Litchi Bay, Guangzhou, Xiguan style has lasted for more than 2,000 years, and you can only understand Guangzhou after going there

Guangzhou Liwan, since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in May, has touched the hearts of the people across the country. Liwan, formerly known as “Xiguan”, is one of the three old towns in Guangzhou. It is full of traditional Lingnan culture and city life. Liwan is named after “Litchi Bay” with the reputation of “one bay with green water and green lychee on both sides”. It has the reputation of “to appreciate the Lingnan culture in Guangzhou, and you will not be counted as having been to Guangzhou without Liwan.” In addition to experiencing the beauty of the prosperous and fashionable Zhujiang New Town, Liwan is a good place to experience the traditional customs of Guangzhou when traveling in Guangzhou. Tracing back to the history of Liwan, as early as the Ming Dynasty, it was already an important port for China’s foreign trade and cultural exchanges, and it was also the location of the well-known foreign trade port at that time, the Shisanhang. Today, Liwan, as the core area of ​​downtown Guangzhou and the Guangzhou-Foshan metropolitan area, has three important commercial zones with traditional characteristics: “One Street, Two Road”, Shangxiajiu Commercial Pedestrian Street, Kangwang Road and Zhongshan Seventh and Eighth Roads. It has both the antique Lingnan culture and the vivid modern life in the city. Come to Liwan for tourism and feel the customs of Xiguan. The Thirteenth Line, Liwan Square, Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, Xiguan House, Bamboo House, Chen Family Ancestral Hall, Shamian, Litchi Bay, etc. are all good places not to be missed. In particular, Litchi Bay, located in the center of the old city, is a great place to experience Xiguan culture. Litchi Bay, which carries the culture of Xiguan, is divided into the old and the new. In the old days, the former site of Lichi Bay was located near the Rainbow Bridge of Si Ma Chung on Liwan Road. New Litchi Bay refers to the Xiguanyong area around Pantang, which is located from Longjin Road to Duobao Road. It has been called New Litchi Bay since the late Qing Dynasty. Guangzhou’s Litchi Bay has a very long history, dating back to the beginning of Guangzhou’s construction more than 2,200 years ago. In 206 BC, Han Gaozu Liu Bang sent Lu Jia to Guangzhou to persuade Zhao Tuo to surrender. Lu Jia used the current Guangzhou West Village as his resident at that time. Surrounding the mud city and planting flowers, lotus roots and lychees by the river, “Litchi Bay” was named after it and has continued to this day. Litchi Bay has been the place where the wealthy merchants live in Xiguan since ancient times. In the old days, there were gardens, mansions, and houses with flowing water. Every time when the “lichees were red and ripe, among the green trees, like a string, tourists took a boat ride in the river, singing and blowing. “This beauty continued into the early 1950s. Later in the 1940s, with the expansion of Guangzhou’s urban area, the urban population increased sharply, and Litchi Bay was reduced to a place where vegetable farmers and poor people lived, and the scenery was no longer there. Later, in order to welcome the Guangzhou Asian Games, Litchi Bay began to renovate in April 2010, bringing the once dilapidated Litchi Bay to a new life and recreating the beauty of Xiguan in the past. Today, it is the most popular tourist attraction in Guangzhou. Visiting Litchi Bay, strolling along the banks of the river, you can see arch bridges and flowing water houses, and various old-fashioned Lingnan traditional buildings are distributed in the meantime, which makes people feel like they have traveled to the old times of Xiguan. There are a variety of shops and restaurants on both sides of the river, selling a dazzling variety of Xiguan delicacies, as well as all kinds of traditional snacks that you have not eaten. They are very popular among foodies. Today’s Litchi Bay shows the style of Xiguan everywhere, strolling among the quaint Lingnan water villages, looking at the quaint old buildings, tasting the tempting famous snacks, listening to the sweet Cantonese opera…not only by tourists. Welcome, and it has become a popular place for local residents to enjoy daily leisure and entertainment. The Liwan Grand Theatre here occasionally staged excerpts brought by Cantonese opera fanciers. With the pleasing Cantonese opera, visiting Lizhiwan really has a special charm. When the epidemic is over, everyone can feel the Xiguan style of Litchi Bay.[Original works, reprinting is prohibited, infringement must be investigated]Please pay attention to me and share more exciting trips with you