The Star: November 24, 2016
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38 Thursday <strong>November</strong> <strong>24</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong><br />
Travel<br />
Experience Guangzhou – the city<br />
DINER’S DELIGHT: A restaurant in<br />
Guangzhou typifies the city’s focus<br />
on gardens and greenery.<br />
PHOTO: DALWYN SINCLAIR<br />
Kate Preece gets a taste of Asia with<br />
an overnight stay in China’s third<br />
largest city<br />
SHADES OF pink flowers<br />
cascade over walkways, trees<br />
drip with red lanterns, and not a<br />
crowd can be seen.<br />
Believe it or not, this was my<br />
first impression of China’s third<br />
largest city – Guangzhou – the<br />
City of Flowers and the City of<br />
Goats.<br />
In January, the annual flower<br />
fair transforms the streets for<br />
the three days leading up to New<br />
Year’s Eve. It is a traditional time<br />
to buy flowers, and have luck<br />
bestowed on your family for doing<br />
so.<br />
Come March, the tropical<br />
kapok flower – the official flower<br />
of the city – punctuates the old<br />
part of town and local parks with<br />
bright red stars, hence the City of<br />
Flowers. But goats?<br />
Some 2000 years ago, a terrible<br />
famine struck the area.<br />
<strong>The</strong> villagers prayed and<br />
prayed, as the conditions<br />
continued to worsen. Finally,<br />
their dedication to the gods was<br />
rewarded by the appearance of<br />
five celestial women, each riding<br />
a goat and presenting an ear of<br />
corn.<br />
<strong>The</strong> blessing not only ended<br />
the famine, but has protected the<br />
city from natural disasters ever<br />
since, as our English-speaking<br />
guide concludes.<br />
Food is another important<br />
part of Chinese culture – as is<br />
tea, with the older generation<br />
still spending much of their day<br />
sipping away at teahouses.<br />
Meals start with soup, and<br />
it’s common to learn most of<br />
what you are enjoying has some<br />
positive effect on digestion, or –<br />
like our fish soup – benefits the<br />
skin.<br />
Hot corn juice can be served,<br />
too, and you can count on vast<br />
quantities of food, added plate<br />
after plate to the lazy Susan.<br />
Dumplings, dim sum and fried<br />
rice can’t be beaten, and there<br />
are always surprises – such as the<br />
layered coconut dessert that had<br />
everyone reaching for a second<br />
serve.<br />
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