In advance of grand gathering, a new Guangzhou

By Zhang Dongya

A couple of decades ago, Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, was criticized for not living up to its reputation as the “south gate of China.”

The city has come a long way since. After rapid urbanization, it won the rights to host the 16th Asian Games, which will be held from November 12 to 27. Guangzhou is the second Chinese city to have earned this honor, following Beijing in 1990.

Spurred by the upcoming games, Guangzhou has undergone further development and beautification and is now praised as the “Oriental Manhattan.”

The outline of the Guangdong Museum/CFP Photos

A hub of new landmarks

Guangzhou’s major changes are partially reflected in the work of photographer Xu Peiwu, who started taking photos of Guangzhou in 1995 and has held several exhibitions.

One of the most notable images in Xu’s portfolio is of Zhujiang New Town, the city’s central business district (CBD), which was planned and designed in 1992. Located on Guangzhou’s central axis, it begins from Huangpu Road in the north and stretches south to Zhujiang River, and from Guangzhou Road in the west to the South China Expressway in the east. Its construction was considered symbolic of Guangzhou’s ascension into the ranks of China’s three biggest cities, along with Beijing and Shanghai.

In Xu’s early works 15 years ago, the main road in today’s CBD was only a broad street with few buildings around it. Now, high rises crowd the street, including seven landmark buildings, including the Guangzhou Center for the Performing Arts, the Guangdong Province Museum, the Guangzhou Library and a TV and sightseeing tower.

High-end hotels have also flocked in, among which is the Four Seasons Hotel, located on the 70th to 100th floors in CBD’s International Finance Center in CBD, making it the highest hotel in the city.