Our last day in Guangzhou. Gotta make full use of it. Unfortunately it was wet and cold, but that did not stop us. The moment the Sacred Heart Cathedral came into view, my first thought was that I felt like I was in Europe. The tall twin spires, the stone facade and the quiet grandeur of the place felt so different from the busy streets around it. For a brief moment, it was easy to forget we were in China.

We stepped inside and took our time to walk through the cathedral. The high ceilings, stained glass windows and soft light created a calm and peaceful atmosphere. It felt grounding, almost meditative, especially with the rain tapping gently outside. As a Buddhist, I could still feel a quiet connection to the space. A place of faith, reflection and stillness always speaks in the same gentle language, no matter the religion.

When we walked back out, the mood shifted completely. Right outside the church was a whole street filled with Chinese New Year decorations. Red lanterns, couplets and festive ornaments lined the shops, glowing warmly against the grey sky. It was colourful, lively and full of energy, a beautiful contrast to the solemn calm of the cathedral.

Just a few steps away, we found ourselves in a stretch of dried goods shops. Rows and rows of nuts, herbs, mushrooms, seafood and all kinds of traditional ingredients were on display. Of course, we could not resist. We browsed, tasted, compared and ended up doing quite a bit of shopping. Bags started to pile up, and we were already laughing at ourselves for buying so much on the first stop of the day.

By the time we were done, we were tired, a little cold, and very happy. But this was only our first stop for the day. With wet shoes, shopping bags in hand, and spirits still high, we moved on to the next part of our Guangzhou adventure. There was still so much more to see, eat, and explore, and we were determined to make every moment of our last day count.