As the three-day Qingming Festival holiday from April 4 to 6 approaches, the city of Jiangmen in Guangdong province has released a curated travel route designed to showcase its heritage, natural scenery and cultural attractions.
The itinerary combines historical sites, architectural landmarks and spring landscapes across three days.
Day 1: City centre walk
The first day focuses on downtown Jiangmen. Visitors can start at the China Qiaodu Museum of Overseas Chinese, which features exhibitions on the history of overseas Chinese from Jiangmen, a collection of Victorian-era oil lamps, and a display on overseas Chinese architecture.
After visiting the museum, visitors can tour the Changdi Historical and Cultural Block, which features a streetscape of arcade buildings, as seen in the television drama The Knockout (狂飙). There are smaller museums, traditional snack shops and tea houses in the Block.
Local recommendations include Zheng Shifu Mung Bean Cake (郑师傅绿豆饼), a 60-year-old establishment, and Minguo Tea House (民国茶楼), where visitors can sample Cantonese dim sum. Several bookshops and independent cafes are also located in the district.
Day 2: Heritage sites and ancient towns
On the second day, visitors go to Kaiping, home to a UNESCO World Heritage site. Zili Village preserves 15 Diaolou, multi-storey defensive towers built by overseas Chinese in the early 20th century. The site was featured in the film Let the Bullets Fly (让子弹飞).
In Tangkou, a former grain depot has been converted into the Librairie Avant-Garde (先锋天下粮仓书店), while a former grain station now houses Wuming Architecture Studio (无名营造社). Several cafes are located in restored village buildings.
The day ends at Chikan Huaqiao Ancient Town, which has more than 600 arcade buildings along a three-kilometre street. The architecture combines Western and Chinese styles. Evening performances, including a fire show, are staged in the town.
Day 3: Floral landscapes
The final day begins in Chikan, where spring flowers are in bloom throughout the historic district. Performances based on overseas Chinese history continue during the day.
The last stop is the Aloe Vera Manor in Taishan (台山四九镇芦荟庄园), a 1,000-acre estate described as one of the few aloe-themed farms in China. The yellow aloe flowers in spring fill up the fields. The manor has a café serving aloe-based dishes and ice cream, a factory tour and a DIY workshop for aloe soap and gel.
Author | Feng Huiting
Photo | Jiangmen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports
