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The Chan tablets behind the kirin are long gone at the Chan Academy
陳氏家祠麒麟身後的牌位早已不見了
Like most tourists, I prefer historical sites or “exotic” destinations when travelling, wishing to see something “different”. Since I regarded Guangzhou familiar from frequent visits during the early 1990s, I had not thought of exploring it as a tourist. Thanks to a friend who organised a weekend trip recently, I was surprised by how much the old city has changed. It not only looked different as expected, but also felt very different. Much of the old was thankfully still there, calmly giving way to the new. In such a dramatic and abrupt social transformation, anxiety is expected. But from the places we visited and the people we talked to, I sensed mostly optimism and vibrancy rather than misgivings.
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There's a wonderful French restaurant hiding on the 4th floor. No Elevator.
四樓有家超正法式素食館
正如很多遊客一樣，我一般來說會挑選比較新鮮的旅遊目的地，希望增廣見聞。由於在90年代初經常會去廣州，所以自以為對這個兩千年古城有些認識，便沒有想過去羊城當遊客。幸好上星期有朋友安排廣州兩晚三日美食游，才有機會見證一別二十年的廣州在軟件硬件上的巨大改進。當然，一個古老城市有很多遺產，也有不少包袱，與從頭規劃建設的地方各有利弊，不能相比。但在種種條件限制下，廣州能夠大致和諧地繁榮過渡到21世紀，肯定是多方面努力和忍讓的成果。看似簡單，得來不易。
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Museum/Mausoleum of the Nan Yue King (2nd Century BCE)
兩千多年前的南越王墓和博物館
Perhaps the two-thousand-year-old city has seen enough changes over the centuries to become unduly anxious. Things happen, some good, some bad. People come and go. What else is new? During Tang dynasty (AD618-907), tens of thousands of Arabs lived in Guangzhou. They built the oldest mosque in China — Huaisheng Mosque or the Mosque of Holy Remembrance. Today, Guangzhou is again home to hundreds of thousands of foreign residents from Africa and the Middle East. Halal kitchens are very common.
悠久的歷史，也可能在廣州的因子留下了寬闊的眼界。滄海桑田，十年河東，十年河西，廣州曾經多次見證各式人種由五湖四海湧來經商居住，轉眼風向一變，又各散東西，不知所蹤，不值得大驚小怪。唐朝的廣州，已經住了數以萬計的中東阿拉伯人，興建了全國最古老的回教寺。今天廣州又再是外商聚居地之一，阿拉伯，非洲和拉丁裔的廣州居民數以十萬計，替廣州帶來了機遇，挑戰，和色彩。
Built in 1888, Chan's Academy once provided accomodation and assistance to all the Chans in the province coming to Guangzhou for public examination
1888 年始建的陳氏書院曾經為所有廣東陳姓來穗應考的年輕人提供住宿和方便，
的確同姓三分親
Back then, some craftsmen in Guangzhou were evidently not Chinese
當年有不少中東裔人士在廣州居住工作，看來也有做屋頂瓷公仔工匠的
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陳氏家祠大門 Front door of Chan's Academy
「食在廣州」這句話可能在國家復原的日子曾被中斷，但今天的廣州，又再登上了「中國飲食天堂」的寶座，還增添了不少國際口味。我們到達後的第一餐是《歌莉婭225概念》的法國素食。我以前經常出差法國，從未見過如此高水準的素食餐館。除了吃完又吃，我們在短短幾天裏參觀了全球剩下四座石室大教堂之一的《聖心大教堂》；不少團友參加了彌撒，與大批據說沒有宗教自由的內地教友集體拜上帝。
European Design with Chinese characteristics: Look at the brick roof
有中國特色的歐洲設計：在歐洲保證找不到這類磚砌屋頂
In the Guangzhou Museum, Fu Hao’s burial jades happened to be on exhibition. The much loved, feared, respected, Fu Hao was the chief wife, general, and shaman/priestess of King Wu Ding of Shang Dynasty (c.1600-1046 BCE). She died circa 1200 BCE.
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廣州博物館夜色 Guangzhou Museum at night
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Guangzhou Museum's metallic curtain design 廣州博物館的金屬幕簾設計
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Why aren't rings nice and simple like this anymore? 古代的戒指比現代的要樸實漂亮得多！
在《廣州博物館》，剛巧碰上商朝武丁的老婆，將軍兼祭師婦好的陪葬玉器巡回展覽，十分難得。《廣州大劇院》的《東方之聲》表演很精彩，就是聲浪過大，老人家可以把助聽器暫時關掉。
We also saw a show at the Guangzhou Opera House, strolled Chan Clan Academy, and went to the great library (the library? Oh yes, it’s definitely worth dropping by for the architecture and atmosphere).
The futuristic Guangzhou Opera House 外型科幻的廣州大劇院
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East is Red after O Sole Mio, plus a few numbers from The Sound of Music
唱完《仙樂飄飄處處聞》和義大利名曲《我的太陽》後，來首澎拜的《東方紅》
《廣州圖書館》和《陳家祠》一新一舊，都體驗了廣州的書卷精神。
The nine-storey Guangzhou Public Library is huge, but packed with borrowers on Sunday
九層高的廣州圖書館，在星期天擠滿了看書和借書的人
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不久前才被殖民地霸權佔據的沙面，今天美麗優雅，輕淡地刻畫著永遠不應該忘記的歷史教訓。想看看沙面在1949年的面貌嗎？這兒有個鏈接：Sha Mian 沙面 1949
Street musician playing only to share, not to ask for money. He kept his hat on his head.
沙面這街頭音樂家旨在分享，沒有像外國的街頭藝術家一樣討零錢
廣州幾天行是個意外收穫。能夠在短短幾十年中親眼見證如此巨變，實在難得。不過計劃去廣州的遊客最好首先瘦身，好讓自己在羊城不顧一切地開懷大吃！
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Meditating Chicken
冥想中的清遠雞 |
James Tam
譚炳昌
2017.3.20
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