| China Destination Guide: Guangzhou |
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Main Tour Attractions in
Guangzhou
Yuexiu Mountain and Park
Yuexiu Mountain is a cluster of hills located in the northern part of Guangzhou. A park has been built around the mountain, which, comprising over 200 acres land and water, is the largest park in Guangzhou. On top of the Yuexiu mountain there stands Zhenhailou, “Sea-Pacifying Tower.” This five-storied building was originally erected in 1380 and was reconstructed later on. The tower makes a good platform for a broad view of Guangzhou from above. Zhenhailou also houses Guangzhou Museum, which collects and presents documents and artifacts from two thousand years’ history of Guangzhou.
On the southern side of the mountain one finds the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China, was a native of Zhangshan outside Guangzhou, and his revolutionary career was closely associated with Guangzhou. This memorial hall was completed in 1931, six years after his death. The building is 52 meters in height, hosts exhibitions about Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and also contains a performance hall that can seat 3,000 people.
Temple of Six Banyan Trees
The Temple of Six Banyan Trees (Liu Rong Si) was originally built in the year 537, and was reconstructed in the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). It was initially known as Baozhuangyan Si (Temple of Purificatory Wisdom). It received its current name because of a visit paid to the temple by the famous scholar and poet Su Dongpo (1037-1101). On his trip, upon the request of the temple’s abbot, Su provided an inscription of two characters, “Liu Rong,” which refers to the six grand banyan trees in the courtyard of the temple. The banyan trees are now gone, but Su’s inscription can still be seen at the temple.
Standing in the courtyard of the temple is a seventeen-storied pagoda (on the outside it appears to be nine-storied). It is the Pagoda of Six Banyan Trees or, as local residents call it, the Flowery Pagoda, which is a reference to its colorful exterior. Built in 1097, the pagoda is 57 meters (184 ft) in height, including a bronze column atop which bears 1,023 sculptured Buddhas. The temple also enshrines a one-thousand-year old bronze statue of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, who is one of the most important figures in the Zen Buddhist tradition.
Chen Family Temple
Toward the end of the 19th century, the Chens living in the Guangdong province decided to build a family shrine to honor their ancestors. Family members from the 72 counties in the province donated money and the temple (Chenjia Ci) was constructed between 1890 and 1894. Located outside the western city-gate of then walled city of Guangzhou, the compound occupies an area of 17,000 square meters and is consisted of six courtyards interconnected with closed walkways, with the Hall of the Virtuous (Juxiantang) as the center of the whole structure. At the temple the Chens would make offerings to their ancestral spirits and discuss family affairs concerning all. Another use of the compound was to educate the young of the clan, and for this reason the temple was also known as the Chen Clan Academy (Chenjia Shuyuan). Architecturally the Chen Family Temple is a good example of the South China style, in its layout, furnishing, and decoration. Particularly notable is the ornate carvings – on stone, wood, etc. - that adorn the buildings, featuring a large number of legendary figures and historical tales. Currently the temple houses a museum for folk arts and crafts.
Shamian Island
“Shamian” means “Sandy Bank” in Chinese. The sandy bank in question here is located on the Pearl River that flows through central Guangzhou. Measuring just about 0.3 square kilometers in area, Shamian used to be an enclave for Westerners who lived in this southern Chinese city. Leased to the British and the French in the 1860s, after the two Western powers had defeated China in what is known as the Second Opium War, the sandy bank was built up in the follow decades as a Western-style settlement, featuring imperious waterfront stone mansions, tree-lined streets and quiet gardens. After the Communist victory in 1949 the Chinese government claimed many of the buildings on the island, but, after the 1970s, as China re-opened her door to the outside world, Shamian has been carefully restored to its old style. As a place with a peculiar character, it has become a popular place to visit – for the locals, to enjoy and appreciate the peaceful atmosphere in a bustling and noisy city, and for Western tourists, to experience what seems to be familiar in a faraway foreign land.
The U.S. Guangzhou Consulate General is located on Shamian. The White Swan Hotel, which occupies the southeastern corner of the Shamian Island, was the first five-star hotel in China.
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