Recently in Guangzhou Category

The Chinese city of Guangzhou, formerly known as Canton, has been growing at a breakneck pace for the last decade or so, but one of its most striking features has remained the same for centuries. White Cloud Mountain (Baiyun Shan), ten miles north of Guangzhou, gets its name from the unique ring of clouds that gathers around it when the sun shines after a rain shower, but it's a spectacular sight to see no matter what the weather. With thirty peaks to climb, visitors to the park can get a good workout and enjoy spectacular views of the city and of the famous Pearl River Valley below. Six different parks provide plenty of opportunities for hiking, picnicking and relaxing, including a 46-hectare sculpture park filled with classic and contemporary sculptures, and a bird park that features the world's largest natural birdcage. (I wonder how big the birds are.) And if you really want to feel like you're flying, take a cable car ride to the top of Moxing Ridge, which, at nearly 400 meters, almost earns its nickname, "star-scraping ridge." You'll have plenty to talk about over tea and dumplings at Luming Restaurant. The park is a short drive from the luxurious Westin Guangzhou.

[image via Best of Guangzhou]

The word "heavenly" is used to describe many things at The Westin Guangzhou: the beds, the bath, the spa... I like to think the hotel inherits some of its idyllic nature from the nearby Pearl River, the third largest river in China. A stone island located within the river, polished by the flowing water so that it resembles a pearl, gives the river its pretty name. And a special offer at The Westin Guangzhou, a recent addition to the Starwood Spa Collection, provides guests with an enchanting night cruise for two along this mythical waterway.

En route, passengers float under brightly illuminated bridges, past magical scenes like the famous White Goose Pool, featured in Chinese legends; the architecturally diverse island of Shamian; Aiqun Mansion, China's tallest building when it was erected in 1934; Haizu Square, known as the "Red Heart of the Pearl River"; and Ta Ying Lou, called "the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Guangzhou," and one-time home of one of the region's most celebrated revolutionaries, Chen Shaobai. When the moon and the lights of the buildings illuminate the river, the scenery is stunning, making a nighttime cruise the perfect way to spend an evening after a day at The Westin Guangzhou's Heavenly Spa.