These are some photos taken during my recent trip to Guangzhou, China. We didn't really have a chance to do too much sightseeing, as it was a series of back-to-back meetings over the 3-day trip. We did have a chance to visit the new Baiyun International Convention Center Complex which was constructed on the site of the old airport. The name Baiyun refers to a mountain to the North of Guangzhou, The Convention Center was designed by a Belgian Architectural firm called BURO, and was completed in 2 years.

We did have a chance to take the usual touristy Pearl River night cruise, which was interesting. The district alongside the Pearl River in the old part of the city, has it's own share of turn-of-the-century European-style buildings, similar to the Bund in Shanghai. Guangzhou/Guangdong (aka Canton) was, afterall one of the first cities opened to foreign trade back in the 19th Century, along with HK and Shanghai. There is a continuous pedestrian promenade along the banks of the Pearl River, not as expansive as the Bund, but apparently longer. There are a lot of coffee shops, restaurants, bars along the riverfront, so the nightlife is quite lively. There are also a huge number of the river ferries...usually 2 enclosed air-conditioned/heated decks with tables, snacks and drinks, and an open-air deck at the top, which offer a better view but without any seating. At night, the river is busy with these numerous river boats, and the lighting displays are really quite fun to watch.

Unfortunately, my camera was not working properly that night, so I had to shoot using my N70 camera-phone, hence the poorer quality images.