Shamian Island
Accessible by bus, subway, and car, Shamian Island is a 3,000-foot by 1,000-foot crescent-shaped sandbar in Guangzhou. During the Song and Qing Dynasties the island was used as a foreign trading port, but since then its buildings have been transformed into official government buildings, factories, and homes. Shamian Island makes the perfect leisurely day trip; tourists can wander around the quaint island, exploring its Gothic and Baroque architecture, all the while not straying far from Guangzhou.