Pearl River

The Pearl River is where Guangzhou's scenic spots are. Praises to the beauty of the Pearl River are 'Red Heart of the Pearl Sea' and 'Night Moon over the Goose Pool'.

The Pearl River is more than 2,000 kilometers (about 1243 miles) long and is the third longest river in China. It is consisted of the West River, the North River, the East River and Liuxi River. The West River originates from the YunGui Plateau, the North River and the East River from Jiangxi Province, whereas Liuxi River is from the Qixing Ridge at Conghua City. The four rivers join together in Guangzhou and flow to the South China Sea. The section flowing through Guangzhou City is the 'Pearl River' that are familiar with most people.

Pearl River in Ancient Times

In ancient times, the Pearl River was called 'The Pearl Sea' because of its 2000 meters-wide (about 2187 yards) channel. Later the channel shrunk little by little, and now it is only 180 meters wide (about 197 yards). The name Pearl River is said to derive from a huge boulder in the river bed. This rock, with the name of 'Sea Pearl', is so round and smooth that it looks like a large, shining pearl.

Along both banks of the river stand high-rise buildings such as star-grade hotels and modern shopping malls. Passing through such a prosperous city, the Pearl River displays not only natural beauty, but also the type of scenery that only belongs to a modern urban area. When night falls, the Pearl River immediately looks more interesting. The bridges, decorated by colorful shining neon lights, seem like fantastic rainbows spanning the river. On both banks, the nightlife of the city awakens. It becomes gorgeous with a blaze of lights. The water in the river reflects the magnificent lights in shimmering patterns. Cruise ships full of tourists ply the waters at a leisurely pace. Visitors can enjoy the gentle cool breeze and soak up the colorful night view. The night scene on the Pearl River is almost on a par with Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong.

During the day, people can walk the 'Scenery Corridor' alongside the Pearl River, to enjoy the beautiful water scenes. The corridor with a length of 23 kilometers (14 miles) is actually a dike for appreciating the scenery. Except for the attractive water scenes along the Pearl River, people can also find historic and artistic buildings containing the Huangpu Military Academy which is the first military academy in Chinese history, the Xinghai Concert Hall which boasts an unusual elegant appearance, the Historic Site in Shamian which includes hundreds of buildings in different architectural styles, and Tianzi Dock which was used for greeting officials hundreds of years ago.

Pearl River Tour

The Pearl River is like a ribbon connecting the historical sites and beautiful scenery along the river to give people the modern culture as well as the city's historical legacy. So it is really worth visiting during the trip to Guangzhou.