Peasant Movement Institute 农民运动讲习所旧址 – Guangzhou, China

        One shiny day, I asked two friends to have an adventure with me to a place called “Peasant Movement Institute” or “Nong Jiang Suo” in Chinese. Every time we took the MTR, we always heard the name of this place mentioned as one of the stations. I was just curious to know what it was like. I was pretty sure there was something special about the site and I was right. When we arrived at the main entrance, only a few people were there including the ticket officers. There was no admission fee to enter the site. From a glimpse, the site looked like an old place and it seemed there was nothing special about it. Yes, it was just an old building but it played an important role in the history of Guangzhou’s revolution.

 Main entrance to the Peasant Movement Institute

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Mausoleum of 72 Martyrs 黄花岗公园 – Guangzhou, China

        Do you like taking pictures at a cemetery? Not everybody likes to visit it or even take pictures there. However, if the cemetery has historical values, I think visiting it would be worth it. Guangzhou is a witness to the development of political revolution of China. One of the remnants of the hard struggling of the Chinese revolution can be seen in the Mausoleum of 72 martyrs. This place might not be attractive enough for foreign visitors, yet if you are into history and things alike, you might want to visit this place to capture some insight of a small fraction of Guangzhou's history.

        Located in a serene green park area of 160,000 square meters in Huanghuagang at the south foot of Baiyun Mountain in east of Guangzhou, an imposing building called Mausoleum of 72 Martyrs was built in 1912. Mausoleum of 72 martyrs was constructed to commemorate the unsuccessful Guangzhou uprising in 1911 and was dedicated to the 72 martyrs who died during the revolutionary uprising. It is an appreciation to the martyrs' bravery and sacrifices that represents high spirit of freedom and democracy.

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Guangzhou Zoological Garden 广州动物园 – Guangzhou, China

       Guangzhou zoological garden is less famous than Chimelong zoo because it covers smaller area and has fewer animals on display. Personally I do not really like the zoo for it is not well organized compared to Chimelong zoo. I and my brother decided to go there on our own for we were curious to know what the zoo was like. Anyway, it is stated in the tourist map. When we reached the entrance and queued in front of the ticket counter, I was not impressed with the service of the ticket clerk for they did not give clear information about the zoo and the animal performances. Yes, indeed the admission fee is much cheaper than the one in Chimelong. It only costs 20 Yuan compared to Chimelong that costs around 100 Yuan. In China, price really affects quality. Yi fen qian yi fen huo…

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Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall 中山纪念堂 – Guangzhou, China

        Visiting historical sites has always been my great interest for I believe those places will not only refresh my mind but also give me insight of what ever happened in the past. The valuable thing of learning history is you could always learn from past experience and apply the positive things. One of beautiful historical places in Guangzhou is Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall or Zhong Shan Ji Nian Tang in Chinese. It was the first historical monument I visited with my friends. As far as I remember, there was no admission charge. However, if you want to enter the main hall, you have to buy a ticket. Unluckily, when I went there, the hall was closed for public because it was being used to hold a national conference attended by important people.

         Beautifully erected at the foot of Southern slope of Yuexiu hill, the memorial hall was built to commemorate Sun Yat Sen, the forerunner of Chinese democratic revolution against the Qing dynasty. Sun Yat Sen (孫中山, Sun Zhong Shan) is considered the Founding Father of modern China by China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Born on November 12, 1866 at Cuiheng village of Guangdong province and reputed as the leading figure and the first President of China, Sun Yat Sen was well known for his Three Principles of the People - nationalism, democracy, and social well-being. He believed these principles are the guidelines to establish a modern China. He was passionate about his dream and dedicated his whole life to accomplish this task.

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Chimelong Zoological Park 长隆香江野生动物世界 – Guangzhou, China

        Do you like to go to zoo? How many times have you visited zoo in your country or city? Do you like being among wild and tame animals, watching their funny behaviors even unexpected ones? I personally have visited Safari zoo in Puncak, Indonesia for several times. However, the zoo that gives me deepest impression is the one in Guangzhou, called Chimelong Zoological park.

        In Taman Safari, you could watch wild animals in an open space but you must sit inside your private cars and are not allowed to open your window for your safety. However, in Chimelong, you could freely travel around the park on foot with all wild animals in an open natural setting without worrying about being attacked by them because there are thin wires containing high electricity that surround their dwelling. This makes the wild beasts do not jump toward the visitors.

        Situated in Panyu district, almost an hour journey from the heart of Guangzhou city, Xiangjiang Safari Park enjoys a reputation as the largest zoological park in China mainland even in Asia, and is China's leading zoo. As one of the most interesting tourist places in Guangzhou, the zoo gains reputation as 5A class Tourism Attraction level, which is the highest level a zoo could obtain.

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Haizhu Bridge 海珠桥 – Guangzhou, China

        Where would you go when you feel depressed and have no more room to express your anger, disappointment and rage? There is a place in Guangzhou you might want to visit if you are in that kind of situation; it is called Haizhu bridge. The bridge itself is just an ordinary bridge located in Haizhu square area with a very old history. However, it offers a serene atmosphere for those who wish to retreat from the hectic life and relax for a while.  “If I can’t express my sadness, I will go to a quiet place like this bridge and shout as loudly as I could”, said one of my friends who went with me. That could be one of her ways to release life’s burden. Indeed people have their own unique ways to relieve themselves. I personally would turn to prayer as a getaway from my problems.

        That night I did not plan to go out. However, my friend urged me to accompany her to visit an old bridge located in Haizhu square, called Haizhu bridge. Haizhu bridge was built in 1929 by American companies with total length of 356.67 meters. However, it was bombed by Kuomintang in 1949, and renovated in 1950. Due to the economic development of the country, the bridge was expanded in 1975.

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