The 'Bund of Guangzhou' by the Pearl River, the 'Ten-Mile Foreign Concession' Island·Guangzhou

Shamian, once known as Shicui Zhou, is a sandbank formed by the alluvial deposits of the Pearl River, hence the name Shamian. Although it covers an area of only 0.3 square kilometers, it has been an important domestic and international trade hub during the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. After the Opium Wars, in the eleventh year of the reign of Emperor Xianfeng of the Qing dynasty, it fell into the hands of the British and French as a concession. Shamian Island is surrounded by water on all sides, with lush ancient trees, and now retains a large number of European-style and Sino-Western style buildings, forming a unique open-air European architectural 'museum'. It is known as the 'Ten-Mile Foreign Concession' of Guangzhou and is also acclaimed as the 'Bund of Guangzhou'. The first Sino-foreign joint venture five-star hotel in China, the White Swan Hotel, is also located on Shamian Island, and the Cantonese morning tea here is very famous!