Do in Guangzhou

• Pearl River dinner cruise (珠江夜游) Dashatou Pier (大沙头码头), Tianzi Pier (天字码头), and Xiti Pier (西堤码头). A one to two hour cruise in the evening and a great way to see the Guangzhou skyline along the Pearl River, including a light show at Bai-E-Tan. Tickets for the deluxe dinner cruise can be bought from most high-end hotels, such as the White Swan on Shamian Island. (From ¥50)

Festivals

• Chinese New Year/Spring Festival (春节 chūn-jié) on 1st day of 1st lunar month, usually in January or February. This is a 15 day celebration, and some districts can be quite deserted as many migrant workers return to their home provinces. The flower fair is popular during the days before New Year.
• Dragon Boat Festival (端午节 duān-wǔ-jié) on 5th day of 5th lunar month, usually in May or June. This festival commemorates the sacrifice of Qu Yuan (屈原), a famous poet who drowned himself in the river by way of making a statement against government corruption during the Warring States Period. The highlights are dragon boat racing along the Pearl River, and eating rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves (粽子).
• Mid-autumn Festival (中秋节 zhōng-qiū-jié) on 15th day of 8th lunar month, usually in September or October. Cantonese moon cakes are enjoyed during this holiday. Lian Xiang Lou and Tao Tao Ju's moon cakes are especially famous (see "Eat" section). Kids' favorites are paper lanterns. Many locals also enjoy riding ferries and watching the full moon on the Pearl River.
• Tomb Sweeping Day (清明节 qīng-míng-jié) around the spring equinox, usually on April 5th. Involves visits to the family tombs for cleaning and making offerings.
• Chinese Valentines Day (七夕 qī-xī) on 7th day of 7th lunar month, usually in August or September. According to legend, a heavenly fairy Zhi Nu (织女) fell in love with a mortal farm boy Niu Lang (牛郎). It's forbidden of course, so as punishment, they are only allowed to meet once a year on this day. This is the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day, but it is steadily losing its appeal among the locals, especially to the young.
• Winter Solstice (冬至 dōng-zhì - literally, the Coming of Winter) on December 22nd. Traditionally, Cantonese people observe the day with a family feast, which often includes preserved duck and sausages. However, the highlight of the day's festive dishes is hot soup served with flour dumplings (汤圆).

The Canton Fair

Twice a year, in Spring and Fall, Guangzhou hosts the China Import And Export Commodities Fair (中国进出口商品交易会)[44], also known as the Canton Fair. It has been running since 1957 and for many years was almost the only way foreign businesses could make contacts in China. It is still very important now. Anyone who is doing or wants to do business with China should consider visiting.

If you are going to the fair, book a hotel well in advance. Hotels tend to be full and expensive during the Fair. China Hotel and Dongfang Hotel are probably the best places to stay if you can afford it. It is right across the street from one of the main exhibit halls. Many good hotels provide shuttle services to the main exhibit centers during the fair. Taxis may not be your best option since there are traffic controls in the exhibit areas.

The two main exhibit halls are the Pazhou Complex at 380 Yuejiang Zhong Lu (阅江中路380号) [Metro 2 Pa Zhou], and the old Liuhua Complex at 117 Liuhua Lu (流花路117号) [Metro 2 Yue Xiu Gong Yuan].

2008-3-14 15:14:50