Original source
Guangzhou Girl Shows Us Another Side of China 🇨🇳
Guangzhou: Cantonese Opera & Cultural Exploration
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We are back in China! We are in Guangzhou and meet up with a local, who takes us to Cantonese Opera, something we had not even heard of before!
We are back in China! We are in Guangzhou and meet up with a local, who takes us to Cantonese Opera, something we had not even heard of before!
Alan and Shannon's China adventure continues in Guangzhou! This time, they experience the unique Cantonese Opera, a cultural gem they never knew existed. Get ready for an immersive journey into a side of China you've probably never seen before!
We are back in China! We are in Guangzhou and meet up with a local, who takes us to Cantonese Opera, something we had not even heard of before!
The couple open by saying they are back in what they call the land of the QR code and that they will count QR codes through the video. It is their third time in Guangzhou, and they flew back for the Dragon Boat Festival the next day. This time they meet Lee, a local expert, who takes them to places they missed on earlier trips and to street food snacks. Lee says she has worked in Guangzhou for ten years as a journalist and is now a tour guide this year, and she explains that students in China start learning English in primary school. The couple took a one-week Chinese class and found it good but difficult. Lee shows them an area by the water where she says old boats once carried trade, with pictures from around two thousand years ago and an ancient village from about nine hundred years ago. They discuss why old buildings have circular entrances, which Lee says stands for something complete and a great family. Standing by a small lake with skyscrapers around it, they comment on how fast China has grown. They say cities in China are very quiet compared with Bangkok and show a noise meter reading 48.5 dB and later 47 dB. In the ancient village they see an entrance, a board of donors' names for the Dragon Boat Festival where the money goes to boats and prizes, and a family hall for people who share one family name. A bat carving above a walkway is explained as good luck. They see a rich family's house with a triple-layer door and learn that the open gaps let air flow in the humid heat before air conditioning, and they also see a bamboo ladder between two buildings. They hear a live Cantonese opera performance, which is held in the village each afternoon, and Lee says the stories are usually legends about love and loyalty. In a dessert shop Lee orders for them, they try double skin milk and sesame dessert and mix them together. They end in a free opera museum where they look at traditional costume and makeup, then thank Lee for the tour.
A couple return to Guangzhou for the third time, flying back to see the Dragon Boat Festival, and spend a day with a local guide named Lee. They hear about the area's old river boats and trade history, see a round doorway and skyscrapers around a small lake, and measure how quiet the city is. In an ancient village they see a donation board for the festival, a bat symbol for luck, a rich family's triple-layer door and a live Cantonese opera performance. They also try double skin milk and sesame dessert and visit a free opera museum.
A couple tour Guangzhou with a local guide: an ancient village, a Dragon Boat Festival donation board, live Cantonese opera, desserts and a free opera museum.
Guangzhou Local Guide Tour: Cantonese Opera, Old Village and Desserts
1:55 Lee says students in China start learning English from primary school. The couple also took a one-week Chinese class and found it good but difficult, so learning a few simple words before a trip is an option.
5:46 The couple say cities in China feel very quiet compared with places such as Bangkok. A noise meter on their walk reads 48.5 dB and later 47 dB, so expect calmer streets than in many other cities.
8:04 Before the Dragon Boat Festival, a board in the ancient village lists the names of people who donated to the celebration on the lake. The money goes toward the boats and the prizes, and the winner gets a pig.
10:15 A bat carved above a walkway in the old village stands for good luck in China, according to Lee. The couple note that in the UK a bat would be seen as a rather dirty animal.
13:51 At a rich family's old house with three doors, residents opened only the third door and left two closed while deciding whether to welcome visitors. The gaps also let air flow through the hot, humid house before air conditioning.
15:22 A live performance of old Cantonese opera is staged in the ancient village every single afternoon, so the couple could hear singing and music while walking through. They call it a treat to see this kind of show.
16:26 Lee says Cantonese opera songs are usually legends and stories, mostly about love and loyalty. She adds that performers are sometimes mixed, with women playing roles for men, so the casting varies from show to show.
17:58 In a dessert shop where some menu pictures look unfamiliar, the couple share one dish to try and Lee orders for them. She also asks whether they want it cold or hot, so diners can choose.
18:50 Double skin milk is a typical dessert named for the two skins that form on fresh milk. Alan finds that it almost tastes like burnt milk and is very sweet, and the couple compare it with yogurt.
21:33 The Cantonese opera museum the couple visit is completely free to enter, and they say this is common in China. Inside they see performers in traditional outfits with very pale faces and bright red lips.
1:55 Lee says students in China start learning English from primary school. The couple also took a one-week Chinese class and found it good but difficult, so learning a few simple words before a trip is an option.
5:46 The couple say cities in China feel very quiet compared with places such as Bangkok. A noise meter on their walk reads 48.5 dB and later 47 dB, so expect calmer streets than in many other cities.
8:04 Before the Dragon Boat Festival, a board in the ancient village lists the names of people who donated to the celebration on the lake. The money goes toward the boats and the prizes, and the winner gets a pig.
10:15 A bat carved above a walkway in the old village stands for good luck in China, according to Lee. The couple note that in the UK a bat would be seen as a rather dirty animal.
13:51 At a rich family's old house with three doors, residents opened only the third door and left two closed while deciding whether to welcome visitors. The gaps also let air flow through the hot, humid house before air conditioning.
15:22 A live performance of old Cantonese opera is staged in the ancient village every single afternoon, so the couple could hear singing and music while walking through. They call it a treat to see this kind of show.
16:26 Lee says Cantonese opera songs are usually legends and stories, mostly about love and loyalty. She adds that performers are sometimes mixed, with women playing roles for men, so the casting varies from show to show.
17:58 In a dessert shop where some menu pictures look unfamiliar, the couple share one dish to try and Lee orders for them. She also asks whether they want it cold or hot, so diners can choose.
18:50 Double skin milk is a typical dessert named for the two skins that form on fresh milk. Alan finds that it almost tastes like burnt milk and is very sweet, and the couple compare it with yogurt.
21:33 The Cantonese opera museum the couple visit is completely free to enter, and they say this is common in China. Inside they see performers in traditional outfits with very pale faces and bright red lips.
0:03 Back in Guangzhou for Dragon Boat Festival
0:40 Meeting local guide Lee
2:42 Old river boats and trade history
4:04 Why old doorways are round
5:01 Old town and skyscrapers by the lake
5:34 Measuring how quiet the city is
7:39 Entering the ancient village
8:00 Dragon Boat Festival donation board
10:11 The bat symbol and good luck
12:00 A rich family's triple-layer door
14:30 A bamboo ladder between buildings
15:16 Live Cantonese opera performance
17:15 Double skin milk and sesame dessert
21:21 Visiting the free opera museum
24:00 Wrapping up the tour with Lee
0:03 Back in Guangzhou for Dragon Boat Festival
0:40 Meeting local guide Lee
2:42 Old river boats and trade history
4:04 Why old doorways are round
5:01 Old town and skyscrapers by the lake
5:34 Measuring how quiet the city is
7:39 Entering the ancient village
8:00 Dragon Boat Festival donation board
10:11 The bat symbol and good luck
12:00 A rich family's triple-layer door
14:30 A bamboo ladder between buildings
15:16 Live Cantonese opera performance
17:15 Double skin milk and sesame dessert
21:21 Visiting the free opera museum
24:00 Wrapping up the tour with Lee
Why were the couple back in Guangzhou?
It was their third time in Guangzhou, and they flew back to see the Dragon Boat Festival, which was the next day.
What do they see in the ancient village?
They see a donation board for the Dragon Boat Festival, a bat symbol for good luck, a rich family's triple-layer door and a live Cantonese opera performance.
What is the prize at the Dragon Boat Festival described in the video?
Money donated by local people goes toward the boats and prizes, and the guide says the winner gets a pig.
What is double skin milk?
It is a typical dessert whose name refers to the two skins that form on fresh milk. Alan says it almost tastes like burnt milk and is very sweet.
Is the Cantonese opera museum free?
Yes. The couple say the opera museum is completely free to enter, and that this is something you see a lot in China.
How quiet is Guangzhou compared with other cities?
A noise meter in the video reads 48.5 dB and later 47 dB, and the couple say it is very quiet compared with Bangkok.
