FRONTIER

you order off a picture menu, and it’s brought to you a la carte. What you miss out on the trolley theatre is knowing you can come for yum cha anytime. Make sure you sample the egg tarts, no matter how much you over-order.

Cheong Fun is a classic breakfast option seen in Australian yum cha restaurants, and the best is found at Yin Zi, a neighbourhood eatery in the Hai Zu district. It takes about 90 seconds to make one and watching it is part of the fun as the cook ladles rice milk on to a steamer basket like a thin pancake batter, adds filling such as egg, prawn or barbecue pork, cooks it for a minute in a 300C steam oven, chops and serves it. It’s about 7Yuan, $1.50, and it’s impossible to stop at one.

You’re greeted by a smiling gold Buddha when you step inside the Six Banyan Temple built in 537AD and then the 58m-tall Flower Tower. There are nine external floors and 14 internal ones, thanks to secret staircases. Maggie tells us that towers in Buddhist temples are always odd numbers because even ones are considered unlucky.

The odd numbers extend to the incense sticks. You are given three as you enter and it’s OK to also just light one, but never two. If you want something more active than lighting a joss stick, walk around the flower tower three times clockwise and three times anti-clockwise to make a prayer or a wish.

When stepping into one of the rooms of a temple, don’t step on the lintel. It’s considered the shoulder of the Buddha and is disrespectful. You should bow slightly as you cross the threshold, which shows respect.

In the central courtyard, you see the six banyan trees the temple is named for. They’re all around 170 years old, with roots crisscrossing all the way up their ancient trunks.

All Buddhist temples were damaged after the cultural revolution in 1967-1977, and after 1985, restoration began.

In the LiWan District, you can walk through a traditional Xiguan residence to view various exhibits and see how people lived. For instance, grandparents were always roomed at the front of the house in multi-generational dwellings so that they could keep an eye on the comings and goings.

This artificial island feels more like Europe than China. After the Opium Wars in 1859, it was split between the British and the French, 60/40 Anglican vs Catholic. There are big buildings with floor-to-ceiling plantation shutters, wide boulevards and lush gardens. China reclaimed it in 1946, and everything is maintained to showcase the history of the island.

On weekends, it’s a popular family destination with kids running around and playing games.

You’ll also see the French influence extended past the island. Head to the shopping district where you’ll see the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus or Shishi Catholic Church, which the victors insisted on building after the Opium War. Based on Notre Dame, the Gothicstyle structure is the biggest stone Catholic church in South East Asia.

This picturesque park in the middle of the city has a lake with dragon boats, towering banyan trees, people playing hackysack and free Cantonese opera from 2-5pm daily.

It’s also home to a man on a bike selling dragon hair sweets. Look for the group of kids crowding around him, their face in raptures as he pulls the fairy-floss like sugar strands and wraps them around a peanut crumble filling. At 6Yuan for six, they’re too good to resist.

Wander the Botanic Gardens for a trip around the world: the lake is surrounded by colourful tulips and statues of giant clogs and windmills, reminiscent of Amsterdam, the greenhouse is home to just about every cactus variety you can find, traditional Tiwi sculptures dot the landscape and there is even a section with Aboriginal rock art.

Continue the scenic vista with a cable car ride up to the top of Baiyun Mountain for incredible views of the city. It’s known as ‘White Cloud’ mountain because the clouds circle the peak in spring.

There’s also a bird sanctuary at the peak, teeming with peacocks and macaws.

Bring your passport along and get ready to hang on as you ride the lift up the third highest TV tower in the world. Your ears will pop as you rise 433m in 90 seconds.

The bubble tram — external cabins revolving around the top of the building at 455m — will give you world-class vistas. If adrenaline is your thing, go the Sky Drop, a 100-foot freefall drop. At 485m, it’s the world’s highest vertical free-fall ride.

An hour by metro from Guangzhou is Foshan, home to the oldest temple in China, the Temple of the Ancestors, built in the 11th century. Foshan is also the birthplace of the lion dance. There are two shows a day, but stay behind and watch them train. Without the costume, you can see their athleticism as they practise the Mou Fa Jong dance where they jump on poles with a platform of only 30cm diameter and are up to three metres apart.

There’s also a museum of martial arts, as lion dancing descended from martial arts.

Foshan is also the capital of ceramics, check out the Nanfeng Kiln which hasn’t gone out in 540 years, and pick up a souvenir on nearby Doll St.