Above Sun Wen Xi Road rises a steep hill home to a verdant park. The very top is the site of the Fufengwen Pagoda, a famous and slightly less than vertical tower. It's not possible to enter the pagoda, but it's a good spot for a photo (and a good motivation to climb the stairs to the top of the hill!) Other park attractions include a memorial pavilion to Dr Sun Yat-sen, tennis and basketball courts, and pleasant walking paths. There are at least three entrances to the park, most of them leading to stairs, but there's one accessible entrance with a stair-free ascent of the hill. Visit the park together with the century-old Sun Wen Xi Road for an ideal visit to Zhongshan. #leaveyourmark #urbanexplorer #lightthecity #photography #travel #zhongshan #guangdong #park #pagoda

Even after four years of exploring Guangzhou it still holds surprises. Walking through the massive and hectic fabric market in Haizhu District, I came across the Chunyangguan, a Daoist temple complex built on a small rocky hill. Inside, a network of gardens, fountains, temples and pavilions provide a restful and contemplative haven. Something of the peace was destroyed by the relentless recitation of rules for visiting which are blasted by loudspeakers outside each temple, but fortunately there are quiet places to sit and meditate also. The highest point of the hill has a small tower you can climb for a good view of the surroundings. You can also get a fairly close up look at the ceramic rooftop decorations of one of the temples from here. Chunyangguan is about a 10-15 minute walk from Sun Yat-sen University Metro Station (中大站). Show your health code to enter. #LeaveYourMark #UrbanExplorer #LightTheCity #photography #travel #Dao #temple #Guangzhou #Guangdong #China #classical #architecture #peaceful #staycation

It looks like Macau’s Senado Square or Guangzhou’s Shangxiajiu Pedestrian street. Sun Wen Xi Road is located in the city of Zhongshan. it’s beautiful architectures brings you in the old west. Mostly southern part of China mostly Guangdong Province in each cities have there own version of East meets West feels because of overseas Chinese workers who works overseas likes to bring western ideas to there homeland. building that looks very well constructed and now very well preserved. #urbanexplorer #zhongshan #guangdong #guangzhou #china #explorewithtony #naturelover #adventure #life #photographersdayoff #leaveyourmark

Kaiping is nicknamed 'the home of overseas Chinese' as huge numbers of emigrants left this area beginning in the late nineteenth century. Many settled abroad and Taishanese, the local language, is still spoken around the world. Others returned home with both wealth and inspiration. They imported what were then new western inventions like flush toilets and radios and built houses in their home villages inspired by the architecture they'd seen in Europe and the Americas. The most distinctive of their buildings are diaolou, fortified towers crowned with ostentatious baroque or neoclassical penthouses. They served both as residences and defence against bandits. They can be found in various places, but especially in Kaiping, where they are recognised as a Unesco world heritage site. Many are scattered singly or in pairs throughout the countryside but there are a few diaolou clusters where you can see many in a small area and even climb up a few of them, as well as seeing the Republic of China period furnishings inside. The surroundings are very rural, not much changed a century after these eccentric towers were raised. Kaiping is an easy day- or weekend-trip from Guangzhou. From Kaiping Railway Station it's easiest to get a taxi to one of the diaolou clusters. Be sure to taste the local speciality baozaifan, rice cooked in a clay pot until the bottom gets crusty, served with various toppings. #leaveyourmark #urbanexplorer #lightthecity #kaiping #taishan #jiangmen #guangdong #diaolou #architecture #historicallandmarks #unesco

My friends are tired of me *subtly* suggesting we eat at Ms. Cao's at Coco Park yet again. But there's honestly no better Korean BBQ in Shenzhen, in my opinion. It's super central to the Ping An Tower and lots of other happening things. More often than not, Ms. Cao's is a bookend of a good night; either my coco park night's start there or end there! #lightthecity #deliciousfood#tripfoodie#urbanexplorer

Baomoyuan is like a classical Chinese garden on steroids. If Suzhou has the Humble Administrator's Garden, this might be the Ostentatious Plenipotentiary's Garden. Besides being very large, it has some rather untraditional elements, like tackily lit grottoes and a children's wading pool. For the most part, though, it follows the conventions of classical architecture and design. Highlights include exquisite haut relief carvings, a vibrant rose garden and hundreds of colourful koi fish. Located on the outskirts of Panyu District, Guangzhou, a visit here could be combined with a trip to nearby Daliang in Shunde, Foshan or Shawan Old Town in Panyu. A combination ticket is available for Baomoyuan and the neighbouring Nanyueyuan 南粤苑, another garden. #qingmingtravel #urbanexplorer #lightthecity #guangzhou #garden #classical #architecture #photography #springblossoms

Guangzhou has been called the flower city, and nowhere is this better seen than at the South China Botanical Garden. Covering an impressively large area, it features a wide variety of gardens, wooded areas and lakes. Spend a few hours walking the many trails, take photos or find a quiet spot to sit and relax or sketch. There are two different admission tickets; the more expensive one includes access to four large greenhouses featuring different environments. The tropical greenhouse is a welcome warm spot during the chilly days of winter, while the desert and alpine conservatories would be good places to escape Guangzhou's summer humidity. One of the outdoor gardens features cycads, 'living fossils' from the time of the dinosaurs. Appropriately (if a little oddly), this section features several large dinosaur sculptures, sure to appeal to kids. #qingmingtravel #urbanexplorer #lightthecity #springblossoms #guangzhou #guangdong #garden #flowers #photography #romantic The South China Botanical Garden is easily reached by the line 6 metro station of the same name.

Lotus Mountain or Lianhuashan, 莲花山, is the site of an ancient quarry in Panyu, Guangzhou. Stone was cut from the imposing cliffs here for centuries but it is now a garden. There is also a Qing Dynasty fort, as this was a strategic point guarding the Pearl River and the approach to Guangzhou; ultimately the detachment here failed to stop the British from sailing up river and sacking the capital. The fort includes a stone labyrinth that was used for troop training. With the Qing guards gone, the river is now watched over by a huge golden statue of Guanyin. Finally there's a pagoda which you can climb to the top of, unlike most others in Guangzhou. Lianhuashan is a peaceful place to spend a day in Guangzhou. #qingmingtravel #urbanexplorer #lightthecity #springblossoms #garden #park #lotus #guangzhou #guangdong #panyu #relaxing #photography

Chaozhou (Teochew) is an excellent place to spend a weekend. The most famous sight in Chaozhou is the Guangji Bridge 广济桥, partly consisting of stone towers with a pontoon section in the middle that can be opened by moving the wooden boats. The extant bridge is a modern reconstruction of the ancient original, but it looks convincing. It's a little bit dear to cross, but the ticket itself is a postage-paid postcard. The old city of Chaozhou retains its ancient wall on the river side, which makes a nice spot for a stroll. Visit the picturesque West Lake, 西湖, and then walk along Zhongshan Road towards the river to see many workshops where the traditional art of Chaozhou woodcarving is still practised. The temples and ancestral halls in the old town are richly decorated with such carving. Finally, stroll along the century-old main street marked by dozens of memorial arches and try some tasty street food or buy some locally made satay sauce to take home. Several trains a day go from Guangzhou and Shenzhen to Chaoshan Station, from where you can get a bus to Chaozhou itself. Chaozhou is not very big, so you can easily visit it and neighbouring Shantou (Swatow) in a weekend. #qingmingtravel #urbanexplorer #lightthecity #oldtown #historicculture #historicallandmarks #chaozhou #teochew #guangdong #china #weekendtrip #sightseeing