Guangzhou

This time in a fortnight I'll be all packed up and ready to leave Hong Kong. Not entirely sure where everything is going to go. Today, after my last session of Saturday school, I had a sudden urge to go out and by myself Hong Kong things, so I purchased 2 cushion covers (very packable) and a tray with 3 dishes (not so packable) as souvenirs. I'm torn between the ridiculousness of adding MORE stuff to my luggage load at the last minute and the feeling that I may never be back so it's my once in a lifetime opporunity to buy everything I see. Perhaps the best plan is just to stay away from shops but in Hong Kong that is pretty much impossible.

Anyhow... last weekend I went to Guangzhou. I took the train from Hung Hom in Kowloon. It's very easy, costs HK$190 and takes just under 2 hours. You can even buy tickets online at http://www.it3.mtr.com.hk/b2c/frmIndex.asp?strLang=Eng, although you have to collect them at a Hong Kong station so not so good if you're starting in China!

I went with Nicole (who I work with at HLC) and her skills in Cantonese and Putonghua were invaluable in making my weekend chilled out and relaxing. It was great to not have to stress about which restaurant to go in or where we were in relation to a map because, if we needed to, Nicole could always ask someone! Nicole's skills in travelling are, however, not so good so I was still required to read the maps, navigate the underground train network (called the Metro in Guangzhou) and book the hostel. We stayed in the Riverside YHA (http://www.hostelbookers.com/booking/index.cfm?hostel=24428&fuseaction=hosteldetails) which is clean and cheap and is a bit out of the centre of town but right on a waterfront street (Chang Ti Lu) which has been recently redeveloped with a selection of bars, restaurants and neon lights. There's also a Chinese park with crazy exercise machines and a square where we found a guy hiring roller skates!

On our first night, Nicole and I took a 1 hour river cruise from the jetty just outside our hostel. It was nice to see the lights of Guangzhou but the best bit is the fact that all the trees lining the river are lit up with green spotlights, making them look like giant clumps of broccoli. We also had hotpot in the Red Calf restaurant near our hostel which came with delicious herbal tea.

Broccoli trees on the Pearl River Cruise

On Day 2, Rachel arrived on a morning train from Hong Kong and we set off on a ferry across the river to Shamian Island. Shamian Island is where all the foreign traders had to stay, and in the past the bridges were closed at 10pm! The island has the wide avenues of a European city and some pretty looking buildings. We stumbled upon a group of about 8 brides and bridegrooms that we THINK were taking part in a fashion photoshoot! They were much more photogenic than the French church next to them, with it's strangely unreligious neon signs.

Wedding Photoshoot

After a spot of lunch in a Shamian Island restaurant (thanks to Nicole's ordering), me, Rachel, Nicole and a New Zealand girl we'd picked up called Chloe set off to find the Chen Clan Temple. Helpfully, you can find it at the metro station called Chen Clan Academy! The Temple was apparently the home of the Chen Clan for many years, as well as a place to worship ancestors and take imperial examinations. It's a nice building with a lovely courtyard, impressive roofs and a refreshing garden out the back. The Temple/Academy is also now part of the Guangzhou Cultural Museum so has some paintings and fans on display.

Nicole and Rachel at the Chen Clan Temple

From there, we walked towards what someone translated into English as 'Walking Street,' but en route we got distracted by a MASSIVE jade market. The market starts out lining a big square but soon diverges into a multitude of alleyways, all filled with stalls selling hundreds of jade bracelets, pendants and beads. Surprisingly, we made it back out of the warren without buying very much! We headed on towards 'Walking Street' and eventually reached it - a massive pedestrianised strip full of flashing neon brand names. We observed the crowds and took some photos and then, ignoring the McDonalds signs in all directions, headed back out of the pedestrian zone and down a little alleyway full of food stalls to find some dinner. I had a chicken kebab type thing, some coconut milk and an intriguing spiral of crisps. The scorpions didn't really tickle my fancy.

The spacious part of the Jade Market

On our last day in Guangzhou we had to trek out to the East Railway station to book our train tickets back to Hong Kong. There was a rumour that we had to book them 3 hours in advance, so the sensible thing to do it just book them at the same time as your outward ticket! Chloe was heading on to Shenzhen and didn't need to book for that as the trains leave more than once an hour. Having sorted that out, we set off for Yuexiu Park and the Orchid Garden. The metro stop is called Yuexiu Park, and that's the most obvious thing when you come out the station, but the Orchid garden is JUST across the road and is (in my opinion) a much more pleasant place to visit. We, however, found the park first and paid our 10RMB entrance fee so felt we should have a little explore. There is a big, beautiful lake at one corner of which you can feed the fish. The fish are clearly used to this as they gather there in giant swarms as almost leap out the water when they sense someone holding their hand out to drop in some food. Watching this feeding frenzy made us a bit peckish, so we headed out the park and into a restaurant which overlooks it for some tasty dimsum.

Feeding fish

We only just had time to pop in and out of the Orchid garden before heading back to the hostel for our bags. It was much greener than the park, full of lush bamboo forests that block your view and give you the illusion of being in a massive forest when you're only really in a small park. We found a greenhouse full of colourful orchids and a teahouse where you could sit and chill out (if you had the time). I could have stayed there all day.

Nicole and I in the Orchid Garden

However, it was time to return to the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. Guangzhou seemed to have a much slower pace of life, although we certainly saw plenty of places where skyscrapers are shooting up as well as traffic zooming along highways. I think perhaps it's just that there's more space in Guangzhou, so the hectic parts and skyscrapers are more spread out. Whilst there aren't any major tourist attractions (or at least, not comparable to those in Beijing), there's plenty to look at for a long weekend.