Guangzhou is called China’s South Gate and makes a wonderful stop on your China tour, as it is geographically very convenient to visit. It is close to Macau, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea. The Pearl River (Zhujiang) runs through Guangzhou and can be navigated to the South China Sea. The Pearl is the third largest river in China. Guangzhou has much history as it was the capital city to three Chinese dynasties. Guangzhou is on the list of 24 cultural places to visit and experience on your China tour because of its incredible role in the history of China.
Western Han Nanyue King’s Tomb Museum
As part of your China tour, you should definitely put this museum on your list of places to visit. This is the oldest Han tomb housing the most funerary objects South of the Nanling Mountain. This museum is the largest of its kind at 14,000 square meters and 10 exhibition halls. It is listed as one of the 80 most famous museums in the world and should be a stopping point on your China tour. The owner of the tomb lived between 206 BC and 24 AD and his tomb rests 20 meters underground. It is composed of 750 enormous stones and is surrounding by colorful murals that every China tour visitor will want to see. One of the highlights of the mausoleum is a silk and jade garment made with over 2,200 pieces of jade. Usually, garments made of jade were held together by gold, silver, or copper. This garment is the only one known to exist in the world, where the jade pieces are sewn together with silk, and, therefore, is an opportunity no China tour visitor will want to miss. The museum is open from 09:00 to 17:30 to travelers on a China tour and the admission fee is CNY 12.
Yuexiu Park
This park is the largest one in Guangzhou and gets its name from the mountain found in the park. It is famous for its dramatic scenery and massive amount of ancient artifacts such as the Zhenhai Tower, the Square Cannon Site, the Five-Ram Sculpture, and the site of the Ming Dynasty City Wall. The park covers an area of 860,000 square meters and includes three artificial lakes that are considered very scenic by China tour sightseers. The Five-Ram Sculpture is very famous in Guangzhou and it has become synonymous with the city. The five rams are part of a legend that brought peace and prosperity to the city and Guangzhou is also sometimes called the City of Rams or the City of Ears. The Zhenhai Tower is known as the Five-Story Tower and is one of the landmarks of the city. This elegant red-walled tower is home to many ancient historical artifacts of Chinese history that are of much interest to China tour visitors. There are five gates with entrances into the park. It is open from 06:00 to 21:00 for China tour visitors with an admission fee of CNY 5.
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
The memorial hall is perhaps the most important historical remnant of Guangdong Province and a place every China tour visitor should see. It was built to honor Dr. Sun Yat-sen after he died in 1925; it was completed in 1931. Dr. Sun Yat-sen is seen as the “forerunner of Chinese democratic revolution.” A gallery inside the hall shows pictures of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, as well as some of his letters. Reconstruction work was needed on the building in 1998 and it can accommodate thousands of people gathered for performances or conferences. A bronze statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen was added to the front of the memorial hall in 1956. Its hours of operations are 08:00 to 18:00 and the admission fee is CNY 5 or CNY 10 (for a through ticket).
Like many other cities in China, and a must-see visit on your China tour, Guangzhou maintains much of its ancient culture while also embracing current styles and trends. Guangzhou was one of the first Chinese cities to open its doors to the outside world when China relaxed its restrictions on visitors and economic development. Cantonese cuisine is very popular in Guangzhou and China tour visitors are encouraged to try some of these new and different foods. A visit to Ghangzhou should be on your China tour list.