Few cities have developed as quickly as Guangzhou and while many guides may treat its metropolitan atmosphere with disdain, the city has many attractions for those who seek them out.
During the Tang dynasty, thousands of trade ships visited Guangzhou annually; a large community of Arab traders lived in the old Muslim quarter, now Liwan, dealing in exotic commodities such as pearls, rhino horns and hawksbill turtles.
Situated on the Pearl River (zhūjiāng 珠江), Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province and was the epicenter of the West’s semi-colonization of China, which began in the 19th century. The two Opium Wars both began here and following years of often violent and turbulent relations with the West, foreigners have now returned under the auspices of China’s economic reforms. Under Deng Xiaoping’s reforms, the first Special Economic Zones (SEZ) were created in the south, and when these economic experiments flourished, Guangzhou were quickly adopted the same economic reforms. The city soon became an economic role model for the rest of China. The surrounding province continues to be by far the most developed and wealthy in the country.
During Guangzhou’s transformation into a city of commerce, many of the area’s traditional arts and crafts have suffered. Skills requiring years of apprenticeship, such as embroidery, gem cutting and carving have all declined as the enterprising businessman and their factories, keen to exploit this geographically important gateway replace the traditional craftsman. Fortunately, jade polishers and silversmiths are still at work in the old-quarter surrounding Changshou Lu (chángshòu lù长寿路).
The march of time has not been so kind to local music styles. Yue, Chaozhou and Guangdong Han operas have all but dwindled into obscurity and there are fewer opportunities to see performances of the traditional music as the young and hip are more interested in modern pop. Just a handful of stores still stock the intricately embroidered costumes of Guangzhou’s opera stars of yesteryear, though performances are still given at various venues.
The central shopping street Shang Xia Jiu (shàngxiàjiǔ上下九) sports glossy department stores and fashionable boutiques line the main pedestrian street. Every alleyway leads back in time to reveal classic Liwan architecture. Take a shortcut through the modern shopping mall that is Liwan Plaza (lìwān guǎngchǎng 荔湾广场), to discover the jade market and literally hundreds of antiques dealers.
The recently opened subway means that the bird market at Huadiwan (huādì wān 花地湾) is now easily accessible. Animals of all shapes and sizes fill the stores but it may well be the inanimate objects such as viewing stones and bonsai landscapes (called penjing in Chinese), that many international visitors will find most fascinating. Huadiwan has its own stop on subway line 1 and is located in the Fangcun District just south of the river from Shamian Island.
Perhaps the most representative wholesale area in this vast city of markets is the one found at Haizhu Square (hǎizhū guǎngchǎng 海珠广场). Anything and everything that bears the ubiquitous “Made in China” tag can be found here. More colorful than any Arab souk and certainly to have more bargains, this is a fantastic display of the export machine that feeds the rest of the world.
Baiyun Shan (báiyún shān 白云山), which is a small mountain that dominates the town, is approximately 15km north of the town centre. Hardly a mountain at only 382m, it’s part of the Kun Shan (kūn shān昆山) mountain range. Pagodas, monasteries and teahouses are dotted about its base and when the weather is clear and the pollution isn’t too bad, views from the top can be gorgeous. However, it is often difficult to get away from other tourists. Some cramped cable cars ascend to the peak – known as the “Ridge that Scrapes the Stars” (móxīng lǐng 摩星岭), but be aware that it’s a good 3-hour trek back down to the base. Recently, bungee jumping, grass skiing and tobogganing facilities have opened.
For a more relaxed stroll, the former British Concession area, Shamian Island (shāmiàn dǎo 沙面岛), offers peaceful surroundings. Here you can see the old British and American consulates and buildings of colonial foreign powers such as Jardine & Matheson and Butterfield & Swire. Heading eastward is the old French concession, which includes the former French Consul’s garden, now a public park, and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. At one time, overseas traders were restricted to this small island, the bridges were closed at 10pm and merchants were forbidden to learn Chinese. These days it’s home to some of the priciest shopping in the city. Many visitors are also attracted to the tranquility of the Overseas Chinese Village (huáqiáo xīncūn 华侨新村) on Huanshi Lu.
A little outside of town is the Chen Clan Temple (chénjiā cí 陈家祠), the former academy and ancestral shrine for the large Chen family. Built at the end of the 19th century from funds given by Chens throughout the province, this compound was built in a broad and open classic southern Chinese style. The lavishly decorated compound was where the family ran their private school and maintained their ancestral shrine; today it exhibits local crafts such as potteries and carvings.