NOVEMBER 23, 20 DAILY PAGE 15 ASIAD AROUND

SHOPPING Qing Ping Herbal Medicine Market 清平药材市场 Hualin Jadeware Street Located just north of Island 华林寺玉器一条街 (Huangsha Metro stop), this medicine Located on Xiajiu Lu, Hualin Jadeware market has a vast number of herbal Street specializes in jade and jewelry specialists, who sell all kinds of diff er- processing for retail and wholesale. ent remedies. Here you will fi nd rare Since the Qing Dynasty (AD 1644- mushrooms, roots and hundreds of 1911), this street has been famed for kinds of tea you never knew existed. its jadeware fair. At present, hundreds Th ere are also many more esoteric rem- of jadeware stores can be found here. edies, for which you’ll probably need a Many of the items are made from guide to work out what to do with them jade — from China’s Yunnan province (think scorpion tail and snakeskin). and Myanmar. Toys ‘Я’ Us 玩具反斗城 Wende Cultural Shopping Street Th is US-based toy chain store opened 文德文化商业街 its fi rst store in Guangzhou in May. Located in Grandview Mall, the store Th is street is known as “Guangzhou claims to be the biggest global toy store EDITOR’S PICK >> THE DIM SUM CULTURE Gallery” for its art stores which sell in the world. Th eir store off ers a large Chinese paintings and calligraphy, range of products for children of all high-grade curios and the “Four ages including reputable brands such Th e unique culinary art of dim sum originated with the in southern China, who over the centuries Treasures of Study”. as Hasbro, Mattel, Lego, Bandai, and have transformed tea tasting from a relaxing respite to a loud and happy dining experience. In most cities and Jiangnan Dadao 江南大道 many more. Th e fi ft h fl oor of Grand- towns in province, many restaurants start serving dim sum as early as 5 am. It is a tradition for the view Mall covers 15,000 square meters Th is street is also called the “Wed- and is entirely dedicated to children. elderly to gather to eat dim sum aft er morning exercises, oft en enjoying the morning newspapers. Restaurants ding Dresses Street”. Located at the Numerous children’s clothes are avail- specializing in this kind of food typically only serve it until mid-aft ernoon (around the time of a traditional northern end of Jiangnan Dadao Lu, able, as well as educational toys and Western 3 pm coff ee break), and serve other kinds of in the evening. Nowadays, various dim it is the biggest retail area for wedding items, books, photo studios and a small attire in Guangdong province. It was playground with plenty of activities for sum are even sold as take-out for students and offi ce workers on the go. fi rst developed into a commercial the little ones. Standard fare include shrimp dumpling (up right), a steamed dumpling, cha shao bao, the most popular bun street when overseas Chinese living Address: 5/F, Grandview Mall, Tianhe there turned their own gardens and district with a Cantonese barbecued pork fi lling, and turnip cake (up left ), which is made from mashed daikon radish lawns into wedding dress shops. In mixed with bits of dried shrimp and pork sausage that are steamed and then cut into slices and pan-fried. the very beginning, those shops were RESTAURANTS simple aff airs with business at the Recommended restaurants for dim sum: front and a factory in the backyard. • Guangzhou Jiujia (广州酒家) Address: 2 Wenchang Nan Lu, Tel: (020) 81380388 Now, dress styles have become more Tong Xiang Hui 同湘会 and more diverse and chic. Th is place is defi nitely worth a try as • Lian Xiang Lou (莲香楼) Address: 67 Dishipu Lu, Liwan district Tel: (020) 81813388 one of the most authentic Hunan res- • Panxi Restaurant (泮溪酒家) Address: 151 Longjin Xi Lu, Liwan district Tel: (020) 81815955 Yuemu Antique Wood taurants in Guangzhou, which serves Furniture Store 阅木居 home-made dishes with a Hunan fl avor, especially its house specialty: Address: 354 Changdi Da Ma Lu, Yuexiu steamed fi sh head with chili pepper. It spot to sit, eat and talk the day away brews while taking in the eponymous district garden. Th e décor of the Garden Café has a nice environment, but there are when the weather is fi ne. Th e menu is Door policy: No entrance fee, relaxed is almost as big a reason to visit as the always a lot of people, so you can’t really extensive; you’ll fi nd classics like foie dress code avoid the noise. gras and brisket on the evening specials coff ee itself. Hours: list. Th e food is of great quality, the staff Amigo 亚米高 Catering to Guangzhou’s American 11 am-10 pm expat population, Garden off ers good Address: 3/F, Hongxiang Mansion, 613 and the owner are friendly, and the Th is French pub, with a Portuguese or home-style cheeseburgers — probably Tianhe Bei Lu, price is pretty decent. Spanish name (depending on whom Tel: (020) 38142460 the best in town. So if you like coff ee, Hours: you ask), is divided into diff erent sec- 10:30 am-2:30 pm, 5:30 pm-11 pm food, fl owers and relaxing, give Garden Address: 475 Huanshi Dong Lu Tiancheng Chuancai Restaurant tions by wooden barriers and spiraling Café a try. As you walk in the store and head Tel: (020) 87606465 wooden stairs. Saddles, whips, Western down the stairs, a vast space comes 天成川菜餐厅 Transportation: Metro , Martyr’s historical paintings and antique wine into sight catching visitors by surprise. Th is is a popular midrange Sichuan Park Station bottles decorate every corner. Th e small Th e store is underground in down- cuisine chain where the staff will listen WHAT’S ON Western restaurant upstairs is a good town Guangzhou and the hidden loca- if you tell them you’d rather your head place to enjoy picturesque views of the tion provides shoppers with a pleasant doesn’t explode today. Packed at peak . browsing experience. times, so plan your visits. Bijou Opera Story of the Pearl Hours: 5:30 pm-3 am LIGANG BRANCH Address: B03, Bai’e Tan Bar Street, Chang- Th e story behind each piece of furni- Address: Bijou Opera is a unique style of Japanese 16 Ligang Lu, di Lu, Fangcun, Liwan district ture is unique and gives the shopper Tel: (020) 84355728 opera, in which all roles, regardless of Tel: (020) 81558173 the illusion of traveling back in time. DASHATOU BRANCH gender, are played by women. What sets Each piece has its own story. Some Address: 16 Dashatou, Bijou Opera apart from normal operas O Spa Tel: (020) 83845718 is that rather than using extravagant sets came from old merchant ships that If you want to pull out all the stops, once traveled the Marine Silk Road. JIANGNAN DADAO BRANCH and costumes, Bijou focuses on themes Address: 2/F, 332 Jiangnan Dadao Zhong, visit O Spa. Located on the top fl oor of Others are from whale ships, which like love and the value of existence. Th is Haizhu district top-class song and dance performance the Grand Hyatt Guangzhou, it looks once sailed the high seas. Tel: Hours: 9 am-10 pm (020) 84250819 has received rave reviews in Japan and out over the Pearl River. Th e spa uses Address: 470 Huanshi Dong Lu Address: Zhongfu Mall, promises to deliver a highly memorable only natural ingredients like black rice, Tel: (020) 87301268 Pan’ e Vino 意中小厨 red ginger, lotus and green tea along Tel: (020) 34637083 show for Guangzhou audiences. Transportation: Metro Line 1, Kengkou Th is is a nice little Italian place that When: with pure aromatic extracts to practice Tiancheng Bronze Ware Store 8 pm, Nov 26 a whole array of powerful therapies. Station tries hard for an intimate ambiance Address: Guangzhou Baiyun Internation- 天程铜艺 and mostly succeeds. A competent al Convention Center, 1039-1046 Baiyun O Spa is staff ed by the best Chinese Th e Paddy Field Irish Pub Few people would guess when enter- kitchen and a list of good wines Dadao Nan, Baiyun district specialists in the area, and works not Ticket hotline: only to relax your mind and body, but “爱尔兰的稻田”酒吧 ing the Tiancheng Bronze Ware round out a generally favorable pic- (020) 86003397/85567446 also to reinvigorate the vital energy Store that bronze-making was one of ture. Paddy can be understood as “paddy NIGHTLIFE that the Chinese refer to as qi. Th is spa rice” or “Irish people” in slang, so “Th e Guangzhou’s most important indus- Hours: 11:30 am-1 pm will give you probably the most com- Paddy Field” can be directly translated tries for centuries. Address:15 Jianshe Liu Ma Lu, Yuexiu prehensive experience in town. to “fi eld of paddy rice”. With all wooden Th e handicraft can be traced back to district Rose GaGa Tel: (020) 83766584 Hours: 9 am-7 pm decoration, an extremely high roof and the Qing Dynasty, when more than Due to the popularity of Lady Gaga in Address: The Grand Hyatt Guangzhou, oversize stools and food, it is full of China, this new club is becoming more 2,000 bronze workers had stores in Saint Germain 胜日门 12 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Pearl River New City, Irish feeling. If you don’t have 40-inch- . Today, Guangzhou has put and more popular. Th e music style is Tianhe district long legs like some expats, you will not Located near the Garden Hotel, this Tel: (020) 83961234 Xiguan bronze ware on the city-level dance/pop and the crowd is mainly be able to touch the ground while sit- Intangible Cultural Heritage list. cute bistro has a great atmosphere, and young and hip Chinese. Th e décor is ting on stools. serves brunch, lunch and dinner. Th ere Garden Café 花艺咖啡 Address: Shop 143, En’ning Lu, Liwan inspired by British/European interior Address: First Floor, Guangyi Building, district are full-length fl oor to ceiling windows designs and the drinks are reasonably Th is little coff ee shop is a great place to 38 Huale Lu Tel: (020) 81054741 and outdoor seating, so it’s the perfect priced. sit back, relax and drink some decent Tel: (020) 83601379