Domestic tourism will witness a notable boom in the upcoming May Day holiday (May 1-5), as many "revenge travelers", who have been cooped up at home for a long period of time, leapt at the opportunity to get away for a few days after China basically contained the coronavirus.
The country expects to see around 250 million domestic trips over the five-day break, with sales of tickets to tourist attractions having seen a surge.
Guangzhou, one of the frequent nominees on the nation's popular tourism city list, will present visitors plenty of options, be it celebrated attractions or cultural events, for a fun day trip to explore the city in different ways.
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Guangzhou's Chimelong Paradise is considered one of the must-visits in the city for its dazzling recreational projects. It lures visitors with a wild safari park housing over 20,000 precious animals, an international circus offering thrilling circus art shows, and a water park ideal for a family trip with children.
On top of the regular activities, the amusement park will wow ravers this vacation with a series of “Water Power Syllable” events, inviting popular singers like Xiao Jingteng and Liu Yuxin to ignite the night carnivals.
Transportation: Metro Lines 3/7, Hanxi Changlong station.
Photos/广州融创文旅城
A grand, comprehensive complex for holiday fun, the Guangzhou Sunac Resort enjoys a nationwide reputation for its Snow Park, the largest indoor skiing resort in Asia that features four ski runs of different grades. As the weather gets warmer in May in Guangdong, the park could make your fantasy of skiing in South China come true.
Nights in the park will also be lit up by music festivals and classic concerts, as well as float tours and stunning light shows spreading over 1,000 square meters.
Transportation: Metro Line 9, Ma'anshan Park station, Exit C; then take the Hua 19 express bus line (花19快线) to the Sunac Resort stop.
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The Grandview Aquarium in Grandview Mall offers a glimpse of the lively ocean world and gives people some idea of the unfathomable blue planet we are living on. Science courses and underwater mermaid shows are scheduled to get tourists closer to marine creatures living in the depth of the sea.
Transportation: Metro Line 3, Shipaiqiao station, Exit A
Guangzhou's gardens, featuring typical Lingnan architecture style, are gaining increasing popularity among holiday goers as they offer refreshing natural scenery, while at the same time get visitors away from crowds at indoor sites and bustling city streets.
Photo/宝墨园
Baomo Garden, featuring typical Lingnan architectural characteristics and ancient structures of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), is home to a large collection of exquisite art works like brick sculptures, porcelain sculptures and wood carvings. It is better known as a top option for lotus flowers appreciation with ponds of flourishing lotus blossoms in summer time.
To welcome holiday visitors, the gardens will schedule a lotus-themed festival, staging dance performances with dancers dressing in Hanfu (the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group), as well as flower appreciation and delicacy tasting events.
Transportation: Metro Line 3, Shiqiao station , Exit B; then take the bus Pan 67 (番67路) to the Baomo Garden terminal stop.
Photo/Xinhua
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Yuyin Garden is honored as one of the four renowned gardens in Guangdong province, along with the Foshan Liangyuan Garden (佛山梁园), Dongguan Keyuan Garden (东莞可园) and Shunde Qinghui Garden (顺德清晖园). With a photogenic collection of pavilions, towers, bridges, corridors, hills and pools, the garden incorporates the landscaping styles of Suzhou and Hangzhou as well as the features of Lingnan architecture, creating a popular location for shooting costume photos and videos.
Photo/"广州市兰圃" WeChat account
Lanpu is the only park themed on planting and observing orchid blossoms in South China. With over 200 species of orchids and unique flower settings, the quiet park can make your day-trip flowery. Visitors may also enjoy the art of tea-making and tea tasting in those quaint tea houses surrounded by aromatic blossoms.
Transportation: Metro Line 2, Yuexiu Park station, Exit B2
Beijinglu Pedestrian Street北京路步行街
The Beijinglu Pedestrian Street always comes first to mind when talking about historic spots that tell Guangzhou's history. The region now boasts the country's largest outdoor naked eye 3D LED screen, staging vivid light displays and videos telling Guangzhou's history at night.
Many Qilou buildings, the distinctive arcade-house building structure in Guangzhou, have been spruced up with ornamental roofs and walls to create a delightful atmosphere for strolling. Venues featuring intangible cultural heritage products also offer opportunities for people to dive into the traditional Cantonese custom during their day trip.
Transportation: Metro Line 6,Beijinglu station, Exit B
The Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street is a must-visit for gourmets as the block boasts time-honored restaurant brands like Guangzhou Restaurant, Lianxiang Lou and Tao Tao Ju Restaurant, which are labels of classic Cantonese cuisine for their fine-crafted Dim Sum, as well as other stores and street booths serving local delicacies. The Qilou buildings lining the street also offer great background for visitors to shoot nostalgic photos and videos.
Transportation: Metro Line 1, Changshoulu station, Exit A
Xinhepu block clusters many garden houses with red brick walls and granitic plasters that typify the Dongshan style. The area was listed among the first batch of historic and cultural sites under preservation in Guangzhou in 2000.
In 2019, the revitalization project of the block won the 2019 Asian Townscape Award, the top prize for urban landscape in Asia. It is now home to a variety of cultural institutions and buildings mixing western and Chinese culture, including small clubs, galleries, small restaurants, cafes, and cultural creative exhibition places.
Transportation: Metro Line 1/5, Yangji station, Exit F
Lichee Bay, or Lizhiwan, is reputed among both locals and tourists for its architectural structure of typical Lingnan waterside towns, adorned by twisting rivers, exquisite bridges and elegant pavilions. Xiguan (or Saikwan) mansions and gourmands, together with local traditional culture heritage like Cantonese Opera, make the block a top destination for a day trip, where people can both enjoy the picturesque scenery and learn Cantonese customs.
Transportation: Metro Line 1, Changshoulu station, Exit E
Author & editor: Becky
Photos: Guangzhou Daily; "广州市文化广电旅游局", "中国广州发布" and "广州越秀发布" WeChat accounts