Life of Guangzhou - Memories & Water: Life in Old Guangzhou

"Water village wedding" in Guangzhou's Nansha district. (Guangzhou Daily/ Li Xuyang)

For centuries, waterways in and around Guangzhou were essential to the city. They were the main means of transportation, bringing food and goods to the city, draining waste, and actually influencing culture. Today, waterways have somewhat lost their importance and cement slaps, parks, and residential communities have wiped out forever the hundreds of canals which used to criss-crossed the city. The importance of "water" in local culture survives however and its legacy sometimes appears in our daily life.

Dragon Boat Racing

Dragon Boat Racing has been around for close to two thousand years. When the races end, the boats are buried in the riverbed to protect it from sunshine and rains. Every year before the next races, the villagers choose an auspicious day at an auspicious hour to dig out the boat from the mud. The entire village would come and see this attraction, a good way to maintain social relationships. In Liede village on 22nd January, 2008, a 40-meter long dragon boat was recovered from the riverbed and it is believed to be 800 years old.

Dragon Boat Racing is not only a kind of sports but also a way for villagers visiting each other. (Guangzhou Daily)

"Water" in Cantonese

"Water" was so common in ancient Guangzhou people's lives that the list of phrases concerning "water" is endless. First, "water" is a nickname for money. "Salary" in Cantonese literally means firewood and water. "Water flowing into pig pen" means earning much money. Animals like "fish", "shrimp" and "crab" are always used in metaphors. "Salted fish revives" means that a man makes a success after a failure. Forgetful persons are "big-headed shrimps", while little babies are called "little shrimps".

In Mandarin, phrases mention the "wind" more than "Water". "To follow or watch in secrecy" is "to look at the wind" in Mandarin, but "to look at the water" in Cantonese. Likewise, "to inform in secrecy" is "to let the wind go" in Mandarin but "to let the water go" in Cantonese.

Shrimps traps become decoration in a village house. (Guangzhou Daily/ Li Xuyang)

Pearl River Delta in a Foreigner's eyes

In 1825, a 13-year-old American boy came to Guangzhou and settled here for 40 years. In his book Notes of a "Honkey" in Guangzhou, he wrote: Cargo ships, passenger ships and official ships keep coming from far away lands. Sampans, ferries, little boats offering haircut services and selling daily necessities are crowded in the channel…In brief, Guangzhou is a city floating on water, restless, humming in a low voice, full of life and joy.

(By Estella Wang, David Keyton)