In Chinese, the name Shamian Island translates to “sandy surface” in reference to its physical characteristics. The island is a historical hotspot. Despite only encompassing a diminutive 300,000 square meters, there are rows of historical avenues flanked by important buildings and scenic trees.

Shamian has served as an area of mercantile importance since the Song Dynasty (960-1279). From the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) onwards, its importance doubled as a strategic point of defense during the second Opium Wars (1856-1860). In 1859, the island’s territory was gobbled up by Western imperialism, as it was split into concessions for the French and the United Kingdom (four-fifths of the territory went to the British, with the remaining one-fifth going to the French).

The territory today features architecture that befits its cosmopolitan history, with the mansions on the island being some of the best-preserved Western European-style buildings in the country. More than 40 buildings have been counted to be among the most exotic in Guangzhou, exhibiting traits of Gothic, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture.