The first point of our trip was Hong Kong. As it turned out, from Kiev it is most convenient to fly to this city. We took advantage of Kazakhstan Airlines “Air Astana” in the direction of Kiev-Almaty, Almaty-Hong Kong ($ 650 round-trip) with a connection toAlmatyat 19 hours. It is interesting that this transplant gave a very unexpected opportunity to explore the largest megalopolis of Kazakhstan for yourself (if you are in Almaty, do not especially stay in the city itself and immediately go to the mountains).
Visa
Ukrainians are entitled to a two-week visa-free stay in Hong Kong. The main thing is to fill out a form with your data before leaving for the airport or already after passing through passport control.
Although there is one “but”: when you go to mainland China, you will already need a visa. There are several types of tourist visas to China, however, we made an ordinary tourist type L with the right to enter the republic for 30 days (cost $ 70).
As it turned out, the process of preparing documents for a visa is not as terrible as they say: we found the information we need and examples of questionnaires on the embassy’s website, we filled out, printed out, reviewed Youtube reviews and drove them to the consulate. 7 days and stamps are already in our passports!
Guangzhou
Getting to one of the largest cities in China is easy – 40 minutes by high-speed train from Hong Kong – and you are at your destination (fare ¥ 215 or $ 31). You leave the railway station and immediately feel: you are in another world. Hieroglyphs are exclusively everywhere (without translation into English), units also understand the language. Everything here is different, from car brands to social networks that don’t work there at all.
It is quite easy to find and book accommodation in Guangzhou: the city has many hostels, hotels and other apartments. The cost of housing starts at $ 20 per night. Considering the fact that our company consisted of 4 people, we found and booked on Airbnb a whole house directly in the city, with all amenities and – most importantly – close to the metro. Housing cost $ 70 per day – in general, a fairly favorable offer for a group of friends.
“You leave the railway station and immediately feel: you are in another world”
The main mode of transport in Guangzhou is the subway. You buy a token in the automatic machine, after selecting the station, attach it to the turnstile, go, and already at the exit from the station you need, you get rid of it, again throwing it into the turnstile. The cost of the trip depends on its duration – the interval between stations. In addition, at the entrance to the subway, get ready to constantly check your backpack and other things through a metal detector. At first, this whole process seems uncomfortable and a little annoying, but nowhere else have I felt so safe as in China. It doesn’t matter – at 8 a.m. or 2 a.m., whether you’re coming with expensive equipment in a backpack (on your neck or in your hands) or not. Does not matter. The crime rate here is demonstrably low and this cannot but please you as a tourist.
Guangzhou is a metropolis with skyscrapers, business centers and shopping malls. Modern and futuristic Guangzhou is concentrated in the area of Tianhe e (Tianhe) . Here you truly feel all the power, energy and capabilities of the Republic of China. My head does not fit how you can build buildings with such forms. All this is decorated with green gardens with dozens of plants and trees, lakes and paths. Perfect cosmos. In addition, the park offers views of the Canton Tower, the second tallest tower in the world, against which most tourists take the same shots, as if holding it or leaning on it.
Canton Tower is a must visit in the evening. Unfortunately, we did not go to the very top, but, as they say, the best view of it opens from the hotel on the top floor of the business center, located on the opposite side of the river.
Shawan ancient town of Panyu (Fubei Rd, Panyu Qu, Guangzhou Shi, Guangdong Sheng)- Village museum in the open. To get there, you can take a taxi from Shiqiao Subway Station and drive directly to the village. Shawan ancient town of Panyu is a place where you seem to be transported 800 years ago. Temples, houses, streets – everything has retained its original appearance and style. I have not visited such an open-air museum. The museum village in which people live, shops, cafes and life is in full swing. During our visit, a rehearsal of a Chinese folk ensemble was held in one of the museum premises, the songs of which we listened with open mouths, without understanding a single word. A little later, when we were in one of the temples, it started to rain – you won’t believe it, the most beautiful, warmest and unobtrusive rain in my life, I wanted to take every drop of it while walking under these clouds. In places like this, time stops.
There is another unique place in Guangzhou where you can feel like in Europe – the island of Shamian (Shamian Island) . Walking area with streets wide and unusual for China, Catholic churches, European-style residential buildings and a large number of different plants. On the terrace of the European Starbucks, they will not only understand your English, but also offer a delicious filter coffee to buy.
Vegetarian Restaurant Carefree Vegetarian Restaurant (1 / F, No.54 Shamian Main Street, Liwan District, Guangzhou) is opened on Shamien Island , where you can gain new experience by tasting Chinese veggie cuisine in its widest variety and huge portions. I strongly recommend ordering local soups, as they literally boil on your table.
Bei Jing Road is a long street in Guangzhou, where you will go anyway, as all roads converge here. By the way, here you can not only try the local street food, but also taste Japanese, Korean and other cuisines.
Shaoguan
The next point of our trip was the city where our friends live and work – Shaoguan (韶关). You can get here by high-speed train from Guangzhou (fare ¥ 104 – $ 15). Shaoguan gives the most eloquent picture of the life of a medium-sized Chinese city, where there are no futuristic high-rise buildings, and usually tourists do not stay here for a long time. However, like any other city, Shaoguan is also ready to amaze and amaze you.
One day is enough to feel the mood of this city, take a walk through the parks, climb the highest point of the city – in Shaoguan National Forest Park , see the local tower, made in a simple Chinese style, and try the local cuisine. In the evening, grandparents, adults and children gather on the promenade – they dance to folk or modern songs, engage in sports exercises at special venues. Frankly, I have never seen such a thing. In my opinion, it is people and their way of life that are the main feature of these places. You come to the street food market where no one understands you, but everyone with a wide smile tries to help and understand: which durian you want to choose or what interests you as a whole.
