Fun in Guangzhou: Great Weekend Activities

Fun in Guangzhou: Great Weekend Activities

How can one truly amuse oneself in Guangzhou at the weekends? Where do you go to have fun? After a week’s work you only have two days to relax, so any ideas? Below, we’ve compiled a list of fun ideas that you’re sure to like.

1) Gualingcun (瓜岭村): Discover a Rarely Seen Watchtower Built on Water
How far is it? Gualingcun is only about 30km from Guangzhou, and takes a little less than an hour to reach by car.

Getting there: Set out from Guangzhou, take the Guangyuan Motorway to Xintang, get off the motorway at Shapu Lukou, turn left and then you’ll get to Gualingcun.

What’s there to see and do?
Gualingcun is probably the closest land of rivers and lakes south of the Five Ridges. Moreover, it’s been around for over 500 years already. Here you’ll find the only Qing Dynasty residential building constructed on water, and a water channel surrounds the entire village. Up river, a water based watch tower can be seen, called “Ning Yuan Building”. It is 4 stories tall and a rare sight in Guangdong. When enemies wanted to invade the village, a drawbridge connected with the bank would be drawn, and would thus transform the watchtower into a well-protected little fortress in the blink of an eye. Lychee and banana trees encircle the area on both sides of the river, whilst local residents live mainly in the village. This kind of layout is a legacy of periods of war.

What’s there to eat?
Xintang’s fish is quite famous. The flesh of dace fish is scraped and is repeatedly pounded until it becomes see-through. Lotus slices are crushed to become the ‘skin’ of the fish, whereupon other ingredients, such as lean meat, are added. Enjoy the sweet fish with its smooth texture. Otherwise, the cabbage hearts from Zengcheng are also very tasty, as is the local shredded chicken dish.

Itinerary: A one-day trip is recommended to Zengcheng’s white-water waterfalls. Make your way back to Gualingcun after lunch.

2) Panyu Shawan (番禺沙湾): Find an Ancient Place That’s Young at Heart
How far is it? Only 20km from Guangzhou, most people who know of the area don’t think of it as a particularly far away destination.

Getting there:
Set out from Guangzhou and drive in the direction of Panyu, straight along Yingbin Road. After you’ve crossed Shawan Bridge you’ll have arrived at Shawan Town. If you want to go to Dishuiyan Forest Park, you can take the 325 National Highway until you see “Taoyuan Village” (桃园山庄).

What’s there to see and do?
Panyu Shawan has a history of over 800 years. Ancient wars and battles didn’t affect this area. Nowadays, the area’s economy has developed and society has changed. However, in the northern part of the village one can still see remnants of Panyu’s historic past. You can still see ancient boiler rooms here, and oyster shells have been used as a raw material for constructing the walls. You’ll also see tile carvings, wood carved ornaments, and even the stone paved paths are still in perfect condition. The biggest speciality of Panyu is its ancientness! Also known as “green heaven”, Dishuiyan Forest Park is located about 8km from the village centre and is totally covered by forest Together with the fine food in Sand Bay, its buildings and scenic location, this area is not the type of place you’ll stumble upon very often.

What’s there to eat?
Thin pancakes, milk from Qinfangyuan, yuntun noodles and Beidouxing cold mixed noodles are delicious.

Itinerary: A one-day trip is long enough. Go to the Shawan Town, Dishuiyan Forest Park or Baomoyuan Park for a look.

Getting into Xian’ouzhen is free, as is Dishuiyan Park. 

3) Xitou Village, Conghua Liangkou Town (从化良口镇溪头村): Go to the Waxberry Tree!
How far is it? About 60km from Guangzhou, you can stick your head out the window while breathing in the fresh air on your way there!

Getting There:
Set out from Guangzhou, take the Xinguangcong Gonglu and pass through Dongfang Amusement Park, Taihe, Zongluotan, Taiping, Shengang, Jiekou and Wenquan until you’ve passed Wenquan Intersection. Take a right and turn on to the 105 National Road to Liangkou Town.

What’s there to see and do?
In mid-summer, waxberry picking is boiling hot. Once you get to Conghua Liangkou and will already have turned glowing red. So Xitou Village in Conghua Liangkou is the perfect place to rest in peace for a few days. This place is full of ancient buildings, clear little streams and purple Waxberry trees.

When the Waxberry Festival begins, hordes of excited people from all the surrounding areas descend onto the area. The biggest waxberry forest in Guangdong Province is located nearby, and what you may not know is that there are loads of different waxberry varieties, such as “the big red” and “the black pearl”.

What’s there to eat?
The reservoir fish from Conghua, mountain hollow snails, mountain hollow fish, Shanshui Tofu, red onion chicken. Bamboo shoot rice, mamoncillo, Dongxing taro, Taoyuan taro and other health foods are all very tasty.

Itinerary: A two day trip is recommended for this area. Spend the first day picking waxberries. Stay the night at a small hotel in Xitou Village, or at the Bishuiwan hotsprings nearby; on the second day, go to Liuxihe National Forest Park for a walk and to breath the fresh air.

 

4) Huadu Gaobaizhang Scenic Area (花都高百丈风景区) See the karst scenery
How far is it? About 50 km from Guangzhou.

Getting there: Take the airport express, turn off before the last toll station. Exit at the Huadu exit and get on the 106 National Road. Drive towards Timian Town. The Scenic Area will be at the side of the National Road. Admission is free.
What’s there to see and do?

According to people from Guangdong, Huadu is one of those places you can go to anytime. Apart from the famous “Lotus Peak”, there’s also the scenic area of Gaobaizhang. Since the new airport was constructed, the scenic area around the small town of Timian Town has become an enjoyable and popular spot. Flights come and go about every hour from the airport, which can be viewed from the top of the mountain.

However, this area is not only good for watching airplanes. Its natural scenery is quite amazing too. There are two major scenic spots: panguyanxia scenic spot: The mist and clouds at the northern foothills of Panyu with its many cultural and historic sites. And Baizheng Qingluan Scenic Area is located on the top of the mountain. On one of the huge rocks, monks long ago wrote the words “Baizhang Qingluan” which are still clearly visible today. There are also strange shaped rocks all around the sides of the road.

What’s there to eat?
If you go to Huadu you simply must eat the tofu there.

Itinerary: One or two days are long enough. A one day trip is enough to see Gaobaizhang’s Scenic Area and to eat out in the area; In two days you can choose to go to two areas: Gaobaizhang and Furongzhang. There are natural mineral springs in Furongzhang and in the rafting District. You can also go grass skating here and play outdoor warfare games. 

5) Jiulong Lake ( 九龙湖) Be a Nature Conscious Person and Get to Know Fish
How far is it? Not far, it’s near the new Guangzhou Airport.

Getting there: Set out from Guangzhou, take the Airport Express, turn towards Huadu Main Street at the Huashan exit for another 5 kms.

What’s there to see and do?
Jiulong Lake is a vast green lake, naturally decorated with red, yellow, green and blue vegetation. You can gaze at the beautiful scenery of Jiulong Lake when you look out from the window of the nearby mansions. The reservoirs at the foot of the mountain act as natural swimming pools, and are packed with fish too.

Here, you’ll also find a standard 18 hole golf course. What people don’t expect, however, is that one of the holes is under-water. The half-island course is surrounded by water on three sides, so to get the ball in the hole obviously requires excellent golfing skills.

What’s there to eat?
Tofu, braised ribs, all sorts of wild vegetables, mountain hollow snail, mountain hollow fish. You have to taste the delicious food produced by local farmers. Another popular dish here is the “braised alcohol chicken”.

Itinerary: A two day trip is recommended here. Climb Wangzi Mountain on the first day and in the evening visit the Jiulong Lake holiday resort. On your way home, you should also stop off at Huaqiao Town for a look. The architecture here has a strong South-East Asian style, and the town has many tasty Vietnamese and South-east Asian restaurants.

Source: Play020.com

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