After Beijing and Shanghai the southern city of Guangzhou is probably the best known city in China. Situated in the northern part of the Pearl River delta, the city is the capital of Guangdong Province and one of the country’s best-known historic and cultural cities as well as a large industrial and commercial centre and port. It is close to Hong Kong and Macau which makes it an easy city to visit.
After the incredible traffic and frantic bustle of Beijing and Shanghai I found Guangzhou (for years known to westerners as Canton) relatively relaxed and slower paced. Its location is subtropical and the weather can get very humid in summer but this means that everything is green and flowers bloom throughout the year.
Due to its location close to the South China Sea it has for centuries been a major foreign trade centre. The Portuguese arrived in the early 16th century and British merchants in the 17th century. The latter encouraged the use of opium which, when outlawed by the Chinese authorities led to the famous opium wars in 1839. This long exposure to outside contact has made Guangzhou a very cosmopolitan city.
Getting round the city to see the major sights is easy. Taxis are inexpensive and the metro system is quick, efficient and easy to use. Until a couple of years ago there were only two lines but after being awarded the Asian Games in 2010 the city rapidly expanded the network to seven lines. There is even a metro line out to Baiyun International Airport on the edge of the city and a ride from there on the metro is only about $2 to the centre of the city – a cab costs about $22.
The main sights for tourists are centred round lovely Yuexiu Park near the metro station of the same name. It is a large area with lots of greenery, pavilions, statues and lakes; it is also hilly and the steep paths in the humid weather can be quite taxing. It is popular place for locals to spend time away from their apartments and you will find them strolling, relaxing, doing tai chi or just gossiping.
At the top of Yeixiu Hill is Zhenhai Tower which dates from 1380 during the reign of the Ming Emperor Hongwu. The red, five story 28m high tower now houses the Guangzhou Museum and from the top floor you get excellent views over the city. The museum contains many items covering the city’s history including some superb pottery and an example of a water clock where time is measured by water dripping from one container to another below. Outside the museum is a carefully preserved wooden tomb discovered during excavations in the city and the remains of a fort.
Zhenhai Tower in Yeixiu Park
Also in the park is a tall structure, a memorial to Sun Yat-sen (he also has a memorial hall just outside the park) and an interesting modern sculpture of five rams which is the city emblem of Guangzhou. Families gather to take rides in small boats on the lakes in the park.
five rams sculpture
Not far away is the Six Banyan Temple which was first built in 537 with its 57m high Sarira Pagoda which contains ancient bronze statues and steles recording the history of the temple.
Not all the buildings in Guangzhou are old. On the edge of the Pearl River south of Zhujang New Town metro station (line 3) a new financial centre is rapidly filling the skyline. Tall office blocks, many in futuristic designs, are juxtaposed with less tall but still large structures like the Guangzhou Opera House. A bridge leads across the river (rather murky colour) to a very modern sports stadium. A tourist park is also nearing completion.
new financial centre buildings dwarf Guangzhou Opera House
Guangzhou has an excellent zoo and also an aquarium while on the outskirts of the city the South China Botanical Garden is the country’s leading sub-tropical botanical garden with over 5,000 varieties of plants. The gardens are close to Baiyun Hill scenic area which is a popular recreation spot with pavilions, temples, springs and a busy cableway up to the top of Baiyun (White Cloud) Hill which often lives up to its name, the top being enveloped in cloud.
I stayed at the Jiangou Hotel (www.jianguohotelgz.com) which is near the Guangzhou East railway station with the metro station there a convenient place for getting round the city. The hotel is excellent with nice rooms, friendly and helpful staff, spa, gym and even a billiard room. Across the road is a huge JUSCO supermarket which sells everything you might need – including some Australian wines.
There are numerous other hotels from 5-star hotels such as Marriott, Shangri-La, Ramada and Grand Hyatt to more modest properties; check out the internet as you can usually pick up rooms for very reasonable rates. I would recommend choosing one that is close to a metro station.
For tourists there are two main shopping streets, both pedestrian only for much of their length. I ventured to Beijing Road which had a mixture of large department stores as well as some of the smaller boutiques and tiny arcades for which most large Chinese cities are famous – although I didn’t find the usual array of cheap ‘fake’ designer labels so much in evidence. Shops generally open from 10-10.30am and many trade until 10pm – it is strange to see families with young children doing their shopping late in the evening. Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Shopping Street is the other area for shopping.
Beijing Road shopping street
Perhaps the oddest attraction in Guangzhou is World Grand View Park which features 1:1 replicas of famous classical buildings such as Paris Opera House as well as scenic landscapes and folk customs.
Guangzhou is ideally situated for a quick trip to Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen and the town of Foshan only 20km south of Guangzhou is famous for Chinese ceramics, Cantonese operas and martial arts. In fact pottery and especially embroidery are a specialty craft in Guangdong Province.
Cantonese cuisine is one of the most famous in China although to many westerners the taste is fairly bland compared to more spicy cuisines such as Sichuan. There are numerous restaurants throughout Guangzhou where you can try the local specialties.
Roger Allnutt flew with China Southern and accommodation at Jiangou Hotel was arranged by Helen Wongs Tours.
Fact file:
China Southern Airlines has twice daily flights from Sydney to Guangzhou with connections to many other airports throughout China. You can also continue on to Paris. They also have flights from Brisbane and Melbourne and Auckland in NZ. For more information check the website www.flychinasouthern.com
Guangzhou has a pleasant temperature year round but can be very muggy and hot in their summer months.
Related posts:
Recent Comments