travel: guangzhou, the city of the five lambs (part one)

It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to post about my travels, but now that I’m back home, I finally have some time to get all my photos sorted out. I spent the last three weeks or so along the Southeastern coast of China, in Guangzhou and Xiamen, so the next few posts will be sharing my experiences there.

Guangzhou is the third largest (population wise) city in China, and is located on the Pearl River. It has an rich history of over 2200 years and was a major terminus of the maritime Silk Road and today, still serves as a major port and transportation hub. The climate there is extremely humid, as even a short walk outside will leave you drenched in sweat. Still, Guangzhou is home to many cultural relics and modern architecture that you definitely don’t want to miss.

Our first stop was to Lingnan Impressions Garden, a small village that has preserved the city’s past before the modern economic boom. There, you’ll see homes and buildings in traditional Cantonese style on both sides of the park’s main street, as if you’re in a Guangzhou from the past. You can catch some puppet shows or shadow plays, or choose to shop the antique stores around the small village. Next up was

the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, as well as his tomb. The first Nanyue King was a Qin Chinese general who directed its conquest of the Baiyue peoples of Guangdong and Northern Vietnam before establishing the independent kingdom of Nanyue. The tomb is for his son, the second Nanyue King, Zhao Mo. Discovered accidentally in 1983 during the construction of proposed shopping mall, the mausoleum proves to be the most important historic discovery in South China, making it a must on any itinerary.

Close by is Beijing Road, the city’s main pedestrian shopping thoroughfare, where you’ll find shops selling anything from clothes, trinkets to food. Behind Beijing Road is the oldest embassy in Guangzhou, a small yet impressive building. As I mentioned earlier, Guangzhou’s oldest landmark is a sculpture of five lambs, so we made sure to stop by that as well!

Next up is part two of Guangzhou, where we’ll be focusing more on its modern aspect!

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