I think this is the same place as the attraction’s title, but progress is so rapid in China and there is now a brand-new dedicated tourist area right next to the Xijiang River. Confusingly, the place is sometimes referred to on the internet as Gulou, as in Gulou Waterfront Eco-Cultural Tourism Resort a Chinese Overseas Town. We resisted the numerous offers to buy a waterside apartment for a hundred thousand RMB which is very cheap compared with Guangzhou. Mind you, everything in this area is waterside! This site was the morning attraction of our one-day ¥100 each coach trip from Guangzhou. Being the day after National Day, the place was rather busy, and so we gallantly joined the throng making their way to the impressive visitor centre which doubles as the departure point for our boat trip. At the visitor centre there was a chap playing a guzheng (Chinese plucked zither) but it had an electric pickup linked to an amplifier, so he could be heard above the chattering of the people waiting for the boats. Interesting, as I’d never seen one with a pick-up before. The electric boat trip was all of ten-minutes and took us to the other end of the shopping street. We passed under the new wooden bridge which spans a waterway. Then we were given 40 minutes to wend our way past the various shops back to the coach. The shops sell the usual touristy stuff. There are also the beacons of civilization a KFC and a MacDonald’s. Starbucks or Pizza Hut, but in the fullness of time I’m sure they’ll appear. If you’re expecting history, you’ll be disappointed as it’s all brand new. However, the visitor centre and wooden bridge as well worth more than a passing glance as they’re good examples of modern architecture using wood. Then we endured the national holiday traffic jams as we travelled south- west to Kaiping Diaolou and Villages (TA review). We arrived an hour behind schedule which meant a rushed lunch and no-time to visit any place historical.

Heshan's Gulao Village is comprised of agricultural farmland and fish ponds. The village has about 5,000 people, mostly peasants. Gulao contains many historical Chinese residential buildings. Many of the original buildings are over 100 years old. it is a quaint village showing the how many Chinese used to live. As many buildings are old, they do not have toilets, they use out-houses as bathrooms. In a restaurant, you can feed 10 people with fish, beer, chicken, rice and soup for about RBM150 or USD20. Given that there are fish ponds and farms are so prevalent in Gulao, eating fresh organic food is very cheap. The only issue I had was the hygiene. Toilets often do not have running water. And, soap is almost non-existent. In the restaurant, flies are everywhere...so be prepared. You may want to get Dukoral and/or Twinrix before you go there.