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All 317 Guangzhou Attractions »

Shamian Island

Shamian Island, Guangzhou, China
Ranked #7 of 297 attractions in Guangzhou
4.5 of 5 stars 92 Reviews
Type: Islands, Neighborhoods, Historic Sites
Owner description: This lovely, tree-lined neighborhood bordering the Pearl River was once home to foreign merchants, and today is a laid-back area ideal for strolling...... more » Owner description: This lovely, tree-lined neighborhood bordering the Pearl River was once home to foreign merchants, and today is a laid-back area ideal for strolling or stopping for a meal or cup of tea. « less
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92 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Guangzhou, China
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 19, 2012

If the craziness of Guangzhou get too much for you, head over to Shamian island for a tranquil European afternoon. The buildings are reminiscent of Europe and in between the Chinese brides having photo's taken are nice statues, wide cobbled streets with no cars or taxi's and plenty of space to sit down, read a book or just relax. I... More

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See 2 more reviews by madsabout for Guangzhou
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2012

Walked here from the Holiday Inn Shifu. It is a nice peaceful location with lots of greenery. Worth seeing a different side of Guangzhou. More

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See 2 more reviews by travelbug2265 for Guangzhou
ph
1 review
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 16, 2012

Guangzhou's equivalent of Granville (YVR) or Senado square (Macau) and but with acacia trees and less people/traffic. I don't understand why this place isn't famous/known... Cons: 1.) The island is dead at night - the only restaurants open after 21:00 are Starbucks and a riverside restaurant. At that time, only 2 or three souvenir shops are open. One of these... More

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Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2012

i go there once a while and enjoy every minute of it. It's not like traditional oriental style, while a lot of bars and cafe there. there are also lots of newly wedded people there to take photos. More

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See 23 more reviews by wenming4u for Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Top Contributor
51 reviews 51 reviews
Reviews in 26 cities Reviews in 26 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 30, 2012

There are lots of restored historic buildings on the island, much of which has limited car traffic. And many statues dot the island. Frequently newly weds come to Shamian for their photo shoots (if it's an auspicious day) as well as photographers doing shoots with modelsThere are several restaurants on the island as well, including a favorite dim sum restaurant... More

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See 6 more reviews by BrianGuangzhou for Guangzhou
Langley City, Canada
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 29, 2012

I grow up near this place,it's quite unique in this city and it's worth taking a walk.It had been ruled by Western countries in its early ages so you can enjoy the type of architecture which it's quite different from those in Guangzhou. More

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See 2 more reviews by Karyan C for Guangzhou
Hong Kong, China
Top Contributor
61 reviews 61 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 12, 2012

love the location and they have a few hotels there. Near to the local markets one of which is selling herbs and the largest in china! More

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See 2 more reviews by Roberto275 for Guangzhou
Boston, United Kingdom
2 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 6, 2012

Amazing. Statues everywhere, trees, water, and its peaceful. I would give anything to go back. It has a great restaraunt names Lucy's. Also a cleaners where they wash your cloths and everything. Also, the park near Lucy's is great. It has monkey bars, a slide, everything a kid could want. More

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Saitama, Japan
Top Contributor
66 reviews 66 reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 5, 2012

I like this great little island of Shamian in the Pearl River. It's got a history of Anglo-French concessions and is now well served by Guangzhou Metro Line 2. The area is full of life---souvenir shops mainly for foreign visitors, cafés including Starbucks and nice restaurants serving both Chinese and Western food. There's a nice tree-lined promenade going horizontally---east to... More

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Athens, Greece
Top Contributor
145 reviews 145 reviews
Reviews in 44 cities Reviews in 44 cities
158 helpful votes 158 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 5, 2012

... and opium war. Shamian island was the only place that foreigners (mostly merchants) were allowed to live. All these buildings preserving the architecture which is now lost in western world, make it unique "neighborhood". Photo-shooting of weddings and fashion modelling all over the area. Read also about the troublesome era ~1840 and the conflicts of British with Qinq dynasty... More

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See 2 more reviews by Enoikos for Guangzhou

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