Exploring Guangzhou’s High-Tech Apps, Historical Charm

Earlier, at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, we were informed our flight would be delayed due to the bad weather in the city we were bound for.

When we finally arrived at our destination, we were met at the airport by Huang Huang, a Chinese Foreign Ministry officer based in Guangzhou, and tour guide Alan Lou who informed us that it had been raining non-stop in the metropolis since noon.

The downpour continued as we boarded the bus to our hotel, arriving there at 4 am.

Our six-day visit to Guangzhou, as well as Guilin in the Guangxi region, was at the invitation of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu.

Among the key items on our itinerary were visits to the WeChat headquarters; iFLYTEK, a company renowned for its artificial intelligence (AI) technology; Canton Tower; Guangdong Museum; Elephant Trunk Hill; Guilin Museum; and a river cruise along the Li River.

 

Since we arrived at the hotel in the wee hours of the morning and understanding our exhaustion, our guide Alan allowed us to rest till early afternoon. I took the opportunity to explore the area around the hotel.

It was summer and the temperature ranged between 27 and 31 degrees Celsius even though it was only 10 am at that time – it was relatively warm despite the heavy rain, which later turned into a drizzle.

At a nearby supermarket, I was pleasantly surprised to see miniature Malaysian flags, interspersed with Chinese flags, hanging above the fruit and mooncake sections. In another shop, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables were being sold, including durian, watermelon, spinach, cucumber and corn.

The streets became increasingly busy as the locals began their daily routines. One interesting observation was the sight of electric scooters which seem to be the main mode of transportation for the locals. The scooters have small wheels and move rather silently. According to Alan, many people use the electric bike because it is a very convenient mode of transportation.

Later, Alan explained our hotel was located in Tianhe district, one of the 11 districts in Guangzhou. He said Tianhe is home to the Pearl River, which is 2,214 kilometres in length, making it the third-longest river in China after the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers.

 

We embarked on our guided tour at 2 pm on our first day in Guangzhou, the first place on the itinerary being iFLYTEK. Through an interpreter, we were briefed about the gadgets developed by the company in 1999. The development process involved 18 academics and students from the University of Science and Technology of China.

Among the AI technologies developed by the company is the iFLYTEK Smart Translator, which can translate more than 60 languages with up to 98 percent accuracy. Other technologies include a screen that can translate, a chess-playing robot and a drawing board that can convert two-dimensional drawings into three-dimensional (3D) models.

After spending almost an hour there, we proceeded to the WeChat, also known as Weixin, office, where we were warmly welcomed by their staff before being briefed on the history and development of WeChat, an instant messaging, social media and mobile payment application. 

According to a WeChat spokesman, the app allows payments to be made using one’s palm, but this feature is only available at premises equipped with devices connected to the user's account.

We were also taught how to use its e-commerce feature at a kiosk in the area where we ordered drinks via the app.

To date, WeChat has 1.3 billion users worldwide. Apparently, the app gained 100 million users in just 433 days. However, its payment platform is currently only available in China.

 

We then continued our journey to the bustling Beijing Road, about an hour’s drive from the WeChat office. Malaysia and China share the same time zone but while back home the heat usually starts to subside by 6 pm, in China it was a different story. The weather was balmy but the thousands of people packed into the one-kilometre stretch of Beijing Road intensified the heat.

The street is a magnet for tourists due to the presence of numerous restaurants, cafes and shops. It is also the site of ancient relics from the Song Dynasty (960–1279) and the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). Interestingly, these historical remains are retained underground in what resembles a large trench with a transparent glass cover allowing passers-by to view them.

At the intersection of Beijing Road, there is a large screen displaying 3D videos, including one of an elephant and its calf that seem to walk right out of the screen. It is so realistic!

 

On our second day in Guangzhou, we were taken to Canton Tower, the tallest tower in China, standing at 600 metres. It is the third tallest in the world, after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (828m) and the Tokyo Sky Tree (634m).

According to Alan, it takes only 90 seconds to reach the seventh level of Canton Tower by elevator, offering breathtaking 360-degree views of the Tianhe district.

“From above (seventh floor), we can also see the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 16th Asian Games which took place in Guangzhou, China, in 2010. The stadium concerned is shaped like a ferry or boat and is now used for concerts and other activities and is open to the public,” he said.

From the top of the tower, the Pearl River and the bridge connecting one part of the Tianhe district to the other are clearly visible. Along the riverbank, towering buildings housing modern hotels and shopping malls can be seen.

Canton Tower, which opened on Oct 1, 2010, is obviously the pride and joy of Guangzhou. It is located in a new part of the city and to get there, one has to cross the Pearl River, with the tower facing Haixinsha Island and the Zhujiang New Town.

The tower has a café and also maps and telescopes for visitors to use. At the base is Canton Plaza which hosts several shops selling souvenirs. Artworks are exhibited along the pathways leading to and out of the tower, adding a cultural touch to the experience.

 

Our next stop was the Guangdong Museum, which was bustling with visitors when we got there. They were mostly teenagers as well as parents with their children in tow.

We were provided with headphones to enable us to listen to descriptions and explanations, in English, with regard to the various exhibits. All one has to do is stand near an artefact, which would automatically trigger the device to provide information.

Among the exhibits are green and white jade stones, Chinese medicinal herbs and dragon boats.

The museum’s exterior design is rather fascinating, with its concept derived from the lacquer box of ancient times. At the end of our visit to Guangzhou, we boarded the train to Guilin, the second Chinese city on our itinerary.