All photos in the article were taken by the author of "Touch of Black and White". All rights reserved. Misappropriation without permission is strictly prohibited!

Among the huge Chinese tourist population, there is a group of people whose itinerary is closely related to the climate. In winter, they go south to avoid the cold and warm, and in summer, they go north to avoid the cold and seek the cool. They are called "migratory birds", and the majority of them are elderly. The "elderly migratory birds" have seen famous mountains and rivers when they were young. As they grow older, their interest in traveling has not diminished, and their experience in traveling has gradually increased. To appreciate the scenery, they not only have to go to the right place at the right time, but also at a comfortable time. Going to a comfortable place can really be said to be "cheating" for old people and "slippery" for old horses.

Although I am not very old, my "wandering age" is not light. If I don't steal some tricks and play some tricks, how can I be worthy of years of experience? Therefore, the "feat" of running to the northeast on a whim to be exposed to the cold in the middle of winter will probably no longer occur, and the "plan" of carefully planning to fly to Lingnan in the snow will definitely go as soon as possible.

So, in mid-January this year, during the cold days in the north, I came to Guangdong, where the sun was shining high.

There is a lyric in "Nanshan South":"You are in the south sun, the snow is flying; I am in the cold night in the north, and the seasons are like spring..." At first glance, I thought Ma was confused. But that day, I flew from Qingdao, where it had just snowed, to Guangzhou, where the sun was like spring. In a trance,"heavy snow" and "all seasons like spring" intertwined and melted, and the south and north shone close to each other. If I still hold some emotions in my heart, love, resentment, bitterness and sweet sorrow, then I can't blame "confusion".

Of course, when I came to Guangdong, I had no girls in my heart. I only had a pure desire to see the scenery of Lingnan. I was not confused and light. I went south from Guangzhou through Foshan and Shunde to Zhuhai and Macau, then eastward to Shenzhen, and finally arrived in Chaoshan. I experienced Lingnan's traditional culture (Guangfu, Hakka, Chaoshan, etc.), and I learned the fashion and prosperity of Guangdong. It is better to enjoy happiness alone than everyone else. In the next few articles, I will share what I saw and heard with you.

In ancient Lingnan, there was a place called "Guangxin", which was the seat of Cangwu Ancient Country, one of the earliest ancient countries in southern China. Guangdong (referred to as "Guangdong") got its name because it was located east of Guangxin. Guangdong, located south of Nanling (the general term for the mountains in the southern part of Chu in ancient times), is the inheritance place of Lingnan culture. It is unique in terms of language, diet, habits, culture, etc. It was called "Hakka"(meaning "guests") after Han people from the Central Plains with different customs moved here.

In addition to the Hakka people, the Han people in Guangdong also include the Guangfu people and Chaoshan people. The Guangfu people are mainly distributed in Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan and southwestern Guangdong. The Chaoshan people are mainly distributed in Shantou, Chaozhou, Jieyang, Shanwei and other areas. The Hakka people are mainly distributed in Meizhou, Heyuan, Huizhou, Shaoguan and other places. In addition, there are several autonomous counties and ethnic townships in Guangdong where ethnic minorities such as the Yao and She ethnic groups live. Different regional and ethnic cultures have been constantly colliding and integrating for a long time, forming Guangdong's rich cultural customs and diverse Lingnan culture.

The first stop on our trip to Lingnan is to visit Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong.

There are some cities in my country whose names are related to animals. For example, Sanya is nicknamed "Lucheng", which was previously shared, Baotou, which I just visited a while ago, is also called "Lucheng", and Lhasa's ancient name "Resa" translates into Chinese as "sheep soil"... Most of these cordial names originate from a romantic legend. Guangzhou also has an animal name-Yangcheng. There is also a legend about "Yangcheng":

More than 2,000 years ago, Guangzhou was vast with sea and sky and desolate everywhere. People worked hard all day but could not have enough food and clothing. One day, the sky was filled with fairy music. Five immortals wearing colorful clothes and riding five goats flew to Guangzhou. Wuyangkou held ears of grain. After the immortals arrived, they presented the ears of grain to the local people and wished that there would never be famine here. After saying that, they flew into the sky and left the five sheep turned into stone sheep. From then on, it became a fertile land, and Guangzhou was named "Yangcheng" and "Suicheng".

(The stone statue of the Five Rams located on Yuexiu Mountain in Guangzhou is a symbol of Guangzhou)

The rich and prosperous Guangzhou from ancient times still has a bright halo in modern times: during the Tang and Song Dynasties, Guangzhou was China's largest port on the Maritime Silk Road; during the Qing Dynasty, Guangzhou was the only foreign trade port in the country; after the reform and opening up, it became a window for introducing Western science and technology, culture and economy; since 1989, Guangdong Province led by Guangzhou has been continuously ranked as China's largest economic province, with its total economic output accounting for one-eighth of the country. Today, Guangzhou, along with Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, is one of China's four first-tier cities. It is full of opportunities and challenges and is an international metropolis that young people and people with lofty aspirations aspire to.

Walking through Guangzhou City, you can feel the dazzling prosperity of this super city everywhere.

The Guangzhou Tower on the south bank of Zhuhai is the most well-known landmark building in Guangzhou. It has a slender figure and graceful curves, and is vividly called "Small Man Waist" by netizens.

At night, looking at the "small waist" from afar on Ersha Island, the changing lights of five colors are like colorful skirts that tightly wrap the body. They are soft and gorgeous, sexy and dignified. Even though there are many beautiful buildings under the tower, they are all shining. Under the light and proud figure, it is eclipsed by the attentive dwarf guarding the noble Snow White.

The nickname and distance have cast a charming veil on Xiao Man's waist. If you get closer and look, the Guangzhou Tower will reveal its majestic and intimidating side: the 600-meter-high tower in China's second tallest tower stands straight into the sky, pulling like a sky; The winding steel bars are intertwined in a spiral and are as stable as a rock. The Guangzhou Tower can withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake and a magnitude 12 typhoon. It has a design life of more than 100 years. Under its beautiful skin, there are extraordinary design and extraordinary technology.

The Guangzhou Tower is located in Zhuhai District, the central Urban area of Guangzhou, facing the Pearl River New City, Huacheng Square and Haixinsha Island across the river. Given its superior location and excellent height, many places in the city provide different viewing angles.

At Haixinsha Wharf, you can face its towering heights directly:

On the bank of the Pearl River, you can admire the beautiful scenery behind the trees and the color changes in the water:

Or feel the looming figure in the daytime fog of Huacheng Square:

The tall and graceful Guangzhou Tower is certainly outstanding, but when we lower our gaze, we will find that the surrounding "dwarfs" are also beautiful and have their own characteristics. The most concentrated place of these beautiful buildings is the Huacheng Square across the river from the Guangzhou Tower.

Huacheng Square is known as Guangzhou's "city living room". The living room is the facade of a house. The owner will naturally display the most conspicuous decorative homes in it. If the Pearl River and Xiaomanyao are the "beautiful pictures of mountains and rivers" hanging on the wall, then the Huacheng Square The building is a carefully arranged "desk, coffee table, potted plants and green plants." There are more than 600 towering trees, a 2-kilometer-long wooden boardwalk and a 15,000-square-meter floating island lake. There are also newly-designed new libraries, grand theaters, new museums, international financial centers and other buildings. At the end of each year, The Guangzhou International Light Festival and Light Concert, one of the world's three major light festivals, will be held here...

Here's a look at the fascinating buildings on the square:

The picture below shows the new Guangzhou Library. It is the first building that attracted my attention after arriving at Huacheng Square. It stands out among the surrounding buildings with its elegant shape of the word "Zhi" and its walls that look like pages.

This library is based on the design concept of "beautiful books", highlighting the overlapping of books and the deposition of culture. It also incorporates cultural elements such as arcade towers, embodying the artistic characteristics of Lingnan architecture. Not only is the appearance beautiful, the museum has two underground floors and ten floors above ground. It is one of the largest urban libraries in the world.

The library is closed at night, but the lighting makes the building more attractive.

(Please view it horizontally, there will be no further prompts below)

The picture below shows the Guangzhou Grand Theater. This building was designed by British Iraq designer Zaha Hadid. The main building is a "double gravel" in black, white and gray tones, like two gems lying on the rolling desert, known as the "round double gravel." The theater has an opera hall, an experimental theater, a contemporary art museum and other art halls and three rehearsal halls (opera rehearsal hall, ballet rehearsal hall and symphony rehearsal hall). It has been rated as the "Top Ten Opera House in the World".

There is a sculpture called "Feiqin" outside the theater. A fat angel plays the piano in the sky, adding to the romance and reverie of the entire building.

The picture below shows the new museum of the Guangdong Province. It looks like a treasure box. What treasures are inside will be described in detail in the "Two Museums" section later.

The blue building on the left side of the picture below is Guangzhou International Financial Center, and the white building on the right side is Guangzhou Chow Tai Fook Financial Center. The height is more than 400 meters and 500 meters respectively. It is called the "Twin Towers" of Guangzhou. They stand on the north bank of the Pearl River, facing the Guangzhou Tower on the south bank across the river. They are the top 3 of the "Langya List" of Guangzhou's high-rise buildings.

Looking at the Twin Towers from Haixinsha Island:

There is an Asian Games Park on Haixinsha Island on the south side of Huacheng Square. The opening and closing ceremonies of the 16th Asian Games in 2010 were held here. The Asian Games stands and screen stands on the island are very spectacular, especially at night, neon lights and searchlights are on. It is colorful and tall, beautiful.

The back of the Asian Games stands rippled in the lake:

The front of the stands is bright and glorious:

Opposite the stands is a screen stand. The screen on the stand has been removed, but it has new "functions"-four giant "lighting masters":

It is also like a loyal guard who protects the security of the financial center, the tranquility of the Pearl River and the beauty of the small waist...

On the west side of Haixinsha is Ersha Island, which is also a small island in the Pearl River. The Pearl River runs around the island. There are beautiful buildings such as Xinghai Concert Hall and Guangdong Art Museum on the island, and high-end residential communities and sports training bases are hidden in the vast green space, with various artistic sculptures scattered among them, creating a literary and artistic atmosphere and modern style.

Guangdong Art Museum:

Guangdong Overseas Chinese Museum:

Xinghai Concert Hall: The whole building is like a gorgeous grand piano.

Strolling through Ersha, you can feel the blue waves of the Pearl River and overlook Zhuhai New City. The sea breeze is filled with the flavor of literature, art and modernity.

Sculptures that attract people on the island:

To say that the place with the strongest modern customs in Guangzhou is Zhujiang New City, where Huacheng Square mentioned above is located. This is the location of Guangzhou Tianhe CBD, one of the three major national-level CBDs, and is the place with the densest number of skyscrapers above 300 meters in China. In the concrete forest full of "giants", K11 attracted my attention.

(There are many luxury cars under the building, and the noble Rolls-Royce demonstrates the wealth charm of Tianhe CBD)

K11 is a shopping center with a full personality. Its personality lies in that it combines the three elements of art, humanities and nature. What attracts me is the artistic elements. As soon as I entered the door, a sculpture firmly caught my eye:

This sculpture is called "Eternal Life-Northern Qi Round Carved Bodhisattva Statue and Amazon Barbarians". It assembles the solemn statue of a Bodhisattva in the East and the violent Amazon Barbarians in the West. Through diametrically opposed elements in aesthetics and culture, humorously and powerfully raises the contradiction and power struggle between Eastern and Western cultures in human history.

(Installation Art: Tower of Time)

Zhujiang New City is a contemporary prosperous resort, while the prosperity of Guangzhou in modern times is located in Liwan District, formerly known as "Xiguan". It was once home to wealthy businessmen, and the famous 13 Guangzhou Travel Line was once established here. Next, we move to Xiguan to experience the prosperity and history of modern times.

There is a pedestrian street called "Shangxiajiu" in the center of Xiguan. It is a commercial street that tourists coming to Guangzhou visit. This street consists of Shangjiu Road, Xijiu Road and Dishifu Road, with a total length of 1218 meters. It is the first commercial pedestrian street in Guangzhou.

There are hundreds of shops of various types in the pedestrian street, including Tao Tao Ju with Kang Youwei's own inscription, Lianxiang Tower,"The First Store of Lotus Meat", Huang Shanhuang,"King of Praised Meat", and Maotai, a century-old brand. In the early 6th century, when Dharma, the founder of Zen, landed here to preach, it had become a commercial gathering area. Over the long history, Xiguan cultural characteristics combining China and the West have gradually formed.

Shamian is another scenic spot with historical connotations in Xiguan. It is located at the southern end of Xiguan and was once the Anglo-French Concession.

Shamian was originally a sandbank, bordering Baietan in the south. Huajie Pavilion was set up here in the Ming Dynasty to manage the entry and exit of foreign goods. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Xigu Fort was built here to guard the city of Guangzhou. After the outbreak of the Second Opium War, Britain and France coerced the Qing government to designate Shamian as a concession in 1859 under the pretext of "thirteen lines were destroyed and the commercial houses and foreign lines had to be restored." It was not until 1946 that Shamian was officially reclaimed by the Chinese government. In the past 100 years, more than a dozen countries have established consulates here, nine foreign banks and more than 40 foreign banks have operated here, and the Guangdong Customs Club and Guangzhou Club have been established here. Shamian has witnessed the changes in Guangzhou's modern history. He has experienced many major events and has become a microcosm of my country's modern history and the history of concessions.

(Guangdong Customs)

Today's Shamian retains nearly a hundred cultural relics buildings, integrating Western architectural art and Lingnan culture. The ancient buildings of Cuizhou, the thousand-meter flower street, and ancient trees reflect each other, giving a unique style.

The picture below shows the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, a Catholic church located at 14 Shamian Street, built in 1890:

The picture below shows Shamian Church built in 1865. It is located at 60 Shamian South Street and was once used as an Anglican Church of Christ:

Speaking of churches, another Catholic church in Guangzhou is well-known. It is one of the four all-stone Gothic churches in the world (the other three are Notre Dame, Westminster Abbey, and Cologne Cathedral). It was built in 1861. It was designed by French designers and built by Chinese craftsmen at a cost of 400,000 francs, which is comparable to Notre Dame de Paris. It is the Stone-Coeur Cathedral.

All walls and columns of this magnificent church are made of granite. It is the only all-stone church in China and a must-miss check-in place when traveling to Guangzhou.

Another must-miss check-in place is also a religious building-Dafo Temple.

There are many famous temples in Guangzhou. The founder of Dharma came to China to preach during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The first thing he arrived at was Guangzhou, so this place was called the "beginning of the West". Later, Zen Buddhism blossomed and spread. Guangzhou was the source of Zen, and Buddhism flourished. In Faxing Temple, Hui Neng ended the debate among the monks about "wind movement" or "flag movement" with "the heart of the benevolent", and his words were astonishing and he was ranked among the sixth ancestors; in Liurong Temple, the demoted Su Shi felt that there were six green trees shaded by the trees, inscribed with the word "Six Banyan"...

But I didn't go to any of these famous temples. I only went to the Dafo Temple at night. Not only because it was built in the Southern Han Dynasty (917-971), has a long history and strong incense, but also because it has a local style of Lingnan and is very artistic. Especially at night, the double-eared temples are resplendent, with the temperament of Hongya Cave in Chongqing and the charm of the "Spirited Away" soup house.

Less than 500 meters south of Dafo Temple is another commercial street worth visiting in Guangzhou-Beijing Road. Very interesting. Shanghai's commercial street is called Nanjing Road, and Guangzhou's commercial street is called Beijing Road. What makes sense?

Beijing Road is a concentrated place for time-honored shops in Guangzhou. There are many shops, large scale, complete business styles, and very lively. Not only that, the northern section of Beijing Road was unearthed with eleven floors of pavement covering five dynasties from the Tang Dynasty to the Republic of China. In the southern section, the five-story Gongbei Tower building site from the Song Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties was excavated. The unearthed cultural relics include a large number of stone strips, wall bricks, drum stones, copper pots dripping, etc. Today, the relics are covered with glass, becoming a characteristic monument in the prosperous commercial district.

The above words touch the water and the pictures are fleeting. They show you a quick look at the most well-known buildings and landscapes in Guangzhou, the house decorations and customs of Guangfu culture, and the history and nature of Guangzhou are rarely mentioned. But don't worry. In the next article, we will go to the wildlife park to meet cute animals from all over the world, go to Yuexiu Mountain and Baiyun Mountain to enjoy the natural charm of flowers when green mountains, and go to the Guangdong Museum, the Chen Family Temple and the Western Han Dynasty Nanyue King Museum to read the majesty and exquisiteness of Lingnan.

Let's see you next time!