- Parks and gardens
- Religious buildings
- Guangzhou landmarks
- Shamian Island
- Note to shopaholics
- Delicious points on the map
- Guangzhou children
If it were not for the five gods who descended from heaven in ancient times in order to feed the hungry, this huge metropolis would not have been in the Celestial Empire. But seriously, the third largest city in China really appeared on the world map a very long time ago. Historians believe that it was founded in the middle of the 9th century. BC e., and seven centuries later, it was in Guangzhou that the Great Silk Road began, linking East Asia with the Mediterranean. Then silk and porcelain were transported along the caravan road to Europe, and from Central Asia to the Celestial Empire - racehorses, jade, leather and carpets. The city has preserved its rich history, and the national flavor of its ancient quarters is organically combined with the latest ultra-modern buildings. The answer to the question of where to go in Guangzhou can be found in the list of city attractions, ancient temples and trendy restaurants, educational museums and exhibition complexes. The Guangzhou Opera House is the largest in China, and troupes from European countries and the world's best soloists regularly perform on its stage.
Parks and gardens
A statue dedicated to the "founding fathers" of the city is installed in Yuexiu Park. The five goats, on which the gods descended to feed the peasants, are not the only attraction in the park. On 860 hectares, you will see other objects worthy of the camera's attention:
- Renhai Tower was built long before the founding of Yuexiu Park. It was erected in 1380 to monitor the surroundings. Watching from the tower warned the townspeople about the approach of pirates. Its height is 28 meters, and a museum exposition is located inside the five-tiered building.
- The Guangzhou Museum has gathered within its walls hundreds of historical relics that tell about the difficult path of a small village.
- The first President of the People's Republic of China and the ideological inspirer of the Chinese revolution, Sun Yat-sen, was honored to be depicted in a monumental sculpture. A monument to a communist and a man was erected on one of the sites in the park.
- A dozen cannons located at the entrance to the Guangzhou Museum remind visitors of the role of English and French colonialists in Chinese history.
In the park you can also do active rest. For example, rent a boat and take a boat trip along one of the lakes or go fishing.
Another green space is the Orchid Garden opposite Yuexiu Park. Several dozen bushes of different varieties of orchids are planted here along well-groomed paths and alleys. Tea lovers can take part in the tea ceremony held regularly in special pavilions in the garden.
Religious buildings
In the Temple of the Five Spirits, the legend of the miraculous salvation of the inhabitants of the future Guangzhou was embodied in architecture. In the place where the temple was built, the gods once descended from heaven and presented people with rice. The temple keeps an imprint of the foot of one of the gods in the rock, and a huge bell, installed inside, dates back to the Ming era. The building does not impress with its grandeur, but it serves as a spiritual center for the townspeople.
The second most important temple in Guangzhou was founded in the 6th century. The religious value of the structure lies in the fact that the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees kept Buddhist relics brought from India at the time of its foundation. It was then that the Hua-Ta Pagoda, called the Flower Pagoda, appeared and has been preserved almost unchanged. Its height is about 55 meters, and the pagoda is the tallest in Guangzhou. It is also worth going to the temple for the sake of the richly decorated interior. In addition to carved dragons, the room is decorated with sculptures of spirits and mythical creatures.
Despite the quiet place that the founder chose for the construction of the Huaisheng Mosque, it enjoys great attention from tourists. The reason is in the name of the builder. The building appeared thanks to the care of the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, whose name was Saad ibn Abu Waqqas. A missionary and preacher of Islam appeared in the city in the 7th century. The minaret of the mosque rises 35 meters, and until the middle of the last century it remained the tallest structure in Guangzhou. If you decide to go to the grave of the founder of the mosque, return to the Orchid Garden, where he is buried in the Bamboo Grove.
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart looks quite familiar to a European tourist. The Catholic temple was built of stone in full accordance with the canons of neo-Gothic architecture. The largest Christian cathedral in the Middle Kingdom appeared in the second half of the 19th century, and its design was based on the outlines of the Parisian Basilica of St. Clotilde. The size of the building inspires respect. The temple occupies almost 3000 sq. m., and the height of its central nave is 28 m. The original stained-glass windows were badly damaged after the revolutionary events, but the copies that replaced them are no less beautiful.
Guangzhou landmarks
Guangzhou's huge list of interesting places would be incomplete without city museums. There are more than a dozen of them here, and the most significant expositions are:
- Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. In addition to the personal belongings of the first president of the PRC and rarities from the last revolution, the museum displays historical relics and antiquities, and the building itself deserves a place in the list of masterpieces of Chinese architecture.
- Guangdong Fine Arts Museum will be of interest to fans of traditional Chinese crafts. It exhibits lacquer miniatures, porcelain and calligraphy samples.
- The relics on display at the Museum of Art are among the most valuable on the planet. Some of the exhibits are over 2,500 years old. An interesting part of the collection is the collection of the oldest Tibetan carpets.
Many treasures and works of art are on display at the Cheng Clan Academy - built in the 19th century. the castle, which served as an educational institution and became an architectural monument.
Shamian Island
The city stretches north of the Pearl River delta, in the waters of which the Shamian Island is located. It has preserved the amazing atmosphere of the colonial past of the Middle Kingdom. In the 60s. XIX century. power on the island passed into the hands of the allies from Britain and France, and the Second Opium War was over. For 80 years, Shamian remained almost European. European mansions were built on the island, Christian places of worship were erected, English parks were smashed and Parisian pastry shops were thrown open.
Tourists on the island in Guangzhou will be interested in the buildings built in the 19th century. English and French churches, an embankment with a promenade and many cafes with European cuisine, buildings of former consulates and embassies, art galleries and a large park with a huge number of bronze sculptures.
You can get to the island by crossing the bridge from Huangsha Subway Station or by ferry from Fangcun Pier.
Note to shopaholics
Shopping in Guangzhou is endless! Absolutely everything is for sale in this city, and it is all the more pleasant that its main shopping street also serves as a local landmark. Fragments of the pavement with paving stones, laid 700 years ago, have been preserved on it. Peking street belongs only to pedestrians, and therefore even gaping shopaholics feel completely safe on it.
On Peking Street you will find boutiques with goods of expensive European brands and shops with products of democratic brands. The souvenir shops display pearls and silk, jade and wooden figurines, fans and tea - traditional Chinese goods. In shopping centers, buyers will be offered electronics, cosmetics and accessories.
Large malls in Guangzhou are La Perle with a huge fountain under the dome and Taiku Hui in the Tianhe District. Impressive areas are given over to luxury shops, and gourmets will delight in modern food courts, where not only fast food is presented, but also a completely gourmet menu in high-end restaurants.
Delicious points on the map
Since we are talking about food, there is a reason to mention several places in Guangzhou. It is worth going there if the gastronomic component of the trip is no less important to you than museums and shopping:
- The famous Panxi Chinese restaurant is surrounded by a garden with waterfalls and lakes, where even foreign presidents were fed. In addition to stewed turtle, you will be offered chickens in tea leaves and shrimp in all variations. The chef focuses on preserving the original taste of the ingredients, and therefore the dish will not be too "spicy" by default.
- Taste traditional dim sum dumplings in Tao Tao Ju, according to local residents, means surely to visit Guangzhou. Other establishments nervously smoke in the distance, because the local chef observes absolutely all culinary historical traditions, and the restaurant has been operating for over 130 years.
- The Tang Yuan Restaurant on the lakeside is worth a visit, if only for the views from its terrace. The kitchen is located right in the hall and you can also watch the mystery of cooking. Desserts, shark fin and turtle meat soups are not the only menu items at the popular Guangzhou restaurant.
For snake dishes, go to Guangzhou JiuJia - you will have to choose from fifty items. Try lotus flower mousse at Nan Yuan. In general, remember: in the Celestial Empire they eat everything that has four legs, except for pieces of furniture, and therefore the choice of an institution should be approached with a high degree of responsibility.
Guangzhou children
The younger generation of tourists will certainly enjoy their stay in the city. The main points on the children's entertainment map are the Chimelong center and the safari park of the same name, where representatives of 300 species of the planet's fauna live almost in natural conditions. Even more of our smaller brothers welcome guests at the Guangzhou Zoo. It is worth going there for the sake of a circus show with the participation of four-legged animals. The world's tallest roller coaster awaits you at Xiang Jiang Amusement Park.
