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Caption: Shamian Island Guangzhou China
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Caption: The heart of Guangzhou's former
European concession—France and England both set up shop on this sandy river island in 1859 toward the end of the Opium Wars—Shamian Island is home to a number of colonial-era buildings, including a restored French Catholic church, Our Lady of Lourdes; its British Protestant complement, the Christ Church Shamian; and many former hotels, embassies, trading houses and residences.
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Caption: The island (actually a permanent sand
bank in the Pearl River) makes for pleasant strolling and sightseeing, with its gardens and tree-lined streets, restaurants, cafes and tea houses. You can stay on Shamian Island, if you wish; there is a youth hostel for backpackers and several hotels provide a higher degree of accommodations, with the five-star White Swan Hotel being a particularly popular hotel among travelers, a number of whom are in Guangzhou to adopt (the US Consulate is next door, making legwork and paperwork easier).
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Caption: Sites Although it is not exactly laden down with landmarks, Shamian Island is a great place to stroll around and unwind. The gardens that stretch down the main boulevard are a great place to wander and take in the sites of the island, and they’re especially popular for wedding photos. But the architecture is unique and really quite beautiful, and there are at least a couple sites worth hunting down. One of the first that you are likely to find is the French Catholic church, (露德圣母堂) located at 14 Shamian Dajie. Completed in 1892, this building was recently renovated as a cultural artifact and is one of the oldest foreign structures in China that is still standing.
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Caption: The French Catholic Church
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Caption: Sites Another site worthy of note is the Art 64# art gallery. Located at 64 Shamian Dajie, this small art venue, in the basement of a local store complex, houses a number of abstract and thought provoking pieces. They also have a number of bilingual art books that are available to read so, if you are looking for a nice atmosphere to escape the hot sun for a little while, Art 64# gallery is a great place to stop.
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Caption: Shamian Island is worth visiting if you travel around Guangzhou. Thank you for reading
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