Guangzhou is a historic city, located in southern China, and is the capital of Guangdong Province. It is more popular by the name Canton in the Western nations. This city is essentially a must visit place for every travel enthusiast for the variety of options on the offer here.
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Skyscrapers dot Guangzhou, which is the third biggest city of the country. In addition to that, numerous shopping malls provide endless avenues of purchasing almost every item of your choice. Besides the frantic modernization, the long cultural history of the region has been well preserved here as well. It even holds China’s biggest annual trade fair, the Canton trade fair.
This region has been inhabited for over two thousand years. Being a major sea port, it was always an important trading point between the Chinese and rest of the world. Persians and the British were the most notable foreigners to set up their trading centers here. In fact, it was part of the ‘Maritime Silk Road’ that served as a link between China and other parts of the world.
October, November, April and May are the best months to pay a visit to Guangzhou as the weather is most suitable for travelers in these months. The whole city seems to be buzzing with tourists during these months. There are a couple of night clubs here as well, which are symbol of the thriving night life of the city.
One may find a number of popular tourist destinations in the city. The most prominent one among those is the Guangxiao Temple. This is a seventh century temple and an important pilgrimage place for Zen Buddhists. Another popular temple is the The Temple of Six Banyan Trees or Liurong Temple. It houses a 17 story Flowering Pagoda which offers a spectacular sight.
Shamian Island houses buildings of the British era. These buildings have been renovated and are pretty beautiful to watch. Other prominent places of interest include Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, Shishi Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral, Huangpu Military Academy and Wu Xian Guan Temple. Guangzhou has a sizeable Muslim population as well and one may find popular mosques such as the Huaisheng Mosque here.
Guangzhou has got a number of Museums and galleries which are spread across the city. These museums and galleries include Guangzhou City Art Museum, Guangdong Museum of Art, Nanyue Royal Tomb Museum, Guangdong Revolutions History Museum and Peasant Movement Institute. All these museums and galleries offer a view of various aspects of Chinese society.
Guangzhou also hosts numerous festivals throughout the year. These include Chinese New Year/Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-autumn Festival and Winter Solstice. The Canton Trade Fair is the biggest trade fair of China and organized twice every year, in the months of April and October.
One may reach Guangzhou by catching a flight from any major international airport. There are regular trains and buses plying from nearby areas including Hong Kong. The local public transport system is pretty rapid and well organized at the same time.
