GUANGZHOU (廣州), CHINA

2019-04-26, 10:15, JASON

STAY: Some Hostel

Just a quick hop over the border for me. It's been a while since Thorin and I have done our backpacking trips with a jam-packed schedule. First stop, 越秀公園, Yuexiu Park, in which the famous 5 ram statue can be seen. We come across some locals along the way.

The birth of modern China happened here. 孫中山, Sun Yat-Sen, was from Guangdong Province and is often referred to as the "Father of the Nation" - 國父. He was the first provisional president of the Republic of China and is celebrated both in China and Taiwan. We stop by and pay our respects.

Prior to Guangzhou, I'd only been to major cities in the north. In the north, it's mostly putonghua (Mandarin) speaking, with a local twist - what they refer to as a "Dongbei Accents." However, in southern Chinese cities, not only are there more dialects, but they are starkly different than Mandarin. So much so, that these dialect circles tend to shape local communities and give it special flavor. When I'd returned from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, I could see similarities in culture based on similar dialects (Cantonese). I could also see how Hong Kongers have been shaped by years of colonialism and have come into contact with more of the western world, distinguishing them from their mainland counterparts.

My favorite part of Guangzhou is that there is a "Guangzhou air" to it. 廣氣. I loved how kids my age were speaking to each other in Cantonese and not Mandarin, as if their dialect was a badge of honor. I love how the stereotype here was that people in Guangzhou eat everything. There's a toughness and grittiness I like about these southeners who are so proud of their language and cuisine. I love the small alleys with willow-like hanging trees unique to this region that shade you from the heat of spring. There's a languid easiness to the rhythm of this city.