A City Called Guangzhou
By Luo Tuocao
   
It is said that if you want to get acquaintance with China’s two-thousand-year culture, come to Xi’an; five-hundred-year culture, to Beijing; one-hundred-year culture, to Shanghai; and recent ten-year culture, to Guangzhou.

Guangzhou is not only an international metropolis, but also a dynamic city in the world. Its slogan in the course of biding for the Asian Games - Invigorate Asia, Spark the World - is very dynamic.

Newly-built buildings and various types of fashion products and stores can be found everywhere. The engineering works and metro construction are in progress. The once wide roads are crowded with streams of buses, private cars and taxis and the once noisy city becomes more agitated as it is alive with people.

There is an anonymous quote that a city's young atmosphere will not be kept if it fails to sustain its development?

Who ever granted Guangzhou the name of “the most puzzled city” after being named as “the most sunshine city”, “the most prosperous city”, “the most feminized city”, “the most beautiful city” and “the most popular city”?

Though it is called the most puzzled city, I am still happy to live here with my busy and meaningful life in spite of somewhat dissatisfaction. 

Guangzhou is a high commercialized city. Openness, tough competition, time treasuring, equal opportunity and reform are the life philosophy of people living in Guangzhou. No poetry readings and culture debates can be found here, nor do people have time to enjoy the undisciplined life and the romance of taking a fresh breath in the fine rain. Solid work and action are important to Guangzhou people.

Guangzhou is a traditional city. Despite it enjoys economic growth, advocates scientific knowledge and attaches importance to efficiency, you will find incense burners or shrines at the doorways or house corners, even in the newly built residential area. Incense smoke curls up on every first or fifteen day of the lunar month or in each traditional festival. Guangzhou people attach great importance to the double nine festival and the winter solstice which are forgotten by people of other cities.

It is a city full of people from all parts of the world. As an industrial developed city, it provides many job opportunities with high income, and is a city for business. It is an inclusive city. That is the reason why so many people from all regions and engaged in different sectors rush to Guangzhou. Sichuan restaurants, Hunan restaurants, Chaozhou-Shantou restaurants and restaurants serving northeast cuisine can be found in streets and lanes. Eating in Guangzhou doesn’t only imply eating Cantonese food. More importantly, it emphasizes Guangzhou’s all-inclusive food.

Except for the cuisine in restaurants, Guangzhou snack is very popular. Zhuangyuanfang, Shangxiajiu, Beijing road and the food palace at sixth floor of Teem Plaza are the great place to look for food with Guangzhou characteristics. When you feel tired during shopping, a bowl of turnip with beef strip, a string of field snails, a stick of roasted squid and a box of octopus ball can satisfy you and relieve your fatigue. If you get excessive internal heat, a cup of herbal tea from Huang Zhenlong store or a pot of tasty Wang Lao Ji may help you to reduce fire and quench thirst.

Guangzhou enjoys unique landscape. Though Guangzhou is a busy and bustling city, you will see a new life style in the parks in every morning. Even this park is like a desolate island amid the street crowded with people and vehicles, but its ease and peaceful atmosphere will not be destroyed. The aged are playing Tai Ji, running, training voices, performing sword dance and playing chess and cards in every corner of the park. Besides this, you will see a group of Cantonese opera lovers are singing touching Cantonese operas. As their performances are only for self-entertainment, not for business purposes, they submerge themselves completely in the roles.

Wholesale: Guangzhou has many wholesale streets. The wholesale market near the railway station, boutique and stationery centre in the south of Jiefang Road, Hualin jadeware street, dried seafood street in Yide road, second-hand products market in Dashatou, cloth market in Haiyin, and daily necessities wholesale market in Nantai road are full of people, good and bad. In spite of this, people love to go there because of the cheap products. You will enjoy a wholesale price if you buy more than three pieces.

Compared with people living in the north, people in the south are shorter but and more delicate. So, men in Guangzhou are not tall and big, and not as bold and unconstrained as the men from the north. They are gentle and restrained with pride and enthusiasm. Guangzhou women who go by the name of “housewives” are attentive, virtuous and competent. As a group of fashion trend, Guangzhou people are the representatives of fashion and avant-garde. They dress themselves in style, understand the importance of hairdressing and make the best use of cosmetics. They live in a colorful environment. Who ever said that Guangzhou has no pretty boys and girls? Guangzhou men and women have their own advantages. Guangzhou men know how to make money, care for their families and are very considerate; Guangzhou women are not only beautiful but also good cook. More importantly, they know how to make delicious soups. 

Fashion front: Zhuangyuanfang is a favorite place for students and young people. As the prices are inexpensive, people love to go there to buy clothes, handbags and small and pretty ornaments. Maybe the quality is not as good as you expect, but, don't be particular about the details because the things you buy there today may be out-fashioned tomorrow. Being granted the name of “Zhuangrenfang” (crowed street), there is no off-peak hour there. If you are not willing to join in the battle with the youth, the “fashion frontline” built below the ground of China Plaza and the “mouse street” (street selling reproduced products) next to it are another good choices. There, various types of fashion products will dazzle you eyes. If you want to buy medium-to-high class products, go to Teem Plaza. When you get tired, you can take a rest by drinking a cup of coffee at the coffee shop on the first floor.

Unique interest: Guangzhou people give morning greetings by saying “Did you have morning tea?” If you only take it as tea-drinking, you are wrong. In Guangzhou, this means breakfast. Guangzhou has many restaurants serving morning tea. You will find them in every corner. Morning tea often refers to a bowl of steam rice with pork chop and two dishes of dim sum. Businessmen often make a deal under the friendly atmosphere of the afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is also a good choice for chatting with friends.

Guangzhou, a city of prosperity and vibrancy, everyone come here hoping to find to a miracle.

Spending some time in Guangzhou and you will fall in love with this city by its vitality, enthusiasm and charm.