Walk along the Pearl River to Canton Tower and Zhujiang New Town

 


Quite far from the historic centre, a new district rose in Guangzhou. Called Zhujiang New Town, it is a modern quarter of skyscrapers and other forms of contemporary architecture, housing financial and cultural institutions. Guangzhou's new symbol, the Canton Tower, stands just across the Pearl River, overlooking this new district. In the first few days I kept returning to one part of the Pearl River, but now I decided to walk along it all the way to Canton Tower and Zhujiang New Town.

Before the walk, I had a dumpling soup in a traditional little restaurant, discovering how cheap China actually is. Food in traditional cheap restaurants cost 15-20 Yuan (GBP 1.6-2.2), much less than my first impression was in Shenzhen, even though at 40-50 Yuan (GBP 4.4-5.5) a big meal is still reasonable.


I started the walk with a quick visit to the Cultural Park, located near Shamian Island. 











Beggers and street vendors also use digital money and accept payments with AliPay or WeChat. 



Starting the long riverside walk from the historic centre.












The first view of the Canton Tower - it's still far away! 













Autumn colours and people in the parks.












Ersha Island, a modern district near Canton Tower and Zhujiang New Town.



































Views of the Canton Tower from Ersha Island, but I didn't actually cross over to it - being a Sunday, I thought it's better to visit it on a week day.























From Ersha Island, I entered Zhujiang New Town. 

























































Popular posts from this blog

Countries

Image
     The world is yours. Where do you want to go next? Featured: Those countries are featured where posts with useful information are available—such as maps, practical details, guides, instructions, etc.—in addition to the many accompanying photos. 
More »

Avatar Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park - Day 1: Yuanjiajie & Golden Whip Stream

Image
  Located about 30 kilometers from the city of Zhangjiajie, near the town of Wulingyuan, is China’s oldest national park: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. This is the place that inspired the floating mountains in the movie Avatar, earning it the popular nickname "Avatar Mountains". The park covers a large area, with shuttle buses, cable cars, and even lifts operating inside to connect the main scenic spots. (Shuttle buses are free with the ticket; the rest are at an additional cost.) There are popular cliff-edge paths as well as quieter hiking trails. The national park is divided into 4 main areas, and the entrance ticket is valid for four consecutive days, which is useful if you want to explore each earea to some extent. It's not likely that you can hike every trail in four days unless you’re an extreme walker. The four main areas consist of Tianzi Mountain, Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie, and Huangshi Village (Huangshizhai), and between them are other locations such as the Gol...
More »

Leshan (very basic) tourist information with map

Image
  Many visitors come for just a few hours on a day trip from Chengdu—but that’s a mistake. You need a full day to properly visit the Leshan Giant Buddha , see it from the river, and explore the nearby Oriental Buddha Park and Wuyou Temple hill. At a leisurely pace, it could easily take two days. You can also do a day trip to Emeishan from Leshan by public bus, but in my opinion, it's better to stay overnight there—perhaps in a monastery below the Golden Summit. So, for Leshan alone, you’ll need at least one night, preferably two. The city itself is quite sprawling, modern, and tidy, but it doesn't offer many attractions. The train station is a bit far from the center, but public transport is a good option to reach both the city center and the Leshan Giant Buddha. Below are the tourist basics. 
More »

Leshan Giant Buddha - Walking tour and boat ride

Image
  Located near Chengdu, Leshan is home to the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. Carved out of a cliff face, the 71 meters tall statue overlooks the junction of the Min and Dadu Rivers. You can walk up to the statue’s head and look down, walk down to its feet and look up, and view it from a boat. The area also offers distant but nice city views. You could do the walk and the boat ride easily in a short day, along with a visit to the Mahao Cliff Tombs and Wuyou Temple, both located between the Giant Buddha and the cruise port. In a longer day's program you can also include a visit to the Oriental Buddha Park, a separate and fairly large attraction (separate ticket required) that is well worth seeing — see the post about the Oriental Buddha Park . 
More »