With a long history of trade and business, Guangzhou is known more for its economy and proximity to Hong Kong than for being a major tourist destination. The capital city of Guangdong Province in southern China, Guangzhou gets many travelers who are on business trips or en route to Hong Kong. But Guangzhou, with its rich history and beautiful riverside landscapes, actually has as much to offer tourists as it does businessmen. On today's programme, Liu Yan will tell you more about the history of the city and introduce you to some of its major attractions.

Reporter:

Guangzhou, a port on the Pearl River that flows into the South China Sea, is just a three-hour drive or 40-minute plane ride from Hong Kong.

Guangdong province hugs China's southern edge and is bordered by Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to the west, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces to the northwest and northeast and Fujian province to the east.

Established during the Qin Dynasty some 2,200 years ago, Guangzhou was always a centre of trade to foreigners.

Indians and Romans had made their way to Guangzhou by 200 AD, and for the next five hundred years, trade with many neighbours far and near, from Southeast Asia all the way to the Middle East, blossomed.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive, buying Guangdong's silk and porcelain, followed by the British, who finally gained a foothold into Guangzhou after several attempts.

In 1685, China's imperial Qing government gave in to the foreign demand for Guangzhou's goods and opened trade to the West, but the trade imbalance soon annoyed the British, who used opium trade to wrest the upper hand from the Qing emperor. Fueling China's addiction to cheap Indian opium, the British ferried away Guangzhou specialties like silk, porcelain and tea, until by the nineteenth century, opium had taken root in China and trade was heavily weighted against the Chinese.

The Qing government tried to eradicate the opium trade in 1839 by seizing and destroying 20,000 chests of the drug, leading to the First Opium War. Western forces won, and in 1842 the Treaty of Nanking ceded Hong Kong to the British.

Continued war with the West led to the weakening and eventual fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912.

In the twentieth century, Guangzhou was the seat of the Chinese Nationalist Party founded by Dr. Sun Yatsen. The first president of the Republic of China after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Dr. Sun was from a small village outside Guangzhou.

Today an economic powerhouse in southern China, Guangzhou is one of the wealthiest parts of China.

The best time to travel to Guangzhou is mid-April to early May, when the humid, overcast weather turns warm and breezy.

The weather in late October and early December is a bit drier but also nice, meaning next December's 16^th Asian Games, to take place in Guangzhou, will be especially pleasant.

When in Guangzhou, the first thing to catch your eye on the city map might be the Pearl River or the Huanshi-lu (环市路) or circle road. They are the boundaries for central Guangzhou, where most places of interest are located.

On the southwest bend of the Pearl River sits Shamian (沙面) Island, the original site of the foreign concession.

Architecture from the former British and French concession on Shamian Island has been beautifully renovated, creating an oasis of tranquility in an otherwise bustling and hectic metropolis.

Where French and British traders once stayed, travelers can now find sidewalk cafes and boutiques.

The Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel, a restored French Catholic chapel, is one of the old structures on the island.

One of the top Buddhist temples is the Temple of Six Banyan Trees. The Banyans are unfortunately long gone, but the eight-sided Huata (花塔), or Flowering Pagoda, is one of the most popular attractions in Guangzhou.

The tower appears to have only nine stories, but in fact, there are seventeen of them. The temple dates back to the 6^th century, while the pagoda predates it by about 300 years.

The Bright Filial Piety Temple, or Guang-xiao-si (光孝寺), is one of the most influential Buddhist temple complexes in Guangzhou and became a popular pilgrimage site for Zen Buddhists after the sixth patriarch of Zen Buddhism, Hui Neng (慧能) trained there in the 7th century.

The temple has been destroyed several times by fire, so the current buildings date only from the mid 19^th century.

The Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family, Chen-jia-ci (陈家祠) or Chen Clan Academy, displays well-preserved 19^th century architecture. It once belonged to the wealthy Chen family, and still houses treasures like ivory sculptures and artistic statues that are fascinating to anyone interested in traditional Chinese architecture.

White Cloud Mountain, or Baiyun Shan (白云山), sits in Guangzhou's northeastern suburbs and offers a half-day respite from the city. It is a great place to relax and enjoy a day among lush, rolling hills and watch people enjoying nature, playing badminton or soccer and even bungee jumping.

Travelers can visit the Ming-chun (鸣春) Valley Aviary and the Neng-ren Temple (能仁寺), or take a cable car to the top of the mountain, where locals like to enjoy the evening view over the city.

Yuexiu (越秀) Park in down town Guangzhou is the largest urban park in China. It is a lush green area covering acres of manmade lakes and hills.

The Ming Dynasty Zhenhai (镇海) Tower is now home to the City Museum with relics dating back to the 15th century. Also here in this park is the Stone Statue of the Five Goats, the symbol of Guangzhou.

The Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall is dedicated to the founder of the Republic of China and local hero, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. It was constructed in 1931 and built on the original site of Sun Yat-sen's presidential office on Yuexiu (越秀) Hill. A gallery displays his pictures and letters.

Guangzhou has one of the largest international airports in China and there are numerous connections to major domestic cities. It is also well connected by bus, rail and boat, especially to other cities along the Pearl River Delta such as Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

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