Right on Cue
By Graham Bond (that's Guangzhou)
Updated: 2004-04-13 10:22

"Hello, hello? Do you like snog?" asked the stranger across the aisle on the bus ride out of Guangzhou. His eyes were eager, and the toothy grin belied a master in the art of seduction.

"Um, sometimes with girls," came the awkward, faltering reply.

"My name's Stephen. I very like snog. You and me play snog together. Ok?"

Having reached our destination, I resigned myself to following Stephen to his favourite 'snog' hall. Mercifully, the den of iniquity that I'd begun to imagine turned out to harbour nothing more threatening than green baize and blue chalk. Snooker, it turns out, is all the rage in Zhaoqing. Playing a few frames of 'snog' was therefore a fitting introduction to this friendly town, and a pleasant way to begin this escape from Guangzhou.

The travel agency flyer that first planted the Zhaoqing seed in my mind had promised "the freshest air in Guangdong". And Zhaoqing's clean air is not even that far away: only a two-hour bus ride into the western hills.

In few parts of the world can a city of 1.5 million people be considered a quiet rural retreat; and yet here, in the teeming Pearl River Delta, the description does not sound unreasonable.

The compact city centre lies sandwiched between lake and river with mountain ranges on either flank. Although you can count the number of high-rises on one hand, Zhaoqing is no village. The city's main artery, Duanzhou Lu, pulses with eight lanes of traffic beeping their way up and down. Road signs remind drivers, in a triumph of hope over experience, to 'Please Drive the Correct Way.'

Zhaoqing's low prices are a by-product of its relative poverty. The economy here is sustained by tourism as much as industry and, with little bitterness, locals recall a recent survey that ranked their city as second poorest in the province.

There are hints of this in the shabbiness of many apartment blocks and the cracked concrete pavements of the back streets, but Zhaoqing has much to offer for those tired of the gleam and sheen of Chinese urban affluence.

A ten-minute walk from the bustling shopping drag of Tianning Lu takes you into the crumbling single-storey neighbourhood that stretches north of Jianshi Lu to the wide Xi Jiang.

A scrap collector brushes past as he pedals through the labyrinth of narrow alleys, banging his plastic drum while dodging old ladies selling home-grown fruit and veg. It is a scene reminiscent of the more famous hutong of Beijing. Emerging onto Yuejiang Lu, men on bicycles haul leather sofas towards the wealthier part of town. People dining by the riverside watch rust-bucket boats chug serenely by.

Zhaoqing's rough-and-ready feel is evident in a 'Welcome' sign at the entrance to the city's most famous attraction. Before setting foot inside the Seven Star Crags park, where clusters of ancient limestone rocks rise from the lake, visitors are reminded there should be 'no fighting within the scenic zone'. But far from having to fend off brawling tourists, I find myself confronted by a solitary girl who gives me a nervous giggle and a shy "hello."

Tour groups shuffle along avenues lined with pine trees, led by guides armed with flags and megaphones. You'd do well to dodge them on the climb to the peak of the 113-metre Tianzhu crag so as to enjoy the view through the mist across the beautiful network of lakes.

Evenings belong to Paifang Square, which links the main drag and the lakefront. Clutching ice creams or the local sticky rice speciality -zongzi- shoppers spill from the shops to watch the daily 8pm water show. The fountain dances to the beat of a march, while huge white and yellow searchlights scan the sky overhead. The panorama glistens with pockets of red, green and purple neon stretching back to the silhouetted mountains.

As a towering column of water blasts 30 metres into the night sky, the crowd gasps. A small stampede follows as the fountain fall-out drifts in the wind and onto the masses below.

While the spectators dust themselves down, the crackly PA system strikes up a tune, couples begin to sway around the outdoor dancefloor. A suited man enters a dizzying one-legged spin. Young and old, married and single, rhythmical and tone-deaf all cast aside inhibition for the impromptu nightly phenomenon. It is a sight to warm the soul.

A visit to Dinghu Shan, a half-hour bus ride away, is integral to the Zhaoqing experience. The park offers forest walks among temples and pools and views across the thick green mountain canopies.

In addition to its many snooker halls, Zhaoqing boasts a Spanish-style 18-holer claiming to be 'THE most scenic golf course.' A slight qualification might apply but the mountain views, immaculate fairways and affordable green fees make it a joy to play.

So for a rural getaway with the creature comforts of city life, for a cheap shopping buzz or just a gentle change of pace, hop on the bus to Zhaoqing.