Guangzhou, China - Sightseeing

GuangZhou - Sightseeing
most places you can easily take public transport except White Mountain and Lingnan Old Village

Canton Tower or TV station (world's tallest 1500 ft high)
Canton Tower

Canton Tower is also known as the Guangzhou TV Tower, and is approximately 600 meters high. The tower provides a great bird’s eye view of the night scenery in Guangzhou. You can also enjoy a meal at a restaurant in the tower and take the world’s highest Ferris wheel for panoramic views of Guangzhou.

The Canton Tower is the tallest TV tower in the world with a total height of 600m (1500 ft). The Tower was built using the latest engineering technologies, but inherits 2000 years of Canton Culture. It displays Guangzhou’s vision and determination to the world. The Tower offers an observation deck with a spectacular view, several top-notch restaurants and catering services, 5-star exhibition, convention and entertainment facilities. All these enable you not just to enjoy the magnificent scenery of Guangzhou, but also to experience the excitement of adventure at great heights.

Entrance fee for Canton Tower: 50 yuan per person for 32 floors, 100 yuan per person for 66 floors, 150 yuan per person for 84 floors.   Ferris Wheel ride is 130 rmb per person.

Canton Tower World's Highest Ferris Wheel 1500 ft high

Top of the canton tower is The Ferris wheel, world tallest ferris wheel at about 1500 ft high. entrance price is 130 yuan per person.

Passengers were set to ride in see-through capsules perched on top of the 450-metre-high Canton Tower, also known as the Guangzhou TV Tower. The 16 pods - which hold a total of 96 thrill seekers - each measure just over three metres wide. 

An elliptical track has been constructed around the edge of the tower's roof, and the 16 transparent 'crystal' pods take between 20 and 40 minutes to go round the track.

Canton Tower is near Exit A of Chigangta Subway Station (赤岗塔站) of Subway Line 3, which runs between Airport South Station at Baiyun Airport and Tiyuxi Station at Tiyu West Road (体育西路).

Night cruise on the Pearl River

Night cruise on the Pearl River

A night cruise on the Pearl River takes about two hours. Along the cruise, you can enjoy a general view of Guangzhou. Water and very simple snacks are available on the cruise ship. You can buy a ticket and board at Tianzi Pier (天字码头), which is about a five-minute walk from Haizhu Square Subway Station (海珠广场). cost about rmb30

Chen Clan Academy 陈家祠

Chen Clan Academy

In the late of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), a man named Chen got the third place in the highest imperial examination and had conferred upon him a distinguished office title which made the Family Chen well-known. Later someone suggested that all the Chen's families raise money to build a temple to sacrifice to the ancestors and encourage their offspring likewise to study hard. Therefore, the temple was finished in 1894 with the money donated by Chen's families in 72 counties of Guangdong Province as well as some overseas members of Family Chen.

The most impressive attractions in the temple are various superb carvings extolling nature. They are in the forms of wood, brick, pottery, stone, lime and things like that, of which wood carving especially fully demonstrates the great achievements of the art of carving in Guangdong Province. Stories of historical celebrities and scenes are also vividly represented in the temple.

The temple is a compound complex consisting of nine halls, six courtyards and nineteen buildings connected by corridors, all separated by walls from the outside world. A pair of stone drums in front of the entrance door, measuring 2.55 meters (about 8.36 feet) in height and two colored drawing pictures of door-god of four meters (about 13 feet) height are said to be the best in Guangdong.

The compound was constructed in the traditional Chinese symmetrical style and the main hall, the Juxian Hall is in the center of the temple. Juxian Hall was once a place for clansmen to assemble before the establishment of the temple and now it is used as an ancestral hall. In front of the hall is a stone gazebo surrounded by stone balustrades. In the hall there is an exquisitely carved folding screen which is an excellent example of woodcarving.

  

Admission Fee: CNY 10
Opening Hours: 08:30 -17:30
Recommended Time for a Visit: 45 minutes

How to Get There: Subway :Take Guangzhou Subway Line 1 to Chenjiaci Station(Chen Clan Academy). Leave from Exit C to Chenjiaci Square or Exit D to the main entrance. you will see the Chen Clan Academy.

Bus Routes: Take 17, 85, 88, 104, 107, 109, 114, 128, 133, 181, 193, 204, 233, 250, 251, 260, 268, 286, Tourism Bus Line 1 or 2 and get off at Chenjiaci Station.

FREE entry one day each month:
Notes: Every month, the ancestral temple will be open free of charge for one day. So, ticket free on Jan. 13, Feb. 24, Mar. 17, Apr. 14, May 18, Jun. (National Cultural Heritage Day), Jul. 14, Aug. 18, Sep 15, Oct. 13, Nov. 17, Dec. 15.

Temple of 6 Banyan Tree

Temple of 6 Banyan Tree
Having a long history of about 1,400 years, the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is one of the four best Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and located on the Liurong Road (meaning the Six Banyan Trees Road). It has a rich collection of cultural-relics and is renowned both at home and abroad.

Originally built in 537, it has been rebuilt several times, and the name has also been changed several times from Changshou Temple (meaning Longevity Temple) to Jinghui Temple and finally the current name. It is a name given by the great liiterateur Su Dongpo in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). It is said that he visited there while returning to the north. During the visit, he found six banyan trees there particularly striking. The vitality of the trees put him in a good mood and cheered him up. When the abbot of the monastery invited him to suggest a name, Su Dongpo wrote down its present name. Finally, its former name (Jinghui Temple) was changed to the present one, Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. A pagoda inside is known variously as Six Banyan Pagoda or Flowery Pagoda.

After entering by the mountain gate, the Tianwang Hall is the first hall you will see. The Laughing Buddha is there with smile all over his face to welcome visitors. Behind it is the Weituo Hall. According to legend, Weituo was a general who recaptured the Buddhist relics which had been stolen. He keeps a straight face, looking very serious and frightful, in distinct contrast with the Laughing Buddha.

The architecture that catches the visitors' eyes most is the Six Banyan Pagoda. It is a pagoda where Buddhist relics are placed. Its roofs curve upwards and look like dark red flower petals. The tip of the pagoda is like stamens, while the whole construction looks like a huge stigma high in the air. Therefore, people like to call it the Flowery Pagoda. The pagoda not only has a nice appearance, but also provides visitors a good place to overlook enchanting scenery around.


Admission Fee: CNY 5 (the temple); CNY 10 (Six Banyan Pagoda)

Opening Hours: 08:30 to 17:00
Recommended Time for a Visit: One hour

Route: Take Subway Line 1 or Subway Line 2 to Gongyuanqian Station and get out from Exit B. Walk five minutes and it can be reached.

Take bus 12, 215 to Liurong Road Station or 74, 85, 88, 102, 104, 107, 193, 233, 250, 286 to Zhongshan Liulu Station.


Yuexiu Park (5 Rams)
Yuexiu Park (famous  ram statue)
960 Jiefang North Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510000, China

Getting there:  take the metro to Yuexiu Park, the park is opposite the MRT.

A huge park. There are many locals there in the morning to do their excercise. There are many attractions to visit. You can also take an electric cart to tour the park if you do not have enough time on your hands. You can also but fish food to feed the fish in the park. All in all, excellent place...

Lingnan Impression Park (old guangzhou town) - ( many feedbacks not to visit this place)
Lingnan Impression Park
Waihuan West Road, University City, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510006, China

If you have an interest in Guangzhou and its culture beyond food and shopping, you will find this a worthwhile attraction. Despite being out of the way, the subway and a walk/motorbike ride will get you there. The park resembles an old town, with beautiful traditional buildings, a lake with a shadow puppet pavillion and a main street full of attractions, including an open air opera house. While many of the buildings are for hawking things, the objects they sell usually are tied in with local culture. It is worth exploring any open door since some exhibitions may be located a bit off the main street. There are art, history, food displays and live shows from opera to puppet theatre. Plus some off-beat things to delight you, such as rooms with optical illusions or displays of Chairman Mao memorabilia. I would recommend spending half a day there so you can soak it all in. You will definitely be enriched in your understanding of the roots of modern Guangzhou and maybe surprised by its rich cultural background.

Guangzhou BaiYun Mountain
Baiyun Shan, or White Cloud Mountain, lies just North of the city and is one of the 'Eight Sights' of Guangzhou. It has been a scenic spot for a long time and has inspired poets, artists, and scholars, and on a rare clear day you can see the whole of Guangzhou. The park consists of 30 peaks and covers 28 km2, with Moxing Peak being the hightest at 382 metres.

The mountain can be reached by taking buses 24 and 36, and a bus going directly to the peak also available at Guangwei Road. The Baiyun Cableway is the first bicable ropeway in the country, and has 80 cars seating 6 passengers each. The lower station is located east of Yuntai Garden and the upper station is at the Peak Park, a difference of 198 m (650 ft) in altitude and are located 1,672 m (5,486 ft) away from each other.

Bad Tour Experience (very common, so be careful) - entrance tickets NOT included

we have bad experience joining a one day tour despite booking from the hotel travel agency.

the tour price ranged from rmb68 to rmb150 depend which hotels you are staying and DO NOT cover the entrance ticket price. visit 2 places only and jade factory and electronic shops.

the guide wanted additional rmb160 for 2 entrance tickets. i paid rmb80 for one place only (i found out from the ticket counter the entrance is at rmb60)

in addition, they bring you to several shopping shops. Conclusion it is not too difficult or expensive to visit guangzhou on your own or you can hire a car with driver or travel via MRT.

Famous Catholic Churches – The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Guangzhou, South China, built in 1861

The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is located at 56 Yat Tak Road, Guangzhou, haizhu in the wholesale market.  It is located on the north bank of the Pearl River and stands at the heart of the busy old town. The site of the Cathedral was originally the residence of the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces in the Qing Dynasty. During the Second Opium War, the residence was completely destroyed and Viceroy Ye Mingchen was captured by the British. The Catholic Cathedral started in 1863 and was completed in 1888 during the reign of emperor Guangxu. It was designed by the French architect Guillemin. The cathedral, like most of the great Gothic Cathedrals of Europe, is built of solid masonry, including all the walls, pillars and the twin towers. The Cathedral was actually inspired by the Basilica of St. Clotilde in Paris. It is also been called “Stone House”, as all of the walls and columns are constructed with granite stone. It features a nave of approximate 27 meters high, flanked by two lower aisles, and 14 small side-chapels. With a floor area of 2,754 square meters, it is the largest Roman Catholic Church in the Guangzhou archdiocese and the largest cathedral in the Gothic style in China and Southeast Asia. The Cathedral is 35 meters wide, 78.69 meters long, and the twin towers rise 58.5 meters high. The west tower is a clock tower while the east tower serves as bell tower, having five gigantic bronze bells shipped in from France in the 19th century.