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Eight Sights of Guangzhou, or Eight Views of Guangzhou, is the name of various lists of the eight most famous tourist attractions in Guangzhou, China named in different historical eras. The earliest such list dates back to Song Dynasty. The Eight Sights slowly evolved over the course of several dynasties, with new sights introduced to replace older sights that had disappeared or declined in prominence. The changes reflected the geographical development of Guangzhou during the same period of time. Since the establishment of the People's Republic of China, government and media involvement has greatly accelerated the iteration of the Eight Sights, leading to four new lists published in the span of less than 50 years.

Song Dynasty
The Eight Sights of Guangzhou in Song Dynasty were recorded in the Annals of Nanhai County of Kangxi era and the Annals of Guangzhou Prefecture  of Qianlong era. Most of the sights were closely related to water bodies in the city, reflecting its tight cultural connection to water.


 * Fuxu Yuri referred to Yuri Pavilion in Fuxu Town, located in today's Miaotou Village, Nangang Town to the east of Nanhai Temple. Yuri Pavilion used to overlook the Pearl River. At dawn, the sun could be seen rising amidst the waves of the river. The pavilion has survived till the modern days, but the riverside has retreated by hundreds of metres. Trees and buildings standing on the allivial land now completely blocks the view of the river from the pavilion.


 * Shimen Fanzhao was located at the intersection of a tributary of Bei River with Liuxi River in today's Shimen Village, Jianggao Town in Baiyun District. The surrounding mountains were reflected upon the river. The sun at dawn and dusk would add to the splendor of the sight. Occasionally, mirages could be seen above the water. Legend had it that the view of Shaozhou of hundreds of kilometres away had been seen in a mirage.


 * Haishan Xiaoji referred to Haishan Building. Located at today's Beijing Lu, Haishan Building had an immediate view of the Pearl River thanks to the width of the river at its time. The sight disappeared in Yuan Dynasty after the building suffered a fire and collapsed.


 * Now buried underground near the intersection of today's Yanjiang Xilu and Xindi 1 Henglu, Haizhu Rock, an islet 100 metres long and 50 metres wide, lay in the middle of the Pearl River during Song Dynasty, being submerged and exposed by the tides every day. The ever-running river water gave the islet a well-polished surface, earning it the name "Haizhu", which literally means "river pearl". Standing on the islet at dusk in autumn, the scenery of the Pearl River was most enjoyable. The river has since narrowed over the course of time. Haizhu Rock was connected to the land and buried underground due to road construction in the 1930s. It was not rediscovered until 2004.


 * Juhu Lake (菊湖, literally "chrysanthemum lake") had been a reservoir collecting water from Wenxi Creek for domestic user as well as irrigation since the Three Kingdoms period. Lu Gou, Prefectural Governor of Guangzhou and Military Commissioner of Lingnan constructed dykes at the lake, decorated it with pavilions and pagodas, and lined the banks with cotton trees and erythrinas, turning the lake into a popular scenic spot for spring-time excursions. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Southern Han established an imperial palace at this location. The lake silted and dried up in Yuan Dynasty. Today's Xiaobei Lu runs by the southeast of Yuexiu Mountain through the place where the lake was located.


 * Pujian was a creek on Baiyun Mountain. The name "Pujian" came from the calami growing in the creek. Creek water fell off a tall cliff and was blown into countless droplets by the mountain breeze. Whenever it rained, the falling droplets would become a waterfall, then a spring would emerge and was called Lianquan Spring. Today's Pujian Creek has changed its course, and calami are no longer found in it. The remains of the waterfall of Lianquan Spring can be found at the north end of Lianquan Lu.


 * Guangxiao Puti referred to Guangxiao Temple. Guangxiao Temple gained its fame for being the location where Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chán Buddhism received his tonsure. It was also known for its pipals. During Ming Dynasty, between 50 and 60 pipals could be found in the temple. At the time, pipal leaves were often used for producing lanterns, medicine and luxurious gifts. In 676, a revered monk named Zhiyao planted a pipal in the temple. The tree lived for over $1,100$ years until it was brought down by a typhoon in 1800. A new tree was planted in 1802 and was a descendant of the old tree, which can be found in the temple today.


 * Datong Yanyu referred to Datong Temple and Yanyu Well in the temple. Yanyu Well was said to be capable of forecasting weather. When rain was about to fall, fog would rise from the well. The temple was were reduced to debris during the occupation of Guangzhou by Japanese forces. Located in a now densely-populated area in Fangcun by the mouth of Huadi River, only a few street names were left of the temple, and only one of those streets is still found today.

Yuan Dynasty
The Eight Sights of Guangzhou in Yuan Dynasty retained four of those in Song Dyansty while adding four new ones. The four sights from Song Dynasty were all water-related; meanwhile, the four new ones were all mountain sights. All eight sights were found outside the city walls.


 * See "Song Dynasty".


 * Baiyun Wanwang referred to the view of the city of Guangzhou at dusk from Baiyun Temple on Baiyun Mountain. Baiyun Temple was located on the south side of Baiyun Mountain. In Yuan Dynasty, the city boundaries were still quite far away from Baiyun Mountain. Therefore, at Baiyun Temple, the view of the entire city could be seen and was particularly splendid at dusk. Nowadays, the city has expanded to encompass Baiyun Mountain inside the urban area. The location of the sight remains a popular spot for moon appreciation on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.


 * During the Datong (大同) era of Liang Dynasty under the reign of Emperor Wu, a famous monk named Jingtai established Jingtai Temple on the north side of Baiyun Mountain. The temple had since gradually become a popular tourist attraction. The sight was destroyed in early Qing Dynasty when armies of Shang Kexi and Geng Zhongming logged trees in the area for building cannons during their invasion of Guangzhou.


 * Yuewang Platform (越王台, literally "King of Nanyue platform") at Yuejing Crest on Yuexiu Mountain was the earliest recreational spot in Guangzhou. Built in Western Han, only the pedestal was left to be found in Tang Dynasty. The sight was then known for its natural landscape. Now Sun Yat-sen Monument stands on the top of Yuejing Crest.


 * Lingzhou Aofu referred to Mount Lingzhou located in today's Guanyao Town, Nanhai District, Foshan to the northwest of Guangzhou. In Yuan Dynasty, the nearby Xinan and Lubao Streams had not silted. The mount was surrounded by vast water in all directions. Passengers travelling by the mount would climb it for a sightseeing trip of the mount itself as well as Xi and Bei Rivers. The sight declined over the last 300 years as the surrounding water narrowed and transportation became inconvenient.

Ming Dynasty
The Eight Sights of Guangzhou of Ming Dynasty were recorded in Transcripts of Ancient Manuscripts on Yangcheng, which quoted Annals of Ming as well as Continued Annals of Nanhai County , compiled in 1910. The list of this era saw a radical departure from that of Song Dynasty. As the city boundaries expanded, only sights located in the urban areas were selected.


 * Yuexiu Songtao referred to Yuexiu Mountain.


 * Sui Rock was a red sandstone hillock. It had been an islet located in shallow seawater and developed numerous potholes due to corrosion. Two such potholes found on a big rock resembled the shape of a footprint and were believed to be trace left by an immortal. The rock was thus called "Xianren Muji" . The scene is now part of Wuxian Temple. What used to be by the seaside during Jin Dynasty is now a few kilometres inland from the north shore of the Pearl River.


 * Mount Pan is now just an inconspicuous mound inside Sun Yat-sen Literature Library on Wende Lu. During its glorious days, the ancient Wenxi Creek flowed by its east. In the wet days, evaporated creek water would create a mist in the shade of pines and cotton trees. However, Wenxi Creek was rerouted away in 1467 to connect with Donghao Stream. With the loss of its water source, the sighy gradually disappeared in mid- and late Ming Dynasty.


 * Yaozhou was an artificial islet in Xihu Lake, a lake built from excavating a natural pool during Southern Han. "Yaozhou" literally means "medicine islet". It was the place where Southern Han emperor Liu Yan gathered alchemists to produce medicine. Medicine was dumped into the water, dying the water into a unique scenery. Xihu Lake was filled after Chenghua era of Ming Dynasty. Today, a garden on Jiaoyu Lu named Site of Yaozhou encloses the remains of the sight.


 * A Xuanmiao Temple used to stand on what is now Zhongshan 6 Lu. It was a famous temple garden in Guangzhou in Ming Dynasty. Trees in the temple were said to be planted by immortals in the legends. Combined with a well said to be drilled by Su Shi, they gave the sight the name as we know it today, the only thing that is left of the sight.

Qing Dynasty
Eight Views of The Ram City were chosen through public appraisal twice in Qing Dynasty. The first election was in Qianlong years and the second was in middle and later periods of Qing Dynasty, namely years from Tongzhi Emperor to Guangxu Emperor.

Qianlong years
Quoted from Yangcheng Guchao.


 * Wuxian Xiadong : Five Immortals Taoist Temple
 * Pazhou Dizhu : Pazhou Pagoda
 * Guwu Yushan : Academy on Yushan Mountain
 * Zhenhai Cenglou : Zhenhai Tower
 * Fuqiu Danjing : Fuqiu Reef
 * Xiqiao Yunfu : Xiqiao Mountain
 * Donghai Yuzhu : Yuzhu Reef
 * Yuexiu Lianfeng : Yuexiu Mountain

Middle & Later Periods of Qing Dynasty
Quoted from Yuedong Biji.


 * Shimen Fanzhao : Shimen and Small Beijiang River
 * Boluo Yuri or Fuxu Yuri : Temple of Nanhai God, alternatively called Pineapple Temple.
 * Zhujiang Yeyue or Haizhu Yeyue : Pearl River
 * Jinshan Gusi : Lingzhou and Small Jinshan Mountain Temple
 * Datong Yanyu : Datong Temple and Yanyu Well
 * Baiyun Wanwang : Baiyun Temple
 * Pujian Lianquan : Changpu Creek
 * Jingtai Senggui : Jingtai Temple

1963

 * Baiyun Songtao : Baiyun Mountain, Moxing Peak and Mingzhu Pagoda
 * Luogang Xiangxue : Luogang Xiangxue Park, Luofeng Temple
 * Yuexiu Yuantiao : Yuexiu Mountain, Zhenhai Tower, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Monument
 * Zhuhai Danxin : Haizhu Square and its nearby scenic spots centering about Guangzhou Liberation Monument
 * Hongling Xuri : Memorial Mausoleum to the Martyrs in Guangzhou Uprising, or Martyrs' Park as more commonly known
 * Shuangqiao Yanyu : Zhujiang Bridge
 * E'tan Yeyue : Bai'etan and Shamian Island
 * Donghu Chunxiao : Dongshan Lake Park

1986

 * Hongling Xuri : Memorial Mausoleum to the Martyrs in Guangzhou Uprising, or Martyrs' Park as more commonly known
 * Huangpu Yunqiang : Huangpu Port and Xinsha Port
 * Yunshan Jinxiu : Baiyun Mountain
 * Zhuhai Qingbo : Haizhu Square
 * Huanghua Haoqi : Mausoleum of 72 Martyrs at Huanghuagang, or Huanghuagang Park as more commonly known
 * Yuexiu Cenglou : Zhenhai Tower
 * Liuhua Yuyu : Buildings surrounding China Import And Export Fair(Canton Fair) Building (Liuhua Pavilion) and Guangzhou Railway Station
 * Longdong Qilin : South China Botanical Garden

2002
The followings are those chosen through public appraisal in 2001 and brought out in 2002.


 * Yunshan Diecui : Baiyun Mountain
 * Zhushui Yeyun : Pearl River
 * Yuexiu Xinhui : Yuexiu Mountain
 * Tianhe Piaojuan : CITIC Plaza and The Artificial Waterfall at Guangzhou East Railway Station Square
 * Guci Liufang : Chen Clan Academy and Guangdong Folk Craftwork Museum
 * Huanghua Haoyue : Mausoleum of 72 Martyrs at Huanghuagang, or Huanghuagang Park as more commonly known
 * Wuhuan Chenxi : Guangdong Olympic Stadium, or known as Aoti Main Stadium
 * Lianfeng Guanhai : Panyu Lianhua Mountain

2011
The followings are those chosen through public appraisal and brought out in 2011.


 * Tayao Xincheng : Canton Tower, Chigang Pagoda, Haixinsha, Flower City Square, Guangzhou Twin Towers, CITIC Plaza, etc.
 * Zhushui Liuguang : Pearl River (segment from Bai'etan to Pazhou), Wharves, Bai'etan, Shamian Island, Yanjiang Lu, Ersha Island, Haixinsha, Guangzhou Convention and Exhibition Center, etc.
 * Yunshan Diecui : Baiyun Mountain, Yuntai Garden, etc.
 * Yuexiu Fenghua : Yuexiu Mountain, Zhenhai Tower, Five Rams Statue, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Monument, etc.
 * Guxi Liufang : Chen Clan Academy and Guangdong Folk Craftwork Museum
 * Liwan Shengjing : Litchi Bay, Liwan Lake, Arcades on Enning Lu, Xiguan Residences, etc.
 * Kecheng Jinxiu : Guangzhou Science City
 * Shidi Changwan : Nansha Wetland Park