Life Is Worth Living, but Good Food Is Even More Worth It

Foreword

Guangdong, my mother’s ancestral home, has always been a place I longed to visit. But I always thought life is long, a foodie destination like this could wait. Later I realized, life isn’t that long, and the time I can spend with my parents is slipping away. So I insisted on taking a culinary trip to Guangdong this year!

Just before departure, I happened to read a book called "Life Is Worth Living." Many things I couldn’t quite figure out or let go of before started to settle. Eat well, live well; life is worth living—and good food is even more worth it!

This trip involved five adults and one child. The more people, the more dishes you can order! Here's an updated itinerary:

Tips:

1. Try to book dinner at 7 p.m. because you’ll be eating a lot every day; leave your stomach some time to digest!

2. If possible, make reservations in advance to avoid queuing. Some places even let you pre-order dishes.

3. Consider booking a hotel that doesn’t include breakfast—having morning tea in Guangzhou is too important to miss!

4. Travel with companions; more people means you can try more food!

11/21 Take off, the food adventure begins!

Two groups flew from different airports, both with flight delays, but ended up arriving at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport only 15 minutes apart.

I was amazed by the China Southern flight—even economy class was great! Two hours flew by!

The “Mahjong Girl” successfully turned Mom into a mahjong lady, haha! She had an absolute blast!

Guangzhou airport at night, vibrant and colorful!

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

Accommodation: We booked this hotel for cheapness and convenience. Ended up with 8–9 bites on my face overnight. Totally toxic. My eyelids were swollen the next day—see for yourself. My whole face was puffy.

11/22 Huang Feihong, your Thirteenth Aunt has arrived!

Woke up early, picked up the car at Guangzhou airport, and headed downtown. Breakfast near the airport was nothing special, so we chose the Guangzhou Restaurant in the city center—a time-honored teahouse with a great reputation.

Let me especially mention this "Eight-treasure sweet vinegar pig trotter ginger." Super, super sweet. Even as a Shanghai native, I got overwhelmed by the sweetness. Be prepared before you try it.

Nong Tang Old Restaurant: A rustic name. You can reserve a table and even pre-order soups here. Their specialty is rich broth, simmered for 3–4 hours.

All kinds of tonic broths, I couldn’t make head or tail of the ingredients—just knew there were tons of varieties. Take your pick.

It gets really hot near the stoves; the staff work incredibly hard every day.

On the phone, I couldn’t quite catch the other soup names, so I chose a fish soup. Later I found out it’s Chinese pearl barley and kudzu root soup with mud carp, good for quenching thirst and reducing internal heat. While waiting at the table, I saw the staff lift the clay pot from the stove, scoop out the barley, kudzu, and fish with a large strainer, add seasoning, and serve. One pot is enough for many to share.

The rich, thick soup—my first taste of its deep savory flavor. A soup that doesn’t leave you thirsty after drinking. Since the pot was too big to finish, we packed the rest in a thermos.

Ingredients on display in the restaurant.

Another specialty here—roast goose and tofu. The roast goose was a bit greasy. Later I realized Cantonese roast goose tends to be oily; maybe that’s the signature of "deep well" style roast goose? The tofu was well-flavored yet didn’t break apart—impressive!

Foshan street scenes. I keep wondering why Foshan residents install burglar bars no matter how many floors they have. Is this some local custom?

Burglar bars on every house, puzzling.

Foshan Ancestral Temple, in Chancheng District, Foshan, Guangdong Province. First built during the Yuanfeng years of the Northern Song Dynasty (1078–1085), rebuilt in 1372 during the Ming Dynasty, it gradually became a fully structured, tightly ordered temple complex with strong local flavor by the early Qing Dynasty. The temple venerates the Taoist deity Xuanwu. The Ancestral Temple Museum is a folk museum combining Ming and Qing architectural art with Foshan’s traditional culture, including the ancient temple complex, Confucius Temple, Huang Feihong Memorial Hall, and Yip Man Hall.

Master Huang, do you think my bone structure is special enough to learn martial arts?

"Po Chi Lam" was a medicine shop, an important place where Huang Feihong practiced medicine, helped the world, and took on many disciples. Po Chi Lam means "when the treasured sword is drawn, the orchid grass forms a forest." In August 1924, the Guangzhou National Government suppressed a merchant corps riot, and "Po Chi Lam" was caught up and burned down.

My childhood impression of Foshan came from movies about Huang Feihong and his Thirteenth Aunt. Never imagined that one day I'd become a Thirteenth Aunt, strolling to Po Chi Lam.

There are three performances a day at the Huang Feihong Memorial Hall: 10:00–10:40, 14:15–14:55, 15:30–16:10.

The professional lion dance team puts on quite a show, but they try to sell souvenirs to tourists, which I’m not a fan of.

At the exit, there’s a little lion too. Wanna compare?

Shops that alter clothes like this are hard to find in Shanghai nowadays.

Originally we planned a health-nourishing banquet, but chatting, someone mentioned snake feast is also a big feature in Foshan. So we switched to this place. Rong Ji specializes in snake banquets—whether fried, stir-fried, baked, or pan-fried, they bring out the unique taste of snake. After eating, we felt it was worth every penny!

Rong Ji 18 Palms · Snake Banquet Specialist

Tea charges are cheap, total price isn’t high, and they offer set meals. Truly great value. I recommend the Rong-style snake triple-boil, generous portion and super flavorful, one dish enough for three people. Also the grilled snake—first time having grilled snake, so novel and delicious!

Rong Ji 18 Palms · Snake Banquet Specialist receipt

11/23 Have a bowl of freshly boiled congee, I’m coming, Shunde!

Headed early to Youji Restaurant (Jinyu Street branch). It’s open, but Cantonese dishes are only for lunch and dinner; in the morning they make fresh raw-boiled congee and rice noodle rolls. Unsure what congee to get, I looked over the abundant toppings and immediately had an appetite!

Congee with assorted meats & beef rice noodle rolls, all freshly made on the spot, superbly tasty!

Once again, a building covered in burglar bars.

Nanfeng Ancient Kiln, located in Shiwan, the famous southern pottery capital, combines tourism, sightseeing, production, craft learning, research, participation, and shopping. Inside the scenic area are nationally protected cultural relics, the Nanfeng Ancient Kiln and Gao Kiln, known as living fossils of ceramics, whose kiln fires have burned for 500 years without interruption—a rare sight worldwide, recorded in the Guinness World Records. The area also includes the Lin Family Hall, Gao Temple Side Hall (both city-level protected sites), and attractions like the giant ceramic mural "Ancient Town Pottery Origin History Picture," Auspicious Dragon Offering Treasure, Kiln-end Workshop, Ancient Kiln Image, Ancient Kiln Banyan Breeze, and Ancient Kiln Workshop.

Foshan characteristic "lion dance" ceramic ornaments.

The scenic area has many shops selling DIY pottery. Outside, birds sing amid flowers, and the sunlight feels warm and cozy.

Unknown flowers blooming beautifully.

A super fun couplet!

An old uncle very focused on making his artwork.

You shoot your Snoopy, I’ll shoot you!

Little pigeon, look at me!

Says “daily mail,” but staff told us it can’t be used, don’t drop letters… um…

Small pottery ornaments, an adorable mini clay pot!

Even today, the chimney is still in use, and they still fire ceramics there.

Drunken Goose Delight · Auntie’s Private Kitchen: Another internet-famous spot, located in a small village in Shunde. Visitors come in a constant stream; tables turn over fast. We reserved ahead, so no worries!

A goose pot with all sorts of vegetables and fixings, really hearty and delicious. Plus a pot of soup—280 yuan in total.

Found Hello e-bikes in Shunde. So envious!

In the afternoon we went to the Shunde Museum, passing the library on the way. Quite a few kids were borrowing books; the atmosphere was great.

True to its name as a city of gastronomy, the museum also focuses on food.

The elegant and grand Shunde Museum.

After the museum, we wanted to try Shunde’s famous afternoon treat—double-skin milk. Strolled along Huagai Road Pedestrian Street. The price of small green mandarins was calculated per 50 grams—good stuff is expensive indeed.

Daliang Huagai Road Pedestrian Street

We ordered various double-skin milk desserts, but the elders thought sweets were just okay, so we didn’t linger.

There’s another shop next door, Minxin Old Store. Actually, first-time visitors probably can’t tell the difference between the two. I just go to the one that looks less crowded.

Walking back to the hotel, we found another internet-famous spot. The line was long and it smelled amazing, but we were way too full to try any.

Ximei Five-Spice Beef Offal

I peeked inside—smelled good, and the meat looked great. Worth a try.

And here comes the highlight! This might just be the crown jewel of our Shunde trip. If you can only eat at one place in Shunde, absolutely this one—Pork Grandma!!!! This restaurant is huge. Even though I booked ahead, I didn’t expect it to be this big, with several buildings and even fountains.

At first, I just spotted it on a review app and called to reserve. They told me the 5 p.m. seating was fully booked but we could take 7 p.m. That was fine, so we locked it in. I also pre-ordered their signature Ginkgo Pork Tripe Soup.

Almost all restaurants in Guangzhou charge a tea fee, but the tea leaves aren’t bad.

Cantonese soup is loaded with ingredients—almost a dish in itself.

The kid’s focus on the soup is so serious, haha.

Signature Roche shrimp, sold per piece, minimum order four. Really big and flavorful, but the price stings a bit.

Steamed beef balls with 20-year aged tangerine peel. The impressive thing is the 20-year tangerine peel (380 yuan for 50 grams!). The portion was generous—five people each having to eat two was a challenge.

Salted oil rice. Looks plain at first glance but is a dark horse! When it arrived, I thought it was just plain claypot rice, feeling silly for ordering it. After tasting, I had to eat my words. Just a bit of ginger mixed in, and instantly it became an addictive delight. So good, I had two bowls.

So many celebrities have visited here!

Specialty products are sold at the entrance. I bought the rice used in the salted oil rice, it’s truly unforgettable. But it’s hard to replicate that restaurant taste at home—can’t get the fire control right.

Such huge Roche shrimp.

Twenty-year aged tangerine peel… the price is something else.

11/24 Eating while playing to digest better!

Felt like attending a wedding banquet—a huge hall, endless stream of people. We didn’t arrive too late, but already got one of the last tables.

Flavors were just right—appealing to the eye, nose, and palate. Nothing was bad.

Red bean matcha pastry. Not exactly a traditional dim sum, but absolutely delicious. Order it!

Tip: If you come early, you can request a non-smoking section. Come late… just be happy to have a seat.

We came to Shunde to eat, but when we overeat, we need a little exercise. So here’s Ronggui Fisherman’s Wharf. It was originally the "Shunde Food Import and Export Company," the most glorious grain export station of Ronggui in the 1960s. Outside the company was the Ronggui Food Export Dock, short for "Food Export Wharf." Back then, Shunde’s fruits, vegetables, meats, and other agricultural products were loaded onto ships here and shipped continuously to Hong Kong for sale.

The graffiti walls are beautiful!

By the Desheng River in Ronggui, a row of freshly repainted old factory buildings still bears historical traces, but now the people coming and going are not transport workers or sailors of the past, but tourists lingering around and young people seeking leisure and entertainment.

Cute cats!

Across the way there’s a creative park and all sorts of unique restaurants.

Japanese-style restaurant.

We planned two lunches—too many must-eat places! One was the claypot rice we wanted to try: Hongxing Guangfa Claypot Rice.

Five of us ordered two pots. Because it’s made to order, we waited over half an hour. The place was packed. Beef and egg claypot.

We shared so we could save room for the next meal!

Make sure you find the right shop!

We arrived a bit late, already 1:30 p.m. Look closely, the kid is asleep in the photo… At first, I thought the broth would be some secret recipe or long-simmered stock. To my surprise, it was just a pot of plain water… totally unexpected.

Qinghui Garden, on Qinghui Road, Daliang Town, Shunde District, Guangdong Province. A Lingnan-style garden originally built in the Ming Dynasty, covering 22,000 square meters. It’s one of the "Four Great Lingnan Gardens" alongside Yuyin Shanfang, Liang Garden, and Keyuan. Our hotel was nearby, so I took the chance to wander while everyone was napping.

Joining the "Xuexi Qiangguo" app group gets you 20% off.

The window glass has a strong Lingnan style.

These koi must have eaten a lot.

A close-up of the patterns on the glass.

I sent myself a postcard.

On the way back to the hotel, I saw a shop selling ceramic jars and purple clay pots—so nostalgic.

Couldn’t resist and stopped at another cow’s milk shop.

Cow’s milk chips… I couldn’t get used to them, so I didn’t buy any.

Dinner was another internet-hit restaurant. Maybe because yesterday’s Pork Grandma was just too good, but this one felt like a different league (ambiance, size, taste, etc.).

Shuixiantou Private Kitchen

Though called a private kitchen, some dishes overlapped with Pork Grandma, so we ordered things we hadn’t tried. This is sandworm… at first glance it looked a bit gross, but it’s really tender.

Clam meat lettuce wrap, similar to northern-style stuffed pancakes, but I didn’t expect the texture to be so good. The chili wasn’t hot; I polished off three or four by myself!

The sixth meal of the day, finishing with turtle jelly!

11/25 Back to Guangzhou, to see the Slim Waist

Another morning tea place—life in Guangdong is so happy!

Same old-style restaurant, but this time we got a private room (shared one). The neighboring table smoked; a bit unbearable…

Really fair prices! Since we’d had loads of meat the past few days, this morning we felt like congee.

Another sight added to help digestion. The park is free, spacious, a great place for locals to take a stroll and exercise.

Originally we wanted to have fish sashimi, but when we arrived, the shop owner said there was a power outage and they couldn’t operate that day. We switched plans—in Shunde, no fear of missing good food, haha!

Xingtan Fair Ping Liang Zheng

Tripe in congee turned out a bit tough; maybe we didn’t cook it right.

After lunch, we drove back to Guangzhou. It was still early, so we visited the former site of the Whampoa Military Academy. The Whampoa Military Academy was the first modern Chinese military school for training revolutionary army officers, and one of the most famous military schools in modern Chinese history. It produced many renowned commanders in the War of Resistance against Japan and the Chinese Civil War. Its most famous graduates came from the first six cohorts during the first period of KMT-CPC cooperation. The academy was founded to train officers for the National Revolution and became the main military force of the Nationalist Government’s Northern Expedition. Tip: The museum is closed on Mondays; you can only see the exterior.

The Slim Waist (Canton Tower)!

We chose the Home Inn Business Hotel; the interior setup was great.

Roadworks were happening when we visited; lots of dust at the entrance. If you’re sensitive, pick carefully.

Waiting in the hotel for Dad to finish check-in…

Near the hotel, we didn’t waste any opportunity to eat and drink… if not eating, then on the way to eat… that perfectly sums up this trip.

Minhua Ice Room, an internet-famous spot known for its "Heartbreak Rice" (char siu rice). Arrived at 4 p.m. and still had to queue… but only about ten minutes, acceptable.

The shop is full of childhood toys.

Because it was so popular, we shared a table.

Dinner we reserved at Bing Sheng Tasting. Since we’d already had a meal at Minhua, we booked for 7 p.m. Parking available nearby, and the restaurant is impressive.

Made up for the lunch disappointment—fish sashimi, similar to Japanese sashimi. The fish is priced by weight, sliced extremely thin, served with various condiments for a rich, layered taste.

Even the crème brûlée was yummy!

The Slim Waist at night~

11/26 Heading home, but still gotta eat!

Today we fly back, so we got up early for Dian Du De. We asked the hotel in advance and picked a branch that opened a bit earlier. You can choose according to where you stay; there are tons of Dian Du De in Guangzhou! Tip: There are many morning tea spots, like Tao Tao Ju (there’s one right inside Baiyun Airport); you can look up others too. We chose Dian Du De mainly because the lines in Shanghai are crazy long…

Stir-fried rice noodles with beef—in the early morning! What’s with eating a main dish at this hour?

Four-color shrimp dumplings, beautiful colors and presentation.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

Claypot rice at the airport, truly a Guangdong specialty! In Sichuan, it’d probably be hot pot… haha.

Afterword: My first trip centered around "eating." I have to say, eating is a young person’s game—my parents felt too stuffed and needed to walk it off… So, travel while you’re young; don’t think strolling around a city can wait until retirement. Get going, youngsters!