As planned, did 3 things today outside of Shamian Island.
1) Absorbed some culture by visiting the Chen Family Home.
2) Food along Shangxiajiu-Dishipu Pedestrian Shopping Street. Most were a novelty and forgot to take photos of the meals that I had.
3) At night it was window shopping at Beijing Road Pedestrian Shopping Street and subsequently a nightwalk along the Pearl River.
Note that the air quality in Guangzhou was not spring fresh. You can't see blue skies most of the time. Therefore be prepared with a good face mask if you are the allergic type.
The Chen Family Home ( aka Chen Jia Ci or Chen Clan Academy or Chen's Lineage Hall ),
considered one of the 4 major cultural sites of Guangdong Province. Took the subway on a wet morning and reached the place rather early. Not a visitor in sight. On the outer wall, there was an intricate carving of mystical characters and deities in the Chinese folklore. Could recognized Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, God of Prosperity and maybe Guan Yu, the God of War.
The place consist a series of buildings, family halls and courtyards. The facade mostly in unpainted grey which gave the whole area an austere feel but regal nevertheless. Browsed mostly through antique furniture, door carvings, interesting windows and wood panels. An etching of Guan Yu was found on one of the doors leading to the halls.
The inner courtyard have seating places where you can sit, feel and contemplate life in ancient China. Usually it would be surrounded by a hall or buildings. The corridors connecting the building and its back alleys were narrow and long. Good for perspective photography.
Was intrigued by the many bronze statutes that dot the indoor gardens. These life-sized statutes showed intricate facial features, expressions and emotion. It was a reflection of the squalor then, the levels of poverty and the tribulations of life of the Chinese in the 18th century. Glad I was not part of the citizenry of that era.
Lunch was beef noodle ( niu ru mien ), a popular dish in Guangzhou. Choose your noodle and it would be served together with slices of beef and its condiments. Don't forget to dip the beef in chili to give it a kick. Dessert was the double boiled skin milk 'jelly'. Its consistency a tad firmer than yoghurt and tasted simply great. You can also add condiments like sweetened red beans or gingko nuts.
Walking along the Pearl River and then Beijing Lu concluded a long day. There were many tourists going for the night cruise but that did not interest me. I wanted more and walking was the best way to discover this city. Can't help but noticed a lot of good quality restaurants. However some of the things they served were not agreeable to me. That included the exotics and perhaps some illegal like scorpions, worms, snakes, at least a baby crocodile and cats -yuckie!!!
If you were not the shopping type then Beijing Lu may not be your cup of tea. Its has a pedestrian street with hordes of people, local and tourists. Neon lights flashed on every building and all night. To add to the din, the shops employed their staff to stand in front and exhort all and sundry to patronize them. Part of the street was built on top of the remains of an old Ming Dynasty street. You can actually view it as its below the road tables, encased in glass.
Scholar's Reflection :
- The Cantonese enjoy their food, to extremities sometimes.
- Leaving lots of unconsumed food at the restaurant a bad but common practice.
- Over industrialization has damaged the environment especially the air quality.
- Not suitable if you want a tranquil break.
- Good for Cantonese culture vultures, food and all.
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