guangzhou

main cities of guangdong: guangzhou, shantou, foshan, shenzhen, zhuhai, shaoguan, zhanjiang

guangzhou is a city with a history of over 2,200 years. here, one can see many old house with traditional cultural flavouring. most of them were built in the late qing dynasty (1644-1911)and in the early period of the people's republic of china (1912-1949).they fall into three categories: traditional (as those in xiguan district, european (as those in shaman island)and quasi-european (as those in dongshan district).

the bamboo section houses have features found only in the area south of the nanling mountains. it has a narrow front, but widens inside. the house is made up of the portal, the hallway, the main room, the dining room, other attached rooms and a courtyard. this type of house is called a "bamboo section house, due to its shape.

the so-called "big old houses” are houses built in the xiguan district of guangzhou by wealthy families in the old days. they are symmetrically structured. from the front to the back are the portal, the hallway, the main hall, the first room, the second hall, and the back room. there is a patio between each hall or room and a garden on one side. the facade is built with greenish gray bricks. in addition to the main wooden door, there is a tanglong (wooden bar sliding door) and a half height outer door. inside one can see hardwood furniture, wood carved ornaments, manchu style windows with stained glass, and many other features of cantonese flavour.

shaman is a small island in the southwest of guangzhou, north of the pearl river. this is land has an oval shape,900 meters long from east to west and 300 meters wide from south to north, with a total area of 2.2square kilometers.

the island was once a british and french concession in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. most of the the houses on this island are three or four storied european style brick and wood structures. the three east-to -west avenues and five south-to-north streets remain the same as during the period of foreign occupation. here one can see huge banyan trees, other lush trees and hear the birds singing. this is indeed a paradise amid the hustle and bustle of the city. recently this island was designated as an "historical site to be protected-"the houses have undergone renovations but maintained their original style.

beginning in 1915, some chinese returning from overseas built or bought houses in the dongshan district of guangzhou-before the establishment of the people's republic of china in 1949, some government officials and army officers also built their residences or offices here. large houses with gardens sprung up, as exemplified by those in xinhepu road. most of them are in a classical western style, but some are in the traditional chinese style. most of these houses have two or three storeys, with varied layouts, some with a garden or court yard in the front or at the back.

enjoying a cup of tea and some good food is part of life in guangzhou. the teahouses (actually restaurants) have varied architectural styles: classical western, traditional chinese, or mixed, which make up a peculiar cantonese feature.

after the reform and opening of the country in the country in the late 1970's, guangzhou became the first city in china to build modern residential apartment building. donghu xinqu is one of the first batches of such apartment coinlexes.

these residential quarters provide all the necessary services to their inhabitants. along with these new style buildings, a new style buildings, a new und of business, specialized estate management companies, have been established to provide service to the inhabitants.

the qilou (overhead structure) first appeared in southern europe and countries mound the mediterranean sea. at the beginning of the twentieth century, when the city government began to widen the roads, this western feature was adapted for use in guangzhou giving birth to the typical qilou buildings. qilou is the protruding overhead part of a building stretching above and over the sidewalk. the qilou each building is linked together, forming a shaded corridor, which keeps off the scorching sun and rain. thanks to such a "big wing"; the shops can open their doors wide to facilitate the shoppers.

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