Guangzhou's most vigorous quarter, and the most interesting for idle strolls, abuts the northern bank of the Pearl River. This, together with adjacent Shamian Island, forms the oldest and most congested part of the city; during the spring flower festival , a southern Chinese tradition originating in Guangzhou, the backstreets here are almost impassable, crammed to capacity with crowds buying blooms of every colour and shape for good luck in the coming year. To get into the area, take bus #5 from the train station square to Yanjiang Lu , the waterfront's main boulevard; the closest metro station is Huang Sha, at the junction of Huangsha Lu and Liuersan Lu, just west of Shamian Island.

 

Walking west down Yanjiang Lu from the bottom of Renmin Lu towards Shamian Island, you pass the old Customs House and a tight grouping of colonial buildings - worth observing from a distance for their unlikely roof gardens - and bear right under the complicated overpass associated with Renmin Bridge to Liuersan Lu . Recently widened to relieve chronic traffic congestion, "Liuersan" means "6, 23", referring to June 23, 1925, when fifty people were shot by colonial troops during a demonstration demanding, among other things, the return of Shamian Island to Chinese control. East along Liuersan you'll come to the southern entrance of the Cultural Park (daily 6am-late; ¥2), where gangs of children queue for their turn on arcade games and fairground rides, and theatre and sound stages host weekend performances of anything from local rock to opera. Alternatively, continue west and you'll find yourself at the mouth of Qingping Lu, gateway to the infamous Qingping Market . This is huge, extending far into the backstreets here, each intersecting east-west road forming a natural dividing line for the sale of different goods - dried medicines and herbs, fresh vegetables, livestock, bird and fish stalls. One of China's most exotically exciting markets, it can be a taxing one, too, if you're at all squeamish, as the Cantonese demand for fresh ingredients is met by slaughtering chickens - or fish, deer, turtles, owls, cats and dogs - on the spot. Just as interesting, north of here along Dishifu Lu and Xiajiu Lu (both of which are restored 1920-style streets) you'll find the Yuexiu District , Guangzhou's first commercial quarter opened under the Free Market Policy of 1978, and renovated for "Twenty Years" celebrations in 1998 - a lively collection of narrow back lanes, shopping complexes, small family busineses, restaurants and evening alfresco stalls.