Guangzhou

Guangzhou

The capital city of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou is located in the middle of the southern area and north of the Pearl River Delta. It lies close to the South China Sea, Hong Kong, and Macau. The Pearl River, the third largest river of China, runs through Guangzhou and is navigable to the South China Sea. Being situated in such an excellent geographical location, Guangzhou is called China's Southern Gateway. Guangzhou covers an area of 7434 square kms and is currently home to more than 11 million people.

Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall

The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is located on the southern slope of Yuexiu Hill and was constructed between 1929 and 1931. It was built as a monument to Dr Sun Yat-sen, the forerunner of the Chinese democratic revolution, by the people of Guangzhou. The hall, a grand octagon building with typical Chinese architectural style was last renovated in 1998. This masterpiece of architecture history was created with a span of 71 metres without a pillar but significant outlooks and delicate interior designs and there is a bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen in front of the memorial hall that dates from 1956.

Temple of the Six Banyan Trees

The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is one of the four best Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and located on the Liurong Road (meaning the Six Banyan Trees Road). It has a rich collection of cultural-relics and a history going back 1400 years. Originally built in 537, the temple has been rebuilt several times, and the name has also been changed several times from Changshou Temple (meaning Longevity Temple) to Jinghui Temple and finally the current name. It is a name given by the great litterateur Su Dongpo in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). It was said that he visited the temple while returning to the north. During the visit, he found the six banyan trees there particularly striking.

Five Rams Statue

Located in Yuexiu Park, the Five Rams Statue enjoys its place in this 90 hectare park of gardens, monuments and museums. The statue depicts the five immortals who founded the city of Guangzhou.

Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

Across the road from Yuexiu Park, the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King is an excellent museum dedicated to the king of the ancient kingdom, Nanyue, which was a sovereign state 2000 years ago. The tomb was only discovered in 1983 by construction workers on a building site.

Chen Clan Ancestrail Hall

The Chen Clan Ancestrail Hall forms part of the Museum of Folk Art, as well as being an ancestral shrine and a Confucian institute. Built over 100 years ago by villagers from all over the Guangdong Province, the compound has nearly 20 traditional buildings for the visitor to explore. All of these buildings contain beautiful carvings, statues and paintings from Chinese literature.