Reachable by line 6 through stations Cultural Park for the east entrance and Huangsha for the west entrance. As usual you can also take a taxi.
Note: You can download either Baidu Maps or Amap and navigate through the buttons below. You can also directly order a taxi through the App. Learn more in this Guide.
Shamian Island (沙面島)
This Sandbank on the pearl river is located close to central Guangzhou and once was given to French and British traders by the Qing government. The french and british divided Shamian it into two concessions from 1859 to 1943. It was home to trade offices and buildings from the United States, France, Holland, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Japan. Each build stone mansions along the waterfront, which gives Shamian its now unique European flair.
The buildings include a French catholic as well as a British protestant church from which both are still active.
Before its colonial history, this old part of Guangzhou was home to many boat people who lived on and near the sandy surface.
After its colonial history, Shamian became a integrated part of Liwan district in Guangzhou and is now home to residential houses, hotels, offices and schools. Not to forget restaurants and cafes as the historical buildings and the large alleys with lots of green spaces are a major attraction for tourist visiting Guangzhou.
While Shamian as a major attraction in Guangzhou, for both locals and Tourist, can be very crowded on the weekends, it is very calm and relaxing to visit and stroll through this historic neighbourhood of Guangzhou on a weekday.
