Around Guangzhou

Shahe rice noodles are a popular rice flour product in Guangzhou named after Shahe town of Tianhe district, where they were invented hundreds of years ago.

Shahe rice noodles are prepared with rice immersed in water from the Nine Dragon Spring on White Cloud Mountain. The rice is then ground into flour paste, steamed and cut into strips. They are clear, white, thin and strong. They taste crisp and tough, yet gentle.

Common cooking methods include dry frying, wet frying, boiling in soup and mixing with salad. Sometimes, vegetable juice and fruit juice are added when cooking, making the noodles more colorful and different in taste.

Fried rice noodles, a local Cantonese dish, have landed upon the 2009 list of "the 10 most favorite US recipes?published on the Los Angeles Times?website. In response, Chinese culinary experts wish to see the recipe added to the list of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Obviously, in a country known as a melting pot of cultures and people, fried rice noodles in the United States are rather different from in Guangdong, with the Los Angeles Times recommending adding Chinese chives, shrimp and pork as opposed to the ordinary slices of beef.

Lingnan Zhenwei Shahe Rice Noodle Restaurant (3 locations)

Address: Huicheng Garden (Longjin Road), Kangwang Zhong Lu, Liwan district

Tel: (020)81394781

Address: Yuntai Garden, White Cloud Mountain, Guangyuan ZhongLu, Baiyun district

Tel: (020)37226888/37227888

Address: 157 Longjin Xi Lu (opposite the Liwan Lake Park), Liwan district

Tel: (020)81197125

ATTRACTIONS

Yuexiu Park 越秀公園

Yuexiu Park is the largest park in downtown Guangzhou. Covering an area of 860,000 square meters, the park is made up of three artificial lakes and seven hills of Yuexiu Mountain. Yuexiu Park is a perfect combination of cultural relics and ecological tourism, and is renowned for its clear water, panoramic hills and cultural relics. The main places of interest include the stone sculpture of the Five Rams, Zhenhai Tower, the site of the Ming Dynasty City Wall, and the Square Cannon Site. The Five-Ram Sculpture is one of the most famous structures in Guangzhou. It has become the emblem of Guangzhou. As a large comprehensive park, Yuexiu Park provides an amusement park, swimming pool, gymnasium, restaurants, stalls, museum and art museum besides a plant and flower viewing area.

Address: Yuexiu District, 988 Jiefang Bei Lu

Tel: (020)86662357

Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family (Chen Clan Academy) 陳家祠

Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family is also called Chen Clan Academy which is a place both for offering sacrifices to ancestors and for study. Now the Chen Clan Ancestral Temple in Guangzhou, the Ancestors' Temple in Foshan, the former Residence of Sun Yat-sen in Zhongshan and the Opium War Memorial Hall in Dongguan are regarded as the four major cultural tourist sites in Guangdong province. The temple is a compound complex consisting of nine halls, six courtyards and 19 buildings connected by corridors. The most impressive attractions in the temple are the superb carvings extolling nature. The wood carvings, in particular, demonstrate some of the finest artwork in Guangdong. Stories of historic figures and scenes are also vividly represented in the temple.

Address: 34 Zhongshan Qi Lu, Liwan district

Tel: (020)81814371

Bright Filial Piety Temple 光孝寺 

Situated at the north end of Guangxiao Road, Bright Filial Piety Temple (Guangxiaosi) is among the grandest and most influential temples in China with a history dating back more than 1,700 years. In fact, it is said that the Bright Filial Piety Temple existed before the birth of Guangzhou. In 1961, the temple was designated by the State Council as a Key National Cultural Preservation Site. The architecture of the temple and cultural relics provide insight into the history of Chinese Buddhism, culture and architecture as well as the local history of Guangdong province. The main complex consists of Mahavira Hall, Sixth Ancestor Hall (Liuzudian), Samgharama Hall, Heavenly King Hall (Tianwangdian), the East and West Iron Towers and the Mahakaruna Dharani Sutra Pillar. In addition to these structures, other beautiful buildings and relics can be seen on the temple grounds. And the unique mushroom-shaped dharani pillar, which was made of bluestone in 826, is engraved on all eight sides with the words of the Mahakaruna Dharani Sutra.

Address: 109 Guangxiao Lu, Yuexiu district

Tel: (020)81088867

Guangzhou Ocean World 廣州海洋世界

New to Guangzhou Zoo is an exhibition hall with a special theme - Guangzhou Ocean World, which reflects the mysterious, changeable and splendid ocean world. It has attracted visitors from home and abroad since its inception. A large-scale and multi-functional scientific and technological exhibition hall that combines entertainment with scientific research and education, Guangzhou Ocean World covers an area of about 13,000 sq meters and cost about $50 million. It has been named Guangdong Educational Base for Popular Marine Science by the Science and Technology Association of Guangdong province. Guangzhou Ocean World is divided into several areas to reveal the submarine world in all directions, including Ocean Square, Relief Square, Submarine Tunnel, Deep Sea Scenery, Seaweed Pillar, Treasure Window, Fresh Water World, Rocky Seashore, Touch Pool, Sea Turtle Pool, Shark Hall, Hall of Popular Marine Science, Ocean Theatre and Sea lion Amusement Park, among others. All these exhibition areas have distinctive features which are vivid and true to life.

Address: 120 Xianlie Zhong Lu

Tel: (020)87611250

Western-style restaurants

Mexican Restaurant 小街風情墨西哥餐廳

The newly-opened Mexican restaurant offers the real taste of Mexican food in Guangzhou. You will find all the essential Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites in a clean and comfortable environment. The food is good, although portions are a little small. Apparently a lot of ingredients are imported from Mexico. Price is 35-65 yuan; drinks 18-38 yuan.

Address: 4/F, East Tower Pearl River Building, 360 Huanshi Dong Lu

Tel: (020)83766209

Milano's 西餐廳

Milano's Italian restaurant is one of the most authentic of its type in Guangzhou. With a great selection of appetizers, pasta, pizza and many other specialties, Milano's offers good Italian food at decent prices. The menu has a strong emphasis on Southern Italian dishes, many following the recipes of chef Benedetti Stella's grandmother.

Eighty percent of the ingredients are flown in from Italy and the rest are locally produced, which means the classic cuisine embodies the authentic flavors of Italy.

Address: Room 103, 3 Xincheng Bei Street, Tianhe Dong Lu, Tianhe district

Tel: (020)38810594

Oggi 卡布里西餐廳

This new pizzeria and trattoria is taking cheese lovers by storm. It might seem silly considering the basic ingredients, but one taste of a true Italian pizza at Oggi and that's it. You will never feel the same about this simple and delicious food again. Oggi, already a favorite with many, has extended its brand name by opening up a second location in Jianshe Si Lu, on the same road as LA City. It's hard to miss, and the yellow awnings, open outdoor concept and layout points to one thing - this place is the owner's brainchild as every detail carries his personal touch.

Jianshe branch

Address: No 1 Tianlun Garden, 26 Jianshe Si Lu

Tel: (020)83561196

Huifu branch

Address: 1/F, 548-552 Huifu Lu

Tel: (020)83320450

Tianhe branch

Address: 1 Tiyu Dong Lu

Tel: (020) 85715882

What's on

Exhibition Celebrates 60th Anniversary of GD Overseas Student Association 廣東高校留學生藝術作品展 

Overseas students from 27 countries are exhibiting artwork inspired by their stay in Guangdong.

The exhibits include ink painting, calligraphy, paper cutting, photos and graphic designs, which reflect the impact of Lingnan culture on the lives of those young artists.

Hours: 10 am-6 pm, closed on Mondays, until Nov 28

Address: Ucity Art Museum of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, 168 Waihuan Xi Lu, Daxuecheng, Panyu district

Tel: (020)39362149

Tickets: 5 yuan

Aerial Photographs on Display 航拍珠三角圖片展

An exhibition titled I Love Guangdong displays 239 aerial photos taken by Guangzhou Daily photojournalists, which overlook nine cities around the Pearl River Delta region - Dongguan, Foshan, Huizhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhuhai and Zhaoqing.

The exhibition celebrates the 58th anniversary of the founding of Guangzhou Daily and also the Asian Games.

Hours: 10 am-10 pm, until Nov 30

Address: Grandview Mall, 228 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe district

Tel: (020)38331818

Admission free

Nightlife

Elephant & Castle Bar大象堡酒吧

Founded in the 1990s, Elephant & Castle (E&C) is one of the most popular pubs among foreigners in Guangzhou. Decorated in an old-fashioned British style and featuring a small open courtyard, it has the comfortable atmosphere of a London corner pub. E&C screens live soccer on match days and even has its own team, which has been crowned champion of the Guangzhou Amateur Football League for Expats several times. The pub also offers billiards and other games for customers to enjoy.

Hours: 5 pm-3 am

Address: 363 Huanshi Dong Lu, near Baiyun Hotel

Tel: (020)83593309

Sleeping Wood Bar 枕木西餐吧

There's a relaxed atmosphere about Sleeping Wood which belies its location near busy Huanshi Lu. Tucked away in a little backstreet, about 50 meters from the rear entrance to the Holiday Inn hotel, it is an easy place to miss. But it's well worth finding.

Address: 1\\F, 21 Guangming Lu, Overseas Chinese Village (Huaqiao Xincun), Yuexiu district