A Family Trip Part 1: Guangzhou ~ Shunde – Encounter the Animal Kingdom, Immerse in Lingnan Culture, and Savor Cantonese Delights

📍 Guangzhou · 👁 10 reads · ❤️ 567 likes

In the blink of an eye, our baby is three years old~~~

Now entering the stage of learning and education, traveling to see the world has naturally become one of the must-do activities~~~

I worried for quite a while about where to take our little one on a long trip~~~

Not too many attractions, convenient transportation, fun and food for the child, and ideally a place that also broadens horizons a bit???

After weighing many options, we finally chose the beautiful City of Rams – Guangzhou, and a side trip to Shunde ~~~ Haha

The specific itinerary was as follows:

Day 1: Fly from Beijing to Guangzhou, check into Chimelong Hotel

Day 2: Chimelong Safari Park – Grand Circus

Day 3: Guangzhou (Chimelong Safari Park) – Shunde (Fisherman's Wharf), check into Home Inn Plus Hotel

Day 4: Shunde (Qinghui Garden) – Guangzhou, check into Jumeirah Hotel – night cruise on the Pearl River

Day 5: Canton Tower – K11 Art Mall

Day 6: Fly from Guangzhou to Beijing

Let me kick things off with a few gorgeous photos to whet your appetite!!!

When people thought of Guangzhou before, food was the first thing that came to mind~~~

But now, aside from devouring all kinds of delicacies, there’s another reason to come to Guangzhou – Chimelong~~~

It's fair to say Chimelong has become a must-visit spot in Guangzhou, where both adults and kids can find their own slice of joy!!!

So I really wanted to come and experience it myself.

We took an afternoon flight to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, then grabbed a taxi straight to check into Chimelong Hotel......

A bird's-eye view of the Pearl River nightscape and the "Little Waist" (Canton Tower) from the plane

Checked into Guangzhou Chimelong Hotel

Before the trip I had read tons of guides, weighed pros and cons against our family's situation, and finally chose to stay at Chimelong Hotel, enter through the North Gate, and exit at the South Gate – no backtracking...... (Of course you could also enter from the South Gate)

Early in the morning we headed straight to the hotel breakfast room. Surprisingly, even on the first day of the National Day holiday it wasn't very crowded; a table right beside the flamingos was still free. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast, ready to kick off a full day of zoo exploration~~~

Entering from the North Gate was mainly to hop straight onto the little train. We were really lucky – hardly any queue, waited just 10 minutes and got on, even snagging the very first row (PS: Sitting on the right-hand side of the train lets you see more animals).

The little train goes through eight stops: Australian Forest, American Jungle, West Asian Desert, South Asian Rainforest, European Mountains, Wild Zone, South African Plateau, and East African Grassland. The loop takes about ten-odd minutes, yet you can effortlessly cross five continents and see rare wild animals from all over the world. And encountering animals this up-close, experiencing each continent's pristine landscapes – it’s a wonderful experience not only for kids but for adults too. It truly shatters the childhood zoo memory of just watching animals move and eat inside cages......

After the train ride, which brings you back where you started, you still need to walk through all the themed zones and pavilions. Along the way you’ll pass the Jurassic Forest, Golden Snake Realm, Tiger Hill, Giraffe Plaza, Koala House, Asian Elephant Garden, Panda Village, South American Discovery, African Discovery, and finally the Panda 4D Cinema.

We pretty much followed this route, strolling casually; if our child liked something we lingered longer, if not, just passed through quickly. Recommended spots: Giraffe Plaza, Asian Elephant Garden, Panda Village. Of course, some stops have animal shows (check the schedule), which are also worth catching.

But every single attraction exit inevitably leads into a shopping arcade. You see kids dragging parents to buy this and that, or full-blown tantrums. I understand that running such a huge operation needs to turn a profit, but having so many sales points (and the merchandise inside is all more or less the same, not like at Disney or Universal where each land has its own themed products) really spoils the experience! (Just my personal opinion, no offence meant.)

At the 4D Cinema you can watch a 4D film about the panda triplets (Meng Ku Shuai) "Looking for Dad". I found the storyline fairly standard, playing the "family card", but it still appeals to kids. The special effects were actually very good, definitely worth experiencing!!!

Right next to the 4D Cinema there’s a children’s playground with unlimited rides (bumper cars, carousel, etc.), and the kids had a total blast there~~~

After covering all that ground, not just the kid but we adults were completely worn out. So we decisively hopped onto the loop cable car at that moment – both to take in the whole safari park from a different angle and to grab a bit of rest and recharge ...... Since we were on the circular route, we eventually exited via the South Gate, wrapping up the day’s tour.

As night fell, we rallied and headed off to see the Grand Circus~~~

It’s just a short walk from Chimelong Hotel, crossing one street to reach the circus entrance~~~

At first I was a bit anxious: would our kid fidget or not make it through the entire hour-plus show???

Turns out my worry was completely unfounded. From start to finish the child stood with rapt attention, thoroughly excited, and even clapped and cheered along with the audience at the thrilling parts~~~

This circus performance truly deserves to be called "breathtakingly thrilling" and "enchanting beyond compare"~~~

One of the most famous sayings goes: "Eat in Guangzhou, chefs come from Fengcheng" – and Fengcheng here refers to Shunde!

So it goes without saying that the whole point of coming to Shunde came down to one single word: "EAT"......

And rest assured, Shunde’s cuisine will never disappoint your taste buds~~

We seemed to have spent two days in Shunde, but doing the careful math, including one afternoon tea, we only actually had four meals in total ......

So we had to seize these four chances ~~~ picking and choosing again and again ......

We took a private car from Chimelong Safari World to our hotel in Shunde (Home Inn Plus Hotel – Foshan Shunde Daliang Passenger Terminal Fengcheng Food City store). It took about 50 minutes, really close ~~~

After a quick rest at the hotel, we set out to hunt for food!

Shunde Meal #1 (Afternoon Tea): Minxin Old Shop – Double Skin Milk

It’s a time-honoured establishment, so it was packed. I recommend getting an e-queue number in advance.

Two storeys, with not that many seats, and an interior styled in a charming vintage way.

Original Coconut Stewed Milk

Original Shunde Double Skin Milk

We basically sampled all their signature items.

Overall the texture was very rich; they’re made primarily with buffalo milk.

As northerners, we still found things a little too sweet, so we also ordered a fried chicken wing to balance out the sweet kick – the flavour was spot on! Haha~~~

Shunde Meal #2 (Dinner): Xunwei Shunde · Zhenzhibao Yupin – Shunde Raw Fish

After a bellyful of sweet, luscious desserts from afternoon tea~~~

We had to go into full-on power-walking mode to burn off those calories ......

We headed to a Shunde social-media-hotspot – Guirong Fisherman's Wharf

It feels a bit like a creative culture park,

with lots of graffiti on the buildings, really photo-worthy ......

There are also many stalls selling various little trinkets, accessories, and so on~~~

Taking a stroll along the riverbank in the evening was just so pleasant and comfortable ......

Because of the holiday, every eatery at the Fisherman's Wharf was jam-packed. We really didn’t want to queue, so we just searched on an app for a highly rated restaurant nearby – Xunwei Shunde · Zhenzhibao Yupin

And far from being disappointed,

we found the flavours absolutely superb!!!

Black Truffle Soup Dumpling

And next, this meal’s special recommendation – Shunde Raw Fish~~~

Although I’m not a fan of raw food and only ever touch salmon in Japanese meals,

raw fish is one of Shunde’s signature dishes.

It would be a shame to miss it!

So “since you’re here, just eat it” ~~~

First of all, the way you eat it is quite unique – you mix it together with seven or eight kinds of condiments ~~~

The texture is very crisp, without any fishy taste (probably thanks to all those condiments).

For me, raw fish wasn’t earth-shattering, just something to try, haha!!!

What I totally fell for was this salt-and-pepper fish bone – completely beyond my expectations, one word: “fragrant”

The flavour is absolutely not your simple deep-fried food vibe ......

Please forgive my inability to find words for just how delicious this was!!!

Shunde Meal #3 (Breakfast): Long’s Restaurant – Savoring Shunde Morning Tea

Since we had gone straight to Chimelong upon arriving in Guangzhou, the first two days’ breakfasts were just at the hotel. So we hadn’t yet had a proper authentic morning tea.

For our first proper Cantonese morning tea we chose Long’s Restaurant, not far from the hotel.

My verdict: authentic taste, generous portions, reasonable prices (the latter two points come from comparing with morning tea places back in Guangzhou later).

No more babbling, let the pictures speak for themselves

The entrance (it really doesn’t look like a morning tea place, hehe)

Business was booming – if you come late you’ll have to wait for a table!!

Traditional self-order system

Crispy Shunde Lunjiao Cake

The kid was absolutely loving it ~~~

Clutching a steamed BBQ pork bun

Look how much we ordered – and that’s actually just a tiny fraction of their menu ......

Another gorge-inducing meal,

to anyone trying to lose weight: do NOT come to Guangzhou or Shunde ......

Next, let me take you through Qinghui Garden, one of Guangdong’s Four Great Gardens

Qinghui Garden is one of Shunde’s most famous sights (I believe it’s 4A-rated).

It was originally built in the Ming Dynasty. The garden isn’t vast, but it has everything – pavilions, corridors, towers, halls ......

Every angle reveals a different composition, though with holiday crowds you lose a bit of the tranquillity and ease......

It makes you think: in the old days when travel was tough and going out was rarely done, wealthy families must have poured all their imagination into making their private gardens “brimming with life and charm” and “a hidden world of wonder” to truly savour the good life!

Nowadays, modern people like us can take all sorts of transport to see the world, appreciate every kind of scenery and architecture, experience different cultures and customs, and enjoy our own good life!

Each kind of joy is unique in its own right......

Shunde Meal #4 (Lunch): Youxingqi – Shunde Cuisine Restaurant

Here comes a wave of delicious dishes ......

Crispy fried wontons

Prawns with salt and pepper

Salty egg yolk stir-fried crab

Tasty fish and veggie meatballs

This was our last meal in Shunde.

Another feast so filling that we ended up skipping dinner .....

On the car ride back to Guangzhou, we chatted with the driver, who told us you could stay in Shunde for a whole month and still not manage to try all the local food ......

Haha, for the sake of our waistlines, we decided it was time to retreat!!!

We reluctantly left Shunde and returned to Guangzhou by car, checking into the Jumeirah Hotel in Zhujiang New Town.

Among all the hotels in Guangzhou, why pick this one? First, the location: very close to the Pearl River cruise pier and Canton Tower, right beside K11 and Huacheng Square, making dining and shopping incredibly convenient. Second, the hotel is relatively new, having opened around 2019, and it’s under the same group as the Burj Al Arab in Dubai – you can imagine the quality and service are top-notch ......

The stay felt high-end, grand, and classy – haha, check the pictures for proof.

Particularly worth recommending is the complimentary warm sweet soup delivered each evening. After a hot shower, sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the nightscape and sipping a warm sweet soup, a holiday vibe wells up instantly – just pure bliss ......

As night fell, a huge moon hung in the sky as we embarked on our night cruise along the Pearl River.....

With the warm weather, I highly recommend sitting out on the open-air top deck, feeling the river breeze and soaking in the glittering night lights on both sides of the Pearl River, experiencing a different side of Guangzhou......

A new day dawned, and once again we set out in search of food.

This is one of the few trips where I don’t include breakfast at the hotel.

Because having breakfast out is part of the adventure.

Today’s breakfast was another Cantonese morning tea institution – Dian Du De......

The dishes looked beautiful, but the taste? Decent, nothing surprising......

After warming up with tea and filling our bellies, we continued roaming Guangzhou......

We’d already seen the night view of the “Little Waist” and its exterior, so today it was time to go up and enjoy the view from the tower......

Haha, traveling with a toddler can be summed up in one word – “slow”.

So each day’s itinerary basically consisted of just one attraction......

When the child got tired, we’d go back to the hotel to rest......

We would then pop next door to the shopping mall beside the hotel (PS: This is another reason I chose this hotel – it’s right inside the Zhujiang New Town commercial district).

Our very last meal in Guangzhou

had to end, of course, with Cantonese morning tea, this time at another time-honoured brand, Tao Tao Ju.

Also not far from the hotel.

Compared to Dian Du De, I personally prefer Tao Tao Ju.

From the restaurant’s décor, to the plating, the quality of the ingredients, and the final taste, I feel Tao Tao Ju has a slight edge.

All in all, Guangzhou is a true food paradise; come prepared to put on half a kilo a day ...... haha

Goodbye Guangzhou ~~~

Until next time, Guangzhou ~~~

Travelogue Contents

1. Foreword

2. DAY1: Beijing – Guangzhou

3. DAY2: Chimelong Safari Park – Grand Circus