Most Chinese cities are a
collection of villages,
nowhere more obvious than in
Guangzhou's south-bank
suburb of
Honan . The
city's notorious red-light
district before 1949,
crawling with opium dens,
brothels and gambling
houses, today it's a
striking example of civic
co-operation and a dash of
idealism. Bordering on such
a contemporary, high-paced
city, this relaxed little
enclave was specially chosen
as a model for
Hu Yaobang
's 1984 "Civic
Spirit" campaign and,
though his guiding
principles have long been
purged (even if steles
engraved with them lurk on
every corner), he made Honan
one of the calmest places to
live in Guangzhou.
From the north bank it's
easiest to reach Honan by
simply walking over Renmin
Bridge. From farther afield
catch bus #31 from the North
train station or along
Renmin Lu. Once across the
bridge, the main road
continuing south is Gongye
Lu, while Binjiang Lu
runs east along the river, a
local lovers' lane.
Immediately behind Binjiang
Lu are Nanhua Lu and Tongfu
Lu , side streets which
best illustrate the ideals
of this little socialist
utopia. There are
kindergartens and old folks'
clubs on nearly every block,
bicycles must be wheeled and
the street committees keep
the flagstones surgically
clean. Aside from their
heavy wooden doors, the
houses seem austere, little
more than dormitories with a
TV, mah-jongg table and
perhaps a little shrine to
the god of wealth. Here, the
gardens, songbirds and
culture are kept out in the
open, where everybody can
enjoy them.
With all this in mind,
don't miss Haizhuang Park
(„1.5), sandwiched between
Nanhua Lu and Tongfu Lu,
about ten minutes' walk from
Renmin Bridge. A public
space of pretty gardens, old
trees and a children's
playground, buildings here
have recently been returned
to their original purpose as
Qian Chu Si . Once
Guangzhou's largest Buddhist
monastery, there are a few
monks in residence today,
and restorations have
spruced up the broad south
hall with its fine statuary
and interlocked wooden beam
roof, so typical of south
China's early Qing temple
buildings.
