Guangzhou, formerly known as Canton in the West, was our first stop on our 2-month, 8-city, China adventure. An hour train ride from Hong Kong, the longest part of the trip was getting through customs, which requires registering via an app, then waiting in line for a while, then security, and finally to the train. We knew it would take a while, so we arrived early, and after the hour-ish process to get to the waiting area for the train. Note that if you are traveling from Hong Kong, there are not any stores once you pass through customs, so use the remaining Hong Kong Dollars or Octopus card funds before going through customs (which we did not).
Our hotel was in the Liwan district of Guangzhou, which was the old town, and the buildings and streets all reflected this.
We arrived in the late afternoon, and were pretty pooped, so I picked up some nearby McDonald’s (which was just ok, but it is a feeling of home) and we called it an early night.
The next day we headed toward a museum I had marked on the map in the Lizhiwan area of the city (which we never reached, in fact), walking down narrow streets, first running into a small river and on the other side, the Cantonese Opera Art Museum and grounds. It was packed with fellow tourists in town for the Spring Festival (or Chinese New Year). Flowers were already in bloom and the day was sunny and warm, and the large pagoda beckoned us toward it.
We entered the museum and headed down the escalator, where we learned about the history of the Guangzhou Opera and live performances over time, dating back to the mid-1400s! We saw many cool costumes, masks, and even the beards they wore.
After we left the museum and joined the throngs of people; many ladies were dressed in historical ceremonial outfits and faces painted, as there were many places to rent the costumes and have the makeup done in the area.
After we left, we happened upon a small courtyard with some Bonsai trees, and if you know me, you know I love Bonsai, and took it up as a hobby our last year living in North Carolina (and saw many during our visit to Hong Kong).
We walked and tried some gelato, which was nice on the hot day, walked past Bruce Lee’s ancestral home (which was unfortunately closed), then made our way to nearby Liwanhu Park, with its few large ponds, and we found shade to rest and enjoy the scenery.
We eventually made our way to the famous Panxi Restaurant, which Jessica details more about on her blog, here. After a very fulfilling lunch, we traveled on in the neighborhood, even taking in a few minutes of an Opera in the Park, complete with live musical accompaniment.
As we wandered we came upon Fusheng Nunnery, a stunning building, with a lake view, Bonsai, and an Erawan Buddha statue, with many gifts surrounding it.
I bought Jessica a red bracelet, as gifts of red are good luck during Chinese New Year, and we bought a tiny scroll with blessings of abundance, before heading on, back toward the hotel. Here are some pictures of the neighborhood and areas we walked throughout the day.
Funnily enough, we never made it to the art museum, but as I’ve learned, the best days while traveling aren’t planned. We had a city tour scheduled for the next day, so come back and read about it soon!
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