After my short visit to Hong Kong, a modern metropolis of China, our vacation continued to Guangzhou which located in mainland China not far from Hong Kong. Guangzhou is China's third largest city and, at almost 2,000 years old, one of China's oldest cities too. From Hongkong we ride a train at Kowloon Station where the train departs for Guangzhou. The travel time is about 2 hours. With so many places to see in Guangzhou includes its historical and cultural relics so make sure that you should know the destinations of your favorite.

Temple of the Six Banyan Trees

In total, we spend 2 days in Guangzhou before head back home. Our first destination that I did visit is a famous temple called Temple of the Six Banyan Trees (Liurong Temple in Chinese). It was built in 537 and is located right in the center of the city. It houses many Buddhist cultural relics as well as offer stunning natural views in surroundings. Hua Ta (Flower Pagoda) with its 57 meter height is the highlight of this temple. We did see lots of visitors come for worship mostly is local. Although Guangzhou can be said not houses the world famous historical attractions like Beijing, but a short introduction about the city is a must to learn if visit this town.

The second attraction is Yuexiu Park, the largest park in downtown Guangzhou and one of the most famous scenic spots in the city. Yuexiu Park is located in the ending ranges of Baiyun Mountain, surrounded by mountain area. Top sights include the stone statue of the Five Rams (Statue of the Five Goats), the emblem of Guangzhou City. The next sculpture that attracted my attention at Yuexiu Park is the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Monument. We only did visit Yuexiu Park for less than 2 hours, so did not have explored the whole park complex.

Pearl River Night Cruise

Another must do in Guangzhou is a cruise on the Pearl River. The night cruise starts from the White Goose Pool and ends at the Guangzhou Bridge and is a wonderful best way to see the city, without being stuck on the traffic. While on the boat, we could see Guangzhou city in all its brightly-lit glory, as well as see typical Chinese river culture as evidenced on the river banks. Besides all of the attractions we did visit during our limited time, there are also interesting places such as Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family and White Cloud Mountain that I did know very famous too in Guangzhou.