If you ask me what country impresses me most, I would confidently answer “China”. Although I have heard some people say they do not really like China because of its dirty toilets and rude people, the astonishing fact is I feel such a very strong attachment with the country. Honestly, although I am an Indonesian, I never love a country like I love China. I love everything about China; the history, the language, the culture even the people. No matter what people say about how rude the Chinese people are, I would always be able to bear that fact and in return adapt with the situation. I just love the people as if they were part of my long-lost big family and on the contrary find their rude behaviors a challenge to show what we call “true love”. Everything about China always charms me.
Out of so many places I have visited in China, the city that leaves me with deepest impression is Guangzhou. Since I got back last year, I have always missed the atmosphere and situation of Guangzhou city. I love the city so much not only because I used to study and live there, but because there are so many good things about it that make it really hard for me to forget all the good memories I had there. It was in Guangzhou that I learned many new things and underwent character process.
Guangzhou is a shopping paradise for all gender shopaholics. It gains reputation as the city of thousand shops. In all over places in Guangzhou, as you walk across buildings, you will always find roads lined with shops selling various items starting from clothes, accessories, and other bric-a-bracs. Not only does it boast thousand shops, but all items are mostly sold with extremely low prices. This is one thing I am sure you rarely find in other countries.
Some time ago, I wrote an article about the most famous shopping center in Guangzhou called Beijing Lu, but this time I am going to share with you another famous shopping center with different face and atmosphere selling stuff with much lower prices than Beijing Lu; it is called Shangxiajiu Lu. In Shangxiajiu Lu, you will see the traditional business style of Guangzhou. The shopping center is over 1200 meters with more than 300 stores. It was reinstated by the state Department of Commerce as the first commercial pedestrian street. Shangxiajiu Lu has different characteristics from Beijing Lu. The local sellers in Beijing Lu know some English. So, for you who cannot speak Chinese, you could still communicate with them in English. However, if you shop in Shangxiajiu Lu, you really have to take a friend who can speak some Chinese to help you bargain with the local sellers. Unless you could speak Chinese, it would be hard for you to get a good deal. In addition, Beijing Lu has more brand-name stores, while in Shangxiajiu Lu there are mass merchandise with more variety.
When I was still in Guangzhou, I often went to Shangxiajiu Lu to buy some clothes, accessories or even just to stroll around the city. The view and atmosphere in this place is completely different from Beijing Lu. Beijing Lu is a more international shopping center with many foreigners. There are many big shops with beautiful modern lightings and decorations selling original branded items, which is very suitable for young rich people. However, in Shangxiajiu Lu, you will find a totally different view. Most of the shops are in old shapes, and you will soon find yourselves in a traditional Chinese commercial pedestrian street with hawkers selling cheap items in an open space by the roadside. You will hear noise and buzz, people screaming and yelling to attract the customers’ attention. Yes, I like this situation far better off than the one in Beijing Lu because I love to see how the local people show their genuine behaviors.
The place is accessible by bus or MTR. But, every time I went there I always took MTR since it is faster. If you take MTR, just stop at Changshou Lu station and take exit D or A. Keep walking straight and follow the road, and your eyes will be entertained with a myriad of shops.
Me inside the MTR. The MTR in China is almost like the one in Singapore. China’s development is very fast that it could challenge other developed countries.
Along the Shangxiajiu street are scattered bronze statues of various shapes and themes. Here are some of them:
Bronze statue of a Chinese woman asking his son to wear jacket
The road in Shangxiajiu Lu. No vehicle is allowed to pass except bicycle. You could see multitude shop’s planks lining up along the road. 
The statue of a man pouring out tea from a gigantic tea kettle 
I wanna know what is inside the big bowl
I didn’t really care what people thought of me when taking this picture.. haha.. I just wanna capture every moment I spent in Guangzhou. That’s the most important thing
This statue is very cute. With the size of my body, I could get in the tricycle. haha…
I’m staring at my future… Will anything good come to me next month? 
This statue depicts the comparison of a traditional Chinese woman wearing cheongsham and a modern-looking lady wearing European-style clothing.
The statue of local Chinese people wearing traditional Chinese costume, compared to a modern Chinese woman wearing modern costume. 
The man looks tired here
The horse tower 
At the center of the commercial street is a giant screen. The night view here is even more stunning.
Shangxiajiu Lu is an ideal place for you who like to spend hours hunting for your wanted items with good deals. This is a place you must no miss out. Shangxiajiu Lu offers a perfect combination of shopping, food serving and entertainment. I myself would like to shop there again on my third visit to the City of Rams. See you there =D
Sources:
Personal experience and additional information from other online articles
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