Travel China Guide: Fascinating Guangzhou

If the thought of going back in time to travel the ancient Silk Road thrills you, here’s a fantastic idea of how to spend your next vacation. Guangzhou might not have as many cultural attractions as Beijing, or not be the hotbed of commerce Shanghai is, but the city has its charming highlights.

Located in the middle south of Guangdong Province, near to Hong Kong and Macau, Guangzhou stands at the confluence of the East, West and North Rivers and is a historic river port.

The city’s 2,000-year history is highlighted with its giving birth to the ‘sea-route’ Silk Road trail, where merchants transported silk and luxuries to the West. Guangzhou was also the first Chinese port which welcomed Western traders in the 19th century.

Sun Yat-Sen, who overthrew the Manchus in the 1911 Revolution, was born a few miles north of the Macau border. He is memorialized today in Guangzhou’s famed Yatsen Memorial Hall.

Today,

Guangzhou is a big center of southern China’s political, economic, educational, and cultural life. High-rise blocks and new highways stand side-by-side the city’s many historical monuments.

Also known as the Southern Gate of China, Guangzhou is filled with scenic spots and attractions, from temples and mountains to shopping streets and karaoke bars. Visitors shouldn’t miss the Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family, the White Cloud Mountain (Baiyun Shan), the Bright Filial Piety Temple, Yuexiu Park, and the Teem Plaza. You can find bars to suit any taste along the famous bar streets Binjiang Lu, Huanshi Lu, and Bai'e Tan.

Located in China's subtropical area, Guangzhou has a lovely climate year-round with almost no winter. Annual average temperature is 21.8 degrees. Spring is humid and rainy; summer is a little hot with occasional typhoons. Autumn, from October to December, is very moderate, cool and windy, and is the best travel time. Like right now. Winter is a little chilly but very short.

Guangzhou: Travel Facts and Information

· It’s China’s 3th largest city with a population of over 10 million.
· Thanks to glorious summers and almost no winter, it’s always in bloom and is known as Flower City.
· It’s home to Cantonese Opera, popular throughout South East Asia.
· In ancient times, Guangzhou was the capital city for three Chinese dynasties: the Nan Yue, the Nan Han and the Nan Ming .
· Guangzhou folks like to travel. It boasts the largest population of overseas Chinese.
· Hualin Jadeware Street can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when it was already famous for its Jadeware Fair.
· Guangzhou is the communications hub of the Guangdong Province, with railways and highways radiating in all directions and convenient river, coastal and deep ocean transport.
· People say "pearl sea and white cloud" to describe the natural beauty of Guangzhou.

Travel China Guide – Beijing Games 2008

Everyone knows that we need 4 Years of waiting to get involve Olympic Games. But now the games are quickly approaching, taking the host by China - one of the powerful countries in the world. Putting the controversy over the host aside, the Beijing Games 2008 is shaping up to be great. The facilities are simply astonishing. The Beijing National Stadium, nick-named the bird-nest, is certainly a unique piece of architecture. Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG, a Swiss firm, won the bid to begin construction way back in 2003. Their other notable works include the Allianz Arena in Munich and the Tate Modern in London. The venue will have a seating capacity of 80,000.

With a newly designed, high-speed metro train service to help transport tourists to events and main attractions, visitors coming to the ancient metropolis are also presented with a series of user-friendly, innovative travel itineraries on the Beijing event website.

On testing the new train system from the airport terminal, Chinese President Hu Jintao told a group of foreigners that the country was ready to “open its arms and welcome all of the friends of the world to come.” Certainly, the city has not looked more attractive.

Among the must-see attractions, such as the famous Forbidden City – where visitors can stroll through the residences of China’s former emperors – and the monolithic Great Wall of China, the Beijing tourism authority has suggested a number of culinary and nightlife hotspots too.

On the list, include the happening Houhai Bar Street and famous restaurants Kaorou Ji and Dasanyuan. But tourists looking for a taste off the beaten track, should aim for restaurants recommended or populated by locals

Other recommendations include visiting the Drum Tower, Beijing’s ‘Big Ben’ and original time-keeper. Around the tower is an antique market worth exploring and the bustling Hutong fruit market. Other interesting parts of Beijing include the Underground City near Tiananmen Square, a subterranean network built when the country feared Soviet invasion in the 1960s and the Ancient Observatory, an incredibly preserved Tibetan temple.

Despite the full of joys you’ll certainly receive from friendly sport competitions atmosphere, if you have a chance to visit China during Olympic 2008, it might also be decent chance to get to know more about this giant country as every people in China see this world’s major sport event as an opportunity to dazzle the world. Try traveling around, Shanghai is one of the China’s top destinations as such.

Travel China Guide - Explore Shanghai the eighth largest city in the world

Shanghai. It’s hard to imagine how this once humble fishing village at the mouth of the Yangzte River grew into China’s biggest city and the eighth largest city in the world. And yet it has become the pride of China in more ways than one – a sprawling, progressive city with a proud, resplendent past. An epicenter for art and culture as much as it is for commerce. Yes, this cosmopolitan city has plenty to offer the curious tourist and Shanghai trip has become a popular option for those traversing the East. For first-timers, why not adopt a chronological order approach to sightseeing to truly get a taste of Shanghainese history?

Part I: Imperial Era – Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.)
In Puxi district (west bank), make your way to the Yuyuan Garden, a traditional Ming style private garden built in 1559 and opened to the public in 1961. Within the garden are rockeries, cloisters, pavilions, halls, ponds and many scenic areas.

Part II: 1930s
Visit the Bund (Wai Tan) where European architecture lines the streets. This area was once the financial and commercial districts in Shanghai, where foreign businesses and governmental buildings were established. Wander the French Concession where shikumen townhouses, art deco-buildings, cafés and shops stand. Evidence of the city’s hedonistic past can be seen in these colonial buildings abound. For those who want an authentic shopping experience, head to Nanjing Road.

Part III: 21st century
Cross the Huangpu River to Pudong, and you will find China’s Wall Street. For a grand city view from atop, head to the Oriental Pearl Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world.

There are numerous hotel options in Shanghai as well as an endless range of dining choices, from delicious street foods in Wujiang Road to upscale, expensive eateries in Xintiandi.

China celebrates a number of festivals and timing your trip to coincide with an event might be a good idea for folks who prefer a bona fide taste of Chinese culture. However, avoid going during the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) in February because most places are closed. For more information try the official Shanghai city website - Shanghai.gov.cn.