To avail my partner (a UK passport holder) of the 144-hour visa-free provision to visit China, I devised an itinerary which entailed flying from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, taking the high speed train to Shenzhen and exiting China via Macau. So this is part one of our trip – from Hong Kong to Guangzhou
Regal Airport Hotel
With a flight departure time of 7.50, we decided to stay the previous night at Regal Airport Hotel. It’s only 5 minutes’ walk to the airport via a well-signposted covered walkway. It’s comfortable and not at all noisy considering its proximity to the airport.
Like most airport hotels, the exterior of Regal Airport Hotel is rather plain, but the interiors exudes a touch of luxury.
144-hour visa-free entry to China
We had a good reason to rejoice in the prescient decision to stay the night at the airport hotel because the process of 144-hour visa-free entry to China was far from straightforward on the Hong Kong side! We spent 20 minutes at the Cathay Pacific counter the night before to iterate our itinerary to get my partner’s boarding pass and another 20 minutes to reiterate it to get a luggage tag the next morning! It seemed that the absence of a visa number and a return plane ticket were causing problems for the counter staff.
Conversely, the process was relatively easy when we arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, though we had to wait. There’s a clearly-marked area dedicated to the process which, in reality, is to obtain a free temporary visa rather than “visa-free”.
Intercity Guangzhou East Railway Station Hotel
I chose this hotel believing that it’s right by the station. Getting there from the airport was easy enough on Metro Line 3 from the airport to Guangzhou East Railway Station, the challenge was finding the right exit!
The east and west sides of the railway station are at least a couple of miles apart!! However, once we sussed out that Exit J was nearest to the hotel, it was in sight as soon as we emerged from the metro.
The hotel room was spacious and comfortable. There’re complimentary bottles of water plus soft drinks in the fridge. Meals at the hotel were delicious and reasonably priced. The staff at Reception and restaurant was a credit to the hotel!
The Hotel must be a well-heeled neighbourhood judging by the McLaren and Lamborghini parked outside the hotel when we were going out!!
Guangzhou
It amuses me when people refer to Guangzhou’s “meteoric rise” as a metropolis. In fact Guangzhou was the first Chinese port to be visited by European traders who called it Canton and it has been an important trading centre for centuries.
I had made a list of the places for us to see and visit in Guangzhou but I had not appreciated what a huge city Guangzhou is which has a population of over 18 millions. We had to make do with what we could manage to visit as we prefer to take our time to appreciate a place rather than just to take a photo and move on!!
Yongqing Fang (永慶坊)
This historic area is located in the heart of old Guangzhou which was an important treaty port and the economic heart of southern China in the late Qing Dynasty.
It was renovated and given a new lease of life in 2016. Historic buildings were restored and old buildings repaired while the original structure and exteriors were preserved. The interiors were modernised to accommodate modern needs.
The area was transformed into a vibrant social hub. The once dilapidated buildings were turned into fashionable cafés, tea houses bars etc. Creative shops and bookstores also sprang up in the area which has become popular with locals and tourists alike, especially young people
Cantonese Opera Museum Art Park
Cantonese Opera Museum is nestled within Yongqing Fang. It features traditional Chinese architecture – pavilion, pagoda, landscape gardens completed with an artificial lake in the centre and ornate bridges. The park and the museum are free to enter.
Young people donning Hanfu (ancient Chinese costume) posing for photos seems to be the the trend and add to the atmosphere.
Zhujiang New Town
Zhujiang New Town is the central business district and home to most of the major sights in Guangzhou like the Canton Tower, Guangzhou Opera House etc.
Canton Tower
Completed in September 2009 Canton Tower has become an iconic landmark of Guangzhou. The best view of the Tower is from Huacheng Plaza located in Zhujiang New Town, directly opposite Canton Tower across the Pearl River.
The high-speed elevator to the Observation Deck on Floor 107 travels at a speed of 3.7 metres per second going up and 16 metres per second going down.
The spacious Observation Decks on Floors 107 and 108 afford a 360° view of the city. There’re seats, viewing points and eateries for those who prefer not to go further up.
Bubble Tram
Bubble Tram is a horizontal ferris wheel which circles the tower on Floor 117. Imagine London Eye being laid on a 15° angle on the top of the Tower!
There was NO chance that I would pass off the opportunity to take a ride on it, even though I had to do it by myself! On a beautiful sunny morning (just after 11.00) when it was not too busy, I had the luxury of having a whole “bubble” to myself for the 20 minutes’ ride!
Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area
Back down to earth after Canton Tower, we took the metro to Meihuayuan Station for the Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area. The entrance fee was ¥5 each.
It was a challenge climbing up the upward path in seething heat. Consequently we did not see the best of the area which was massive. With hindsight it was too ambitious to want to see the area in one afternoon. It would have been better if we visited the more manageable Yuexiu Park!
From Guangzhou to Shenzhen
The 2 days in Guangzhou went in a flash! A return visit to Guangzhou is definitely on the card.
Meanwhile we had 3 days in Shenzhen to look forward to! We travelled first class on the high speed train from huge Guangzhou South Railway Station to Shenzhen North. It took just over half an hour and cost about £10 each!
I already had a fridge magnet of Guangzhou when I visited in 2011, but there are fresh mementos from this trip!
