Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HISTORIC SITE
CHÉN CLAN ANCESTRAL HALL
8.30am-5.00pm; Line 1, Chénjiācí, exit D)
An all-in-one ancestral shrine, Confucian school and 'chamber of commerce' for the Chen
clan, this compound was built in 1894 by the residents of 72 villages in Guǎngdōng, where
the Chen lineage is predominant. There are 19 buildings in the traditional Lǐngnán style, all
featuring exquisite carvings, statues and paintings, and decorated with ornate scrollwork
throughout.
MOSQUE
MOSQUE DEDICATED TO THE PROPHET
1, Xīmén Kǒu)
The original building is believed to be founded here in 627 by Abu Waqas, an uncle of the
prophet Mohammed. The present mosque dates from the Qing dynasty.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
TEMPLE OF THE SIX BANYAN TREES
8am-5pm; 56)
This Buddhist temple was built in AD 537 to enshrine Buddhist relics that were brought
over from India, and placed in the octagonal
Decorated Pagoda
(Huā Tǎ). The temple was
given its current name by the exiled poet Su Dongbo in 1099, who waxed lyrical over the
(now gone) banyans in the courtyard. You can see the characters 'six banyans'
(liùróng)
that
he wrote above the gates.
CHURCH
CATHEDRAL OF THE SACRED HEART
The French were granted permission to build this impressive twin-spired Roman Catholic
cathedral after the second Opium War, between 1863 and 1888. It features a neo-Gothic
style and is constructed entirely of granite, with massive towers reaching a height of 48m.
HISTORIC SITE
SHĀMIÀN ISLAND
To the southwest of Guǎngzhōu is the dappled oasis of Shāmiàn Island. It was acquired as a
foreign concession in 1859 after the two Opium Wars. Shamian Dajie, the main boulevard,
is a gentle stretch of gardens dotted by old houses, cafes and galleries. The
Church of Our
