Guangzhou
Ancestral Temple of Chen Family, built between 1890 and
1894 during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing
dynasty, is the largest, best preserved, and best decorated
ancient architecture existing in Guangdong province.
Bright Filial Piety Temple on Guangxiao Road is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and was the mansion of Prince Zhao Jiande of the Nanyue Kingdom during the Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.24). It was first built by an Indian monk during the Eastern Jin dynasty (317- 420) and the present temple, occupying an area of 31000 sq. m., was rebuilt it the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911). It enjoys great reputation in Buddhist history because Huineng of the Zen Buddhist sect was a novice monk here in the 7th century.
Nanyue King Tomb Museum, located in Jiefang road, stands on the site of the tomb of Emperor Wen, the second ruler of the Southern Yue Kingdom dating back to 100 B.C. More than 1000 burial objects were excavated, among which are a chariot, gold and silver vessels, musical instruments and human sacrifices. The tomb is 10.85 m in length and 12.43 m at it's widest area consisting of the front and rear chambers. It is the earliest large-scale painted stone-chamber tomb ever found in south of the Five Ridges.
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall situated in the original site of Sun Yat-sen's Presidential Office on the southern slope of Yuexiu Hill, is a memorial building built in 1931 with the funds raised by the Guangzhou people and overseas Chinese in memory of Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer of China's bourgeois democratic revolution
Temple of Six Banyan Trees The temple site, situated in Chaoyang Beilu Street in the old part of the city, was built in A.D. 537 as instructed by the provincial governor of the time. Xiao Yu, in order to house one of Buddha's bones. It is named after the six banyan trees which formerly stood in the courtyard and to which the poet Su Dongpo dedicated a piece of writing.
White Cloud Mountain is a park with natural hills and waterfalls and an ideal sightseeing place and summer resort area. Popular spots such as Wind Soughing in the Pines on White Cloud Mountain, Pujian Spring, The Returned Monk at Jingtai, the Splendid Mountain of Cloud, etc. are all famous scenic spots in the area and well worth a visit.
Zhenhai Tower Standing on the top of Yuexiu Hill in the northern suburbs, the 28-metre-high five-storey tower - also known as Five-storey Pagoda - was built on the order of Zhu Liangzu, the Yongjia Marquis of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), to flaunt his power that was able to "shake the seas and mountains". It is a magnificent building, commanding a bird's-eye view of the whole city. The tower now houses the City Museum, with exhibits which describe the history of Guangzhou from Neolithic times till the early part of this century.
