Posts from an Australian lost in the Middle Kingdom
Articles on travel in Pearl River Delta and Guangdong Province of China.
In this guide, I am going to introduce a legendary part of Cantonese cuisine and culture that is dim sum, yum cha, and zao cha. Including all the top dim sum dishes you need to be trying, plus their Chinese names and pics for easy ordering at any dim sum restaurant near you.
![Guangzhou Travel Guide [inc. The Top Things to Do, Eat, and Where to Stay]](http://i0.wp.com/welcometochina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/gz-e1571124784999-768x350.jpg "Guangzhou Travel Guide [inc. The Top Things to Do, Eat, and Where to Stay]")
The capital of Guangdong province, Guangzhou, is a vibrant city that is the beating heart of trade, not only in the province, or southern China, but perhaps even the whole of China itself. It’s home to the country’s number one trade fair, the Canton Fair, and has throughout history been a major domestic and global exporting hub.
What do you get when you merge nine mega-cities and two regions? A combined population of over 67 million and a GDP that's predicted to reach US$4.6 trillion by 2030.
If you are visiting, day touring or moving to Shenzhen for work or business then this is the must-have guidebook, Essential Shenzhen.
This simple dish is a real favorite of mine and a staple of the Cantonese breakfast scene. Take an early morning wander along the streets anywhere from Hong Kong to way out past Guangzhou and you wont be able to miss it.
The Top 10 Hotels in Zhongshan (ranked by value, location, foreign friendly, review rating)
Map
Area: Zhongshan
Located in the vibrant Xingzhong Avenue within walking distance from entertainment and shopping options. It boasts 5-star facilities like an indoor pool, a spa and tennis courts.
Hotels are chosen based on suitability, overall value, star rating, location and visitor reviews.
Shenzhen was a city that I spent a lot of time in, living there for more than two years. It’s convenient, with it’s metro system, and offers a lot of western comforts. It is mainly visited for its significant electronics industry, proximity to Hong Kong, and job opportunities but it also offers tourist attractions and value shopping.
These Guangzhou hotels are selected based on proximity to the city center, visitor ratings, overall value and suitability for foreign visitors.
Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong, and in all respects, a mega-city with population exceeding 9 million. Popular attractions include Yuexiu Park, Canton Tower, Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Baiyun Shan, Bright Filial Piety Temple, Chimelong Tourist Resort and Baomo Garden to name just some.
These Foshan Hotels are ranked and chosen based on their suitability for foreigners, their locations and by the reviews of previous guests.
Foshan is a famous industrial city in Guangdong, located south of Guangzhou. Foshan is the ancestral home for overseas Chinese including it’s most well known, Li Xiaolong (Bruce Lee).
![The Top 10 Hotels in Dongguan [inc. Top Ten Attractions, Transport and district guide]](http://i0.wp.com/welcometochina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/dongguan-768x350.png "The Top 10 Hotels in Dongguan [inc. Top Ten Attractions, Transport and district guide]")
Heading to Dongguan for business or for sight-seeing? Here are my picks for the top ten places to stay in the area, plus the top ten things to see and do.
Some months back, while in Shenzhen, I had the opportunity to visit an Electric Balance Scooter factory, or if you like, Hoverboard factory.
A lot of the LED factories, e-cigarette factories in Shenzhen are located in the sub-districts, such as Shajing which is where we headed. Now, when the word factory is mention you may have conjure up images of large sheds or warehouse type buildings, yes there is those, but actually many manufacturers start out in industrial bases which are simply row after row of multi-level concrete slab buildings, nothing glitzy nor glamorous.
Some images released by NASA give a visual insight into the staggering growth of one of China’s fastest growing regions, the Perl River Delta, Guangdong.
This is a spectacular place, beautiful, peaceful and simple. I was truly fortunate to have an old friend in town who offered me a chance to tag a long with a family trip to this beautiful spot. this trip was to Sanmen Dao (Sanmen Island) which is off the coast of Shenzhen, but I think technically its part of Huizhou.
![Two Days in Heyuan [inc. The Top Attractions and Places to Stay]](http://i0.wp.com/welcometochina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/IMG_0066-768x350.jpg "Two Days in Heyuan [inc. The Top Attractions and Places to Stay]")
Heyuan is a city famous for its beautiful lake and the culture of the Hakka people, one of China’s larger minority groups. I had a chance to ride shotgun on a family trip from Qingyuan to Heyuan, so I jumped on board.
![Shaoguan and Nanhua Temple [inc. Top Attractions and Hotels]](http://i0.wp.com/welcometochina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMG_20140723_132605-768x350.jpg "Shaoguan and Nanhua Temple [inc. Top Attractions and Hotels]")
Shaoguan is a quick and easy getaway from Shenzhen or Guangzhou being linked by the High Speed Rail. It takes about 2 hours from Shenzhen and 1 hour or so from Guangzhou.
Out along Provincial Road there’s numerous sight seeing attractions and one of those is Xingfu Temple across from the Niuyuzui scenic area. Getting to either is easy, take the bus number 24 which terminates at the gate of the scenic area, then walk through the main gate and follow the path for 5 minutes.
Reading the net and according to locals, during the week boat hire to Feilai Temple is quite expensive, so I was pleased to find that you can walk there. There’s actually lots of tour boats going up and down the river, but most are private chartered for tour groups and they don’t stop at the temple, although apparently there are other boats on the weekend.
Here’s an amazing spot in Qingyuan that you should definitely take the time to visit. Featuring amazing natural scenery, a temple and pure mountain water rock pools for swimming.
If you are looking for a getaway from the hustle of Shenzhen or Guangzhou, like I was, you might want to check out Qingyuan. It’s a city packed with hot springs, eco theme parks and natural attractions. Fast trains from Shenzhen or Guangzhou make it a quick journey, from Shenzhen North Station it takes around 1 hour and from Guangzhou North about 15 minutes and Guangzhou South about 30 minutes. There are trains from GZ that go to Yingde Station which is useful if you are going to the Baojing Palace (a special cave).
![A day in Zhongshan [inc. Top Ten Attractions and Places to Stay]](http://i0.wp.com/welcometochina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_20130123_125212-2-500x350.jpg "A day in Zhongshan [inc. Top Ten Attractions and Places to Stay]")
Guangdong Provinces’s smaller cities can be quite fascinating and uniquely diverse, Zhongshan makes a perfect example of this, here’s a small city set inland from the coast and some distance from the big powerhouse cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen yet it’s amazingly culturally diverse and mature city.
![A day in Foshan City [inc. Top Attractions + Top Place to Stay + Map]](http://i0.wp.com/welcometochina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/foshan-2-600x350.jpg "A day in Foshan City [inc. Top Attractions + Top Place to Stay + Map]")
Foshan City of Foshan District, Guangdong Province, is located about 2 hours by bus from Shenzhen, and 30 minutes from Guangzhou. You can also take the metro from Guangzhou to Foshan. The area is known for being large base to the ceramics and furniture industry, but it’s also a city packed with culture, character plus scenic and historic sites.
Whats in Sanshui? A giant sleeping Buddha that’s what! The small city is about an hour by train or bus from Guangzhou and the main attraction is the Forest Park which features scenic areas, a go-kart track, Confucius Temple and Crocodile Park.
Some time ago I remember seeing an ad on the English news channel here in China for the OYC Hotel and thought I’d love to check that out one day. The attention getting feature in the ad was the huge cave and hot spring located underneath the hotel, now we are in Zhaoqing for a couple of days, how could I miss checking it out.
Located in Guangdong province, Zhaoqing, a small scenic city featuring a wetland park and mountain nature reserve, makes for a great escape from the hectic and sprawling cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Craving for fresh air, and a reminder of nature, on the bus we went.
Located on the coast of Southern China, Zhuhai offers visitors a laid-back environment, sightseeing and a relaxing coastal escape. Zhuhai is quite popular with domestic holidaymakers, offering a nearby escape for residents of Southern regions, and also offering great value for those living in Macao, and even Hong Kong, who want to stretch there dollar further.
The Spring Festival travel peak was nearing an end and there was probably some chance of getting a train ticket or flight once again. For this trip it’s off to meet future relatives.
Here is another one of those traditional Chinese shopping districts that I’ve come to admire, they span for block after block, most of them have been operating for centuries, they’re vibrant, teaming with life, and they’re packed with keen sellers waiting to do deals. These traditional marketplaces have soul, and character that the modern shopping complexes just don’t have. And the Dongmen, aka Laojie, market area of Shenzhen is no different.
The city of Shenzhen is already well known for it’s shopping options and it’s big modern malls but there’s now a new one on that list, the KK Mall.
The city of Shenzhen near Hong Kong is starting to become very well known for it’s hi-tech industry base which has been a big part of the city’s success so appropriately it’s also home to the China Hi-Tech Fair which is claimed to be the number 1 tech show in China. So, how could I not go for a look!