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| Tourist
Guides for China |
Guangzhou
Tourist Guide (October 2010) |
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General Comments:
The modern Capital City of Guangdong Province since
the Ming dynasty, and known as Canton, is a flourishing
city of some 11 million people. It is China's Third
City after Beijing and Shanghai. Guangzhou is also known
as The Flower City, and The Southern Gate to China.
Nationalities: Han, Li, Yao, Zhuang, Miao, Hui, Manchu
and She. Guangzhou is famous for: Yue Drama or Cantonese
Opera, Famous Guangdong Folk Music: Bubugao and Xiyangyang;
Handcraft: Traditional Ceramics, Ivory Carving, Sandalwood
Fan. You shouold refer to Cantonese people as being
'Yue', but they are not an Ethnic Minority
With a written history of 2,200 years, Guangzhou is
regarded as the earliest among the international trade
port cities in the world; built as Chuting by the Chu
people from the middle reaches of the Yangtze River
in the 9th century B.C.; established as Nanhai Prefecture
in the Qing dynasty and became Nanyue Kingdom in the
Western Han dynasty; the starting point of the Silk
Road on the sea which links China with the Arabian and
western countries in trading; China's only foreign trade
port at sea before the Qing dynasty
Important!
Please note that Guangzhou has attracted a large community
of illegal Nigerian immigrants.
This means that if you have a negroid appearance and
are in Guangzhou, you should 'Always'
carry your passport and identity documents with you
at all times!
You should also have immediate contact to a 'friend'
who is fluent in: English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
If you cannot be bothered to do this, then chances are
you will be locked-up for 15 days on first offence -
and then deported. You have been warned
It is such a shame that a few unprincipaled people can
make life so unbearable for guenuine visitors to China,
but such is modern life. The Nigerian's have done this
themselves - along with being responsible for so much
unsolicited international spam = it is untrue!
To redress the balance, China Expats does have genuine
Nigerian friends worldwide. However in Guangzhou, the
avarice of a few of thier country's outcast's has tainted
the genuine needs of the many.
Bottom Line: If you could vagually be considered as
Negroid, then always carry your passport in Guangzhou,
and this most definitely includes USA citizens, whom
we know have suffered very badly through the irresponsibility
of their very distant cousins
This is not a politically or racially motivated statement,
as we don't really care about such things. It is a hard
fact of life in Guangzhou, and we are trying to offer
you genuine advice for your safety and wellbeing. Ignore
at your peril!
That stated, Guangzhou is one of the utmost intriguing
cities in China, especially politically. They have supported
the Central Government for over 2, 000 years, but still
retain their own identity, culture - that of the "Yue
People", and language (Cantonese is the only other
'official language' spoken in China). They are never
refered to in news bullitin's or weather reports, and
are never considerd to be a part of 'Southeast China'.
They are very different. How come?
Well, this is a very difficult subject to put into words,
as Cantonese is mainly a spoken language. The people
are "Always Open" throughout history; and
we still have to write our definitive history of these
great people.
We are not ready to write this yet, not because we don't
have historical facts - we have them in abundance. What
we lack is an Internationally expoundable concepts of
understanding. It is very like Great Britain and Ireland
- except there is 'No problem'
Social and Shopping
In contrast, modern Guangzhou has many centres for shopping,
most notable being Tianhe Plaza and Beijing Road. The
city boasts over 18,000 restaurants of every conceivable
style, and one treat is a night cruise down the Pearl
River accompanied by dinner, dancing and music. Simply
follow Beijing Road due South to the river and turn
right (West). This area is home to the majority of Guangzhou
nightlife, with a particularly good French restaurant
nearby. At the end of this section of road you will
find the River cruises
Transportation
Guangzhou is served by a newly built International airport
(Flight code CAN). Traffic is a major problem, and motorcycles
are banned in parts of the city. To ease congestion
new expressways and roads are continually being built,
often being stacked up one on top of the other. There
are numerous bus stations with coaches leaving to all
parts of China. Local buses and Trolley Buses are cheap
and frequent. Use taxi's if you are not sure and pay
the meter charge + Y1 fuel surcharge. The only exception
being the airport, where horrendous prices are charged.
Outside the Arrivals Hall are many frequent buses which
charge a fraction of the cost
There are also two mainline railway stations where trains
to all major cities can be taken. This includes direct
trains to Hong Kong Downtown, which are excellent, and
boast one dozen staff to each First Class carriage
By far the best way to get around is via the Underground
train system. Chinese call this the Subway, although
you may also know them as Metro or Tube. There are currently
eight main lines, with the system being greatly expanded
over the coming years. During 2010 new links to Foshan,
Canton Fair (Pazhou) and Panyu opened, thus greatly
reducing congested roads. This is a very major undertaking,
and development will continue until at least 2012
• Guangzhou
Metro Map - 2010 version includes Airport, Punyu,
Canton Fair and Foshan line - In English and Chinese.
Sight-seeing
The Temple of Bright Filial Piety on Guangxiao Road
is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and
was the mansion of Prince Zhao Jiande of the Nanyue
Kingdom during the Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.24).
Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, situated on Liurong
Road, is a world famous ancient Buddhist temple. It
was built in 537 in the Liang dynasty during the Southern
dynasties (386-581).
Flowery Pagoda, built in 1097, is the major structure
in this temple. Named for its colourful exterior, the
pagoda stands 57 meters high in the centre of the temple;
having a bronze column with 1,000 Buddhist sculptures
on its top. Viewed from outside, the pagoda has nine
stories while in fact it has 17 stories inside.
The Nanyue King's Tomb Museum, located in Jiefang road,
stands on the site of the tomb of Emperor Wen, the second
ruler during the Southern Yue Kingdom dating back to
100 B.C. The tomb was originally 20m under Elephant
Hill and was discovered in 1983. More than 1000 burial
objects were excavated, among which are a chariot, gold
and silver vessels, musical instruments, and sacrificial
human remains.
People like to describe the natural beauty of Guangzhou
as the "pearl sea and white cloud". White
Cloud Mountain is a park with natural hills and waters,
ideal for sightseeing and as a summer resort, with a
history of development of over 1,000 years. Described
as the premier spectacle of Guangzhou by some brochures,
the site is also widely known for the well-ordered traffic
conditions. In good weather, travelling there is really
rewarding and peaceful for those who choose to walk.
In recent times new tourist attractions have been created
and these include facilities for water sports, Zoo,
a golf courses, botanical gardens and a sculpture park.
Yuexie Park is Guangzhou’s biggest stretch of
greenery, encompassing over 90 hectares of sports facilities,
historic monuments, teahouses and shady groves. Besides
a number of artificial lakes and a huge swimming pool,
the park is renowned for its Zhenhai Tower and the Sculpture
of the Five Rams.
Zhenhai Tower stands on the top of Yuexiu Hill in the
northern suburbs, the 28-metre-high five-story tower
- also known as the Five-story Pagoda - is a magnificent
building, commanding a bird's-eye view of the whole
city. The tower now houses the City Museum, with exhibits,
which describe the history of Guangzhou from Neolithic
times till the early part of this century.
British and French troops occupied the tower during
the Opium Wars on account of its strategic location.
The 12 cannons in front of the tower are from that time.
The Sculpture of the Five Rams, the symbol of Guangzhou,
was erected in 1959. A beautiful legend said that long,
long ago there were five celestial beings, who wore
robes of five colours. One day they rode rams through
the air to Guangzhou, each carrying a stem of rice.
They presented to the people the auspicious sign from
heaven and told them that the area would be free from
famine forever. Later, according to the story, the city
took a name: City of Rams, or just Goat City. Its official
name Guangzhou, however, means 'broad region" in
Chinese
The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, situated in the original
site of Sun Yat-sen's Presidential Office on the southern
slope of Yuexiu Hill, is a memorial building built in
1931 with the funds raised by the Guangzhou people and
overseas Chinese in memory of Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer
of China's bourgeois democratic revolution. He is respected
for fighting against the Japanese invaders, but died
before the Cultural Revolution. His legacy remains today,
as his followers are the ruling party in Taiwan
The Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family was built between
1890 and 1894 during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of
the Qing Dynasty, and is the largest, best preserved,
and best decorated ancient architecture existing in
Guangdong province. The buildings are of traditional
Guangdong style, and the temple is especially renowned
for its beautiful decorations. Inside the temple, historical
figures, legends, and scenes are represented in many
art forms, including woodcarving, brick carving, and
pottery carving, stone carving. In 1986, the State Council
designated it as an important cultural relic. The temple
now is the site of the Museum of Guangdong Folk Arts
and Crafts.
Huaisheng Mosque is located on Guangta Road, Huaisheng
Mosque, popularly known as the Light Tower Mosque, is
one of the earliest mosques established following the
introduction of Islam into China in the 7th century.
An important feature is the minaret, which is 36 meters
in height with a pointed tip. It has a typical Arabic
architectural style. In the past sailors often climbed
the minaret to observe weather conditions before going
to sea and at night, the minaret used to serve as a
beacon for the boats on the Zhujiang or Pearl River.
Hence the name Light Tower
Baiyun Shan is the nearby mountain, offering a relaxing
retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. You
can walk along the side of the mountain and visit a
Buddhist temple
In the Suburbs, there are such scenic spot on Conghua
Hot Springs, Xiqiao Hill Scenic spot in Foshan, as well
as a Zoo and Ocean Park
Summary:
Whilst Guangzhou remains a beautiful city with great
local culture and arts, the emphasis remains focused
upon commercial activities. Being the powerhouse of
Guangdong Province's Special Economic Zone you will
notice a frenetic rush similar to Hong Kong, and most
unlike nearly all other Chinese cities. Foreigner here
tend to come for reasons of International Trade and
other business, and not general sight-seeing. Tourists
coming to China should definitely spend a couple of
nights here, but may be better rewarded moving on and
discovering other treasures China has to offer |
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This information is as supplied by the Chinese Embassy
in UK, as dated 20th June 2008, and/or other reliable
sources. Please check this information yourself as it
may alter without notice, and whilst we try our best
to ensure it is correct, please do not hold us responsible
for any errors - this is intended as a simple guide
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