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This year has seen more and more foreigners coming to visit Guangzhou since China implemented the 144-hour visa-free transit policy for travelers from dozens of countries.

Many are eager to know how to explore Guangzhou within a few days? SilkRoadPost takes you on a trip to learn about the city’s sports culture and keep you enthusiastic about sports after the Olympics.

1. Guangzhou Sports Culture Museum 

(The Museum of Guangzhou Asian Games & Guangzhou Asian Para Games)

Located inside the Tianhe Sports Center in Tianhe district, Guangzhou Sports Culture Museum is the former office building of the organizing committee of Guangzhou Asian Games. It is the first Asian Games-themed museum in Asia and the only one in China.

The museum presents more than 2,000 precious exhibits, including sacred water containers collected from different parts of Asia, torches ignited by state leaders, and items that recorded every significant moments of Guangzhou from the bid to the successful holding of the Asian Games.

As the inaugural Asian Para Games was held in Guangzhou in 2010, the sacred flame of the Games has been permanently housed in the city. And the flame cauldron of the Asian Para Games is on display at the museum.

The museum also sets up a champion sculpture exhibition and a themed exhibition on Guangzhou marathon, which fully demonstrate the city’s sports culture.

Opening hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed on Mondays)

2. Haixinsha island

This small island in Tianhe district rose to fame as the main venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Asian Games. The venue was designed to resemble a giant sailboat, and a portion of the facilities, such as the masts, the open-air water stage and the grandstand, have been preserved as legacies of the Guangzhou Asian Games.

Haixinsha now serves as a recreational park for the public, holding various cultural and entertainment events as well as exhibitions from time to time. When the night falls, it is immersed in colorful changing lights, offering music fountain shows and a magnificent view of the city skyline along the Pearl River for visitors to enjoy. 

Haixinsha and nearby landmarks on the Huacheng Square constitute a big part of Guangzhou’s new central axis, attracting streams of tourists to come and appreciate the modern charm of the metropolis.

Sources: 广州天河发布，广州外事，广州日报

Photos: 广州体育文化博物馆，广州海心沙，广州日报

Author: Pauline