China has a vast territory with a wide range of latitudes and a diverse climate. Due to different terrain types, the temperature and precipitation is different in each province, which makes every place has its own unique scenery. Lots of cities in China like to select their top scenic spots as their distinctive attractions. And since the number 8 is considered lucky in China (the pronunciation sounds like plenty / wealth in Chinese), selecting 8 scenic spots as tourism recommendations has become a trend for Chinese cities.
Sanshui selected the Eight Scenic Spots of County Governance as early as the Qing Dynasty, and selected the New Eight Scenic Spots of Sanshui County in 1984. More than 30 years have passed since the last selection of the Eight Scenic Spots, and now the cultural and natural landscapes of Sanshui have had big changes. In September 2020, the results of the selection of Sanshui New Eight Scenic Spots were officially announced. After 36 years Sanshui has selected the iconic Eight Scenic Spots, which will show the new look and image of the Sanshui City.
The selection activity, organized by the Publicity Department of Sanshui District Committee and the Culture & Tourism Bureau included the following stages: recommendation collection, preliminary review meeting, online voting, research, final review meeting, and giving awards. The event was held in the hope of strengthening the promotion of the district's image.
The nominated scenic spots were the cultural and natural landscapes with symbolic significance and cultural connotation in Sanshui area, which were mainly existing mature hot spots, scenic areas, historical sites, and modern buildings. The experts evaluated the scenic spots from five aspects: whether it keeps up with the times, whether it is compatible with human cultural activities, whether it is symbolic, its tourism index and the durability. Each index accounted for 20 points, and the total score was 100 points. The scenic spots were ranked based on the average scores of the 7 judges. The top 20 entered the online voting session, and 20 candidate scenic spots covered seven towns and sub districts in Sanshui.
Finally, based on experts’ reviews and the results of citizens’ online voting, the new Eight Scenic Spots of Sanshui, which were believed to be able to reflect the image of the city, were selected from 20 candidate attractions.
And there were some featured awards:
Regional Feature Award - Kuigang Wen Tower, Centennial Railway Station, Centennial Customs, Centennial Post Office
Agriculture and Tourism Integration Award - Datang Modern Agriculture Park
Internet Popularity Award - Jiudaogu Natural and Ecological Tourism Zone
The Most Potential Award - Xinan Water Town
At the foot of Kundu Mountain, waves are lapping around Sixian Confluence, where Xijiang River, Beijiang River and Suijiang River meet. The Pearl River Delta starts here, and this is where Sanshui got its name. This place has got so amazing views that the ancients would write poems like “Dragon would dive in Sixian Confluence, and a phoenix would inhabit in Kundu Mountain.” When you climb on the top of Kundu mountain, you can indulge yourself in the scenery of confluence of the three rivers, and when you go down you can also enjoy the tranquility of an ancient temple. At the confluence of the three rivers, large and small boats shuttle back and forth. The modern Guiyang-Guangzhou high-speed railway runs across the river, which makes a stark contrast with the Kuigang Wen Tower, the Centennial Railway Station, the Centennial Post Office and the Centennial Customs, yet somehow enhances the beauty of each other. They have all witnessed the prosperity and glory of the ancient town of Hekou.
Sanshui Forest Park is located in the central urban area of Sanshui. It is a national AAAA-level (like a four-star) tourist attraction with the functions of sightseeing, leisure and vacation, entertainment and sports, high-end residence and catering service. The park has beautiful mountains and clear water which let you be able to stay close to nature. Surrounding by the green, some pseudo-classic style buildings are like the decorations to a big Christmas tree. Here, you can find the largest Confucius Temple in South China - Kongsheng Garden; the first temple named after a contemporary eminent monk in China - Benhuan Temple; a crocodile lake with the theme of Thai estuarine crocodiles; a green way, a forest racing track, etc. Inside the Park there is also a Hot Spring Resort Hotel and a restaurant serving food with Sanshui characteristics.
Sanshui Lotus World is another national AAAA-level tourist attraction. It covers an area of nearly 1,000 mu. It is currently the largest lotus ecological park in China with the most abundant variety resources, integrating architecture, sculpture and lotus culture. The park has a lotus ecological recreation area, a lotus wonderland water world, a magic space and a commercial pedestrian street. Families can have some quality time as you can learn some fun facts and knowledge about the plants here. It also welcomes couples to come and make their wedding photo shoot. With an ocean of lotus as the photo background, the photos will for sure amaze everyone.
Located in the hinterland of the Pearl River Delta, Yundonghai National Wetland Park is a key project in the construction of a national forest city in Foshan City. This typical urban wetland is in the conservation area of Confluence of Three Rivers, and it’s an important node of bird migration in the Pearl River Delta region. The vast lakes and dense forests in the wetland park breeds rich biological resources. In the park, there are 176 species of vascular plants in 70 families, 143 species of vertebrates in 54 families of 20 orders, 6 species of wild animals under national II key protection, and 4 species of wild animals listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Animals and Plants. The park has a Moon Lake, a Yundonghai North Lake, a Shagang Park, an Osmanthus Island, a green way and other areas. There are a lot for people to do.
Baini, the Lingnan ancient town nurtured by the Xijiang River, is the birthplace of human civilization in Sanshui. The 4000-year-old Yinzhou Beiqiu Site has witnessed its great changes. Foshan Wenchuang Ancient town is located in the jurisdiction of Baini Town, with a total area of 3.57 square kilometers. With Baini's rich cultural resources, fertile agricultural resources, and beautiful ecological resources, a series of scenic spots, such as Xiaowen Qionggang, Chen's Ancestral Hall, Creative Granary, Food Museum, Colourful Flower Filed, Xijiang Yard, Qiyi Art and Culture Village, Thousand-year Waterway, Xijiang River Food Street can all be found in the town! Thanks to that, people can feel free to explore this town according to their own schedule. You can have a half-day leisure tour of ancient town if your schedule is tight. Or you can have a one-day trip along the riverside. If you are not on a rush you can of course make a two-day plan for this attractive ancient town. It is worth a visit because you can visit an old village, learn the local culture, enjoy a flower field and taste fresh food all in one place!
Daqitou Village is in Leping Town, Sanshui District. It is a group of ancient residential buildings constructed uniformly during the Qing Dynasty. It has a history of more than 100 years and is a representative village of the buildings in central Guangdong from the Qing Dynasty. The village has its own system with all kinds of function zones such as folk houses, ancestral halls, family temples, mansions, towers, sunning ground, squares, ponds, etc. which are in coordinated layout and unified style. Daqitou ancient village building complex is a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit with great historical significance. If you are an architecture fan who fancy historical buildings, this is your place.
Xujiang Ancestral Temple was built during the Jiading period of the Southern Song Dynasty. It has a history of more than 800 years and is the oldest temple in Sanshui. The ancestral temple faces the Beijiang River, with Huashan Mountain on the back, accompanied by water on both right and left sides. And it is surrounded by green plants all year round. The nature and the temple are in harmony, sending out a simple and peaceful vibe. Not far away there are Changqi Ancient Village and Lvbao hot spring, which makes a great combo for tourism with a deep historical background. Xujiang Ancestral Temple is one of the key provincial-level cultural relic protection units. Beidi (one of the Chinese Gods) Birthday Temple Fair, which is one of the intangible cultural heritage events in Guangdong Province, is held on March 3 of the lunar calendar, and it attracts thousands of people every time.
The Forest Kingdom of Nandan Mountain is in the north of Sanshui, surrounded by Beijiang River and Manjiang River. It has a rare tropical rain forest, and has bred more than 3000 kinds of plants, including 700 kinds of medicinal plants. There are more than 20 kinds of plants under national second-class protection. Standing in the mountains is like being in a botanical museum. Entertainment is built in the scenic area. There are fun and exciting forest exploration sports such as canyon ziplines, canopy bridges, jungle leaps. There is also a fun world suitable for families with children. If you want to get close to the animals, you can see the innocent faces of squirrels in the squirrel tribe. If you want to find the most pure fun, you can stay in the star themed camping hotel to see the stars and the moon.
