Historic Canton (Guangzhou)
This exciting overnight visit will introduce you to the fascinating city of Canton (Guangzhou), so near and accessible to Hong Kong and yet so different, enjoyable and unexplored by many Hong Kong residents.
We will leave Kowloon KCR Station (Hung Hom) on Friday evening (exact time to be confirmed, but approximately 7:30pm departure) on the express through-train to Guangzhou East Station. On arrival we will connect to the Guangzhou Metro and proceed to the White Swan Hotel on Shameen, the former Anglo-French Concession island on the Pearl River.
After breakfast our morning will be spent on a guided walking tour exploration around fascinating Shameen now preserved as a national historic area. Along the way we will hear stories of the many foreign trading houses formerly based at Shameen, most of which had close connections to early Hong Kong, and see many surviving buildings.
After a light Chinese lunch on Shameen we will walk along the tree-shaded Canton Bund on the Pearl River. Highlights will include a visit to the Roman Catholic Cathedral, built by the French in 1863 from stone quarried in Hong Kong, the old Customs House, and the well-preserved 1920s-1930s skyline. We will then go on by Metro to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Set within superb grounds, this is an excellent example of Republican-era architectural styles which opened in the early 1930s. If time permits, we will continue on by Metro to the Orchid Garden for a late-afternoon cup of tea in the pavilion overlooking the ornamental lake.
After returning to Shameen by Metro and time for a wash and change we will walk across the river for a view of the Canton Bund at night, followed by a delicious Chinese dinner at the Guangzhou restaurant overlooking the Pearl River. The Guangzhou Restaurant is a branch of a very well-known local restaurant established in the nineteenth century.
After breakfast we will check out of the hotel, store baggage and take the Metro to visit the Five Genies Temple and the Flowery Pagoda, renowned among visitors to the city since the eighteenth century, as well as the magnificent Chen Clan Academy complex at Lai Wan.
We will return to Shameen in time for a late lunch (this will be at individual expense), and then have a couple of hours at leisure to enjoy Shameen and the nearby Ching Ping Market at individual pace. We will then return to Guangzhou East Station by Metro, and catch the early evening Through Train back to Kowloon.
Please note: Participants are responsible for their own travel insurance. You will require a CHINA VISA/ passport - as well as your Hong Kong identity card.
Maximum:
16 persons
Price:
$3950HKD per person for a scheduled trip. For private group booking enquiries please contact us.
This price includes:
Two nights accommodation on a share-twin basis at the five-star White Swan Hotel, Shameen. There will be a supplementary charge for those who require a single room. (HKD$650- per person, per night.)
Two breakfasts at the White Swan, and lunches and dinner elsewhere, (soft drinks, water and beer are included, but exclusive of individual drinks and lunch on the last day.)
Return Through-Train Tickets, Kowloon-Guangzhou-Kowloon. Exact times still TBC, probably 1930 departure from Kowloon, return 1700 from GZ East.
Guangzhou Metro Octopus card.
Guided walks and explorations, and admission tickets to individual sights (where applicable.)