Tours and holidays with added interest
Guangdong
- Name in Chinese characters: 广东
- Name in Pinyin: Guǎngdōng
- Status: Province
- Capital: Guangzhou
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Location within China
General Overview
Guangdong lies in the far south of China with the enclaves of Hong Kong and Macau attached to its coast. Further west the sub-tropical island province of Hainan lies about 20 kilometres offshore.
The Pearl River Delta area is heavily industrialised with an emphasis on manufacturing. Many migrant workers are attracted here adding to the already cosmopolitan feel.
Attractions For Visitors
Visitors tend to focus on the cities in Guangdong out of necessity. Those heading to or from Hong Kong probably need to pass through either Guangzhou or Shenzhen. More and more now use Guangzhou's new international airport (Airport code: CAN) as the landing fees there are considerably cheaper than at Hong Kong (Airport code: HKG) and flights are therefore more competitive.
Guangzhou has excellent rail links with the rest of China, including both Shanghai and Beijing. There is even a service from here to Lhasa. A high-speed link will soon connect Guangzhou to Guilin - an exciting option for visitors. Contact Us for all the latest developments.
Guangdong does have a number of hot springs though most visitors to China do not see these as essential to the experience. It also has mountains and beaches - but none that can claim pre-eminence.
Kaiping Diaolou
The Kaiping Diaolou are architectural wonders. These structures, unique to the Kaiping townships, were built as watchtowers during the Qing Dynasty. There used to be about 3000 but only just more than half of these still remain. Fortunately, the value of these sites has been recognised by UNESCO and so there is a good chance that the ones still in existence will be kept in a good state of repair.
A visit to the Kaiping Diaolou is highly recommended for photographers, architects and anyone who enjoys something a little bit unusual. Kaiping is only 140 kilometres from Guangzhou so easily visited in a day if you do not fancy staying overnight.
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Current Comments
2 comments so far (post your own)Hi Davy
Yes - they are on the list and they certainly are worth preserving.
You can see the list as far as it applies to China on our page: http://china-journeys.com/China_UNESCO_World_Heritage_Sites.php
The UNESCO listing for the Kaiping Diaolou can be found at: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1112
Posted by China Journeys on Mon 13 Feb, 2012
Are the Kaiping Diaolou on the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST? I firmly believe that these types of structures should be preserved and public access maintained.
Posted by Davy Jones on Mon 13 Feb, 2012