As the third largest river in China, the Pearl River measures 2,129 meters in length, with its name deriving from the Haizhu Rock (Sea Pearl Rock). When the thousand-meter long Pearl River went through Guangzhou City, a huge rock island in the center of the river was scoured time and again and became smooth and bright like a pearl, called ‘Sea Pearl Rock’, hence the name ‘Pearl River’ for the river with this rock.
The Pearl River is one of the famous scenic spots in Guangzhou. Praises to the beauty of the Pearl River have been ‘Red Heart of the Pearl Sea’ and ‘Night Moon over the Goose Pool’, selected in 1962 as of the Eight Sights of Guangzhou, plus the ‘Sunlight Reflection at Shimen’ of the old Eight Sights of Guangzhou and the recently selected ‘Clear Waves of the Pearl River’ of the Eight Sights of Guangzhou.
Taking a cruise is the best way to explore the Pearl River. The cruises usually depart from Dashatou Dock or Tianzi Dock and will pass by famous sited in Guangzhou, such as Haiyin Bridge, Guangzhou Bridge, Haixinsha Bridge, Guangzhou TV Tower, Liede Bridge, etc. The whole cruise will take about 70 minutes. You can take the subway or taxi, then buy the tickets in the ticket office to enjoy your cruise trip; or you can also book the cruise tickets trough a local travel agent.