Sha mian 沙面

This part of Guangzhou is different for several reasons. The architecture is European style 歐洲式的建築 from the pre-1949 days. In the first photo if you look carefully on the side of the wall, you can see writing on a plaque describing the building’s original inhabitants. (a good exposure I might add considering the contrast in light.) Since the area is old and there has not been a lot of redevelopment, there are a lot of trees as well, which makes for some nice shade 因為有樹蔭所以沒有那麼熱. The second photo is a typical street scene in the area, but very atypical for busy Guangzhou.

Although it is the area probably most visited by foreign visitors to Guangzhou, we have only gone here 2 or 3 times. The American consulate 美國的領事館 is here, probably the biggest in China since I believe it deals with the bulk of visa, status and adoption issues. Also, the famous White Swan hotel 白天鹅宾馆 is here. It is not new. It was a fancy hotel when my wife left China, but they have kept it up quite well. It is still quite nice with a dim sum buffet.