Liang's Gardens

Liang's Gardens, a general name for Liang's Grand Residential Gardens sited on Songfeng Road, is mainly composed of many units in different places, including the Twelve Stones Studio, the Stars Cottage, the Fenjiang Thatched Hut and the Cold Fragrance Hall. The gardens were built by four related men, who were the local masters of poetry, painting and calligraphy, over more than 40 years during the Daoguang Period (1796-1850) of the Qing Dynasty.

Liang's Gardens is very representative of a scholar's garden with their exquisite layout, residences, ancestral temples and gardens being integrated into an elegant whole. The Guangdong-style Flower Garden has various changeable spaces and styles. They are integrated scenes and not limited to one pattern. Each locality may have special constructions with different designs. Inside the gardens, fruit trees create a cover of luxurious foliage as flowers provide a beautiful carpet between sweeping rivers and pines and willows. Each garden features special scenery to represent its region. Liang's Gardens makes up one of the four famous gardens in Guangdong Province.

Zhang Chanwen

Foshan City is located on the Pearl River Delta. It was one of the four most important business towns during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). Foshan is a city with a long history and one of the best cities for travel with its beautiful scenery and well preserved cultural relics. Travelers will be entertained by the original folk arts, ceramics, gardening, Guangdong opera and kung fu.

Travelers in Shenzhen can take a bus at Luohu Long-distance Bus Station. The bus departs every 25 minutes and it costs 75 yuan (US$9) for a single ticket.

Shiwan's 500 years of ceramics history

Shiwan is the hometown of pottery and porcelain in Guangdong.

The most well-known kiln in Shiwan is the Nanfeng kiln on Gaomiao Road. The kiln has existed and been in use for more than 500 years. Visitors can witness the creation of a ceramic work or even try it themselves.

The unique ancient kiln was rewarded as a living cultural relic and was entered into the Guinness Book of Records.

Xiqiao Township

The biggest Guanyin sculpture made of copper in the world is on the top of Xiqiao Mountain in Nanhai District. Buddhists and many visitors to the magnificent statue keep the Xiqiao mountainside busy all day long.

Textile industry is the most developed industry in Xiqiao. In 1924, Xiqiao received 12,000 spinning machines. The city also has a history of mulberry fruit farming, fishing, marble carving, silkworm raising and silk spinning.

Xiqiao is also famous for its tea. Xiqiao's tea trade was well developed during the Ming Dynasty. It was said the tea leaves from the top of Xiqiao mountain were considered as the most cherished present a person could give.

Also, Xiqiao is the home town of the legendary kung fu master Huang Feihong. Travelers may pay a visit to the Huang Feihong Martial Art Museum to appreciate the traditional performance of dragon dance.

Xiqiao Mountain:

Daily 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Price : 50 yuan

Ancestral Temple

The Ancestral Temple in Foshan was built from 1078 to 1085 and is located in the Foshan Museum in Chancheng District.

The Ancestral Temple keeps records of the Foshan people's good fortunes and harvests. The stage at the center of the temple was used during prayer sessions and for performing Guangdong operas.

The Foshan Ancestral Temple is a spectacular ancient building in Guangdong. The temple features superb artistic skills showcased by carving, smelting and casting, lacquer painting and bronzing. The pictures on the temple, reflecting Foshan's history of trade and business, imperial civil examination, local opera, and customs of daily life, are the evidence of Foshan's ancient society and they explain why visitors often say the Ancestral Temple gives them the best impression of Foshan culture.

Daily 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Price: 20 yuan

Ancient village

Daqitou Village is a typical village from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and is located in Leping Township in Sanshui District.

Civilian houses, ancestral halls, temples, sunning grounds and ponds are all well arranged in this village.

The design of the village is quite special. East-facing houses are embellished with green ponds. Many alleys are laid out in a grid pattern and equipped with fireproof passageways and burglarproof installations. The sewer system is set in an underground stream. The temple is in the shape of a pen stand and tells the story of the ancient candidates studying hard to pass imperial civil examinations.

Daqitou Village enjoys a high reputation among historians, ethnology experts and architecture researchers as a living example of ancient Guangdong and Chinese cultures.

Editor: Catherine