After morning pickup from your Guangzhou hotel, your guide takes you to your first destination, the Chen Clan Temple.
Built in the 1890s for ancestral worship, the Chen Clan Temple features fine wood, brick and ivory carvings and elaborate interior beams and columns. The building now houses the Guangdong Folk Art Museum, which displays examples of superb Cantonese craftsmanship, such as traditional Chinese ink and embroidery designs, rare prints and ceramics.
Next up, travel in your private vehicle to the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King. Situated on Xianggang Hill, the Nanyue Royal Tomb sits 65 feet (20 meters) underground. Its seven chambers are filled with more than 1,000 burial artifacts. Discover the secrets of the large tomb complex as your guide shares details about artifacts like King Zhao Mo’s burial garment, made from more than 2,000 pieces of jade connected by silk thread.
Stop for lunch at a local restaurant, then visit Six Banyan Temple, which dates to 537. The main hall enshrines three copper Buddha statues. Each stands 20 feet (6 meters) high, the largest of their kind in Guangdong Province. Then stroll around the 184-foot (56-meter) tall Flower Pagoda to admire colorful exterior carvings and the decorative copper top piece, cast in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
For your final stop, head to Shamian Island, an islet flanked by the Pearl River and White Goose Pool. In the mid-19th century, the island became an enclave for prosperous expat traders who built Western-style mansions and churches there. Today it houses fashionable cafes and boutiques, and many of the colonial mansions are beautifully restored.
At the end of your 8-hour tour, your guide drops you off at your Guangzhou hotel.
