Lotus Mountain (Lianhua shan) stands in Panyu City at the mouth of the Zhujiang River. The Mountain is about 45km south east of Guangzhou and it really requires an entire day to get to and from this site.

Although stone cutting at the Mountain ceased hundreds of years ago and today, the sheer cliff of the mountain face looks almost natural. There are pagodas, temples and other Ming dynasty constructions dotted about the mountain.

The Mountain also served as a line of defense against the British in the Opium Wars and as is known locally as the "Great Wall of Guangzhou".

There are various restaurants, picnic spots and shops at the foot of the hill.

How to get there: Take a bus from the Liuha bus station opposite the train station or take a boat from the Xidi pier. The boat leaves at 8 am and returns from the mountain at 3.15pm. This makes the day trip a lot more fun! Both take approximately one hour

Costs: Bus RMB15 (one way) and Boat RMB38 (return).