Ascott The Residence

Attractions

Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family

The Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family, built between 1890 and 1984 during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, is the largest, best preserved, and best decorated ancient architecture existing in Guangdong province.

Occupying an area of 15,000 square metres, the temple is especially renowned for its beautiful decorations. Historical figures, legends, and scenes are represented in many art forms, including wood carving, brick carving, pottery carving, stone carving, lime carving, clay sculpture and ash sculpture.

In 1986, it was designated as an important cultural relic by the State Council. The temple now is the site of the Museum of Guangdong Folk Arts and Crafts. more

Guangzhou (Canton)

Sometimes known as the "City of Flowers", Guangzhou is a subtropical metropolis on the south coast. As a Special Economic Zone only 182 kilometres (113 miles) from Hong Kong, Guangzhou's development is astounding. Its historical and cultural significance is not forgotten. There are a melange of diverse attractions from temples, parks, museums, hotsprings, colonial architecture and even very elaborate theme parks. The history of the city dates back to 221BC.

Guangzhou Museum

The Guangzhou Museum is located in Yuexiu Park within the 14th century Tower Controlling the Sea (Zhenhai Lou). Each of the 5 stories of the 28 metre (92 feet) tower has exhibitions relating to the history of Guangzhou from prehistoric times to the present. The 3rd and 4th floors have some interesting exhibits relating to Guangzhou role as a trading centre both before and after the Opium Wars (1839 – 1862).

Huaisheng (Remember the Sage) Mosque

Built in 627, during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), the mosque covers an area of more than 2,966 square meters. Huaisheng, means "remember the sage" as the mosque was established for remembrance of Mohammed. It features six important buildings, the Imam Hall, the Wangyue Attic, the Covered Corridor, the Store house of Islamic Scripture, the Stone Steles Pavilion and the Light Tower. Although the mosque presents a typical architectural style of the Tang Dynasty, the Light Tower seems to develop a new school of its own, which is deeply influenced by Arabic architectural flavour, an attractive feature of the mosque. more

Oriental Studio 2000

Modelled on Hollywood's Universal Studios, this entertainment complex has two movie sets dedicated to the best-known genres of Chinese moviemaking: the Kung Fu Epic and the good old bad days of Shanghai. The "Shanghai in the Roaring '30s" set has a chorus line of beautiful girls, slick-haired gangsters, motorcycles, and machine guns. The "Traditional Chinese Courtyard" set, with stables and workshops features a battle between "lion" armies whose warriors leap high into the air and perform breathtaking acrobatics. more

Qingping Market

This market is the largest street market in Guangzhou and features over 2,000 stalls. There are jade and antique stalls but overall it is not for the faint hearted as the most infamous section is the meat market where live chickens, cats, dogs, turtles and anteaters are frequently slaughtered on the spot to provide customers with fresh meat. The Chinese medicine section is interesting and less disturbing, perhaps as the by-products of endangered species are not so instantly recognisable.

Shamian Island

This is not a true island but a sandbank. It now covers 24,000 square metres along the side of the Pearl River and is connected to the city by a series of bridges.

From the mid 18th to the mid 19th century, Shamian was the only place where foreign merchants were allowed to live in Guangzhou. The area housed trading offices and residences in Guangzhou’s colonial history. It became a British and French concession after the Opium Wars.

The French Catholic Church has been restored and stands on the main boulevard. The boulevard itself is a gentle stretch of gardens. Today, most of the buildings are used as offices or apartments blocks. The unique charm of the villas and the Avenues makes this area a wonderful place to relax, drink tea and dine alfresco. more

Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall

Completed in October 1983, the memorial hall has magnificent exterior and elegant interior decorations. The whole building, octagonal in shape is of a typical Chinese architectural style. The designer skillfully applied the structural theory of architectural mechanics taking full advantage of the benefits of reinforced concrete. He thus created a pillar less space with the span of up to 71 metre, its grandeur resembling a huge umbrella when seen from afar.

Above the entrance of the door, there is a plaque that bears in gold the words "Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall" inscribed by Liao Chengzhi, the vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. At the central up-layer wall of the small hall hangs another plaque with the words "The Whole World as a Community" which was inscribed by Sun Yat-Sen himself.

In 1956, a 5-metre high bronze statue of Dr Sun was erected in front of the hall. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall is the most symbolic building of Guangzhou, and a key venue for the city's large-scale meetings and performances.

Temple of the Six Banyan Trees

Situated on Liurong Road, this world famous ancient Buddhist Temple was built in 537 in the Liang Dynasty during the Southern Dynasties (386 – 581). During the Northern Song Dynasty, a great writer – Su Shi, on a visit to this Temple was attracted by the six Banyan trees surrounding it and wrote the inscription "Liu Rong" (Six Banyan Trees). This temple has since been known as the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees.

To the west of the pagoda is the Grand Hall. Three images are enshrined in this hall: Sakyamuni in the middle, Amitabha on the left and Maitreya on the right. Elaborately made of brass in 1633 during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, each is 6m high and weighing 10 tons, being the largest existing ancient brass images in Guangdong province. In the Banyan Garden, there is the Hall of Liuzu in which a copper image of Liuzu – the sixth generation of China's Buddhist master is enshrined. This image, 1.8 metres in height and 1 ton in weight, was meticulously cast in 989 in the Northern Song Dynasty. more

The Temple of Bright Filial Piety

Bright Filial Piety Temple (Guangxiaosi) is among the grandest and most influential temples in China with a history dating back more than 1,700 years. In 1961, the Temple was designated by the State Council as a Key National Cultural Preservation Site.

Initially built during the Western Han Dynasty (207BC – 24AD) as a private house, it was used as a lecture hall before being dedicated completely to the function of a Zen Buddhist Temple during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 – 1279). The many noted monks and sutra-translators who have resided there have contributed greatly to the spread of Buddhist culture. The pride of the temple is Hui Neng, the famous sixth master of Zen Buddhism, who had his hair cut and was initiated into monkhood there.

The architecture of the temple and cultural relics provide insight into the history of Chinese Buddhism, culture and architecture as well as the local history of Guangdong Province. more

Tomb of Western Han Nanyue King

Located on Jiefang Bei Road, Guangzhou, the Western Han Dynasty Nanyue King Mausoleum Museum is the oldest and largest Han tomb with the most funerary objects in Lingnan (South of the Nanling Mountain) Area. The owner of the tomb is the second king, Zhao Mei of Nanyue State of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC – 24AD). As one of the 80 famous museums in the world, the museum covers 14,000 square meters (150,699.9 square feet) with 10 exhibition halls.

Highlighting the mausoleum is a silk-jade garment made up of 2,291 pieces of jade. Though jade garments with pieces connected by gold, silver, or copper are not uncommon, this garment with jade pieces connected by silk is the only one of its kind in the world. Nor are historical records available to verify other jade garments connected by silk thread. In addition, the style of buttons down the front is unique among unearth jade garments. This silk sewn jade garment shows the early development of jade garments as well as development of the Nanyue culture.

Foreign articles excavated in the mausoleum indicate that Guangzhou was an ancient Marine Silk Road starting point. For example, there are five African elephant trunks, a silver box featuring the Western Asian silver wares, and bronze incense burners and frank incense from Southeast Asia.

Yuexiu Park

Yuexiu Park is the largest park in downtown Guangzhou. Covering an area of 860,000 square metres (212.5 acres), the park is made up of three artificial lakes and seven hills of Yuexiu Mountain; hence the name of Yuexiu Park.

Yuexiu Park is a perfect combination of cultural relics and ecological tourism, reputed for its scenic water and lush hills as well as cultural relics. The main places of interest include the stone sculpture of the Five Rams, Zhenhai Tower, the site of the Ming Dynasty City Wall and Square Cannon Site.

As a large comprehensive park, Yuexiu Park also provides an amusement park, swimming pool, gymnasium, restaurants, museum and art museum besides plant and flower viewing areas. more

Teem Tower

The Teem Tower stands tall on Tianhe Road and is Guangzhou’s new business symbol with its magnificent reflective silver exterior that captures passers by and sparkles with the clear blue of the skies. Serving as a multifunction building the Teem Tower has all the amenities of an A-class business center with excellence in its design and concept. more

East Station Waterfall

Grabbing the limelight at the entrance to the East Railway Station is a man made water scenery that is spectacular in its design and fills you with harmony. This man made structure is a tribute to the modernization and futuristic outlook of Guangzhou city. more

Guangzhou Nightlife

Busy streets, tall high rises, mega skyscrapers and many overpasses are a common sight for visitors to Guangzhou. The city is sprawled in the south of China and towards the north of the Pearl River Delta. Guangzhou is the thriving capital of Guangdong Province and it is also a city packed with plenty of wonders waiting to be discovered. more

The Pearl River

Guangzhou is one of the first cities of mainland China that most visitors come to. A seamless blend of tradition and modern influences are the ingredients that make up this vibrant city. Beyond the neon lights, towering buildings and cosmopolitan outlay, Guangzhou still retains her character from years before. more

Sacred Heart Cathedral

Built on the north bank of the picturesque Pearl River, the Sacred Heart Cathedral is a magnificent Roman Catholic Church in Canton. The foundation of the cathedral was laid on the 18th of June in 1863, with one stone laid in the east and another in the west. Inscribed in Latin the foundation stone of the east had the words ‘Jerusalem 1863’ while the other had the words ‘Roma 1863’. more

White Cloud Mountain

Located approximately 10 miles from the northern region of Guangzhou is one of its most treasured attractions – White Cloud Mountain. The mountain range is most picturesque in spring, particularly after rainfall, when a halo of clouds surrounds the range. It is this beautiful moment that gave the White Cloud Mountain its name. more

Guangzhou Zoo

Fondly referred to as Canton by the western world, Guangzhou is world famous for its local cuisine and amazing tourist attractions which blend together to offer the visitor an enticing cocktail of fascinating opportunities to discover that which lies beneath the cities glittering surface. more