Shamian Island

Shamian Island is a small sandbank in the Pearl River that served as the French and British colonial concession in Guangzhou from 1859. The 0.3 square kilometre island retains an extraordinary collection of European colonial architecture — consulates, banks, churches, and houses in French, British, and other European styles — now largely occupied by boutique hotels, cafés, and art spaces. The tree-lined boulevards and relative quiet make it a very pleasant contrast to the surrounding urban energy of Guangzhou.