Southern China Attractions

Welcome to Southern China
Top 5 Attractions

NO.1 Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall (Guangzhou)

Considered the father of modern China, Sun Yat-Sen came from a small Pearl River delta village and Guangzhou considers itself his home, competing with Nanjing to honor him the most. This attractive pavilion, over seventy years old but renovated in 1998, is fronted by beautiful gardens and a bronze statue. A giant auditorium functions as a conference center, together with a gallery of pictures of the great man and letters he wrote.

NO.2
Shaoshan
This charming village has become famous as Chairman Mao's birthplace. His childhood home has been preserved as a museum since 1964 and personal items and furniture remain as they were in his youth. There's also a Museum of Comrade Mao (Mao Zedong Tongzhi Jinianguan) nearby, made up primarily of photographs. It's worth taking the morning train here through pleasant countryside to reflect on the man who changed China.

NO.3
Guanyin Forest Park
Escape from the city and enjoy the clean air and mountain views in this beautifully landscaped park. Explore the surrounding forests or, if you're with the family, bring a picnic and spend the day up here.

NO.4 Yangshuo

This is a pleasant place to stay instead of returning to Guilin directly after the river cruise. Full of small cafes and restaurants, this is a friendly small town. West Street (Xi Jie) is the main street for sitting around and enjoying the sun and the food. Rent a bike to explore the surrounding area, enjoy a peaceful bamboo raft ride on Yulonghe River and, in the evening, check out the Zhang Yimou-directed extravaganza 'Sanjie Liu' performed on the Li River.

NO.5 Reed Flute Cave

A massive underground network of caves, dramatically lit to emphasize the strangeness of the rock formations and their resemblance to living creatures. It's an amazing place, the highlight being the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King. There are inscriptions on some walls which are believed to date from the Tang Dynasty.

NO.6
Tomb of the Southern Yue Kings
This 2,300-year-old ancient imperial tomb contains Emperor Wen Di (also known as Zhao Hu). The ruler of southern China, he was accompanied to his grave with 15 servants including his cooks. The accompanying museum houses the thousands of objects also found with him: gold seals, jade cups, pearl pillows, swords, and much more, even the remnants of the emperor's burial garb. It's a rare reminder that Guangzhou was once an imperial capital.