Guangzhou is generally one of the last places to come to mind when thinking about travelling in China. Traditionally standing parallel to Beijing and Shanghai as China's three most influential metropolises, Guangzhou seems sophisticatedly indifferent towards stealing the limelight from its counterparts, thriving in its low profile in the southern part of the country. As China's long-established main port city designated for foreign trade since the 19th century, Guangzhou, formerly called Canton, has been the most important gateway to the outside world, both willingly and by force. The city has many places representing the city's often fractured relationship with the outside world, and Shamian is one such place.

Opposite the landmark White Swan Hotel, on the northern bank of the Pearl River, Shamian is one of the few places with a strong European ambience in China. The tiny spot occupies an area of 0.3 square kilometre and got its name meaning "sand surface," as it is an alluvial sand island. The importance of Shamian as a convenient trading port as well as a military front was long recognized by the governments of the Song (960-1279), Ming and Qing (1368-1911) dynasties until it was forced to become a leased concession for Britain and France after the Opium Wars (1840-1842), followed by the entry of the Unites States, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Japan.