28 Best Sights in Pearl River Delta, China

If you're interested in watching art in the making, spend an afternoon at the Dafen Oil Painting Village, a small town 20 minutes by taxi from Luohu, which employs thousands of artists painting everything from originals to copies of classics. Where do all those oil paintings you find in motels come from? Visit Dafen and you'll know. It's open most days from about 10 am to 8 pm.

According to local legend, a quintet of gods in the form of goats blessed the city with rice and bountiful harvest. This temple was built to celebrate the origin of Guangzhou's name, which means "City of Goats." Bring your passport to gain admission.

In 1983, bulldozers clearing ground for the China Hotel uncovered the intact tomb of Emperor Wen, who ruled Nanyue (southern China) from 137 to 122 BC. The tomb was restored and its treasures placed in the adjoining Nanyue Museum. The tomb contained the skeletons of the king and 15 courtiers—guards, cooks, concubines, and a musician—who were buried alive to attend him in death. Also buried were more than a thousand funerary objects, clearly designed to show off the accomplishments of the southern empire. You can walk through the remarkably compact tomb, which is built of stone slabs and located at the back of the museum up the stairs.

More than a century ago, the Mandarins of Guangzhou designated a 1-km-long sandbank outside the city walls in the Pearl River as an enclave for foreign merchants. The foreigners had previously lived and done business in a row of houses known as the Thirteen Factories, near the present Shamian, but local resentment after the Opium Wars—sometimes leading to murderous attacks—made it prudent to confine them to a protected area, which was linked to the city by two bridges that were closed at 10 every night.

The island soon became a bustling township, as trading companies from Britain, the United States, France, Holland, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Japan built stone mansions along the waterfront. With spacious gardens and private wharves, these served as homes, offices, and warehouses. There were churches for Catholics and Protestants, banks, a yacht club, football grounds, a cricket field, and the Victory hotel.

Shamian became a fighting ground during the anti-imperialist Shakee massacre in 1925, but survived until the 1949 Revolution, when its mansions became government offices or apartment houses and the churches were turned into factories. In recent years, the island has resumed much of its old character. Many colonial buildings have been restored, and churches like Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church have been beautifully renovated and reopened to worshippers.

Especially worth visiting is a park with shady walks and benches that has been created in the center of the island, where local residents come to chat with friends, walk around with their caged birds, or practice tai chi.

Also known as White Cloud Mountain, Baiyun Mountain gets its name from the halo of clouds that, in the days before Guangzhou was shrouded in heavy pollution, appeared around the peak following a rainstorm. The mountain is part of a 28-square-km (11-square-mile) resort area, and consists of seven parks and scenic areas, about 30 peaks, and myriad gullies. Santailing Park is home to the enormous Yuntai Garden, of interest to anybody with a thing for botany. Fei'eling Park has a nice sculpture garden, and Luhu Park is home to Jinye Pond, as pure and azure a body of water as you're likely to find within 100 miles. All in all, a trip to Baiyun Mountain is a good way to get out of the city center—maybe for a day of hiking—without traveling too far. The cable car is an excellent way to get an expansive view of the cityscape and take photos with the backdrop of Guangzhou's skyline.

Much more than your everyday nursery, Baomo Garden stretches across 25 acres (10 hectares) and dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), though it was reconstructed in the late 1950s after being destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. The garden is home to more than 30 picturesque stone archways, several carp-filled lakes, and even a rose garden, but it's also known for its galleries, particularly the Treasure Hall, with its impressive collection of preserved pottery, bronze, and jade from ancient China. About an hour away from central Guangzhou by bus, or 40 minutes by taxi, Baomo Garden is a nice break from the downtown crowds. To get here, take a direct bus from the Passenger Transport Station: there are six buses a day, leaving at 8 am, 9:10 am, 10:20 am, 11:50 am, 2:20 pm, and 3:40 pm.

No need to pack a lunch, several restaurants and teahouses on the grounds serve authentic Panyu and Cantonese cuisine.

Guangzhou's skyline wouldn't be as colorful without the Canton Tower, one of the world's tallest TV towers. The 112-story building outstretches even Toronto's CN Tower. Resembling a thin champagne bottle, the building turns into a kaleidoscope of color at night. There are excellent photo opportunities on the observation decks and a section of transparent floors where you can get an eagle's view of the cityscape. The tower features the world's tallest Bubble Tram, which has 16 transparent passenger cars. One revolution takes about 20 minutes. There are also two revolving restaurants and a coffee shop.

The Chen family is one of the Pearl River Delta's oldest clans. In the late 19th century, local members who had become rich merchants decided to build a memorial temple. They invited contributions from the Chens—and kindred Chans—who had emigrated overseas. Money flowed in from 72 countries, and no expense was spared. One of the temple's highlights is a huge ridgepole frieze. It stretches 90 feet along the main roof and depicts scenes from the epic Romance of Three Kingdoms, with thousands of figures against a backdrop of ornate houses, monumental gates, and lush scenery. Elsewhere in the huge compound of pavilions and courtyards are friezes of delicately carved stone and wood, ceramic sculptures, fine iron castings, and a dazzling altar covered with gold leaf. The temple also houses a folk art museum and a shop that sells Chinese handicrafts.

One of the most popular amusement parks in Guangzhou, Chimelong Paradise includes one of the country's largest water parks, more than 70 rides, a 4-D theater, a safari area with 10 giant pandas, and a massive crocodile park. There's also a circus.

The place is popular with locals, so avoid it during weekends and public holidays when it is absolutely packed.

To get a sense of how fast Guangzhou is growing, head to the Tianhe District. Among the buildings is the 391-meter (1,283-foot) CITIC Plaza, one of the tallest buildings in the world. It houses upscale shops, a variety of restaurants, and the offices of many Fortune 500 companies.

Like the rapidly disappearing hutong neighborhoods of Beijing, Dapeng Fortress in the Longgang district is a living museum. The Old Town contains homes, temples, shops, and courtyards that look pretty much the way they did when they were built over the course of the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. For the most part, the residences are occupied, the shops are doing business, and the temples are active houses of worship. Dapeng's ancient city is surrounded by an old stone wall, and entered through a series of gates.

A trove of contemporary and classic collections, Guangdong Museum of Art regularly hosts the works of painters, sculptors, and other artists from around China and the world. There are more than 60 exhibitions a year, showcasing works from artists such as Henry Moore, one of the most celebrated English sculptors of the 20th century, and Chen Ping, who creates textured paintings inspired by politics and human suffering. The museum, which has a dozen exhibition halls and a sculpture garden, is located on Er Sha Island, next to the Xinghai Concert Hall.

This is the oldest and most charming Buddhist temple in Guangzhou. The gilded wooden laughing Buddha at the entrance heralds the temple's welcoming atmosphere. A huge bronze incense burner stands in the main courtyard. Beyond the main hall, noted for its ceiling of red-lacquer timber, is another courtyard with several treasures, among them a small brick pagoda said to contain the tonsure hair of Hui-neng (the sixth patriarch of Chan Buddhism), and a couple of iron pagodas that are the oldest of their kind in China. Above them spread the leafy branches of plum trees and a banyan tree called Buddha's Tree, so named because it is said Hui-neng became enlightened in its shade.

Guangzhou East Railway Station is a popular final destination, especially for travelers from Hong Kong who take the train to Guangzhou. The station is sleek, efficient and includes a wide range of eateries from fast food to sit down restaurants. A perfect place to stock up on snacks at the 7-Eleven and other convenience stores before you hop on the train. The station, with its vast entrance hall, is worth a peak, even if you don't have a train to catch.

One of the best ways to see Guangzhou is to take a nighttime Pearl River Delta cruise offered by the Zhujiang Yeyou Company. The 50- to 90-minute rides pass all of the city's major sites, including Shamian Island, Ersha Island, and the Canton Tower.

Hakka Folk Customs Museum and Enclosures is a large series of concentric circular homes built inside an exterior wall that basically turns the whole place into a large fort. Inside the enclosure are a large number of old Hakka residences, some of which are still filled with tools and furniture left over from the Qing Dynasty. While some restoration projects elsewhere might pretty things up to the point of making the site look unreal, the opposite is true here.

The museum itself has seen better days, but this musty old building is chock-full of excellent contemporary and classical art from all over China. Not only will you find works from young up-and-coming artists, but there are also impressive multimedia displays and sculptures.

In the cosmopolitan era of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) a Muslim missionary named Abu Wangus, said to be an uncle of the prophet Mohammed, came to southern China. He converted many Chinese to Islam and built this mosque in AD 627, making it one of the oldest in the world. His tomb in the northern part of the city has been a place of pilgrimage for visiting Muslims, but the mosque is his best-known memorial. A high wall encloses the mosque, which is dominated by the smooth, white minaret, which rises to 36 meters (118 feet).

In a prelude to the successful revolution of 1911, a group of revolutionaries staged the Guangzhou armed uprising, only to be defeated and executed by the authorities. Of those killed, 72 were buried here. Their memorial, finished in 1921, incorporates a mixture of international symbols of freedom and democracy, including replicas of the Statue of Liberty.

This is Shenzhen's most popular—and perhaps strangest—tourist attraction. It's pretty cheesy but young kids might get a kick out of it. Essentially, it's a decommissioned Soviet-era aircraft carrier that a group of business executives bought in the late 1990s. Parked in perpetuity on the top deck of the ship (which is as long as three football fields placed end to end, and gets wickedly hot in the summer) are several Soviet fighter planes and helicopters.

Surrounded by the OCT Loft's trendy cafés and bars, this is where you'll find works from well-regarded artists from Beijing and beyond. A cluster of exhibition halls and venues, the OCT Art Terminal hosts the Shenzhen Sculpture Biennale (usually in May) and the annual "New Works #1" exhibition, as well as artist-in-residence programs, live music, multimedia installations, and dance performances. The crown jewel is the OCT Art & Design Gallery (closed Monday), a massive glass-and-steel renovated warehouse, which champions contemporary art and aims to further graphic, fashion, and digital design in China.

A busy maze of narrow streets, Qingping Market is a chaotic and colorful way to get a feel for old Guangzhou. The outdoor lanes have the most ambience, what with the overflowing knickknack stalls and traditional medicinal goods (ginseng, fungi, and the like), but there are also some newer air-conditioned indoor markets that make for a nice reprieve in the humid summertime.

In the heart of the old city, this Catholic church is the seat of the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Guangzhou. With gorgeous stained glass windows and impressive high ceilings, the church is known to locals as shíshí (stone house) The Gothic-style cathedral was completed in 1888, and is one of the largest in Southeast Asia. Masses are popular with the city's expatriate community.

This handsome pavilion stands in a garden behind a bronze statue of Dr. Sun himself. Built in 1929–31 with funds mostly from overseas Chinese, the building is a classic octagon, with sweeping roofs of blue tiles over carved wooden eaves and verandas of red-lacquer columns. The Memorial Hall is split into four grand buildings, and includes an auditorium with seating for thousands. Worth noting are the golden characters on the front door reading Tian Xia Wei Gong, which translates roughly to "what is under heaven blongs to all."

Look at any ancient scroll painting or lithograph by early Western travelers, and you'll see two landmarks rising above old Guangzhou. One is the minaret of the mosque; the other is the 56-meter-tall (184-foot) pagoda of the Six Banyan Temple. Still providing an excellent lookout, the pagoda appears to have nine stories, each with doorways and encircling balconies. Inside, however, there are 17 levels. Thanks to its arrangement of colored, carved roofs, it is popularly known as the Flowery Pagoda. The temple was founded in the 5th century, but because of a series of fires, most of the existing buildings date from the 11th century. It was built by the Zen master Tanyu, and is still a very active place of worship, with a community of monks and regular attendance by Zen Buddhists. It was originally called Purificatory Wisdom Temple, but changed its name after a visit by the Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo, who was so delighted by six banyan trees growing in the courtyard that he left an inscription with the characters for six banyans.

Home to most of Guangzhou's large-scale sporting events, the 58,500-seat Tianhe Stadium Complex has two indoor and two outdoor arenas that are equipped for international soccer matches, track-and-field competitions, as well as pop concerts. It also hosted the 2010 Asian Games.

With miniature versions of more than 130 of the world's most famous landmarks, Window of the World is one of China's biggest and busiest homegrown theme parks. Divided into five geographical areas connected by winding paths and a monorail, it includes—not at all to scale—the Taj Mahal, Mount Rushmore, the Sydney Harbor Opera House, and a 108-meter-high (354-foot-high) Eiffel Tower that can be seen from miles away. There is also a fireworks show at 9 pm on weekends and holidays.

Guangzhou's largest park covers 170 rolling acres and includes landscaped gardens, artificial lakes, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an amusement park, and playgrounds. The famous Five Rams Statue (五羊塑像, wǔ yáng sùxiàng) celebrates the ancient legend of the five celestials who appeared riding on goats to bring grain to the townspeople. Another must-see is the Zhenhai Tower, which has been converted into the Guangzhou Museum, where you'll find a fascinating mix of Guangzhou's archaeological findings.