Guangzhou
INTRO
Cantonese Cuisine, Cantonese Music, Paradise Gardens, Spectacular Sceneries, Buddhist Temples, Ancient Chinese Dynasties, Exquisite Craftsmanship, Vigorous Modern Atmosphere... These are among the many reasons why the city of Guangzhou has become an attractive tourist destination. Here, soaked in a pace of rapid development, is the present brilliance of a vivid past and scenic beauty. Guangzhou is like a sip of an oriental beverage that once you've tasted, leaves its romantic fragrance and makes you even thirstier.
City Profile
City: Guangzhou
Country: China
Area: 7, 434 km2
Population:12, 6 million
Districts: 12
Mayor:Zhang Guangning
Language:Cantonese
Rating:
LOCATION
Located at the north of the Pearl River delta and close to the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Macau, Guangzhou is an important trading centre as well as a busy port for foreign commerce. The city is frequently referred to as China's South Gate since it is easily reachable by any means of transport: plane, boat, bus and train. With its strategic position at the confluence at the East, West and North Rivers, the city is, not surprisingly, a communication hub of Guangdong Province.
TIME TO VISIT
Guangzhou has a subtropical climate so the weather is pleasant throughout the whole year. Occasional typhoons appear in the hot summer while the spring is humid and rainy. The autumn is cooler and moderately windy and the winter is a little chilly but short. The best time to visit Guangzhou is in the early till late autumn since the temperatures won't be too extreme. Moreover, this is the time of year when visitors have a chance to witness one of the local festivals, namely, Canton Fair, which is a biannual event held every spring and autumn and is the largest international trade fair. If you decide on that time of the year, however, make sure to have a reservation.
POPULATION
Guangzhou is home to more than 12 million people, including over 1 million transitory population. It is referred to as one of the first "open" cities in China, which contributed to many people moving there from other regions and thus accelerating its economical development. The city is also known as a hometown for the largest population of overseas Chinese. There are many Cantonese dialects in the country but Guangzhou Cantonese is usually associated as simply "Cantonese", which is also the native language in Hong Kong.
DISTRICTS
Guangzhou is a sub-provincial city and has a direct jurisdiction over ten districts and two counties. Here are several of the most famous and worth visiting areas:
- Liwan District has eight new attractive places to offer, including the Liwan Lake area, which is absolutely stunning, Wong Tai Sin Temple with its unmistakable Chinese presence, Guangzhou Flower and Plant Exhibition centre and many others.
- Haizhu District means "pearl of the sea" in Chinese. The town of Xinjiao is located in this district and it is a famous tourist attraction because several Qing Dynasty temples are found there and because of the town's canals that are incorporated into the city's Ming Dynasty design.
- Yuexui District is the city's prosperous and traditional shopping centre. Additionally, Guangxiao Temple, Huaisheng Mosque, Nanyue Royal Tomb Museum and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall are among the other reasons why tourists come to this area.
- Panyu District carries the old name of the present-day Guangzhou. Yuyin Mount Garden, one of the four gardens in the Province in the Qing Dynasty, Xiangjiang Wildlife World and Baomo Garden are a few of the tourist spots situated in this area.
- Conghua City is the ecological tourism resource in Guangzhou. It is famous worldwide for its hot spring, which is highly valued from a medical therapy point of view.
SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
Guangzhou is a historical city and as such has many tourist attractions to offer. It enjoys the oriental charm of Chinese metropolitan cities like Beijing and Xian and even though the number of relics is not as staggering as theirs, there are several places you should definitely visit.
- Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family is a 100-year-old temple, comprised of 19 buildings that belonged to the Qing Dynasty and covers 15,000 square meters. It is known for its beautiful decorations that include wood, brick and stone carvings, clay and ash sculptures and many other art forms. More info on the admission fee and how to get there: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangdong/guangzhou/chen_family.htm
- Bright Filial Piety Temple belongs the oldest and largest Buddhist Temples in China dating from more than 1,700 years. Initially, it was used as a lecture hall during the Han Dynasty (207 BC-24 AD) and later was dedicated to the Zen Buddhist monks. More info on the admission fee and how to get there: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangdong/guangzhou/bright_filial.htm
- The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall was built in 1931 as a monument of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the forerunner of Chinese democratic revolution, after his death. It is among the most important relics in Guangdong Province. More info on the admission fee and how to get there: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangdong/guangzhou/sun.htm
- Yuexiu Park got its name from the Yuexiu mountain, that is situated there. It is the biggest park in Guangzhou and is famous not only because of its nature but also because of the historical relics found there. More info on the admission fee and how to get there: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangdong/guangzhou/yuexiu.htm
- Western Han Nanyue King's Tomb Museum presents the King's Tomb that dates back 2000 years and is the first large-scale painted stone-chamber ever found in Southern China. The King was buried there in jade shroud as well as with a gold seal and other exquisite jade ornaments. More info on the admission fee and how to get there: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangdong/guangzhou/nanyue_king.htm
- Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is one of best Buddhist Temples in the city with a history of about 1,400 years. It presents, in all its magnificence, the religious heritage of China and its culture. More info on the admission fee and how to get there: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangdong/guangzhou/six_tree.htm
AIRPORT
There is only one airport in Guangzhou that connects it to international destinations and serves as a transfer point for the domestic ones.
- New Baiyun International Aiport is located in Huadu District. It takes about 45 minutes by taxi to get to the main city area and the prices vary between 100-120 Yuan. More info at: http://www.newsgd.com/specials/airportguide/
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
Guangzhou has a very convenient transportation system with public buses, subway lines and taxis.
- Guangzhou Metro currently has four lines covering the major districts in the city. All stations are written in both English and Chinese, which makes it a fast and convenient public transport.
- Public buses run from 6:00am to 11:00 pm and charge from 2 to 5 Yuan.
- Taxisare metred. The beginning price is 7 Yuan for the first 2.3 kilometers, 2.6 Yuan for the next 15 km and 3.9 after that. It is accepted to leave 1 Yuan tip over the total sum. Note that most taxi drivers don't speak English so you need to have your destination written in Chinese or a map to point to.
- Ferry: there are six water buses that run along the channel of the Pearl River. Price: 1 RMB to 2 RMB. There are also night cruses available, included dinner possible, for CNY 38 or CNY 68, depending on the boat.
HISTORY
Despite of being a vigorous modern city, Guangzhou is also a famous historical place with more than 2,800 years background. Some historians name it the city of Five Goat because of one legend that tells the story of five gods who brought the first grain in this area riding on their five goats. Apart from the myths, the city was a capital of three Chinese Dynasties: the Nan Yue, the Nan Han and the Nanming. Guangzhou remembers several uprisings against different enemies: one is the Anti British struggle in 1841, another is related to the death of 72 martyrs in the 1911 uprising against the Manchu dynasty and the latest Communist Uprising in 1927. The spirit of revolution and desire for freedom is preserved through the monuments that speak of Guangzhou's long and memorable past. The city was also the trading capital of the Nanyue Kingdom and this frequent foreign trade by the sea routes continued through every following dynasty and the city remains a major international trading port to this day.
CITY LINKS
- Guangzhou Post, A Daily Newspaper in English: http://archive.wn.com/2007/05/26/guangzhoupost/index.html
- Places of Interest in Guangzhou: www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/attraction/
- Useful Tips: http://www.travel.com.hk/china/guanzhou.htm
- Tourist Information: http://wikitravel.org/en/Guangzhou
UNIVERSITY LINKS
- University of Dhaka, the largest and oldest university in Bangladesh: http://www.univdhaka.edu/
- Guangzhou Business College: www.gdcc.edu.cn/english/english.htm
- Guangzhou Medical College: http://www.gdmc.edu.cn/ehome/ehome.htm
- Guangzhou University: http://english.gzhu.edu.cn/