Passing by Zhujiang New Town, a torrential downpour began. Silver whips lashed down, driving people into McDonald’s, and the group meal turned into fast food. Not until after the meal did the rain ease up. In the steam, people once again flocked to Huacheng Square, just in time for the Canton Tower to slowly light up. It was my first time seeing it, and with the blue hour, it was a truly magnificent sight.

Dongshan Young Master, Xiguan Young Lady. Flipping through my Google Photos, a panoramic photo automatically stitched together in Dongshankou was almost perfect, so I couldn’t help but come here to explore again. The arcade houses here are not as dense as those in Xiguan, but there are many red-brick Western-style villas, which were where the powerful lived back in the day. There are also brick-red streets and slightly sloped corners. The first time I walked over from Yangji, it left a deep impression on me.

In these old neighborhoods, you can see the spires of the East and West Towers of Zhujiang New Town from a distance. This contrast of old and new is very different from seeing it up close. It reminds me of the flourishing era of the Thirteen Factories in the Qing Dynasty, when foreign merchant ships on the Pearl River would look out at the Buddhist pagodas within Guangzhou city. They must have felt something similar, only in those days, the new looked upon the old, while today, the old looks upon the new.

I walked through a street called Sibetongjin. I originally thought this strange place name had a Buddhist allusion, but after some research, it seems to be just a literal meaning, referring to the path behind Dongshan Temple that led to the riverside. After walking a full circle, I finally arrived at the Dongshan Christian Church. A few years ago, this place was an important stronghold for the Ingress Resistance, but now it’s under the control of the Enlightened. The changes in a game are also a form of history, though it only exists in a virtual world.

As usual, I walked through Beijing Road again, stopping at the city’s zero point, People’s Park.