A few days in Shunde. Old buildings in Shunde. As I mentioned earlier, our travel plans for this trip were adaptable regarding both time and destinations. After visiting Foshan, we originally intended to go to Shenzhen, but we opted instead to cancel that leg and head to Shunde. This area used to be part of Foshan but has grown so much that it now functions almost as an independent city. The name Shunde signifies "following the path of virtue." Once an industrial center, this city is well-known for its Cantonese cuisine.
Our decision to skip Shenzhen was influenced by various factors unrelated to the city itself. Our initial itinerary included a long weekend stay due to a public holiday on Monday, which would have made traveling back to Hong Kong extremely crowded. To avoid this situation, we extended our holiday slightly.
At the start of our journey, neither of us knew about Shunde until we spoke with an elderly Australian man in Macau. He and his Chinese wife had just spent a month traveling around China, and he recommended The Pullman Hotel in Shunde as one of his favorite places to stay. We decided to give it a try.
We began our day with breakfast at The Swissotel in Foshan. Though it was a sunny day, I was feeling a bit sore, likely a result of getting soaked a few times. Not wanting to wander around, we completed our packing and then enjoyed some complimentary welcome drinks. I chose a mocktail called Swiss sunrise since I wasn't in the mood for alcohol.
Following the drinks, we booked a DiDi to Shunde, which took about thirty minutes. The reception staff at The Pullman were very friendly, though we encountered some communication difficulties for the first time, which would become a recurring theme of our stay. We received a complimentary upgrade to an executive room on the 18th floor, complete with lounge access and a late checkout. Our room was lovely, very spacious, and comfortable.
After settling in, we explored the hotel's pools. There were both an outdoor and an indoor pool, but accessing them required climbing several stone steps, which were a challenge for Peter. It seemed that swimming facilities weren't very accommodating for him, leading us to forgo swimming altogether—a decision that would have been unthinkable at one time.
That evening, we attended Happy Hour in the lounge. After waiting a long time for the lift, we found it was occupied by a robot. I had a similar experience in Zhuhai when trying to maneuver around one of these robots. However, this one was unmovable, and we ended up waiting for the next lift. Upon reaching the ground floor, I noticed an unusual lamp on the way to the lounge. Here, we ordered meals from a large menu— I had chicken fillet with French fries, while Peter chose a chicken burger with French fries and a Greek salad. My meal was delicious, but Peter’s burger was cold.
We asked the waiter to warm it up, and the situation turned slightly amusing. When I tried to communicate this through the translation app, it misinterpreted my request as asking him to take our photograph. After multiple attempts, I finally managed to express my request properly. Unfortunately, when the waiter returned, he brought a large bowl of chili sauce instead. Thankfully, Peter was too full to finish his meal, so we reluctantly left the uneaten burger.
The next day, we were unsure of our plans since we didn’t know much about Shunde. We contemplated getting a DiDi somewhere, but Peter wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest. I decided to take a short walk near the hotel to see what interesting places I could find. I discovered that Beijiao Park was about a ten-minute walk away, so I headed there.
Upon reaching Beijiao Park, which was undergoing renovations, I initially found it surrounded by a high fence. However, I managed to find an entrance and discovered a large lake with some boats and a grand Communist-style statue. It wasn't particularly thrilling, but it was pleasant enough to explore.
While wandering, I noticed an ornate gateway across a busy road that I suspected led to a temple, so I decided to check it out. To cross the road, I had to walk quite a distance, leading me to discover another impressive gateway situated in a grassy area, where some people were enjoying go-kart rides.
Nearby, I spotted some interesting buildings that seemed to be remnants of an industrial past, including an exhibition hall, a library, a public activity center, and The Museum of Natural Science. I learned that the museum was free to enter but closed for lunch, so I wandered further to the gateway I had noticed earlier. Contrary to my expectations, this led not to a temple but to Lingnan Heyuan Gardens, which I had never heard of before. With a modest entry fee of 30 CNY (around £3.30), I decided to venture inside.
Upon entering the gardens, I
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And Returning Home.
And Returning Home.
Several days in Shunde.