China Part Two - Guangzhou (Destinations)

The rest of our China Trip:
1. China Part One - Meizhou
2. China Part Three - Guangzhou (Eats)
3. Macau - Destinations
4. Taiwan Day One
5. Taiwan Day Two
6. Din Tai Fung - Taipei 101, Taipei
7. Taiwan Day Three
8. Taiwan Day Four and Five Part 1
9. Taiwan Day Four and Five Part 2


The second city we visited in China was Guangzhou. This was next on our list as we wanted to visit my Grandad's youngest brother and his family.

The drive from Meizhou to Guangzhou took around six hours with one pit-stop and one lunch break. I succesfully managed to sleep throughout the bus ride so it felt like a blink. In Guangzhou we stayed at Fraser Suites which we chose for its central location. As you can imagine, Fraser Suites being an internationally known name, was very fancy. The best part about the rooms were they were more like serviced apartments, but the services of a hotel. The rooms were equipped with a fully functioning kitchen and two-in-one washing machine and dryer, they even supply the powdered detergent.

The rooms were very spacious, clean and comfortable. Some of the rooms were also equipped with automatic toilets, but I was not fortunate enough to be in one of those rooms.

DAY ONE:

The first day in Guangzhou was really only half a day, when we arrived we only had minutes before my Great Uncle and his family arrived to take us out to dinner. The dinner was a massive Chinese feast! The best part was, of course, meeting my second cousin, who was only five years old and was totally adorable! I was repeatedly told she looks very similar to what I looked like when I was her age.

DAY TWO:

Sacred Heart Cathedral

The second and last day in Guangzhou was fully occupied with sight-seeing and shopping. We hired a chauffeur and a small bus that was able to sit 17 people and he took us wherever we wished to go. Our first destination was the Sacred Heart Cathedral, a Catholic Church located in the old town and amidst a busy market.

Construction of the Church began in 1861 and was completed in 1863 by French Catholics and has stood strong ever since.Walking inside the Church, the Church was vast, there was plenty of light pouring in from the stained glass windows. It was very peaceful inside, a great place to get away from the busy market just outside. I would've loved to have experienced a Mass there.

Yuexiu Mountain

We were only given half an hour to explore the Church as its surrounding as there was nowhere for the bus to park long-term. So then we piled back into the bus and headed to our next destination, Yuexiu Mountain.

Five Goat Statue

Don't be alarmed by the name. Even though it is called a mountain, it was only 10 minute drive from the Cathedral and there was minimal stair climbing required to reach the peak. It's more like a hill. So the peak of the mountain holds the Five-Goat Statue, one of the highlights of the mountain. I must say, the day we were there the weather was perfect for hill climbing and photo taking. Along the way to the peak there were also plenty of stalls selling souvenirs. There was also a souvenir shop right on top near the statue, but we found they were more expensive. There was also a photographer which will take photos of you with the statue (without permission) and will try to sell the photo to you for CNY10.

We spent a good hour and a half in this park, mostly spent on shopping.

Beijing Tongrentang Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Industry Ltd. Co.

Then to our third destination, a Chinese pharmacy. I'm sure you've heard of Chinese medicinal herbs that does wonders for every ailment you could possibly think of. Well, the pharmacy we visited may have been the biggest Chinese medicine pharmacy in Guangzhou. It was like the Myer of Chinese medicine. Mind you, if you run out of your Western medications, this is not the place to go to.

The main reason we came to this store was to stock up on this Chinese miracle cream called Bao Fu Ling. It works wonders on burns and minor wounds, quickening the healing process. I have used this cream when I was accidentally burned by an iron and the next day my skin has healed completely! Something worth getting if you're in the area.

Beijing Lu

Our next destination was Beijing Lu. Lu literally translate to street in English. It's similar to Hay Street Mall in Perth, but at a much larger scale.

From the short time we spent there we had already passed three department stores, countless boutiques and plenty of fast food stalls. We visited a couple of the department stores, but didn't want to spend much more time there as we were keen to continue our journey.

Canton Tower & Haizhu Sport Centre

Our final destination was the Haizhu Sport Centre, one of the venues of the 2010 Asian Games. We have heard it lights up beautifully at night, and it did! It is located close to the Canton tower, the third tallest building in the world, which also displays beautiful lighting at night.

This spot was popular amongst tourists and most, like us, would just stand and watch as the lights change colour.

That concluded our eventful day in Guangzhou. I would have loved to have more time and explore more of the city. Definitely coming back should the chance arises! For now, goodbye Guangzhou!

Information:

Fraser Suites Guangzhou
232_2 Tian He Road
Tian He
Guangzhou
Connected to One Link Walk
Website: Fraser Suites Guangzhou

Sacred Heart Cathedral
56 Yide Road
Guangzhou

Yuexiu Mountain
No. 960 Jiefang North Road
Yuexiu District
Guangzhou

Beijing Tongrentang Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Industry Ltd. Co.
Nonglin Down Road
Yuexiu
Guangzhou
Website: http://www.tongrentang.com/ (English page doesn't seem to be working)

Canton Tower
222 Yuejiang West Road
Haizhu
Guangzhou