Friday, September 27, 2013

China (Guangzhou, Guangdong) Sept 2013

Map of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Total expenses incurred (6 days): Y$1,010
Hostel - Y$50 x 5 nights (dorm - Sunshine Home hostel)
Food : Y$198
Metro/city bus: Y$52
Bus: Guangzhou > Chaozhou - Y$190
Guangzhou > Sanya - Y$320 (sleeper bus)


My last visit to Guangzhou was in Dec 2005 (prior to my retirement). During that year, eight of my wife's family members joined a package tour to Guilin, Yangshuo, Xingan, Hezhou, Zhaoqing & Guangzhou. Our group extended our stay in Guangzhou, the main purpose was to trace my father-in-law's ancestor's place in a village near Shunde. In Guangzhou, we visited places like the Pearl River, Yuexiu Park / Statute of 5 Goats, Sun Yat Seng Memorial Hall, Beijing Road & Shangxia Jiu Lu.

As our hostel is located near the Liwanhu Park, I took the opportunity to re-visit Beijing Road, Shangxia Jiu Lu and in addition, the Shamian Island & Qingping Market.

For this trip, I used Guangzhou as a transit point for my visits to Chaozhou, Hainan island & Macau. These cities are well connected by public buses & trains. Guangzhou has an efficient Metro network but the early morning & late afternoon hours in certain Metro stations are jam packed with people.

During the last 2 days (22 & 23 Sept) of my stay in Guangzhou, typhoon "Usagi" stormed the coastal cities of southern China with strong wind & rain resulting in many flights cancelled & re-scheduled.

Throughout my stay in Guangzhou, our group enjoyed eating Cantonese food ie wan tan noodles, dim sum, chee cheong fun, porridge & local pastries & pancakes etc

1) Air Asia flight from KLIA2 > Guangzhou, Guangdong, China  


2) Walkabout in Shangxia Jiu Lu & Beijing Lu by Night, Guangzhou, Guangdong

Shangxia Jiu Lu Pedestrian Street
Beijing Road

3) Qingping Chinese Herbal Medicine Market, Guangzhou, Guangdong

Qingping Market selling medicinal herbs
live birds, live animals

4) My morning walk in Shamian Garden, Guangzhou, Guangdong



5) Guangzhou Train Station, Guangdong - my easy going train rides from Guangzhou to Chaozhou, Hainan Island & Macau. 

Guangzhou Train Station

6) My homestay in Sunshine Home Hostel (15th Floor), Hui Yang Yuan Residential Complex, near Liwanhu Park, Guangzhou (Y50 for a dorm bed)

The living hall of our hostel
 cosy & cooling on 15th floor
A panoramic view of Liwanhu Park 

7) Cantonese Food in Guangzhou - when in Canton, do as the Cantonese people do ! Are these Cantonese food tempting to you ? Oh, I loved it very much ! A bit pricey but great dim sum served in Tao Xia restaurant - siew mai (Y$14.56 for a plate of 4 pcs); cha siu bao (Y$8.26); har gow (Y$14.56) & Teow Chiew steamed fun koh (Y$8.26) & a pot of quality Chinese tea (Y$11.20) .... put a Y$100 note on the table, you & your buddy could enjoy a great dim sum breakfast in Guangzhou ! Happy eating !

Tao Xian restaurant is in front
of Tiyu Xilu Metro
station
Pick a number & waiting time
is 20 minutes for a table
Y$83 for 7 dim sum dishes
if paid before 10am
30% off
Y$14.56 for a plate (4 pcs) of
char siew zhan bao / po lo bao
Y$10.36 for a plate (3 pcs)
of Looi Sa Thon Yuen
Y$10.36 for a loh mai gai in lotus leaf
Y$10 for a bowl of wan tan noodle
Y$6 for a plate of chee cheong fun
Y$16 for a steamed white chicken rice
Y$11 for a clay pot of century egg porridge

8) Mr Choy, my Qigong buddy from USJ has his dream fulfilled after savoring some of the best dim sum & century egg porridge in Guangzhou & Chaozhou ! Me too ! One finger up for our choice of Cantonese food in Guangzhou. The smell of these food made both of us salivate !


" Mind your ancestor's origin - Majority of the overseas Chinese originated from Fujian & Guangdong provinces. The Cantonese people (3rd largest group of ethnic Chinese in Malaysia) migrated from Guangdong & Guangxi in the 19th & early 20th centuries. The dialects they speak are Guangfu, Sei Yap & Guangxi. Malaya then was under British administration and the earlier Chinese settlers worked as "coolies" in tin mines & rubber plantations. Cantonese dialect is now widely spoken in Kuala Lumpur; the popular Cantonese soap opera & pop; well known figures are Andy Lau, Bruce Lee, Wong Fei Hung and our home grown badminton star - Wong Peng Soon and a layman by the name of K M Cheng " 

Efficient Public Transport in Guangzhou
MRT train in Guangzhou, Guangdong
Bus from Guangzhou > Chaozhou, Guangdong
Y190 One Way