STORY: China Travel: Italian vlogger's 144 hours in Guangzhou
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Sept. 30, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:22
LOCATION: GUANGZHOU, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE (English): MATTIA ROMEO, Italian vlogger living in China

STORYLINE:

SOUNDBITE (English): MATTIA ROMEO, Italian Vlogger living in China
"Hi, guys. My name is Romeo and I came from Italy and this is Guangzhou, China. I've been living in the city for almost 18 years. Since last year 2023 when China implemented the 144-hour visa free transit policy, many foreigners are coming over for enjoying the food, the culture, for visiting.
Now probably you are asking yourself what can you do if you have 144 hours in Guangzhou? Lucky you, I'm a very old, seasoned 'Lao Guang.' So now follow me and let's have a city walk together.
So this is Dongshankou, and we do love this area because of the perfect combination. Here are so many different cultures. You have local Cantonese traditional culture. You have Western elements. And then you have the new generation for new blood, making this place even more trendy and fashionable, and it deserves you to explore it.
It's very hard to find a second place in Guangzhou with so many old Western style houses like Dongshankou. There are over 400 well-preserved buildings here and this is also the largest existing building clusters combining Chinese and Western style.
Many of these buildings are not just empty boxes. In recent years, the government has actually put a lot of efforts and giving them a new life, transforming them into coffee shops, art galleries or clothing shops, very fashionable places and give them a very modern sense of community.
And if you are tired, no problem, you can always ride a bike, take a look. Wow, yes. So look, life in China is super super convenient. Bye bye.
Talking about convenience. All around the city, you can find dozens of convenience stores open 24 hours a day. You can find everything, water and snacks, including Italian snacks.
So after taking a walk, I'm feeling a little bit hungry. But look, so many choices. We have local foods, international foods, and obviously you can even place an order (online). You see these green guys, yellow guy, blue guy, they are the delivery guys. So you can take your phone and place an order and in half an hour, the food will be delivered at your door and now let me have my lunch.
The city is always changing and upgrading. Look at this, it is a very cute mini bus, but it's a driverless minibus. It's a new way of going around the city. So let's experience.
Guys, I'm super excited because this is my very first time to see it on a driverless bus. I'm so used to the APM line here in Guangzhou. That's a metro line without the driver. But this is something new. Look, the city keeps moving on. Welcome to the future.
So guys, here we are right in the middle of the most modern part of the city. We are in Zhujiang New Town. And this is not just the CBD. It is even the cultural center. So if you have 144 hours of time, you can even choose to go to the Guangdong museum. You can go to the Guangzhou library, or you can go to the opera house, or in the night you have to come here because Guangzhou Tower by night is so beautiful.
I really do love here. This is a park in the middle of the city. It reminds me a little bit of the Central Park in New York. It's not just office buildings. It's not just the cultural center, but here you can take your time, relax. A lot of people run here in the night and I used to live over there coming here overnight for running.
So guys that's it. And this is my Guangzhou, or at least some of my recommendations. Obviously it looks like 144 hours are not enough. So you're welcome to come 2 times, 3 times, 4 times. And if you need help, I'm here. See you next time. Bye bye."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Guangzhou, China.
(XHTV)