2Guangzhou

Buddhism has remained the most influential religion in the life of Guangzhou people as well as those of China. There are many Buddhist temples in the city, and the Temple of Six Banyan Trees is one of them. This Buddhist temple is about 1,400 years old, and has witnessed a lot of ups and downs of the Chinese history. It is situated at the Liurong Road. Coincidentally enough, the literal meaning of this road refers to the road on which the six banyan trees are located.

The Temple of Six Banyan Trees was not always known by this name. In fact, like the structure itself, its name has also gone through several changes. The current name popped up during the reign of the Song Dynasty. In the beginning, the temple was known as Changshou Temple or the Longevity Temple, which was later changed into Jingshui Temple, before finally getting its current name. The present name of the temple was suggested by Su Dongpo, a well known litterateur. He found the presence of six banyan trees in the temple compound quite soothing and cheerful.

Considered to be one of the oldest Guangzhou attractions, the temple was built in the year 537 AD and currently houses various relics that refer to the rich culture of ancient China. You will find a pagoda located in the temple's middle part. The pagoda is known as the Six Banyan Pagoda or the Flowery Pagoda, and is about 57 meters tall. On the left of the pagoda, you will find ten tablets, one of which narrates the history of the structure. You will also find an image of Su Dongpo in one of the tablets. There is also a bronze sculpture of Hui Neng.

The main hall of the temple is known as Daxiong Baodian Hall and has three famous statues, namely Amitabha, Sakyamuni, and Apothecary Buddha. The symbolic meaning of these statues is that they denote past, present, and future respectively. You can burn incenses and make a wish before these statues.

The most amazing thing of this pagoda is that you cannot properly have an idea by just looking at it from the outside. When looked from the outside, though the pagoda seems like only a 9 storeyed structure, it actually has 17 storeys. Once you go to the top level of the pagoda, you will find a bronze column that has about 1000 figures of Buddha. The pagoda has a very ornate design, which justifies its name.

The other halls of the temple include the Tianwang Hall and the Weituo Hall. In the former room, you will see a statue of the Laughing Buddha. The latter is erected in the memory of a Chinese general named Weituo, whose figurine is also present in the hall. According to popular beliefs, the general had recovered many art Buddhist relics and valuables from thieves.

The best time to visit the temple is during the Chinese Spring Festival and Lantern Festival. The temple remains open from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Since it will take you a full day to explore the temple in detail, you should plan accordingly.

Your visit to the Temple Six Banyan Trees will help you understand the importance and influence of Buddhism in the Chinese life.

Shamian Island in Guangzhou or Shamian Dao, as it is locally called, is one of the best places to relax. Surrounded by the Pearl River from all four sides, this sandbar looks to have got an elevation from the river level. This tourist site was earlier known as Zhongliusha or Shichuizhou. The meaning of the name literally refers to "sandy seaside". The authorities have developed the island in such a way that tourists coming here have a great time filled with entertainment and relaxation.

The history of the island shows that during the reign of the Song and Qing Dynasties, it was a great hub of foreign trade. It is through this port that most of Guangzhou's exports used to happen. Even today, the island is connected via 12 different ways, perhaps to stress its importance in the business and history of the city. Even the military importance of the city is quite great. This place was a very strategic defense point for the city at the time of the second Opium Wars from 1856 to 1860. However, in 1859, the governance of the island was divided between the French and the British. While the former got about 1/5 of the island, the latter received 4/5 of it. Majority of the construction on the island started since then and was completed by the first half of the 20th century. The construction during this period was concentrated mainly on public amenities, official buildings, banks, consulates, schools, churches, and various other cultural edifices. After the independence of China in 1949, majority of these buildings became the official address of various important government departments. However, it was also true that many of these buildings required restoration, but the architects did their best to keep the original style.

There are about 150 buildings on the island, and at least 40 of them display various architectural styles including but not limited to, Baroque, Gothic, and Neoclassical. The various avenues that connect different parts of the island today are Shamian Street 1 to Shamian Street 5, Shamian South Avenue, and Shamian North Avenue. These are in addition to five streets that connect north and south side of the island and three more streets that connect the eastern and the western parts.

You can check into any of the resorts or hotels in the island. If you want, you can take any of the roads as mentioned above to go for a long walk with your partner. The beautiful view of the Pearl River and the surrounding landscape from the island are reason enough to make you stay here for a longer time. The various streets of this island have bronze statues depicting Chinese women and regular life of the city, which are worth a watch.

Apart from attracting travelers and business people who manage to find time to come here, Shamian Island has also seen an increase in the number of foreigners settling here since the year 2000. So, make sure to visit Shamian Island to experience its charm from close quarters.

The Pearl River is the third longest river in China. This river has increased Guangzhou's appeal as a popular tourist spot. A large number of the city's sight-seeing spots are close to this river. This 2,129 meter long river can provide you enough entertainment that will make your stay in the city an unforgettable one.

There are quite a few legends that discuss the naming and origin of the river. According to some, the name Pearl River suggests the cumulative stretch of the North River, the East River, the West River, and Liuxi River. The part of the stretch that flows through the city of Guangzhou is called the Pearl River. In fact, this city is the meeting place of those four rivers.

Another legend states that during its passage, the river crossed a rock island, making it as smooth and shiny as a pearl. Since then, the rock got the name "Sea Pearl Rock", while the river was named as the "Pearl River". A third legend states that an Arabian merchant came to this city with a stolen pearl from his country. The Arabian ruler sent his men to recover the stolen property. His men succeeded in their operation, but on their return journey, the pearl fell into the river. Thus, the river got its name while the pearl transformed into the "Pearl Rock".

There are ten bridges on this river. These bridges are called Haizhu, Renmin, Luoxi, Haiyin, Zhujiang, Jiefang, Guangzhou, Jiangwan, Hedong, and Huanan. Four of these ten bridges are newly built ones, which are Huanan, Jiangwan, Jiefang, and Hedong. You will also find the Zhujiang Tunnel on this river. These bridges and the tunnel connect the south and north banks of the river with the district of Fangcun.

The most famous activity on this river is the River Cruise. Though you can avail the cruise at day time, it is the night time cruise that is more exciting. At night, the river - along with its vistas, looks like a fairytale land. You can enjoy the view of the illuminated banks of the river from the cruise. The route of the night cruise begins at the White Goose Pool and covers the distance up to the Guangzhou Bridge and Baihedong or White Crane Cave. While the bridge falls on the eastern side, the cave is on the south.

As if to accentuate the beauty of this night cruise, the cruise is run under the names of "Night Moon over the Goose Pool" and "Red Heart of the Pearl River". Even if you go for the day one, you should also try to fit in the night cruise into your travel itinerary. It will surely create one of those once-in-a lifetime moments for you.

Most of the star rated hotels are near this river. So, if you board any such hotel, you can reach the river in no time. White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou Hotel, and Aiqun Hotel are all located beside the river bank. During your river cruise, you will also see some office buildings and skyscrapers, whose lights will remind you of the ancient light houses.

So, if you have not included this river cruise in your travel schedule yet, then you should do it now.

Sitting pretty at the southeastern side of the Dajio Mountain is another star attraction of Guangzhou, China, the Nansha Tianhou Palace. Once an ancient palace, it was rebuilt in 1996 from utter ruins. Now, it features as one of the "must see" Guangzhou attractions. In fact, the place is so popular among tourists that the authorities open the palace at 8:30 am so that visitors can appreciate the scenic and architectural beauty of the palace in the broad day light.

According to historical records, Guangzhou Nansha Tianhou Palace was built during the reign of the Ming Dynasty. Later, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty renovated the structure. But political social and other turmoil caused the destruction of this palace. During its reconstruction in the 20th century, architects took care to keep its earlier style intact. The palace shows a combination of two distinct styles, which can be seen separately in the construction of the Forbidden City and the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum.

Nansha Tianhou Palace is the place where people come to show their respect to the Goddess of Tianhou. Locally, the goddess is also known as Mazu. As per legend, the goddess used to help shipwreck victims, and this led the locals to consider her as a reincarnation of the sea deity. The current area of the palace is about 100 hectares. Of this huge area, 1.5 hectares is popularly known as the Tianhou Square. You will have to pass through this square in order to reach the palace.

The square is quite easy to locate, even from afar. A huge statue of the Goddess of Tianhou stands in the middle of the square and works as a signpost. The structure is about 14.5 meters tall and made by using 365 pieces of pure granite. It is believed that thanks to idol of the deity, fishermen will have good catch while the city will experience great weather throughout the year.

It is quite certain that even if you are acquainted with the words "clairvoyance" and "clairaudience", you have never seen the statues of those immortals whose names denote these supernatural powers. You get a chance to come across those statues at Nansha Tainhou Palace. The word "clairaudience" means someone who has the power to listen to the sounds that no normal people can hear. The statues are located at the main door of the palace.

Once you step inside the Hall of Blessings you will find another statue of the goddess, and this is the main chamber where the main worship takes place. The statue is also surrounded by the structures of four dragon kings that are believed to be the protectors of the deity. In the Main Hall, you will find two more statues of the goddess. There is also a third hall known as the Resting Hall. The Tianhou structure at this place is in the sitting position.

There are a few other structures in this palace that you should not miss. The 8 storied and 45 meters high Nanling Tower is one of them. There are four forts here known as Dajiao Mountain Forts, which are also noted in the list of national priority cultural relic protection sites since 1982.

Now, you know why you should include Nansha Tianhou Palace in your sightseeing plan.

The Lotus Hill, also known as Lianhua Mountain, in Guangzhou is the right place to enjoy the beauty of blooming lotus flowers. The hill is situated near the Pearl River Delta, and is another of the well known natural attractions of the city. In fact, this river delta is also known to be the location of several other hills. The hill is outside of Panyu City, and its distance from Guangzhou is about 20 kilometers. There are about 48 quarries in this Lotus Hill region and together, they take up about 2.54 square kilometers. All these hills are quite low in height and are made of red stone.

Apart from its link with the flower, the name Lotus Hill also refers to a fairy tale. According to the story, a dragon, which lived in the South China Sea, used to create tidal waves to sink ships and flood the farmlands near the Pearl River. The ordeal of the local people moved the Goddess of Mercy and she threw her lotus seat and overpowered the dragon. People believe that it is this lotus seat that later transformed into the Lotus Stone, thus giving the hill its name. This is the very reason why you will find a gold statue of the deity on this hill.

The statue of the Goddess of Mercy is also considered to be the biggest statue in the world. It was built in 1994 and has 180 gold teals and bronze that weigh 120 tons. Apart from this, the area also has some stone quarries that are about 2000 years old. The authorities have preserved these mines with enough care and they have now become an important part of the Lotus Hill in Guangzhou.

The mining area was a part of the Lotus City, which was built by Kangxi of Qing Dynasty. The dynasty ruled over the country from 1644 to 1911. But if you take a closer look at the quarries, you will see that they stand testimony to not only the era of the Qing Dynasty, but also several other dynasties including the Western Han. These quarries are made of red stones and have grottoes and stone forests. They also have different name like Lion Stone, Eagle Cliff, Swallow Rock, and Goddess of Mercy Rock.

These cliffs provide different views to the tourists. If you stand on Eagle Cliff, you will see the beautiful Pearl River beneath and get a view of the fertile farmlands. Swallow Rock, on the other hand, may be too much for the faint hearted, as it provides a great view where the sky seems to be engulfed by the four cliffs encircling the rock. That is why the rock has got such a name.

The Lion Stone is a replica of a stone lion that seems to be roaring, facing the Pearl River. The presence of this statue has also given this attraction in Guangzhou its second name - the "Lion Hill". On this hill, you will find the Lotus Tower that dates back to the Ming Dynasty. It was built by emperor Wan Li, who wanted to celebrate his 40th year of ruling. The tower is also famous by the name of "Capital's Cloud Pillar", stressing the fact that Guangzhou is the capital of the Guangdong province.

Visit Lianhua Mountain in Guangzhou anytime between June and August. That is the time of Lotus Flower blooming and Peach Blossom Festivals. Let your tour be a memorable one.