American World Traveler Fall 2018 Issue

57
Guangdong is a coastal province
of southeast China, and a must
see for any China bound traveller.
Bordering Hong Kong and Macau,
international influences are found throughout
the cities and towns. It is a marvellous
opportunity to see old china and new.
Its capital, Guangzhou, is a sprawling port
and home to the octagonal Sun Yat-sen
Memorial Hall, commemorating the
founder of modern China, even though
there are still traces of the colonial history
evident in its garden-lined boulevards and
the 19th-century European architecture of
Shamian Island.
Also known as the Gateway to the Marine
Silk Road, Guangzhou was the largest
port, and the only one to become a port
of call with foreign countries. It‘s historical
significance cannot be overlooked and
one event, when the American vessel
Empress of China sailed to this city in
1784, led to the first transportation route
between the United States and China
being opened, and eventually paved the
way to trade.
The city features many sites for visitors of
all tastes. The avant-garde buildings like
Zaha Hadid’s Guangzhou Opera House,
the carved box-shaped Guangdong
Museum and the iconic Canton TV Tower
Guangdong
skyscraper resembling a thin hourglass will
delight architecture fans. Museums
abound, and two standouts are the Chen
Clan Ancestral Hall, a temple complex
from 1894 which also houses the
Guangdong Folk Arts Museum and the
Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue
King, the resting place of Han Dynasty
ruler Zhao Mei that displays a burial suit
with over 2,000 pieces of jade.
As an aside, this city is also considered to
be the birthplace of what westerners call
“Chinese food” (Cantonese food). Grab
the authentic taste of sweet and sour pork,
wonton soup, and dim-sum. The food is
plentiful, delicious, and inexpensive, and
few travellers can leave this city hungry.
Modern China has evolved into a tourist
heaven through many methods and philosophical
changes. One such method was
the 1980 implementation of China Special
Economic Zones to bolster local
economies. Zhuhai, on the border with
Macau is a modern city that was one of
the first cities transformed into one of
these zones. Today, visitors can play golf in
regal resorts, visit theme parks with their
kids and explore the spectacular islands
off the Pearl River Delta. For walkers, the
pedestrian walkways like Lianhua Road
and the malls of Jingshan Road are popular
areas for strolling and shopping for
duty-free goods.
Dubbed the Chinese Riviera, Zhuhai’s
coast includes Golden Beach and the
many inlets and quiet coves of
Shangchuan Island for swimmers and sunbathers.
Hebao Island also features
secluded stretches of sand, such as South
Bay Beach.
Tourists can get a glimpse of the past at
the New Yuan Ming Palace, a 1997 replica
of Beijing's Qing dynasty Old Summer
Palace, with classical Chinese gardens and
live song and dance performances.
The province offers a slice for all types of
tourist!
American World Traveler Fall 2018