Liwan, traditionally known as Xiguan, is named after Lizhi Wan (Litchi Bay) in the district which is depicted by a poet as "Green water in the bay, red litchis on both banks." The district occupies an area of 16.2 square kilometers with a permanent population of 500,000, and more than 200,000 non-permanent residents.
Liwan District is located in the west of downtown Guangzhou, on the east and north bank of the Pearl River. It is the center for transportation with the railway station and Baiyun International Airport to its north, Renmin Bridge and Pearl River Tunnel to its south connecting both banks of the river, Pearl River Bridge to its west connecting Nanhai and Foshan, Guangzhou South freight terminal of Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and Guangzhou Xinfeng Dock to its southwest, 107 National Highway and Guangzhou-Foshan Highway connecting with Guangzhou-Shenzhen Highway toward Hong Kong, Number One Route of Guangzhou Subway passing through the entire district; all these create a complete transportation network including water, land and air routes in the district. Liwan District is therefore a unique attraction for business people.
Shangxiajiu Pedestrians' Shopping Street is a prosperous commercial society, with a history of more than one hundred years, and is one of the most bustling commercial pedestrians' shopping streets in China and a trademark project of the city. It is also known as the Xiguan Commercial Corridor and is one of the Top Ten Guangzhou Tourist Attractions. The street is composed of the unique and ancient architecture of qilou and teahouses, featuring the characteristics of south European and local styles. The street hosts Hualin Temple Jadeware Street, the number one jadeware market in China, and Qingping Market, national market for agricultural and sideline products as well as traditional Chinese medicinal materials. More than 1,400 years ago, Dharma, an accomplished Indian monk who came to China as a missionary, firstly landed at Xiajiu Road (today's Xilaichudi, the first landing place of the westerners) and constructed Xilai Temple (today's Hualin Temple), paving the way for establishing Chinese Buddhism Zen and Shaolin Temple at Mount Song. Shangxiajiu Pedestrians' Shopping Street was opened in 1995 and since then, many top state officials including Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Ye Xuanping and Tung Chee-hwa have visited the place.
Shisanhang (Thirteen Hongs) was a famous treaty port at the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty. It was the only treaty port open for foreign businessmen in China. Shamian Islet used to be the foreign settlement for Britain and France and is now one of the places with the most characteristic European style in China. There are more than one hundred examples of 20th century European and American architecture. These stand among the ancient woods, overlooking the White Swan Pond of the Pearl River, where you can enjoy wide and variable views.
Xiguan is a Heaven for Gourmets: the local cuisine combines color, flavor, taste, presenting a form and implied connotation to produce perfect food; Liwan District is accordingly known as the heaven for gourmets. There are hundreds of famous foods here including Nanxin double layer milk custard, Ouchengji fresh shrimp wonton and noodle with broth, Dechang salted fried pancake, Liwan boat porridge. The Cantonese style moon cake is popular throughout the world with Taotaoju, Quxiang Cake house, Lianxianglou and Ronghua as its leading producers.
Xiguan is famous for its historical folk customs: graceful, gentle and fashionable Xiguan Ladies, painting and calligraphy as well as Cantonese opera. The famous Lingnan (south of the five ridges) painting school originated from Xiguan; both Guangdong music and Guangdong opera enjoy great popularity among local people here, where there are dozens of private opera troupes, making Xiguan the Hometown of Cantonese Opera.
Top architectural culture in south Guangdong: Chens Academy is a key historical site and enjoys national protection and demonstrates the highest achievements of Lingnan architecture. The main halls and corridors are decorated with stone, brick, wood, porcelain, and clay carvings, iron casts, door paintings and wall paintings. All of these are exquisitely made with skillful techniques. Guo Moruo once praised: "People can produce what the nature produces, yet the nature can not surpass what people produce." In the 1920s, Chens Academy was listed as one of the world's architectural masterpieces by international scholars. Xiguan civil house demonstrates the unique style of the place and houses with the collection of Xiguan folk customs, featuring detailed decoration, exquisite handcrafts, Tang Long doors and Manchu windows.

Guangdong Opera Luanyu Hall

Guangdong Opera Luanyu Hall is located at 7-1, Yongqing Lane 2, Ennin Road, Xiguan. Luanyutang used to be called Dehe Hall, a branch of Guangdong Opera Bahe Hall and an acrobatic school of Guangdong Opera. It has a wooden gate, measuring 4m x 1.1m x 0.08m and has no cracks. It was the former gate of Huangsha Bahe Hall. After more than one hundred years of weathering and wars, it is as new as it was then. It was once an exhibit at a Guangzhou opera exposition. The spacious hall is furnished with suanzhi tables and chairs in ancient styles, a red boat stump donated by Liang Jinfeng, the ex-martial skill master, and photos of his 108 martial skills to be learned by younger generations. The Huaguang Palace on the second floor, measuring 3m x 2.7m x 0.9m, is decorated with traditional brocade streamers and table coverings. In the palace are carved figures of Master Tian and Master Dou, Master Zhang Qian and Master Huaguang. On the lunar dates of March 24, 28 and September 28, their masters' respective birthdays, especially on September 29, the birthday of Master Huaguang, the birthday anniversary ceremony is the grandest with over two hundred worshipers present. It is believed that Master Huaguang is the God of Fire and is a savior master also known as three-eyed Huaguang. Guangdong opera artists in San Francisco, Singapore and Hong Kong all respectively hold grand ceremonies in memory of Master Huaguang.

Bahe Hall

Unlike Beijing opera or Kunqu opera, Guangdong opera is not celebrated outside China, but it has gained a poetic name, "Red Bean in the Southern Land". As a poem goes, "Red bean in the southern land is a carrier of love." The name reminds us of the sad touching melody that touches the heart and soul of the Guangdong people for it is a faithful expression of their nostalgia in their minds.
At Xiguan there is a road called Enning Road. By this road there used to be some novel architecture known to every overseas Chinese, Bahe Hall. This name is thunderous, lingering and intimate to Bahe artists no less than Dishifu.
Bahe Hall is a professional society of Guangdong opera artists, established in Foshan and formerly known as "Qionghua Hall". As Guangdong opera artists were involved in Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Qionghua Hall was destroyed by the Qing government in the 4th year of Emperor Xianfeng's rule, with some artists killed. Some left their homes or went abroad and some fled to Huangsha of Xiguan.
In the 15th year of Emperor Guangxu's rule and at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1889), Guangdong opera artists gained the support from Liang Tongshan, a scholar who firmly upheld justice and helped them by appealing to the imperial court and finally won the case. Guangdong opera was justified and regained its glory. After that, the survivors bought land at Huangsha and constructed a huge building which could accommodate a thousand people. The building was Bahe Hall and it surprised and encouraged the Chinese all over the world. Bahe was alive as a wonder in people's conversation. Huangsha, which had remained unknown before, grew to be a busy business center of Xiguan and brought Guangzhou to her heyday because of all the sensual pleasures.
In the noisy city, Bahe Hall was a recreational resort during sleepless nights. It was bustling with bright and colorful fireworks, brilliant lights, music and singing, with renowned Guangdong opera reformers on the stage and with talks and negotiations going on about performances. Numerous opera fans, amateurs and admirers were mad about operas, choosing and listening to operas while making excited comments. Large numbers of Guangdong opera fanciers emerged and gained a reputation at the right moment.
In 1937, Bahe Hall was bombarded and raised to the ground by Japanese planes. Two years after the victory over Japan (1946), overseas Bahe artists all hoped to restore their society. They put on charity performances to collect money and constructed the present Guangdong Opera Bahe Friendship Promotion Society formerly known as Bahe Hall. Bahe refers to the eight costumes and paraphernalia put together, including costumes, actors and actresses, musical instruments, paintings, etc. which are indispensable for opera performances.
Bahe Hall is significant although it is small and located among the urban houses. It is a tremendous attraction with great cohesiveness to Guangdong opera artists. On the three walls of the hall are posters depicting performances, photographs of great Guangdong opera artists who are familiar to opera fans, such as Chen Xinghan, Guan Dexing, Liang Shaojia, Ren Jianhui, Baixuexian, Liang Xingbo and Deng Biyun and also well-known movie and TV artists from Hong Kong, such as Wang Mingquan, Luo Jiaying, Li Xiangqin and Zhen Shaoqiu. Bahe Hall has branches everywhere in the world where there are Chinese and Guangdong opera performances. Bahe artists all over the world deem Guangzhou Bahe as the origin of Bahe arts for her historical connection with the world and her cultural profundity. On every birthday anniversary of the Bahe masters, Bahe artists from Guangzhou and Hong Kong gather at Bahe Hall, the center of Bahe artists. A public Bahe graveyard has been constructed in Guangzhou as a token of Bahe spirit and morality.