China Guide
Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan Island
Orchid Garden
Opening time: Mon– Fri 8am–6pm, Sat & Sun 8am–7pm
Price: ¥8, or ¥20 including tea in the central pavilion
Address: Off Jiefang Bei Lu
Besides orchids, Guangzhou's delightful, though fairly small, Orchid Garden features ponds surrounded by tropical ferns and lilies, winding stone paths, palms and giant figs with drooping aerial roots, and pink-flowering azaleas. Apart from the filtered traffic noise, it's hard to believe that the city lies just outside. Along the western edge of the garden, Guangzhou's Islamic Cemetery contains the tomb of Abu Waqas, a seventh-century missionary who brought Islam to China. The details are a little sketchy, however, as Abu Waqas supposedly died around 629, three years before Mohammed, and the Quran wasn't collated for another generation afterwards. The cemetery was recently closed to non-Muslims, though it can be glimpsed from inside the garden through a screen of bamboos.