THE “Welcome to Guangdong to Spend the Lunar New Year” promotional event was held in the city of Chongqing recently, presenting the warm, jubilant and festive atmosphere of the province, its diversity of cultures and its various Spring Festival offerings.
The unique festivities of the province include flower fairs, lantern shows, temple fairs, intangible cultural heritage activities, art exhibitions, grand variety shows, prayers for blessings, and other traditional and outdoor activities. Dip in the hot springs As Guangdong’s geography is abundant in geothermal resources, you’re never too far from one of the province’s hot springs. A visit to a hot spring is a uniquely Guangdong option for celebrating a family reunion or relaxing friends during the Spring Festival. Wenquan Town in Guangzhou’s Conghua District, for example, is home to a great number of hot springs not too far from modern conveniences. One of them is at Guangdong Hot Spring Hotel, which is reputed as “the first hot spring in Lingnan.” Specifically, this is a sodium bicarbonate hot spring, making it a rock star of hot springs. Its unique healing effect on all sorts of ailments ranging from rheumatic arthritis, skin diseases, neurasthenia and the common cold makes it a favorite among the body-conscious. Located in Xinhui District in Jiangmen, Gudou Hot Spring abounds in geothermal resources and is home to the rare combination of sodium chloride with radon in hot springs. This radon hot spring has been evaluated by experts to have the same water quality as the renowned ancient hot spring at Huaqing Pool in Shaanxi. Located in the Sixth Patriarch’s Hometown Tourist Resort Area in Xinxing Town, Yunfu, Zen Hot Spring Resort sits right next to Guo’en Temple — China’s Holy Land of Zen Buddhism. This “South China’s first hot spring” resort themed after Zen culture is invested by Guangdong Fenglu Aluminum Group with 1.2 billion yuan (US$178,920). Finely carved over decades, the resort has become a legendary piece of work. Recommended places: Guangzhou: Shimen National Forest Park, Wenquan Town Jiangmen: Gudou Hot Spring, the Birds of Paradise Yunfu: Guo’en Temple, Zen Hot Spring Resort Qingyuan: Xinyinzhan Hot Spring Holiday Resort, Lianzhou Underground River, Nangang Thousand-Year Yao Village Shaoguan: Danxia Mountain, Nanhua Temple, Jinglyulun Culture Tourist Town Heyuan: Wanlyu Lake, Bavaria Manor Savor delicacies Guangdong cuisine (also known as “Yue cuisine”) tops the eight famous cuisines of China. Guangdong cuisine category alone covers more specific, localized specialties including Cantonese cuisine, Chaoshan cuisine, Hakka cuisine, and specialty seafood, all sure to tantalize your taste buds and make your mouth water at first sight. Guangdong cuisine is considered the finest of China’s regional cuisines. An emphasis on preserving the natural flavors of the ingredients is its hallmark and a Guangdong chef would consider it a culinary sin of the highest order to produce a dish that was overcooked or too heavily seasoned. Guangdong-style morning tea (zaocha) is not just tea, but a special breakfast that includes a smattering of small dishes. Having zaocha is a typical morning activity for Guangdong residents. Nine-layer cake, originating from Chancheng District, is a renowned specialty of Foshan. The cake is made of rice and white sugar, and the nine layers symbolize longevity. For many locals in Foshan, a bite of a bundled pig’s trotter stuffed with pork sold at Dexin Zhai may remind them of the good old days. The stuffed pig’s trotter is crispy outside and tender inside, gaining high praise from foodies from everywhere to be graced by it. Yunwu tea and the tree it is derived from are native to Xiqiao Mountain. The Yunwu tea trees can be more than three meters in height with thick leaves and big sprouts. The shiny jet-black sprouts are the component used in the tea. Upon pouring hot water on the sprouts, the color will turn lighter and the taste bitter with a delicate fragrance. In spite of the immediate bitterness for the first try, the aftertaste is very refreshing. Oyster omelette, as the name suggests, combines freshly shucked oyster meat with an eggy batter. There are several oyster omelet bases, but the simplest is a mixture of the egg batter, oyster meat, corn starch, coriander and seasonings, which is then fried in vegetable oil. Leicha, or ground tea, is a traditional Hakka tea-based beverage. It is made of tea leaves, peanuts, rice, sesame seeds, beans, salt, orange peel and sometimes herbs. Hakka people usually use a mortar and pestle to make leicha. Shantou’s beef hot pot is a household name around the country. If anyone (except a vegetarian) wants to be deeply impressed by the city, a meal of beef hot pot will do the trick. There are two main reasons why the beef hot pot is so delicious. First, the beef is fresh. Secondly, the chefs cut the meat in a specific way according to the textures of different parts of the cattle. Recommended delicacies Guangzhou: Zaocha (Guangdong style morning tea), wonton noodles Foshan: Nine-layer cake, bundled pig’s trotter stuffed with pork sold at Dexin Zhai, yunwu tea of Xiqiao Mountain Jieyang: Oyster omelette, leicha (ground tea) Shantou: Beef meatballs, casserole porridge, beef hotpot Chaozhou: Marinated meat, braised goose (Chen Xiaochun)
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