Introducing White Cloud Mountain, White Cloud Mountain Guide, White Cloud Mountain Travel Guide
Article from Baiyunshan Resort

Located in northeast of downtown Guangzhou, White Cloud Mountain covers a total area of 20.98 square kilometers and is a national grade-AAAAA scenic area and the only national scenic area in Guangzhou. As a well-known mountain in south Guangdong province, White Cloud Mountain has been given a title of the most beautiful mountain in Guangzhou since ancient times. Its highest peak, Moxing Ridge, stands 382m above sea level.

White Cloud Mountain has been well-known long before. During the Warring States Period, many celebrities visited this mountain. In Jin Dynasty, White Cloud Mountain presented a lot of attractive landscapes. In Tang Dynasty, White Cloud Mountain was a famous scenic spot. Several scenes of White Cloud Mountain have been put on the listing of "Eight Famous Scenic Attractions of Guangzhou" since Song Dynasty. Guangzhou people always like going to White Cloud Mountain for sightseeing. Many celebrities in history and at the present time have visited White Cloud Mountain.

Since the reform and opening up policy was carried out, some new fascinating scenic spots, e.g. Mingchun Valley, Guangzhou Forest of Steles, Nengren Temple, Yuntai Garden, Sculpture Park, and Peach Blossom Ravine, etc, have been put up. They shape up a colorful gallery of landscapes along with previous Moxing Ridge, Cloud of Dust, and No. 1 Peak in Guangzhou, etc. All of them are optimal destinations of tourists who go to Guangzhou.

Quick Facts on White Cloud Mountain

• Name: White Cloud Mountain
• Location: 17 km north of Guangzhou
• Phone: +86-20-37222222
• Best Time to Visit: September to November
• Recommended Time for a Visit: 3-5 Hours
• Opening Hours: 6:00-17:00
• Admission Fee: CNY 5 for Entrance Fee; CNY 10 for Yuntai Garden; CNY 10 for Bird Spring Valley Park; CNY 5 for Moxing Ridge; CNY 5 for Guangzhou Forest of Steles; CNY 5 for Peach Blossom Brooklet; CNY 3 for Xinghai Garden
• Cable Car: CNY 25 (upper); CNY 20 (lower); CNY 45 (round-trip)
• Pulley: CNY 20

Guangzhou Yuexiu Park: General Introduction

Yuexiu Park is one of the earliest parks of Guangzhou and is a large-scale comprehensive park. Early back to Nanyue State of Western Han, Yuexiu Mountain had been the place of interest for people at that time. In the modern times, Sun Yat-sen had brought forward to build Yuexiu Mountain a large park. His wish didn’t come true at that time; YuexiuPark was only a small park instead of a large one. After the liberation of Guangzhou, the people’s government realized his fancy. Now Yuexiu Park is a park that is like in spring all the seasons with undulating hills and jade green trees, fulfilled with the thriving life and green charms of subtropical areas. Besides the kinds of historical relics and remains reserved, the newly built paths in the park extend in all directions connecting every scenic spots together.

Yuexiu Park is a park of mountains. It belongs to the ending ranges of Baiyun Mountain, stretching for 3km from the east to the west with an altitude of over 70ms.Yuexiu Park, connecting with Xiaobei Road at the east, linking to Yingyuan Road at the south and neighboring Huanshi Road at the north and facing North Jiefang Road at the west, can be entered through 7 gates including the front gate, the east gate, the south gate and the north gate. The park has a total area of 928,000 m2 including 7 hills of Yuexiu Mountain, Muke Hill, Changyao Hill, Liyutou Hill and Sweet Osmanthus Hill and Beixiu, Nanxiu and Dongxiu 3 artificial lakes. In the park there are pavilions, towers, lofts and water pavilions and five floor buildings and Zhongshan Monument and Five Goat Stone Statue.  And there are large sports playground, natatorium and art gallery etc. This central park of the city of green trees reaching the sky has been regarded as one of the Eight Sceneries of Guangzhou from the past dynasties, for example it had the title of “Autumn Moon of Yuetai” in Yuan Dynasty, “Pine Wave of Yuexiu” in Ming Dynasty, “Tower of Zhenhai” and “Rolling Hills of Yuexiu” in Qing Dynasty and “Overlook of Yuexiu”, “Tower of Yuexiu”, “New View of Yuexiu” in modern times. Key points of interests and historical spots, folk tales, changeable historical situations and monument architectures make Yuexiu Mountain a history museum and a teaching book. However, the numerous flowers and elegant bamboos pleasing to the eyes and full of Lingnan features all over the mountain make Yuexiu Mountain the heaven of flowers: the simals in early spring, cuckoos in late spring, white yulans in April, golden balsamines and morningstar lily in May, banana shrubs and chrysanthemums in autumn, calyx canthus in cold winter and precious plants with the leading one of cycad. When you stand in the vast lawn of Nanxiu, away from the din of downtown area, taking in fresh air as much as you can, you will feel how relaxed and happy to be with nature. Yuexiu Mountain is a delicate card forGuangzhou. Tourists come to Guangzhou for the first time cannot afford not going to Yuexiu Mountain. We can say without exaggeration that one has not really been to Guangzhou if not goes to Yuexiu Mountain.

Guangzhou Yuexiu Park Travel Tips

Admission Fee: CNY5

Opening Hours: 06:00-21:00

The Pearl River is where Guangzhou's scenic spots are. Praises to the beauty of the Pearl River have been 'Red Heart of the Pearl Sea' and 'Night Moon over the Goose Pool', selected in 1962 as of the Eight Sights of Guangzhou, plus the 'Sunlight Reflection at Shimen' of the old Eight Sights of Guangzhou and the recently selected 'Clear Waves of the Pearl River' of the Eight Sights of Guangzhou.

The third largest river in China, the Pearl River measures 2,129 meters in length, with its name deriving from the Haizhu Rock (Sea Pearl Rock). When the thousand-meter long Pearl River went through Guangzhou City, a huge rock island in the center of the river was scoured time and again and became smooth and bright like a pearl, called 'Sea Pearl Rock', hence the name 'Pearl River' for the river with this rock. There is another legend about the naming of the 'Pearl River'. It was said that a Persian businessman stole the valueless pearl of his country and came to auction it in Guangzhou. Since it was the treasure of the nation, the Persian State sent people carrying lots of money to Guangzhou and buy the pearl. When they took out the pearl for appreciation on their way back by ship, the precious pearl flew up suddenly and fell into the river. Later the pearl changed into a huge stone, shinning. People called it Sea Pearl Island, thus the name of the Pearl River.

In fact, the Pearl River is the general name for the river systems of the West River, the North River , the East River and Liuxi River. The West River originates from the Yun (nan) Gui (zhou) Plateau, and the North River and East River from Jiangxi Province, whereas Liuxi River is from the Qixing Ridge at Conghua City. The four rivers joint together in Guangzhou and flow to the South China Sea. As a rule, the Pearl River is called to mean the section of the river traversing Guangzhou proper. As the Pearl River was so wide 2,000 years ago, up to 2,000 meters, so it was also called the 'Pearl Sea'. Later the river narrowed down to 900 meters wide during the Song Dynasty, and it is only 180 meters wide now.

There are 10 bridges over the Pearl River: Renmin, Haizhu, Haiyin, Luoxi, Zhujiang, Guangzhou, and the newly-built Jiefang, Jiangwan, Huanan, Hedong, plus Zhujiang Tunnel, all of which connecting the south and north banks of the Pearl River and Fangcun District. There stand on both banks numerous star-grade hotels and commercial buildings: White Swan Hotel, Hotel Landmark Canton, Nanfang Mansion, Aiqun Hotel, Guangzhou Hotel, Gitic Riverside Hotel , all like sky-scrappers. In the evening, both banks are lit brightly, joined occasionally by the bright moon hanging in the sky. Full of passengers, pleasure boats for Pearl River cruise travel from the west to the east elegantly on the river, like playing happy melodies all together.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Guide, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Tips, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Information. 

Chen Clan Temple, also called “Chen Clan Academy”, is located at Zhongshanqi Road. It began to be constructed in Guangxu Fourteenth Year of Qing Dynasty (1888) and completed in Guangxu Twentieth Year (1890).

Chen Clan Temple faces to the south with the back to the north. The main body of the architecture is generally arranged by the central axis. The two sides of the central axis are halls enclosed by auxiliary rooms and corridors. Single buildings are separated by open lanes, connected by long corridors and intervened by six-yards and eight-porches. In the front of the Temple there is a wide courtyard with an eastern yard and a backyard, the floor area totals to 15,000 m2.

Chen Clan Temple, also called Chen Clan Academy, just as its name implies it was a clan temple and an academy of Chen’s family in the seventy-two counties in Guangdong. It is not only the largest one in size, but also the most abundant and representative one of Lingnan folk architecture decoration arts and crafts among the existing clan temples in Guangdong. It is praised as an art treasury of Lingnan architecture and “The Champion Temple in Guangdong”, and famous at home and abroad. In 1920’s it was reported in the German “World Architecture Arts”, Japanese “Lingnan Report” and other foreign publications, and cried up greatly.

Chen Clan Academy is a collection of Lingnan architecture craftworks and decorations and nearly all halls, yards, corridors, doors, windows, fences, walls, ridges and girders demonstrate the super workmanship of “Three Carvings and Three Moldings” of Lingnan architecture, i. e. stone carving, wood carving, brick carving, pottery molding, clay molding, ash molding and iron casting.

It is generally recognised that the very first mosque in China was in Guangzhou. One of the Prophet Mohammad’s companions named Abu Waggas traveled to Guangzhou along the marine Silk Road. Getting permission from the Tang Dynasty government, the first mosque in China was built by Abu Waggas in Guangzhou and named Huaisheng Mosque. So far, this mosque already has a history of over 1300 years. Local people also call this mosque Guangta Mosque. After Abu Waggas died in Guangzhou, he was buried in Guangzhou and his tomb has become what local Muslims call Muslim Sage’s Tomb.

IslamiChina has summarized the following Guangzhou Muslim travel tips to our Muslim brothers and sisters to travel Guangzhou during a short period of time.

Tour Itinerary Planning

For Muslim Business Travelers

Though Guangzhou is an ancient city, there are not much places to visit in Guangzhou as a matter of fact. If you on business in Guangzhou and have one day off to tour around Guangzhou, you may visit the Memorial Hall of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Yuexiu Park, the Chen Family Temple. After lunch you may perform Salat prayer at Huaisheng Mosque (Guangta Mosque and visit Muslim Sage’s Tomb.

For Muslim leisure travelers

3 Days and 2 Nights Guangzhou Muslim Tour is the best choice for Muslim leisure travelers because this tour itinerary allows you to have enough time to know both Guangzhou’s culture heritages as well as Muslim heritages. You are not in a hurry to get around Guangzhou from one place to another. Please check IslamiChina’s Guangzhou Muslim Tour 3 Days for details.

Accommodations

The 3-star Guangzhou Bostan Hotel is the only hotel in Guangzhou which has a Halal restaurant available for Muslim travelers. Bostan Hotel Guangzhou is centrally located in Tianhe business district, a 3-minute walk from Linhe West Metro Station (Line 3, Exit B). A beauty parlour, 2 Muslim restaurants and 24-hour room service are available. The hotel is situated near Guangzhou East Train Station, where high speed trains to Hong Kong take just 30 minutes. Bostan Hotel Guangdong is 9.6 km from Pazhou Exhibition Centre and 26.6 km from Baiyun International Airport.

Halal Restaurants in Guangzhou

Guangzhou is one of the largest cities in China. Due to the Guangzhou Trade Fair, there are lots of Muslim business men staying in Guangzhou all year round. Halal restaurants can be easily found in Guangzhou including Arabian cuisine, Southeast Asian Cuisine, Turkish Cuisine, local Guangzhou Halal cuisine and Xinjiang Uyhur Cuisine.

Mosques in Guangzhou

Guangzhou Huaisheng Mosque (also named Guangta Mosque) is located near Guangzhou Railway Station. It was built about 1300 years ago by Prophet Mohammad’s companion named Abu Waggas. This mosque is in traditional Guangdong architecture with Arabic interior decorations. The Muslim Sage’s Tomb (tomb for Abu Waggas) also offers prayer places.

Money Exchange

You can exchange traveler's checks or cash at most banks, and most 5-star and 4-star hotels always have a money exchange counter. You can also get a cash advance on your credit card on ATM machine. The exchange rate all over China are the same fixed by Bank of China. To change money, you have to have your passport at hand. If you want to change money in a hotel, you usually have to be a guest there. Sometimes if you are not a guest in a hotel but need to change money there, you can just say a random room number, but this doesn't always work. Remember to keep the exchange slip well because you need this slip to change the Chinese Yuan back to your currency if you do have this need at the end of the tour. At present, the RMB is not exchangeable on the International market, so it is only usable within the country. So when you are changing money, don't change too much, because it is difficult to change back into other currencies. To change RMB back into your home currency, you must retain the exchange slips that are given to you at the bank or money exchange counter.

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