Shamian Island

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Hi All,
I think I may have walked a little too far yesterday as my legs were aching today.
A short ferry ride away, over the Pearl River, from my hostel is Shamian Island.
This is a man made island. As with a lot of the older buildings in this part of China they all date from the European colonization of Asia. This part of the city was given as a concession to The British and The French after the 2nd Opium Wars.
Britain had long been illegally importing opium into China, as the Emperor made it illegal towards the end of the 18th Century. In the early 19th century the Qing government finally put a stop to the trade by blockading Guangzhou and burning the opium. The British furious at the loss of income sent the Royal Navy to Guangzhou which on arrival completely destroyed the Chinese navy. With the capital, Nanking, under threat the Qing government relented and signed one of the most one sided treaties in history. This conceded parts of China to the British, Hong Kong was given on lease and British subjects were exempt from Chinese Law and thus the Drug trade continued.

There is a big similarity to Guangzhou and Shanghai because of this European influence.

The buildings on the island have been beautifully restored and it is really peaceful. I sat under a tree and watched some middle school students doing some aerobics and marching. I also sat in the park in the shade watching the couples dancing.

For lunch I went to a vegetarian restaurant where I had beef curry and rice. All the 'meat' is made from tofu.

Enjoy the photos

Jah Bless

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