6 Days Guangzhou Adventure
13 - 18 Apr 2019
Our recent trip to the Middle Kingdom started with a 5N stay in Guangzhou, followed by 2N stay in Shenzhen, 3N stay in Hong Kong and ended with a 7N Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore, with stops at Danang, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh. This is our 4th visit to Guangzhou, having been there as part of a tour in 2005 & 2007 and on our own in 2013. This time around it is mainly to try out the local food recommended by some food bloggers and to experience the local culture while exploring the city at our own pace.
Day 1 - 13th April 2019
We took the Air Asia flight AK112 from KLIA2 at 5:00am and arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 9:15am. The one way tickets cost RM553.80 for both of us.
We took the Air Asia flight AK112 from KLIA2 at 5:00am and arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 9:15am. The one way tickets cost RM553.80 for both of us.
Since we are staying in Guangzhou for 5 nights we decided to buy the Guangzhou Transportation Smart Card (called Yang Cheng Tong in Chinese) which we can use on the metro and local buses. This is more convenient compared to queuing up at the machines during peak hours beside getting a 5% discount on its usage. We took the metro to the Home Club Hotel Yuexiu Branch, which is just opposite the Tuanyida Subway Station.
After freshening up we took the subway to Beijing Road for lunch. We had the hand made noodle (Lai Fun) at a shop in Wen Ming Road. The noodle is served in thick gravy, with option of garnishing your own bowl of noodle with pickled mustard leaf, pickled spicy vegetables and coriander and spring onion.
The spicy sausage is very popular here judging by the long queue.
On the way to Beijing Road pedestrian street we tried the French Mihimihi curos which is an oblong crispy custard cream puff that is topped with almonds and baked until crispy on the outside and hollow on the inside.
We then take the subway to Ximenkou Station and walked to Hua Xi Lu for dinner where we ate from 4 different food outlets.
Later we took the subway to Chen Clan Station and walked to Long Jin Dong Road to look for the Porridge House which is famous for their signature porridge. It also serves prawns wrapped rice noodles and other deserts After lunch we walked to the Chen Clan Academy, also known as the Ancestor Temple of the Chen Family. The Chen Clan Academy which was a place in Guangzhou both for offering up sacrifices to ancestors and for study. Now it serves as Guangdong Folk Arts Museum to show the most characteristic Guangdong architecture.
Day 5 - 17th April 2019
For tea connoisseurs, there is a tea heaven in Guangzhou waiting to be explored. It has a charm and aroma that no uptown markets of the modern capital can match. Fangcun Tea Market is the largest of its kind in China with a dizzying array of shops sprawling around Fangcun Dadao. It is said to house more than 3,000 shops selling a great assortment of tea and tea utensils at moderate prices.
After our tea purchase we took the subway to Huangsha Station and walked to Heping West Rd, an area that is well know for traditional herbs and other dried foodstuff. We bought black dates, red dates and lo han ko here.
We then took the subway to Yide Station and walked to Yide Rd, an area famous for selling kinds of dried sea food. We had beef noodles for lunch at nearby restaurant.
Finally we arrived at Beijing Road area where we managed to buy one 28 inches luggage bag to pack all our things for Shenzhen tomorrow, where there will be more shopping before we reach Hong Kong!
For dinner we had the famous Wan Xing clay pot baked rice along Wan Fu Road which is near to the Beijing Road Pedestrians Shopping Street. This shop is just a short walk from Beijing Road Subway Station Exit B. We ordered the frogs legs clay pot rice and their beef noodles.
Day 6 - 18th April 2019
After freshening up we took the subway to Beijing Road for lunch. We had the hand made noodle (Lai Fun) at a shop in Wen Ming Road. The noodle is served in thick gravy, with option of garnishing your own bowl of noodle with pickled mustard leaf, pickled spicy vegetables and coriander and spring onion.
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| The Lai Fun that cost RMB15 per bowl |
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| The noodles shop |
After lunch we walked a few shops down the road to the Bai Hua Desert shop for the double skin milk. Double skin milk (aka, milk custard, Shuang Pei Nai) is a famous dessert which is known for being delicious and nutritious in both Guangdong and Hong Kong.
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| Double skin milk that cost RMB13 per bowl |
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The queue and table waiting is long in this desert shop
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We then walked to Gongyuangian Station area to look for Guangzhou day tour. Later we walked to Beijing Road pedestrian street and had fish balls in one of the many shops in Huifu Donglu.
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The fish balls costing RMB25 is a bit pricey in this tourist area.
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| The fish balls shop |
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| The French curos that cost RMB13 a piece |
Day 2 - 14th April 2019
After the buffet breakfast provided by the hotel we took the subway to Zhongshanba station and walked to the Liwan Lake Park which is also known as Lychee Bay area. It is a beautiful park with Chinese architecture, lots of lakes and a beautiful night scenery. The locals like to come here to relax, exercise, walk around and frequent the many eateries around the area. The Lychee Bay area is also known as Guangzhou gourmet paradise.
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| Entrance to Liwan Lake Park |
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The locals like to gather here to exercise. It amazes me how they can keep the feather ball in the air for so long with their skillful kicks
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| One of the many eateries around the lake |
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| Food stalls selling local delicasies |
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The chicken biscuit that I bought from one of the stalls. Very fresh and tasty.
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| Great encounter with these two friendly dogs |
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Bought half a kilo of black sesame powder from this street vendor
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Had dim sum lunch at one of many restaurants in Lychee Bay
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This dim sum restaurant has three floors and is packed for lunch
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After our lunch we took the subway to Yuexiu Park station and booked our one day Foshan tour from the travel agent there. The tour cost RMB119 per person and includes a lunch. We then walked to Yuexiu Park but was hampered by the rain which lasted almost the whole day.
We managed to walk in the rain to the five goats statue that we last visited in 2007.
We then take the subway to Ximenkou Station and walked to Hua Xi Lu for dinner where we ate from 4 different food outlets.
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The Ngau Chap (beef innards) soup outlet is very famous here
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| The Shanghai fried buns here is juicy and tasty |
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| The Ngau Lam noodle (beef noodle) here is good |
We also tried the local cakes from one roadside stall
Day 3 - 15th April 2019
Today we joined a one day tour to Foshan, which took us to visit an old silk factory, a traditional village where we had lunch with the village chief and some residents there. After lunch we visited a mulberry farm where we ate all the mulberry we can pluck. Again our outing was marred by the rain if not we will have more fun plucking and eating the mulberry.
After lunch we were taken on a tour of the mulberry farm where we were given the freedom to roam the farm, plucking and eating all the mulberry we want. However, we are not allowed to take any mulberry home.
Day 4 - 16th April 2019
After breakfast we visited the Guangdong Museum where we obtained free tickets to enter with our passports. The Guangdong Museum in Zhujiang New Town, was opened in 2010. Permanent exhibitions in terms of Guangdong History and Culture, Guangdong Natural Resource and arts as well as temporary exhibitions are exhibited in it
Today we joined a one day tour to Foshan, which took us to visit an old silk factory, a traditional village where we had lunch with the village chief and some residents there. After lunch we visited a mulberry farm where we ate all the mulberry we can pluck. Again our outing was marred by the rain if not we will have more fun plucking and eating the mulberry.
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| Walk about in the traditional village |
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| Traditional house entrance |
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The villagers hosted lunch for us in this pavilion and make shift tent
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This is the first time a tour group visited the village and the village head is very proud
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| Photo shoot after the hearty meal |
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| Our nine dishes lunch |
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| Live silk worms being fed the mulberry leaves |
After the tour we were dropped off at Yuexiu Park station where we took the subway to Chang Shou Station for our dinner at a restaurant near to the shopping street Shangxiajiu Lu. The restaurant is famous for its standard menu which is fish skin, rolled rice noodles and porridge.
After breakfast we visited the Guangdong Museum where we obtained free tickets to enter with our passports. The Guangdong Museum in Zhujiang New Town, was opened in 2010. Permanent exhibitions in terms of Guangdong History and Culture, Guangdong Natural Resource and arts as well as temporary exhibitions are exhibited in it
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The museum is huge that I cannot capture a complete picture even from a distance
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The Canton Tower is the highest TV tower in China and the third highest in the world
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| Unique buildings around Guangdong Museum |
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| Entrance of Chen Clan Academy |
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| Against the backdrop of modern buildings |
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| Delicate roof design |
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| Exquisite art carving |
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| Hall to receive visitors |
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| Silk cloth exhibit |
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| Ivory carving of ship |
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| One of six courtyards |
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| Roof top stone designs |
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| Long corridor |
We then took the subway to Guangzhou Station and did some shopping at the Bai Ma Departmental Store and the next door Tian Ma Departmental Store. We had dinner at a Muslim restaurant near our hotel.
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| The fired rice and spicy lamb was good
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Day 5 - 17th April 2019
After breakfast we took the subway to Guangzhou East station to purchase our high speed train ticket to Shenzhen tomorrow. We then took the subway to Fangcun to buy our Chinese Tea. We need to replenish our Puer stock which we bought last year in Chengdu.
For tea connoisseurs, there is a tea heaven in Guangzhou waiting to be explored. It has a charm and aroma that no uptown markets of the modern capital can match. Fangcun Tea Market is the largest of its kind in China with a dizzying array of shops sprawling around Fangcun Dadao. It is said to house more than 3,000 shops selling a great assortment of tea and tea utensils at moderate prices.
After our tea purchase we took the subway to Huangsha Station and walked to Heping West Rd, an area that is well know for traditional herbs and other dried foodstuff. We bought black dates, red dates and lo han ko here.
Countless shops in West Heping Rd area selling these dried foodstuff and traditional herbs.
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| Even live baby scorpions are on sales |
We then took the subway to Yide Station and walked to Yide Rd, an area famous for selling kinds of dried sea food. We had beef noodles for lunch at nearby restaurant.
Sacred Heart Cathedral in Guangzhou, also known as the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, or Shishi Catholic Church, is regarded as the ‘Notre Dame of East Asian’. Located at Yide Road near the Haizhu Square in the city center, this 130-year-old Roman Catholic cathedral is a holy and peaceful site in the bustling urban area. With a gross area of 2,754 square meters, it is the biggest Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guangzhou and one of the grandest double steeples Gothic architectures in China. Featuring all of the walls and pillars made of granite, the Sacred Heart Cathedral is nicknamed the ‘Stone House’ (Shishi in Chinese) by the locals. It is the largest granite Catholic structure in Southeast Asia, and one of only four all-granite Gothic churches in the world.
We bought one kilo of dried scallops from one of the shops here
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Various kinds of dried sea food and dried foodstuff are available in Yide Road
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This shop has rows and rows of preserved fruits of all kinds and color
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| A section of Gaodi Street |
From Yide Rd we walked all the way to Haizhu Square and along the way met a few Malays who come to Guangzhou to buy electric bikes. Since Beijing Road is not far from Haizhu Square we continue our walk along Gaodi Street to Beijing Road. Gaodi Street is where you can buy your household goods and men and women clothing and undergarments at very cheap price.
Finally we arrived at Beijing Road area where we managed to buy one 28 inches luggage bag to pack all our things for Shenzhen tomorrow, where there will be more shopping before we reach Hong Kong!
For dinner we had the famous Wan Xing clay pot baked rice along Wan Fu Road which is near to the Beijing Road Pedestrians Shopping Street. This shop is just a short walk from Beijing Road Subway Station Exit B. We ordered the frogs legs clay pot rice and their beef noodles.
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There are so many varieties of clay pot rice and other delicacies as can be seen on the board
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After dinner we took the subway back to our hotel to repack our luggage for our departure to Shenzhen tomorrow morning.
Day 6 - 18th April 2019
After breakfast we took the subway to Guangzhou South Railway Station to board the high speed train to Shenzhen North Railway Station. The journey took 29m and each second class ticket cost RMB74.50. Surprisingly for the short distance the train can still reach a top speed of 305km/hr.
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The second class cabin is very comfortable with plenty of leg room
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Highest recorded speed during the 29 minutes journey from Guangzhou to Shenzhen
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