The Eight Views of Ram City, also known as the Eight Sights of Guangzhou is the collective name for various collections of the eight most famous tourist attractions in

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, during different periods of its history. Collections of "

Eight Views The Eight Views (in ; ja, 八景, hakkei and Korean: ) is an East Asian term used to allude to the most beautiful or otherwise significant scenes of a certain area. It is a term often used in East Asia. Historically, various series of eight views ...

" is a common trope in Chinese

travel literature The genre of travel literature encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs. One early travel memoirist in Western literature was Pausanias, a Greek geographer of the 2nd century CE. In the early modern period ...

Song dynasty

The Eight Sights of Guangzhou in the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

were recorded in the ''Annals of Nanhai County'' () of the

Kangxi Era The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...

and the ''Annals of Guangzhou Prefecture'' () of the

Qianlong Era The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...

. Most of the sights were closely related to water bodies in the city, reflecting its tight cultural connection to water. * Fuxu Yuri () referred to Yuri Pavilion in Fuxu Town, located in present-day Miaotou Village, Nangang Town to the east of Nanhai Temple. Yuri Pavilion used to overlook the

Pearl River The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name "Pearl River" is also often used as a catch-all ...

. At dawn, the sun could be seen rising amidst the waves of the river. The pavilion has survived till the modern days, but the riverside has retreated by hundreds of metres. Trees and buildings standing on the alluvial land now completely blocks the view of the river from the pavilion. * Shimen Fanzhao () was located at the intersection of a tributary of the

Bei River Bei River (北江; literally "The North River"; pinyin: ''Běi Jiāng''; wade-giles: ''Pei3 Chiang1''; jyutping: ''Bak1 Gong1'', literally "North River") is the northern tributary of the Pearl River in southern China. The other two main tribu ...

with Liuxi River in present-day Shimen Village, Jianggao Town in Baiyun District. The surrounding mountains were reflected upon the river. The sun at dawn and dusk would add to the splendor of the sight. Occasionally,

mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...

s could be seen above the water. Legend had it that the view of Shaozhou of hundreds of '' li'' away had been seen in a mirage. * Haishan Xiaoji () referred to Haishan Building. Located in present-day Beijing Lu, Haishan Building had an immediate view of the Pearl River thanks to the width of the river at its time. The sight disappeared in the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...

as the building caught fire and collapsed. * Zhujiang Qiuse () was found near the intersection of present-day Yanjiang Xilu and Xindi 1 Henglu. In the Song dynasty, this segment of the Pearl River running through Guangzhou was still as wide as one kilometre. A round reef, Haizhu Reef, lay in the middle of the river. Tides would submerge and expose the reef every day. The river has since narrowed over the course of time. Haizhu Reef became buried underground inland in the 1930s. * Juhu Yunying () referred to Juhu Lake, a reservoir constructed by Lu Gou, Prefectural Governor of Guangzhou and Military Commissioner of

Lingnan Lingnan (; Vietnamese: Lĩnh Nam) is a geographic area referring to the lands in the south of the Nanling Mountains. The region covers the modern Chinese subdivisions of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, and Macau, as well as modern northe ...

in 836 CE. The reservoir was decorated with pavilions and pagodas; cotton trees and

erythrina ''Erythrina'' is a genus of plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 130 species, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. They are trees, with the larger species growing up to in height. The generic na ...

s were planted along the blanks. It became a popular scenic spot for spring-time excursions of local residents. During the

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...

, the

Southern Han dynasty Southern Han (; 917–971), officially Han (), originally Yue (), was one of the ten kingdoms that existed during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was located on China's southern coast, controlling modern Guangdong and Guangxi. The ...

established an imperial palace at the reservoir. The reservoir silted and dried up in the Yuan dynasty. Present-day Xiaobei Lu runs by the southeast of

Yuexiu Mountain Yuexiu Hill, also known as Yut Sau Shan , Yut Sau Hill or Mount Yuexiu, is located in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. It once formed the northern end of the old walled city, though most of the walls have been dismantled and the city has now expanded f ...

through the place where the reservoir was located. * Pujian Lianquan () was a creek on

Baiyun Mountain Baiyun (generally ) may refer to: Guangzhou *Baiyun District, Guangzhou *Baiyun Mountain (Guangdong) *Baiyun New Town *Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, in Huadu District *Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (former), closed down in 2004 ...

. The name "Pujian" came from the calami growing in the creek. Creek water fell off a tall cliff and was blown into countless droplets by the mountain breeze. When it rained, the falling droplets became a waterfall, then a spring emerged and was called Lianquan Spring. The present-day Pujian Creek has changed its course, and calami are no longer found in it. The remains of the waterfall of Lianquan Spring can be found at the north end of Lianquan Lu. * Guangxiao Puti () referred to Guangxiao Temple. In 676, a revered monk named Zhiyao planted a pipal in the temple. The tree lived for more than years until it was brought down by a typhoon in 1800. In 1802, a new tree was planted and was a descendant of the older tree, which can be found in the temple today. * Datong Yanyu () referred to Datong Temple and Yanyu Well in the temple. Yanyu Well was said to be capable of forecasting weather. When rain was about to fall, fog would rise from the well. The temple was reduced to debris during the occupation of Guangzhou by Japanese forces in the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...

. Located in Fangcun by the mouth of Huadi River, only several street names were left of the temple, and only one of those streets is still found today.

Yuan dynasty

The Eight Sights of Guangzhou in the

retained four sights of those in the Song dynasty while adding four new ones. The four sights from the Song dynasty were all water-related; meanwhile, the four new ones were all mountain sights. All eight sights were found outside the city walls. * Fuxu Yuri * Shimen Fanzhao * Datong Yanyu * Pujian Lianquan * Baiyun Wanwang () referred to the view of the city of Guangzhou at dusk from Baiyun Temple on Baiyun Mountain. Baiyun Temple was located on the south side of Baiyun Mountain. In the Yuan dynasty, the city boundaries were still quite far away from Baiyun Mountain. Therefore, at Baiyun Temple, the view of the entire city could be seen and was particularly splendid at dusk. The location of the sight has now become a popular spot for moon sighting on the night of the

Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese: / ), also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture. Similar holidays are celebrated in Japan (), Korea (), Vietnam (), and other countries in Eas ...

. * Jingtai Senggui () referred to Jingtai Temple on the north side of Baiyun Mountain. It was established by a famous monk named Jingtai in the Datong era of the reign of Emperor Wu of the

Liang dynasty The Liang dynasty (), alternatively known as the Southern Liang () in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the third of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. It was preceded by the South ...

. The temple had since gradually become a popular tourist attraction. The sight was destroyed in the early

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

when the rebel armies of

Shang Kexi Shang Kexi (尚可喜; Shang Ko-hsi; August 25, 1604 – November 12, 1676) was a Chinese general of the Ming and Qing dynasties. His family had migrated to Liaodong in 1576 and his father, Shang Xueli, served in the army guarding the northe ...

and

Geng Zhongming Geng Zhongming (; 1604–1649) was a Chinese military general who lived through the transition from the Ming (1368–1644) to the Qing (1644–1912) dynasty, during which he served both sides. His grandson Geng Jingzhong was one of the Three Fe ...

logged trees in the area for building cannons during their invasion of Guangzhou. * Yuetai Qiuse () referred to Yuexiu Mountain. Yuewang Platform was the earliest recreational spot in Guangzhou. Built during the

Western Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

, only the pedestal was left to be found in the Tang dynasty. The sight was then known for its natural landscape. * Lingzhou Aofu () referred to Mount Lingzhou located in present-day Guanyao Town,

Nanhai District Nanhai District (), is a District (PRC and ROC), district of Foshan, Guangdong, China. Its government is the first to have developed e-government informatization at the county level in China. History Establishment of Nanhai is traditionally at ...

Foshan Foshan (, ), alternately romanized as Fatshan, is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China. The entire prefecture covers and had a population of 9,498,863 as of the 2020 census. The city is part of the western side of the ...

to the northwest of Guangzhou. In the Yuan dynasty, the nearby Xinan and Lubao Streams had not silted. The mount was surrounded by vast water in all directions. Passengers travelling by the mount would climb it for a sightseeing trip of the mount itself as well as the Xi and Bei Rivers. The sight declined over the last 300 years as the surrounding water narrowed and transportation became inconvenient.

Ming dynasty

The Eight Sights of Guangzhou of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

were recorded in ''Transcripts of Ancient Manuscripts on Yangcheng'' (), which quoted ''Annals of Ming'' () as well as ''Continued Annals of Nanhai County'' (), compiled in 1910. The list of this era saw a radical departure from that of the Song dynasty. As the city boundaries expanded, only sights located in the urban areas were selected. * Yuexiu Songtao () referred to Yuexiu Mountain. * Suishi Dongtian () was a red

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

hillock. It had been an islet located in shallow seawater and developed numerous

potholes A pothole is a depression in a road surface, usually asphalt pavement, where traffic has removed broken pieces of the pavement. It is usually the result of water in the underlying soil structure and traffic passing over the affected area. Water ...

due to corrosion. Two such potholes found on a big rock resembled the shape of a footprint and were believed to be trace left by an immortal, earning the rock a name "Xianren Muji" (). The scene is now part of Wuxian Temple. What used to be by the seaside during the Jin dynasty is now a few kilometres inland from the north shore of the Pearl River. * Panshan Yunqi () is now just an inconspicuous mound inside Sun Yat-sen Literature Library on Wende Lu. During its glorious days, the ancient Wen Creek flowed to its east. In the wet days, evaporated creek water would create a mist in the shade of pines and cotton trees. However, Wen Creek was rerouted away in 1467 to connect with Donghao Stream. With the loss of its water source, the scene gradually disappeared in the mid-late Ming dynasty. * Yaozhou Chunxiao () was an artificial islet in Xi Lake, a lake built from excavating a natural pool during the

. "Yaozhou" literally means "medicine islet". It was the place where Southern Han emperor Liu Yan gathered alchemists to produce medicine. Medicine was dumped into the water, dying the water into a unique scenery. Xi Lake was filled with earth after the

Chenghua era The Chenghua Emperor (; 9 December 1447 – 9 September 1487), personal name Zhu Jianshen, was the ninth List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, Emperor of the Ming dynasty, who reigned from 1464 to 1487. His Chinese era name, era name "Chenghua (e ...

in the Ming dynasty. Today, a garden on Jiaoyu Lu named Site of Yaozhou () encloses the remains of the sight. * Qilin Sujing () referred to Xuanmiao Temple, which was known for its gardening in the Ming dynasty. In local legends, trees inside were planted by immortals. There was also a well which was said to be drilled by

Su Shi Su Shi (; 8 January 1037 – 24 August 1101), courtesy name Zizhan (), art name Dongpo (), was a Chinese calligrapher, essayist, gastronomer, pharmacologist, poet, politician, and travel writer during the Song dynasty. A major personality of ...

. Thus the sight was named. The site of Xuanmiao Temple has since become a densely populated urban area. No trace of the sight can be found today. * Zhujiang Qinglan () was the same sight as Zhujiang Qiuse of the Song dynasty. * Xiangshan Qiaoge () * Liwan Yuchang ()

Qing dynasty

Eight Views of the Ram City were chosen through public appraisal twice in the

. The first election was in the

Qianlong era The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...

and the second was from the Tongzhi era to the Guangxu era.

Qianlong era

Quoted from Yangcheng Guchao (). * Wuxian Xiadong (): Temple of the Five Immortals * Pazhou Dizhu ():

Pazhou Pagoda The Pazhou Pagoda, also known as the Whampoa Pagoda or Pa Chow Pogoda, is an early modern Chinese pagoda on Pazhou Island in Haizhu District, Guangzhou, the capital of China's Guangdong Province. History The Whampoa Pagoda initiated work in 159 ...

* Guwu Yushan (): Academy on Yushan Mountain * Zhenhai Cenglou (): Zhenhai Tower * Fuqiu Danjing (): Fuqiu Reef * Xiqiao Yunfu ():

Xiqiao Mountain Mount Xiqiao is a 40- to 50-million-year-old extinct volcano situated in the south west of the Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China from Guangzhou. The mountain is an important scenic area and designated as a national ...

* Donghai Yuzhu (): Yuzhu Reef * Yuexiu Lianfeng ():

Tongzhi and Guangxu eras

Quoted from Yuedong Biji (). * Shimen Fanzhao (): Shimen and Small Beijiang River * Boluo Yuri () or Fuxu Yuri (): Temple of Nanhai God, alternatively called Pineapple Temple. * Zhujiang Yeyue () or Haizhu Yeyue (): Pearl River * Jinshan Gusi (): Lingzhou and Small Jinshan Mountain Temple * Datong Yanyu (): Datong Temple and Yanyu Well * Baiyun Wanwang (): Baiyun Temple * Pujian Lianquan (): Changpu Creek * Jingtai Senggui (): Jingtai Temple

1963

* Baiyun Songtao ():

, Moxing Peak and Mingzhu Pagoda * Luogang Xiangxue (): Luogang Xiangxue Park, Luofeng Temple * Yuexiu Yuantiao ():

, Zhenhai Tower, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Monument * Zhuhai Danxin (): Haizhu Square and its nearby scenic spots centering about Guangzhou Liberation Monument * Hongling Xuri (): Memorial Mausoleum to the Martyrs in Guangzhou Uprising, or Martyrs' Park as more commonly known * Shuangqiao Yanyu ():

Zhujiang Bridge The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese language, Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in South Central China, southern China. ...

* E'tan Yeyue (): Bai'etan and

Shamian Island Shamian (also romanized as Shameen or Shamin, both from its Cantonese pronunciation) is a sandbank island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. The island's name literally means "sandy surface" in Chinese. The territory ...

* Donghu Chunxiao (): Dongshan Lake Park

1986

* Hongling Xuri (): Memorial Mausoleum to the Martyrs in Guangzhou Uprising, or Martyrs' Park as more commonly known * Huangpu Yunqiang (): Huangpu Port and Xinsha Port * Yunshan Jinxiu ():

* Zhuhai Qingbo (): Haizhu Square * Huanghua Haoqi (): Mausoleum of 72 Martyrs at Huanghuagang, or Huanghuagang Park as more commonly known * Yuexiu Cenglou (): Zhenhai Tower * Liuhua Yuyu (): Buildings surrounding China Import And Export Fair (Canton Fair) Building (Liuhua Pavilion) and

Guangzhou railway station Guangzhou railway station serves the city of Guangzhou. It sits on the high speed Guangshen railway just west of Guangzhou East. CRH trains from Guangzhou serves Shenzhen six times daily. Services from this station include trains to Beijing ( ...

* Longdong Qilin ():

South China Botanical Garden The South China National Botanical Garden () of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (formerly Institute of Agriculture and Forestry) is a large botanical garden in Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized ...

2002

The following are those chosen through public appraisal in 2001 and brought out in 2002. * Yunshan Diecui:

* Zhushui Yeyun (): Pearl River * Yuexiu Xinhui ():

* Tianhe Piaojuan ():

CITIC Plaza China International Trust and Investment (CITIC) Plaza () is an 80-storey, office skyscraper in the Tianhe District of Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China. Its structural height includes two antenna-like spires on the top. Complete ...

and the

artificial waterfall An artificial waterfall is a water feature or fountain which imitates a natural waterfall. Artificial waterfalls have long been featured in traditional Japanese gardens, where they can serve to highlight a scene or to provide focus. The classic ...

Guangzhou East railway station Guangzhoudong (Guangzhou East) railway station (), formerly known as Tianhe railway station () serves the city of Guangzhou, located in the city's Tianhe District. The railway, metro, and bus terminal stations is interconnected as a single stat ...

square * Guci Liufang (): Chen Clan Academy and Guangdong Folk Craftwork Museum * Huanghua Haoyue (): Mausoleum of 72 Martyrs at Huanghuagang, or Huanghuagang Park as more commonly known * Wuhuan Chenxi ():

Guangdong Olympic Stadium The Guangdong Olympic Centre Stadium or officially Aoti Main Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. Currently used mostly for football matches, the stadium was opened in 2001. It has a capacity of 80,012, m ...

, or known as Aoti Main Stadium * Lianfeng Guanhai ():

Panyu Panyu, alternately romanized as Punyu, is one of 11 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, China. It was a separate county-level city before its incorporation into modern Guangzhou in 200 ...

Lianhua Mountain

2011

The following are those chosen through public appraisal and brought out in 2011. * Tayao Xincheng ():

Canton Tower The Canton Tower (), formally Guangzhou TV Astronomical and Sightseeing Tower (), is a -tall multipurpose observation tower in the Haizhu District of Guangzhou ( alternatively romanized as ''Canton''). The tower was topped out in 2009 and it ...

, Chigang Pagoda, Haixinsha, Flower City Square,

Guangzhou Twin Towers Guangzhou Twin Towers () are two skyscrapers in Guangzhou, Guangdong. They are the two tallest skyscrapers in the city. The West Tower, Guangzhou International Finance Center, was designed by Wilkinson Eyre and the East Tower, Guangzhou Chow T ...

, etc. * Zhushui Liuguang (): Pearl River (segment from Bai'etan to

Pazhou Pazhou is a subdistrict of Haizhu in southeastern Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, in China. , formerly Whampoa Island, has a total area of and is the site of Pazhou Pagoda. Its eastern bay was formerly the chief anchorage for ships partic ...

), Wharves, Bai'etan,

, Yanjiang Lu,

Ersha Island Ersha Island, formerly Napier Island in English, is an island in the Yuexiu District of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. It houses the American International School of Guangzhou elementary school campus, several apartment complexes, a badmi ...

, Haixinsha, Guangzhou Convention and Exhibition Center, etc. * Yunshan Diecui ():

, Yuntai Garden, etc. * Yuexiu Fenghua ():

, Zhenhai Tower, Five Rams Statue, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Monument, etc. * Guxi Liufang (): Chen Clan Academy and Guangdong Folk Craftwork Museum * Liwan Shengjing ():

Litchi Bay Lychee Bay or Litchi Bay (), a set of creeks and lakes that flow southwest to Pearl River (China), Pearl River, is a tourist attraction in Guangzhou (Canton), Guangdong. Liwan District, where Lychee Bay is located, was named after it. There are m ...

, Liwan Lake, Arcades on Enning Lu, Xiguan Residences, etc. * Kecheng Jinxiu ():

Guangzhou Science City Guangzhou Science City (GSC; ) is a technology center developed with support from the Guangzhou government. It has emerged from the first-ever use of strategic urban planning in China. It integrates industrial, urban residential and commercial are ...

* Shidi Changwan ():

Nansha Wetland Park Nansha Wetland Park is a man-made public park in Wanqingsha () in the Nansha District of Guangzhou, China. Names Nansha Wetland Park is sometimes known as the "Kidney of Guangzhou". and as the "Paradise of Birds".. Grounds The tourist area of ...

Gallery

Notes

Names in native languages

References

External links

* * * {{cite news, url=http://www.ycwb.com/ePaper/ycwb/html/2010-12/31/content_1007393.htm, script-title=zh:羊城八景寻迹, newspaper=Yangcheng Evening News, date=2010-12-31, accessdate=2011-06-26, language=zh, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930005051/http://www.ycwb.com/ePaper/ycwb/html/2010-12/31/content_1007393.htm, archive-date=2012-09-30, url-status=dead Buildings and structures in Guangzhou