Foshan - Tourism

Tourism

Foshan has many tourist spots, including Chinese temples and other examples of Chinese architecture. The old Ancestral Temple in Foshan houses the city's guardian, where it has stood for hundreds of years. The temple still stands after enduring many wars and the Cultural Revolution. Much of its original architecture is still intact. The temple is now used to stage the traditional Cantonese opera in addition to veneration.

Besides the Ancestral Temple, another example of traditional Chinese buildings is the Liang . It is one of the four famous Yuan, or private estates, in Guangdong. It epitomizes the building style of the Ming-Qing dynasties, with delicate craftsmanship throughout the building, and a compact yet elegantly designed garden. It is very well preserved, with most of its original artifacts displayed in-house. Very near to this site is a group of preserved buildings that date back to the Qing dynasty. Although they are now private houses, permits to visit some of these buildings can be obtained from the Tourist Bureau. These buildings all display the very classic building style of that era, which is the abandonment of the large and ostensible garden and space in favour to small yet multi-stories houses that is practical when there is little space.

Another potential tourist site in Foshan is the old porcelain furnace in Shi Wan. It is said to have been in operation since the Tang dynasty, and the fire inside has never gone out. It is still producing some of the chinaware that made Foshan famous. Surrounding that site are many workshops of the local artists.

The countryside surrounding Foshan city retains much of its traditional south Chinese rural characteristics.

• Foshan Ancestral Temple (佛山祖庙)
• Dong Hua Li Alley (东华里)
• Liang's Garden (梁园)
• Qinghui Garden (清晖园)
• Renshou Pagoda (仁寿寺)
• Folk Arts & Crafts Center
• Pottery & Ceramics Guild
• Statue of Guan Yin on Mount Xiqiao