Zumiao

Top choice

LoginSave

The 11th-century Zumiao temple is believed to be the site where Cantonese opera flourished. The art is still performed today during festivals to entertain the gods…and the tourists. Sharing the complex are a Confucius temple (c 1911) and memorial halls dedicated to two martial artists born in Foshan – Wong Fei Hung (aka Huang Fei Hong) and Ip Man – and kung fu cinema in general.

There are daily performances (10am, 2.15pm and 3.30pm) of kung fu and lion dance. Cantonese opera performances are held at 1.30pm on the 1st and 15th of every month. The temple runs martial-arts classes for children every summer. Call 0757 8222 1680 for details.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Shamian Island

    Shamian Island

    10.02 MILES

    Don't depart Guangzhou without an amble through the concession-era gem that is Shamian Island. The central east–west drag is a time-warp boulevard of…

  • Statues at Chen Clan Academy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, Asia

    Chen Clan Ancestral Hall

    10.85 MILES

    An all-in-one ancestral shrine, Confucian school and ‘chamber of commerce’ for the Chen clan, this compound was built in 1894 by the residents of 72…

  • Qingping Chinese Medicine Market

    Qingping Chinese Medicine Market

    9.89 MILES

    Just north of the channel that divides Shamian Island from the city, this tumbledown market is a sensory delight, with open-fronted vendors arranged…

  • Zaha Hadid's Guangzhou Opera House.

    Guangzhou Opera House

    14.6 MILES

    Designed by Zaha Hadid, southern China's premier performance venue has transformed the area with its typically commanding, otherworldly aspect. Futuristic…

  • Nanfeng Ancient Kiln Artists' Village

    Nanfeng Ancient Kiln Artists' Village

    2.81 MILES

    This lovely ceramics town of stone-paved paths in Shiwan (石湾, Shíwān) is worth snooping around for its artisans' ceramics workshops and the two ancient …

  • Ancient chinese pavilion from the famous yuyin cottage (built in qing dynasty, around 1800) at guangzhou, guangdong, china.; Shutterstock ID 37706359; Your name (First / Last): Megan Eaves; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Destination page POI images

    Yuyin Mountain Villa

    17.59 MILES

    One of Guangdong's four famous classical gardens, this graceful property on the outskirts of the city was built in 1871 by an official of the Qing court…

  • GUANGZHOU CHINA - NOVEMBER 14, 2016: Mausoleum of Nanyue King Museum. ; Shutterstock ID 585532841; Your name (First / Last): Megan Eaves; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Destination page POI images

    Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

    12.07 MILES

    You'll feel like Indiana Jones/Lara Croft (select as preferred) as you descend the two-millennia-old steps into an actual Han dynasty tomb. This was the…

  • The Canton Tower as seen from the Four Seasons Hotel, IFC.

    Canton Tower

    14.51 MILES

    Built for the 2010 Asian games, this 604m tall tower was designed to look 'female' by its Dutch architects, earning it the nickname 'slim waisted' (小蛮腰,…

View more attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Lingnan World

0.13 MILES

A photogenic collection of restored medicinal shops, Chinese liquor stores and old villas from the Qing dynasty and Republic era are now occupied by…

2. Renshou Temple

0.29 MILES

This former Ming monastery remains an active place of worship today. Inside, you’ll find a pagoda built in 1656, and the Foshan Folk Arts Studio,…

3. Liang Garden

0.61 MILES

This tranquil residence of a family that produced painters and calligraphers was built during the Qing dynasty. Designed in a Lingnan style, it delights…

4. Nanfeng Ancient Kiln Artists' Village

2.81 MILES

This lovely ceramics town of stone-paved paths in Shiwan (石湾, Shíwān) is worth snooping around for its artisans' ceramics workshops and the two ancient …

5. Qingping Chinese Medicine Market

9.89 MILES

Just north of the channel that divides Shamian Island from the city, this tumbledown market is a sensory delight, with open-fronted vendors arranged…

6. Ancestral Home of Bruce Lee

9.91 MILES

The last house along the first lane off Yongqing Fang (永庆坊), an alleyway running north under an arch from Enning Lu, was the ancestral home of kung fu…

7. Luányú Táng

9.93 MILES

Luányú Táng is a 200-year-old union for actors playing martial-arts and acrobatic roles in Cantonese opera. The union still gives theatrical martial-arts…

8. Bahe Academy

9.96 MILES

Formerly a guild hall for Cantonese opera practitioners, Bahe Academy opened in 1889 to provide lodging and other services to opera troupes. It now serves…