Jin Ying Hotel Guangzhou

The history in Guangzhou

by w3ejijunchen

wondering around Guangzhou city. you are not only seeing those green grasses, those beautiful buildings, just like USA, but some thing USA don't have is the history, which Guangzhou has it.
There are many interesting historic palce you can you and vist.

If you are a forigner, I would...

by anderson_l

If you are a forigner, I would recommend you begin your tour with Makou rather HongKong, because this side is less industrial.
You could go around the ¯]¦¿ delta. Starting by ChouHei, than visiting Dr. Sun Yet-Shen's hometown---ChungShang, than Kwanchou.....

Rainy Day at Chen Jia Ci.

by Guantanamera

Chen Jia Ci was originally built during the 1890's. Today, it's many galleries display such objects as porcelain, fine paintings, and carvings of ivory and jade... On the day I visited with Xiujuan, it started raining and we had to take shelter under the rooftop of one of the buildings. That's when I took the photo of the colorful porcelain elephant you see here... Xiujuan and I enjoy rainy days...

What to see?

by SSSing

"What to see in Guangzhou?"

Huaisheng Mosque
Located on Guangta Road, popularly known as Light Tower Mosque, is one of the earliest mosques established after Islamism was introduced into China in the 7th century. The original mosque on this site is said to have been built in 627 AD by the first Muslim missionary to China, an uncle of Mohammed. Huaisheng means "Remember the Sage", in memory of the prophet - Mohammed.
Once burned down and rebuilt, the present mosque dates from 1695 during the Qing dynasty. Covering an area of 2966 square meters, the mosque is composed of Imam Hall, Storehouse of Islamic Scripture, Chapel Hall and Baptismal Hall.
More important is a minaret, which is 36 meters in height with a pointed tip. It is a typical Arabic architectural style. In the past days, sailors often climbed the minaret to observe weather conditions before going to sea and in night, the minaret used to serve as a beacon for the boats on the Zhujiang River. Hence the name Light Tower.
Admission: 1(RMB)
Opening Times: 6:00 - 17:00

Bright Filial Piety Temple on Guangxiao Road is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and was the mansion of Prince Zhao Jiande of the Nanyue Kingdom during the Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.24).
Bright Filial Piety Temple was first built by an Indian monk during the Eastern Jin dynasty (317- 420) and the present temple, occupying an area of 31000 square meters, was rebuilt it the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911). It enjoys great reputation in Buddhist history because Huineng of the Zen Buddhist sect was a novice monk here in the 7th century.
The Sixth Ancestor Hall in the temple was built in memory of Huineng, the sixth master of the Zen Sect of Buddhism, who was also the most influential monk in the history of Chinese Buddhism.
In the temple there is also a pagoda where Huineng's hair was buried. Other ancient structures in the temple include Sakyamuni Hall, Samgharama Hall, the King of Heaven Hall, and two iron towers.
Admission: 1 (RMB)
Opening Times: 6:00 - 17:00

Temple of the Six Banyan Trees situated on Liurong Road, is a world famous ancient Buddhist temple. It was built in 537 in the Liang dynasty during the Southern dynasties (386-581).
More than 1460 years ago in the Liang dynasty, Tanyu, the master priest, under orders of Emperor Liangwu, built Baozhuangyan Temple to store the Buddhist bones brought from Kampuchea. During the Northern Song dynasty, a great writer - Su Shi, on a visit to this temple was attracted by the six banyan trees surrounding it and wrote the inscription "Liu Rong" (Six Banyan Trees). This temple has since been known as Temple of the Six Banyan Trees.
The temple was burned down and rebuilt in the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127).
Flowery Pagoda, built in 1097, is the major structure in this temple. Named for its colorful exterior, the pagoda stands 57 meters high in the center of the temple, having a bronze column with 1,000 Buddhist sculptures on its top. Viewed from outside, the pagoda has 9 stories while in fact it has 17stories inside.
To the west of the pagoda is Grand Hall, a magnificent hall rebuilt in 1983 with an area of 300 square meters and a height of 14 meters. In this hall are enshrined three huge images: Sakyamuni in the middle, Amitabha left and Maitreya right. Elaborately made of brass in 1633 during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty, each is 6m high and weighing 10 tons, being the largest existing ancient brass images in Guangdong province.
In the Banyan Garden, there is Hall of Liuzu, where the copper image of Liuzu - the sixth generation of China's Buddhist master was enshrined. This image, 1.8 meters in height and 1 ton in weight, was meticulously cast in 989 in the Northern Song dynasty. It looks like real life, sitting silently with eyes closed.

Nanyue King Tomb Museum located in Jiefang road, is stands on the site of the tomb of Emperor Wen, the second ruler of the Southern Yue Kingdom dating back to 100 B.C.
The tomb was originally 20m under Elephant Hill and was discovered in 1983. More than 1000 burial objects were excavated, among which are a chariot, gold and silver vessels, musical instruments, and human sacrifices. The tomb is 10.85 meter in length and 12.43 meters in the widest place, consisting of the front and rear chambers. It is the earliest large-scale painted stone-chamber tomb ever found in south of the Five Ridges.
The site is now the Western Han Nanyue King Tomb Museum.

White Cloud Mountain
People like to use "pearl sea and white cloud" to describe the natural beauty of Guangzhou. White Cloud Mountain refers to the mountain range located 7.5 km northeast of Guangzhou. As an offshoot of Dayu Ling, chief mountain range of Guangdong province, White Cloud Mountain is made up of 30-odd peaks, with an area of 28 square meters. The highest peak, Moxing Ridge (Star-scrapping Ridge) stands in the center of White Cloud Mountain, measuring 382 meters in height, reputed as "the First Peak under the Southern Sky".

Due to "White cloud flying over the mountain, and gathering around its base", the mountain was named White Cloud Mountain. It has gorgeous scenery and abundant historical relics, and, since ancient times, it has already been a famous scenic spot in Guangzhou.

White Cloud Mountain is a park with natural hills and waters, and an ideal sightseeing place and summer resort, with a development history of over 1,000 years. Sceneries such as Wind Soughing in the Pines on White Cloud Mountain, Pujian Spring, Looking Afar in the Evening from White Cloud Mountain, The Returned Monk at Jingtai, the Splendid Mountain of Cloud, etc. are all famous scenic spots in this mountain. Renowned poets and scholars of past dynasties, such as Sushi, Yang Wanli, Wang Shizhen and others once came here and left poems and words after the visit.

Described as the first spectacular scene of Guangzhou by some brochures, the site is also widely known for the lawful traffic conditions. In good weather, traveling there is really rewarding. It even provides relaxing walks there.

Now sports water slides, a golf course, botanical gardens and a sculpture park have been set up to attract tourists.

Admission: 5 (RMB)
Cable Car: 15 (RMB)
Open Time 9: 00am - 4:45pm

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall situated in the original site of Sun Yat-sen's Presidential Office on the southern slope of Yuexiu Hill, is a memorial building built in 1931 with the funds raised by the Guangzhou people and overseas Chinese in memory of Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer of China's bourgeois democratic revolution.

Sun Yat-sen, born on November 12, 1866 at Cuiheng Village of Guangdong province, is the forerunner of China's revolution against the Qing government. In August 1905, he formulated the Three Principles of the People - nationalism, democracy, and social well-being - which he believed were the guidelines for building a modern China, and as he had proposed, he truly contributed his whole life into the great task.

Completed in October 1983, the memorial hall, occupying an area of 12,000 square meters with a height of 46 meters, has magnificent exterior and elegant interior decorations. The whole building, in octagonal shape, is designed with typical Chinese architecture style. The designer smartly applied the structural theory of architectural mechanics and adopted the mixed structure of reinforced concrete. The construction space with the span of up to 71 meters is pillarless, much to its grandeur, resembling a huge umbrella seen from afar.

Above the entrance of the door, there is a horizontal board with the gold words of "Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall" which was inscribed by Liao Chengzhi, the vice chairman of the standing Committee of the National People's Congress. At the central up-layer wall of the small hall hung another straight board with the word "The Whole World As A Community" which was inscribed by Sun Yat-sen himself.

In 1956, a 5-meter- high bronze statue of Dr Sun was erected in front of the hall.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is the most symbolized building of Guangzhou, and a key venue for the city's large-scale meetings and performances as well.

Admission: 10 (RMB)
Open time: 8:00am - 5:00pm

Ancestral Temple of Chen Family built between 1890 and 1894 during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing dynasty, is the largest, best preserved, and best decorated ancient architecture existing in Guangdong province.

It was built with the donation of Chen family then spread in 72 counties in Guangdong province. After completion, the temple used to provide lodgings for candidates of Chen family who came from other places of Guangdong to prepare for imperial examinations in Guangzhou. Hence it was also called Chen Clan Academy.

Occupying an area of 15,000 square meters, the temple, having a rectangular structure as its main building, is composed of six courtyards, nine main halls, and nineteen buildings. With a architectural design of traditional Guangdong style, the temple is especially renowned for its beautiful decorations. In the temple, historical figures, legends, and sceneries are presented with many art forms, including wood carving, brick carving, pottery carving, stone carving, lime carving, clay sculpture, ash sculpture, brass and iron cast, grotto, new year painting, and so on. The artistic and historical values made the temple an important attraction in Guangzhou.

In 1986, it was designated as an important cultural relic by the State Council. The temple now is the site of the Museum of Guangdong Folk Arts and Crafts.

Admission: 10 (RMB)
Opening Times: 8:30 - 17:30

Yuexiu Park As the biggest park in Guangzhou, Yuexiu Park covers an area of 93 hectares. Besides a few artificial lakes and a huge swimming pool, the park is very famous for its Zhenhai Tower and the Sculpture of the Five Rams.

Zhenhai Tower

Standing on the top of Yuexiu Hill in the northern suburbs, the 28-metre-high five-storey tower - also known as Five-storey Pagoda - was built on the order of Zhu Liangzu, the Yongjia Marquis of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), to flaunt his power that was able to "shake the seas and mountains". It is a magnificent building, commanding a bird's-eye view of the whole city. The tower now houses the City Museum, with exhibits which describe the history of Guangzhou from Neolithic times till the early part of this century.

British and French troops once occupied the tower at the time of the Opium Wars because of its strategic location. The 12 cannons in front of the tower were left from that time. Now the City Museum is situated in the tower. To learn the history of Guangzhou, you may find the exhibits from Neolithic times to the early part of this century in the museum very representative.

The Sculpture of the Five Rams, the symbol of Guangzhou, was erected in 1959. A beautiful legend said that long, long ago there were five celestial beings, who wore robes of five colors. One day they rode rams through the air to Guangzhou, each carrying a stem of rice. They presented to the people the auspicious sign from heaven and told them that the area would be free from famine forever. Later, according to the story, the city took a name: City of Rams, or just Goat City. Its official name Guangzhou, however, means 'broad region" in Chinese.

Admission: 2 (RMB)
Opening Times: 6:00 - 21:00
Tel: 86-20-83346494