History & Evolution
Guangzhou has a history as early as 200 BC. A flourishing city during the reign of the Nanyue kings, the city was captured by Qin-dynasty in 221-206 BC that lasted for another hundred years before the Han Chinese from Northern China displaced the original inhabitants. During 618 – 907 came the Tang dynasty’s sailors and merchants from Persia and Malacca. After this the city flourished until the 11th century after which began a period of decay, which had its origin in wars and piracy. Nevertheless, from 14th century onwards the city again got back on the path of betterment and was able to reestablish its position as most important harbor of China. The first Europeans to arrive to the city by sea were the Portuguese, who soon obtained the monopoly for external trade by 1511. The monopoly was broken with the arrival of the Dutch in the early 17th century. With the opening up of the foreign in 1683 by the Qing government, the city quickly emerged as one of the most adaptable ports for negotiating commerce and before long with many other foreign ships arrived the French and English East India companies' ships. Therefore, by the middle of 18th century, Guangzhou emerged as one of the world's great trading ports, which was a distinction it maintained until the outbreak of the Opium War in 1839 and the opening of other ports in China in 1842. In 1918, the urban council was established in the city when "Guangzhou" became its official name and in the later years the city was also promoted to the status of a Municipality. From 1938-1945, Japanese troops occupied Guangzhou followed by the Communist forces in 1949. Under the communist rule, the city saw the reformation, which led to rapid economic growth due to the city's close proximity to Hong Kong and access to the Pearl River. After this there was no looking back for Guangzhou who kept running on the way of rapid development in industrial as well as commercial spheres. Site-Seeing Though Guangzhou is one of the 24 famous historical and cultural cities in China, still it does not have the amount of cultural attractions found in some cities such as Beijing and Xian. However, the city still remain bustling with visitors in most of the seasons either due to trade fairs or package tours or just for business. Though the food of the city is an another factor that charm tourists. Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family: Also known as Chen Clan Academy, the temple is a place both for offering up sacrifices to ancestors and for study. Today the temple as regarded as one of the four major cultural tourist sites in Guangdong Province. The temple in itself is a compound complex, which include nine halls, six courtyards and nineteen buildings connected by corridors but separated from the outside world by walls. The two major attractions of the place is a pair of huge stone drums in front of the entrance door, measuring 2.55 m (8.36 ft) in height and two colored drawing pictures of door-god of 4 m (about 13 ft) height. In the center of the complex lies the main hall, Juxian Hall that along with the whole compound is constructed in the traditional Chinese symmetrical style. Location: En Long Li, Zhong Shan Liu Lu Yuexiu Park:  Covering the area of 860,000m2 (212.5 acres), Yuexiu Park is the largest park in downtown Guangzhou. The park consists of three artificial lakes and seven hills of Yuexiu Mountain that is why it is named as Yuexiu Park. Reputed for its pretty water and hills as well as cultural relics, the park is a perfect combination of cultural relics and ecological tourism. Sites like the stone sculpture of the Five Rams, Zhenhai Tower, Guangzhou Museum, the Ming Dynasty City Wall and Square Cannon makes the park a ‘Msut Visit’ destination of the city. Location: Jiffaeng Beilu Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall: Situated on the southern slope of Yuexiu Hill, the hall was made in the honor of Dr Sun Yat-sen, the forerunner of Chinese democratic revolution, by the people of Guangzhou and overseas Chinese. The monument is a grand octagon building of typical Chinese architectural style with a span of 71 m (about 78 yards) without a pillar but significant outlooks and delicate interior designs. In the hall there is a display gallery showing pictures and letters of Sun Yat-sen. The memorial is also an important place for conferences and performances that hold thousands of people with sound equipment. While a bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen is standing beautifully in front of the memorial hall, a steel spiral staircase on the other hand provides a panoramic view of the memorial hall. Location: DongFeng Lu Central Huaisheng Mosque:  Made in the memory of a prophet, the name of the mosque means, "Remember the Sage". The Built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the building is one of the oldest mosques in China. The mosque has a 1,000 years old brick structure named Guangta (Smooth Tower) which is 36 m high built in the Arabic architectural style. Also in mosque are the Praying Hall and other buildings. Location: Guangta Lu Qingping Market: The largest street market in Guangzhou, Qingping Market has over 2,000 stalls along 1km of Qingping Lu and Ti Yun Lu just north of Shamian Island. An interesting pat of the market is the Chinese medicine section while behind the packed crowds and stalls there are also some jade and antique stalls, which are also worth a visit. Location: Near the Shamian Island Bridge
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