These buildings(Xiguan Dayuan) are great examples of traditional Cantonese architecture.
*Yuexiu Park
It is the largest park in downtown Guangzhou. Covering an area of 860,000 square meters (212.5 acres), the park is made up of three artificial lakes and seven hills of Yuexiu Mountain; hence the name Yuexiu Park.
*Guangxiao Temple
Guangxiao Temple is Guangzhou's oldest site. Numerous famous and renowned Buddhists have visited the Temple in the past including the Indian founder of Zen Buddhism, Bodhidharma.
*Pearl River Cruise
The Pearl River has a length of more than 2,000 kilometers (about 1243 miles) and is the third longest river in China. When night falls, the Pearl River immediately starts to look more interesting. The bridges, decorated by colorful shining neon lights, seem like fantastic rainbows spanning the river. On both banks, the nightlife of the city awakens. It becomes gorgeous with a blaze of lights. The water in the river reflects the magnificent lights in shimmering patterns. Cruise ships full of tourists ply the waters at a leisurely pace. Visitors enjoy the gentle cool breeze and soak up the colorful night view. The night scene on the Pearl River is almost on a par with Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong.