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Sculpture of the Five Rams

John — Fri, 04 May 2007 09:52:33 +0000

Legend has it that five immortal beings wearing robes of five colours came to Guangzhou on the backs of rams. Each being carried rice and gave it to the people as a sign that Guangzhou would be free of famine. A sculpture was erected in Yuexiu park in 1959 to pay tribute to this story, and to the origins of the name Guangzhou (meaning five rams).

What more can be said about a statue? If you're in Yuexui park then you should certainly pay a visit here, as well as catching Guangzhou Museum and the Guangzhou Fine Art Museum. As the symbol of Guangzhou the statue is perpetually busy, and is located on top of a hill 100m from a coach park.

Guangzhou Museum of Fine Arts

John — Fri, 04 May 2007 09:52:29 +0000

The Guangzhou Museum of Fine Arts is located in Yuexiu park and was built in 1957 to imitate Wenhua Wall in the Imperial Palace in Beijing. It was built on the site of Zhongyuan Library, and consists of over 300 square metres of exhibition hall, with 100 square metres of gallery space.

Outside the main building is a peaceful arched corridor containing 118 stones inscribed by celebrated calligraphers from the Jin to Qing dynasty. This area makes a very welcome relief from the bustle of Yuexiu park. Another relaxing area is the Statue of Appreciating Flowers, located on a hill in front of the main building.

Guangzhou Musuem | Zhenhai Tower

John — Fri, 04 May 2007 09:24:23 +0000

Located within Yuexiu Park, the Zhenhai Tower sits atop the last remaining piece of Guangzhou's city wall. The tower was originally built in 1380 during the Ming dynasty, and has been the focus of much upheaval, resulting in the tower being destroyed and rebuilt a total of five times. It was last occupied by both the British and French during the Opium war, and was chosen for its super view of the city, as well as (on those rare clear days) views of Baiyun Mountain.

The tower is now known as the Guangzhou Museum, and contains over 2000 years of Guangzhou history. The tower is one of the cities landmark sites, and certainly one of it's most popular tourist attractions.

Yuexiu Park

John — Fri, 04 May 2007 09:01:23 +0000

As one of the oldest and largest parks in Guangzhou, Yuexiu Gonguan has the distinction of also containing some of the cities most important historic monuments. Spread over 212 acres it contains seven hills and three artificial lakes, as well as a swimming pool, boating & fishing lake, gymnasium, restaurants, Yuexiu Mountain Stadium, and the usual assortment of restaurants and cafes. Highlights of the park include:

Chen's Ancestral Temple

carmen — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 08:03:37 +0000

Although there are not many places for tourists in Guangzhou, Chen's Ancestral Temple is the 'must-see' spot that the city can proudly boast about. Despite being relatively new in Chinese history (it was built in 1890), the temple is known for its superb art that epitomizes Guangdong folk art. This is the kind of building you can imagine 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' filming in.

Senses

carmen — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 09:43:26 +0000

Senses is a newly opened restaurant specialising in oysters and wine, and aiming at the higher end of the market. Wrapped in red-brick walls, covered in art deco paintings, with three different 'chill-out' areas, a wine & chocolate room, and even Hoegaarden on tap, you can expect a very luxurious evening.

The food is provided by Canadian Chef Jackon Qiu, and is of Western style, supplemented with a very wide selection of wines and cocktails. There is a weekend brunch starting at 9am, and a UK DJ on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (10PM - 2AM).

La Seine French Restaurant

carmen — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 09:11:40 +0000

La Seine is Guangzhou's leading French restaurant, serving very high quality and delicate meals. It is a favourite location for expats and the nouveaux riche, and Sunday's lunch buffet is always popular.

Located on Er Sha Island inside the Xing Hai concert hall, directly opposite the pearl river and Guangzhou Art Museum, it is ideally situated for an evening of romance and luxury.