12 May 2007: Guangzhou (Day 2)

We visited the National Park of Sun Yat-Sen's Mausoleum, and were touched by the heroic deeds of the 72 Martyrs who died in their fight against the Manchu dynasty. As a result, we all wore solemn faces at the Park.
Later in the morning, we went to the Guangzhou Museum, and for a history buff like myself, it was definitely a welcome treat. I learnt about the early history of Guangzhou, starting from the Nanyue Kingdom, to the Panyu city, to the Nanhai trade, to the Shi Xie regime, to the links with North Vietnam, to the Canton trade system, and finally to the modern city that we see now. I took many pictures of the relics exhibited at the Museum.

To wrap up the day, we toured the old streets of Guangzhou to catch a glimpse of what life might have been in the past. However, the streets teemed with shops and shoppers, and they displayed a distasteful blend of traditionalism and commercialization.

Should Guangzhou succumb to capitalism and globalization in entirety, then Hong Kong can take over and assume the role of a cultural ballast for the Cantonese and the Chinese as a whole.