Five Guangdong heritage sites to visit via Hong Kong’s mega bridge and express rail link
- The high-speed rail link to Guangzhou and bridge to Zhuhai put heritage sites in Guangdong within easier reach of Hong Kong
With Hong Kong’s new cross-border high-speed rail link that opened last month and the much-awaited Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge opening to the public on October 24, the major cultural heritage sites of the “Greater Bay Area” are coming within closer reach of Hong Kong.
Here are five that are worth checking out.
1. Old Humen
One of the six designated stops for short-haul high-speed trains bound for Guangzhou is Humen, a nondescript provincial town that is one of the most historically significant sites in the Greater Bay Area.
It is where, in 1839, local governor Lin Zexu publicly destroyed 20,000 chests of contraband opium confiscated from the British. His noble efforts to defy British hegemony eventually led to all-out military conflict, two opium wars (1839-41 and 1856-60), subsequent defeat for the Qing dynasty, and the so-called 100 years of Chinese humiliation. It also resulted in colonial Hong Kong.
Today, visitors can view the historic pits where Lin disposed of the drug haul – now tranquil lily ponds next door to an Opium War museum.
The town has gone to exceptional efforts to commemorate its role in the wars and all the key sites are within easy visiting distance of the railway station via taxi or local buses.