Canton (Guangzhou) has a lot of history. The treaty ports were here. The Opium Wars were fought here. The sparks that led to the 1911 Revolution were, erm, sparked here. Many of the first generation Chinese-Americans from back in the day migrated from here.
One of the few colonial-esque buildings left on the Pearl River. This ain't the Bund...
Despite being a pivotal part of modern Chinese history, modern Guangzhou is, like the rest of urban China, a construction zone with new high rises and an aspiring populace. I'm currently staying at the Grand Hyatt in the Tianhe new town. This area eventually will be the new CBD and looks like they're building on the Pudong model.
Two pleasant surprises greeted me when I did my 6 mile walk last night; the Guangzhou Metro is surprisingly clean and quick (the downside is that it begins to shut down at 2230!) and Shamian Island, which despite also being a construction zone, still oozes historical charm due to the colonial buildings still there, warmly lit treelined streets and lots of couples meandering about. Almost like the opposite of what modern China is and a welcome respite.
But that's the past. Let's look at the present, which is my stunningly modern room at the Grand Hyatt.
The layout of the room is different; you enter the room through the bathroom with the glass walled shower being directly behind the head of the bed with a couch at one side and the desk/TV on the other. Mounted on the wall is an iPod dock that is hooked up to the TV so you can listen through its sound system. I like!
The afforementioned shower/bath is directly behind the bed and is a wet design. You walk inside, close the door and fire up the shower, getting everything wet. I like too! It also has a square shaped tub which if you were to decide to have a soak, you'd have to sit cross legged. Not a fan of that.
The side room that has the bog has a square shaped very kawaii sink so you can wash up in there. Neat. And inbetween the shower and the closet wall is an island with a sink and mirror. Think of it as a kitchen island except you brush your teeth, gargle and shave here. Very nice! Think I will stay here again on my next visit here.
Grand Hyatt Guangzhou
12 Zhujiang West Road, Pearl River New City, Tianhe District,
Guangzhou, People's Republic of China 510623
http://guangzhou.grand.hyatt.com/
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