"Joe Cooper's Guangzhou Page" Guangzhou by joecooper

Guangzhou Travel Guide: 935 reviews and 2,101 photos

Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, Guangzhou, China

Guangzhou - City Of Change

Guangzhou (Or Canton) is a vibrant, busy and huge city. It's history dates back to Neolithic times and it is still growing now. Guangzhou is most famous as the city where Dr. Sun Yat-Sen organised his revolution against the Qing Emperor and became the first President of the Republic. The city played an important role during colonial times as a trade gateway between East and West. All this adds up to a fascinating and diverse city, well worth at least a couple of days of anyone's time.

Old...

Temple Of The Six Banyan Trees, Guangzhou, China

Some of the buildings in Guangzhou are incredibley old, most notable of which are the Temple Of The Six Banyan Trees and Guangxiao Temple, some of the oldest standing structures in the whole of China. Other buildings have been demolished and others added over the ages, creating a wonderful blend of architecture.

Guangzhou is under constant, systematic development. If you look at a map, the centre of the city has developed well; a mix of the best of old and new with a few parks thrown in for good measure. Leaving this area you'll find countless apartment blocks and slums, thrown up over the last 50 or so years.

...and New!

CITIC Plaza, Guangzhou, China

Moving further east is the modern, grid-based and aptly named 'New Town' with buildings such as The CITIC Plaza. Where the slums meet this area you'll find piles of rubble. The non-descript parts of the city are gradually being raised to the ground and rebuilt on an astonishing scale. Exactly where all the impoverished slum-dwellers will live when their homes are knocked down and replaced with glass skyscrapers is anyone’s guess. New Town has plenty of residential blocks but clearly not enough to provide shelter for everyone.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on Guangzhou, so please take a look at my tips and I hope that they contribute to you deciding to pay your own visit...

Pros and Cons

Pros:History, Temples, Parks and Skyscrapers.
Cons:Poverty, Pollution, Searing Heat.
In a nutshell:A city with a long history and visionary future

Last visit to Guangzhou: Jul 2002
Intro Updated Feb 21, 2004
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Reviews (12)

Arriving And Leaving By Train Transportation (1)

If you are coming from Hong Kong or Shenzhen, you should use the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR), the fastest train in... more travel advice

CITIC Plaza Things to Do (10)

If you visit Guangzhou you can't help but spot this skyscraper towering above all others in the city. The CITIC Plaza is... more travel advice

Guangzhou from Baiyun Mountain, China - Guangzhou

Baiyun Mountain Things to Do (10)

For an easy break from the city, take bus 24 or a taxi to the foot of Baiyun (White Clouds) Mountain and walk up.... more travel advice

Guangxiao Temple, Guangzhou, China - Guangzhou

Guangxiao Temple Things to Do (10)

Guangxiao Temple is a magnificant and ancient temple, built as the mansion for Prince Zhao Jiande of the Nanyue Kingdom... more travel advice

Warnings and Dangers (1)
Rain, rain, go away!

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Comments (5)

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Reginato Jun 8, 2008 at 9:12 AM

you should have mentioned that there is no any pillars inside the hall. that makes it an incredible work.
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alegna Jul 5, 2004 at 10:42 AM

Really comprehensive - best source of info so far. Can't wait to see for myself!
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Guantanamera Jun 21, 2004 at 11:49 PM

Very insightful page on GZ... Orchid Garden is one of my favorite spots, a glimpse of ancient China... Nice work, Joe...!
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MarvintheMartian Feb 14, 2004 at 2:59 PM

Great set of pages Joe!
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Jimmy7000 Aug 16, 2002 at 1:14 PM

Love it!