IF I could describe Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, in simple words, it is a charming metropolis. Although much of the city has developed and modernity has seeped into most parts of the city, there are still tinges of traditional China. Recently, I went on a much-needed holiday trip to the city of commerce, a shopping haven with a wide variety of choices.
While the city is steeped in its historical architecture and monuments, modern high rises and numerous shopping malls are a common sight, especially the latter, that you can’t count it with your fingers. In the Tianhe District, a group of shopping malls can stand together, while the Yuexiu District houses a flock of wholesale shopping malls where everyone can get clothes at a cheaper rate.
I recalled asking the driver of my e-hailing ride about his recommendations in Guangzhou. He answered that Guangzhou was the place where there was an abundance of clothing and fashion items as the city was home to many clothing factories.
Being a shopaholic who often scrolls through China’s online shopping platform, Taobao, it is a dream come true for me to be able to see in person the things I can previously only see on the app.
As a commercial city, rows of shops at different streets in Guangzhou are categorised accordingly. A row of shops would sell the same items. It could either be 10 different shops selling bathroom accessories or 10 different shops selling small trinkets.
Apart from that, the city also offers historical blueprints: stories of the life of the olden Guangzhou. There is the Chen Clan ancestral hall, or the Site of Nanyue Kingdom, and the Nanyue King Wen’s Mausoleum to explore. These places are properly preserved by China’s government, so it retains most of what was left from the past.
Staying at the so-called “old town” of Guangzhou called the Beijing Road was fascinating. At one part of the street, there is a glass feature of the ancient China roads of the city, much like one would see in a Chinese period drama. Attached to the glass showcase is the story of Beijing Road.
Beijing Road itself is sprawling with businesses selling a variety of trinkets, flowers, and souvenirs. The streets are also filled with restaurants, fashion shops and other varieties of products. There are also several shopping malls to explore in the area.
The creme de la creme is the largest and oldest temple of Guangzhou: the Da Fo Si temple. Standing tall amidst the busy and modern street, the temple, which is brightly lit at night, is the epitome of Beijing Road. To see it in front of me is an amazing experience. On the night we landed — which was the Mid-Autumn Festival — there were ongoing prayers whereby several monks were chanting, and people were offering their prayers.
The chants helped keep the streets alive, alongside the chatter and laughter from the public. However, do bear in mind that while the streets can be bustling with people at 7 pm, gradually towards 9.30 pm, it will quiet down as the vendors prepare to close at 10 pm. By that hour, Beijing Street sleeps, with the temple lights turned off around the time too.
Near Beijing Road, there is Yi De Lu Road. There, the shops are much different from Beijing Road, with the wholesale electronic malls around the area.
Next was Qing Ping Street, filled with stores selling Chinese herbs like ginseng, tiger mushroom, mushrooms of many sorts, jujube, wolfberries, and many others that I have never seen before. There is also a seven-storey shopping mall that sells the herbs from top to bottom for a cheaper price.
My mother-in-law, who enjoyed her time there, told me that the price for one packet of ginseng in Kuching could buy her several packets more in Qing Ping Street. She brought home many packets of Chinese herbs, which she said could last her for two years.
At the same road/district, there are also Shangxiaju Pedestrian Street (similar to Beijing Road) and Shamian Island. The latter is a fascinating sight, as colonial architectures still stand tall at the streets — dating back to the 19th century. The street is a reminder of the colonial European period, with predominant French and English influences.
Enjoying a stroll at Shamian Island, one would notice trees with huge roots, or roots running around. On many trees are information plaques that write its age. On one tree, I read that it has stood for over 200 years.
But of course — it isn’t a trip to Guangzhou if you don’t see the Canton Tower up close. The magnificent tallest tower in China and second tallest in the world is lovely during the day and even lovelier at night, where it lights up with colours.
Instead of going to the waterfront to see it up close, we decided to take a cruise to see all the buildings in Guangzhou.
During the cruise, we saw the Opera House and the Guangdong Museum side by side — the latter, which I had visited too.
Established in 1959, the museum was originally in the Yuexiu District on the site of Dr Sun Yat-Sen’s (revolutionary and founder of the Republic of China) University. However, it was relocated to Zhujiang New Town in 2003.
Today, the museum houses the arts, culture, nature and history of Guangzhou. Since it is a large museum divided into different sections, one can spend hours inside, just reading through the information plaques. I was fascinated by what China was made of and how it came to be. There was also one part in the museum where it talked about migrant Chinese to Singapore and Malaysia and how, despite having moved, they continued to help with the development of China afterwards.
Overall, Guangzhou is a great place to visit, and I’ll probably do so many times in the future.
I went to Guangzhou with two suitcases and returned to Kuching with an additional two. There was just too much to get there. I was just too amazed by the choices and varieties available there.
Although the Chinese can be aggressive marketers in promoting their items, or at times you can get tricked into buying things you don’t want to, it still remains a place worth visiting to enjoy the Chinese culture as well as experience the commercial part of the country.
