Yuexiu Hill
Yuexiu Hill is located in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. It is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Guangzhou. It covers an area of 860,000 square meters. Yuexiu Hill is a perfect combination of cultural relics and ecological tourism. Not only is the hill well known for its beautiful natural surroundings, but also charms the inquisitive with its many antiques.[1]
Popular attractions
The Five Rams Sculpture
The Five Rams Sculpture is located at Yuexiu Hill. It was built in 1960 at the top of Yuexiu Hill. The Five Rams Sculpture was carved with more than 130 pieces of granite. It has become the emblem of Guangzhou. It is one of the most popular tourist sites of Yuexiu Hill. The legend of the sculpture is a beautiful story. It is said that five supernatural beings rode on rams to bring rice for the settlers of Guangzhou. They carried a stem of rice and presented the people with the rice stems as a sign from heaven that the area would be free from famine, forever. From then on, Guangzhou has become a fertile land and people in Guangzhou have enough food and clothing. People consider the five rams as the symbols of good luck. So the city is also called "City of Rams".[2]
Zhenhai tower
In the embrace of Yuexiu Hill, Guangzhou Museum is located in Zhenhai Tower. It is considered as one of the Top Ten Tourist Attractions of Guangzhou today. In 1380, the tower was originally built with the protective walls on top of the hill. At that time, Guangzhou underwent significant reconstruction. In 1928, Zhenhai Tower was opened to the public again and Guangzhou Museum is one of the earliest museums in China.
Zhenhai Tower is well known among the locals. Zhenhai Towe is known as the first tower in Lingnan (South of Nanling Mountain) Area. An historical record of this tower is that Zhu Liangzu, Yongjia Marquis of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), saw yellow and purple air rising over Yuexiu Mountain and was told that it was the sign of a new emperor. In order to prevent it from coming true, Zhu Liangzu ordered to build such a tower in 1380. Zhenhai tower has been destroyed five times in the past 600 years. Now it becomes the Guangzhou Museum, housing relics showing Guangzhou's history over 2, 000 years. Zhenhai Tower is 28 meters (91.9feet) high and 16 meters (52.5 feet) wide.[3]
The Zhenhai Tower has been called the First Tower of South China and served as one of the old Guangzhou's most famous monuments. The tower is the best place to get a bird-eye view of the city. Many poems and articles about the tower have been written since its construction. The exhibition in Guangzhou Museum illustrates the culture and history of Guangzhou.[4]
Yuexiu Stadium
Yuexiushan Stadium was built in 1950. It is the mayor of Guangzhou Ye Jianying who called on the construction of this stadium. Yuexiu stadium is located on the foot of the Yuexiu Hill, covering an area of 43000 square meters. In 2010, Yuexiu stadium is listed as one of the Guangzhou Asian Games venues.
Yuexiu stadium is not only a sports activity sites, but also a large-scale celebration gathering place. Since it was formally put into use in October 1950, it has held 200 sessions and more than 280 performances. It could hold 500000 audience. It has witnessed the history of Guangzhou for half a century.
Pavilion of Regaining
Pavilion of Regaining is located at Yuexiu Hill. It is an important historic relic of modern China. It was built by Guangdong military government in 1928 in memory of the Xinhai Revolution. From 1911 to 1912, Hong Kong people made great contributions to support this revolution. When Japanese army invaded China, Pavilion of Regaining was once destroyed. Then in 1948, a square pavilion was rebuilt on the same place.
References
- ↑ "Introduction to Yuexiu Hill" Retrieved Jun 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Introduction to Wuyang" Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Introduction to Zhenhai tower" Retrieved Jun 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Introduction to the museum" Retrieved Dec 25, 2014.