Day 5 – Guangzhou

By Jamyang Puntsog on October 30, 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

I left Shantou and headed to Guangzhou today. The train was packed, as it seems like everyone is headed there for a major trade fair. Corporate Purchasers from all over the world are congregating there, so hotel prices have doubled or even tripled! Therefore, besides avoiding major Golden Week holidays in China, we should also watch out for major trade shows or events that cause visitor numbers to surge.

Lunch was a bit later today and I managed to get my order in before the kitchen closed. For convenience, I opted for a set meal and was rewarded with a feast that was reasonably priced at USD 60.

After a heavy meal, it’s time to walk it off in an old town that is near to 800 years old – shawanzhen (沙湾镇). People still live here and it’s interesting to see how they go about their daily lives. Some families had ventured into tourist businesses- selling souvenirs and local snacks.

Side street – imagine horses and palanquin in the past

Alley ways leading to smaller homes further away from town center

Town square with important buildings and larger mansions for the richer folks in ancient time

A shrine situated on raised ground to pray for academic success of town folks

Next on the itinerary is my first visit to the circus – chimelong international circus.

It was an awesome evening filled with wonders. Acrobats floated in the air and dived from high above into a pool of water.

Flock of Birds flying around the circus, animals including giraffes running and prancing around the ring. White tigers. Ostrich dashing right across the aisle. Not a single moment was boring.

Special laser effects, rain curtains, bubbles, pyrotechnics effect, and many more special effects to wow your senses.

I wonder if the cats were chained? I was sitting quite close. Maybe the deep pool in front served as a natural barrier…

This was before bus loads of tourist arrive

Exiting the area was a chaotic ordeal, bottlenecked by a single access road that became a river of vehicles all trying to leave at once. The congestion was further exacerbated by a steady stream of newly arrived Didi drivers, who inched along the crowded lane as they searched for their passengers, bringing the flow of traffic to a near standstill.

I opted to walk to the Panda Hotel situated next to the circus to get my Didi car ride.

At this grand hotel, I couldn’t help thinking, how fortunate the kids are. Chimelong is a resort with safari zoo, amusement park, circus, themed hotels with kiddy activities. Every child I see here has a sparkle in their eyes. Today was super fun for me too.

May all be well and happy.