Roland's Travelog: Guangzhou - The Dragons have landed

Visiting friends were flying into Guangzhou airport so I went there a couple of days before they arrived to have a look around, check out the place and see what there is to be seen and done. A city of over 6 million people and arriving at the main Guangzhou train station, it feels like it. The square outside the station and the walkways between there and the bus stations are heaving during the day and evenings and pretty busy even at night. Queueing to buy tickets is a slow process which later on when I returned early this month when the train traffic was starting to increase with the upcoming Spring Festival, was unimaginably worse. They even have large marquees outside the station now where people have to sit and wait before they are allowed into the station, to ensure no overcrowding in the ticket office itself. Last week it was bad, I don't want to be there during this week prior to Spring Festival !!

Guangzhou (广州) - previosuly known outside of China as Canton - is an international business centre within the booming South East of China. High buildings, chaotic traffic, overcrowded streets, multiple flyovers, heavy pollution give a bit of a daunting feel at first, but by hunting around, you can find some nice places which are a little more peaceful than the bustling stations area in the North part of 'Downtown'. (Despite the fact everyone tells me they are proud to be taught British English in China, for some reason, China still has this disappointing habit of using Americanisms such as 'downtown'). Like many Chinese cities, Guangzhou has various parks which are well looked after and with many having an entrance fee, they are usually pretty quiet, even in the middle of the city.

Left: Buddhas in the main temple at Liurong Si.
Right: Outside the main hall of Guangxiao Si.

First day was a 'temple day', Liurong Si (Temple of Six Banyan Trees) and the 17-floor Hua Ta (Flower Pagoda) contained in its grounds were the first stop. A couple of monks sat around quietly reading, Chinese Buddhists bought bundles of incense sticks and shuffled around each of the temples or shrines one by one, making their offerings to Buddha. Not far away weaving my way through a small market street and some other roads, I found Guangxiao Si, Guangzhou's oldest Buddhist temple with halls containing various Buddha images, the largest being a familiar trinity in the main hall. Both were a nice break from the crowded streets and because they were the first Buddhist temples I had seen for a while.

Next day a visit to Shamian island, an old colonial area with colonial architecture, a peaceful park overlooking the Pearl river and a few touristy shops. Following the Opium Wars, the island was leased to the French and British, they shared half each and the architecture thoroughout the small island is still much as it was back then, with large, solid Victorian style villas all around.

The main shopping street is Beijing Lu (Beijing street) and as a foreigner I was constanly accosted in the street by vendors trying to sell mainly fake Rolex wathces, also Gucci/Armani suits or DVDs which you'll get offered somewhere in most cities.

Left: Buddhist monk at the Liurong Si.
Centre: Phil with his silly paddy field worker's hat.
Right: Photo of Perry taking a photo of me taking a photo of him in Yangshuo.

In the evening it was time to check out the Guangzhou nightlife, which although limited is quite busy. A number of ex-pat bars have appeared in Guangzhou's Eastern area around the World Trade Centre over the last years and there was quite a crowd out and about during the evening. On orders from my forthcoming visitors I found a bar that showed live Premiership football for the next evening's entertainment and having sampled a few places, I felt sure we would find enough decent places to go out for a Saturday night in Guangzhou when they arrived.

First night, we watched football in the Elephant & Castle and followed on to The Hill, one of Guangzhou's oldest established 'pubs', both are a good venues for a few drinks as is Gypsy Kings not far away, as long as you go there later in the evening.

After Guangzhou we headed off to Yangshuo to show them the hills, rivers and amazing countryside in the area, Phil bought a nice paddy field hat and Chinese fan, while Stu and Perry avoided the Chinese theme and bought some cheap North Face jackets, shoes and bags and all sorts between them.