5-Day Guangzhou, Foshan, Shunde, Kaiping Tour

After exiting Guangzhou Airport, the driver will take you to the hotel. For the rest of the time, you can either rest or explore the area around the hotel.

After breakfast, you will depart for Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, one of the representatives of Lingnan architectural art. You can admire the exquisite brick carvings, wood carvings, stone carvings and colored paintings on the building up close, and appreciate the essence of Lingnan architectural art. Then you will head to Shamian Island, where there are more than 150 European-style buildings covering various styles such as Neo-Baroque and Gothic. It is an ideal place for studying Guangzhou's history and architectural art.

Visiting the Exquisite Grey Carvings of Chen Clan Ancestral Hall

Shamian Island Architecture

The next stop is the Museum of the Nanyue King’s Mausoleum, which is known as "the underground historical record of the Nanyue Kingdom". You can visit the precious cultural relics and the mausoleum exhibition area in the museum, listen to the guide's explanation, and learn about its historical stories.

The Jade Burial Suit Sewn with Gold Thread exhibited in the museum

Then you will go to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, a building constructed to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen. As an important landmark of Guangzhou's modern history, its highlight lies in the octagonal palace-style architecture with a blue roof.In the evening, you will arrive at Huacheng Square, which is an ideal place to enjoy the city's night view. At night, Canton Tower and the surrounding skyscrapers are lit up, presenting a gorgeous scenery.

Enjoying the Night View at Huacheng Square

Your Journey’s Rewards:

Visit Chen Clan Ancestral Hall to appreciate the characteristics of Lingnan architecture; explore European-style buildings of various styles on Shamian Island. View precious exhibits at the Museum of the Nanyue King’s Mausoleum and learn about Guangzhou's historical civilization. Tour Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall to understand Guangzhou's modern history.

Educational Focus:

Who was the Nanyue King?

Takeaway:

The Nanyue King refers to Zhao Tuo, an influential figure in Chinese history. He is known as "the first person to develop Lingnan" and also the longest-lived monarch in the world.

Thought Challenge:

During the tourism development of Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, how to meet the needs of tourists' visits and popularize traditional culture while doing a good job in protecting cultural relics and buildings?

In the morning, you will depart for Foshan. During the journey, you will listen to the guide introduce Foshan's cuisines and scenic spots to enhance your understanding of Shunde. First, you will arrive at Foshan Ancestral Temple, a representative ancient architectural complex in Lingnan. The buildings are adorned with exquisite brick carvings, wood carvings, stone carvings, pottery sculptures and gray sculptures. Here, you will also have the opportunity to watch a lion dance performance.

Foshan Ancestral Temple

Watching the Lion Dance Performance at Ancestral Temple

Then you will head to Nanfeng Ancient Kiln, one of the oldest existing wood-fired dragon kilns in the world. You can experience pottery making here and feel the charm of pottery art.

Nanfeng Ancient Kiln

In the afternoon, you will go to Shunde District to visit Qinghui Garden. With an exquisite layout, the pavilions, terraces and towers in Qinghui Garden complement the natural landscape perfectly. You can stroll around to appreciate Lingnan architectural art and garden aesthetics. Later, you will wander along Huagai Road Pedestrian Street in Daliang, admiring the Lingnan-style arcade buildings on both sides of the street. You can taste time-honored delicacies such as double-skin milk, ginger milk curd and milk slices, as well as various featured snacks.

Your Journey’s Rewards:

Visit Foshan Ancestral Temple, Nanfeng Ancient Kiln, Qinghui Garden and Huagai Road Pedestrian Street in Daliang in Foshan to learn about Foshan's historical culture and explore Foshan's cuisines.

Educational Focus:

What are the characteristics of the garden layout of Qinghui Garden?

Takeaway:

The overall layout of Qinghui Garden is compact and exquisite, divided into three parts: the front garden, the middle garden and the back garden. It is connected by corridors, small bridges and winding paths, creating a visual effect of changing scenery with each step.

Thought Challenge:

When promoting traditional pottery experience programs, how can Nanfeng Ancient Kiln balance the fun of tourists' participation with the professionalism of pottery making techniques, and avoid the "entertainment-oriented" experience weakening the cultural value of traditional crafts?

You will start a full-day exploration in Kaiping District. First, you will head to Zili Village, one of the villages with the most concentrated Kaiping Diaolou (fortified multi-storey tower-like buildings) in Kaiping. There are 15 well-preserved Diaolou with exquisite designs remaining. Among them, Mingshi Building is the most representative one, integrating Chinese and Western architectural elements with luxurious interior furnishings. You can climb up the Diaolou to overlook the surrounding rural scenery.

Diaolou Complex

Then you will go to Liyuan Garden, which combines traditional gardening, Western-style architecture and the characteristics of water towns in the Jiangnan region. It is an excellent place to appreciate the art of gardening. Finally, you will visit Majianglong Ancient Village, which is known as one of "the most beautiful villages in the world". The well-preserved Diaolou and Western-style villas in the village are scattered among the bamboo forest, with a beautiful natural environment. Tianlu Building is the tallest watchtower in the village, from which you can overlook the beautiful scenery of the entire village.

Diaolou Complex in Majianglong Ancient Village

Your Journey’s Rewards:

Visit the Diaolou buildings in Zili Village and Majianglong Ancient Village to learn about the characteristics and functions of Diaolou architecture; visit the garden layout of Liyuan Garden and feel the charm of garden art.

Educational Focus:

What are the architectural characteristics of Diaolou?

Takeaway:

Most of them are multi-storey buildings, usually with 3 to 6 floors. They have a square and solid appearance, and serve both residential and defensive functions. The main building material is reinforced concrete, integrating Chinese and Western architectural elements. The top of Diaolou is often equipped with a watchtower or defensive works. The windows on the outer walls are relatively small, and there are usually no windows on the ground floor. These designs are all to prevent bandit raids.

Thought Challenge:

Most Kaiping Diaolou are distributed in rural areas, and some of them are in disrepair due to age. While developing tourism and attracting tourists, how to avoid over-development or improper restoration damaging the historical style and cultural value of Diaolou?

After breakfast, pack your luggage and make sure no items are left behind. Then, a driver will take you to the airport or railway station, and the 5-day Guangzhou, Foshan, Shunde, Kaiping Tour will come to an end here.