Shawan Ancient Town is a famous ancient town and also a popular tourist attraction in Guangzhou. It is located in Panyu District of Guangzhou. With its beautiful scenery, ancient buildings, and rich cultural relics, Shawan Ancient Town is a good place to see scenery and architectures of Lingnan style, and also get to know Lingnan culture and the glorious history.
Shawan Ancient Town was built during the Song Dynasty and has a history more than 800 years. Shawan is a typical southern China town surrounded by water with idyllic landscapes. Reputed as one of the most culturally rich towns in Guangzhou, Shawan Ancient Town boasts more than 100 ancient shrines and buildings. Also Shawan is famous for the intangible cultural heritages preserved, including Cantonese folk music, the dragon and lion dance. A large number of clay, wood and stone sculptures, and ancient murals are well preserved in Shawan Ancient Town.
The ancient buildings and shrines are the highlight of Shawan Ancient Town. Major attractions in the town includes Liugeng Ancestral Hall, Wenfeng Pagoda, He Binglin Memorial Hall, Qingshui Well, Youqi Hall, Chichang Hall, Sanren Hall, Zhennan Ancestral Hall and Study Room. The Liugeng Ancestral Hall is one of the most representative ancestral halls in Shawan. It was built in 1275 during the Yuan Dynasty and occupied an area more than 3,000 square meters. The impressive building of the Liugeng Hall and the cultural relics exhibited in the Liugen Ancestral Hall make it a must-see attraction in Shawan.
