Guangzhou

No reviews yetCity Guangdong, China

Guangzhou South Campus, Sun Yat sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street 2, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Sun Yat sen Memorial Hall 2018, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Guangzhou twin towers, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

About Guangzhou

Guangzhou has been trading with the wider world for more than two thousand years, and the old port of Canton still feels like a city built around commerce, food and the Pearl River. The river divides the modern skyline of Zhujiang New Town from the slender, twisting Canton Tower, and at night boats glide between illuminated bridges and towers on both banks.

The city's long history shows in the jade burial suit of the Nanyue King, the carved roofs of the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and the Flower Pagoda of the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. On Shamian Island, colonial-era banks and churches shaded by banyan trees recall the foreign merchants of the 19th century, while arcaded qilou streets in Liwan keep a lively, older Cantonese character.

Above all, this is the home of Cantonese cuisine. Morning dim sum in a busy teahouse is a ritual here, and roast goose, rice-noodle rolls and sweet double-skin milk are everywhere. Baiyun Mountain and Yuexiu Park offer green breathing space when the city's warmth and energy become too much.

Best seasonOctober-December, when the weather is warm, dry and comfortable

Ideal stay3 days

ArrivingGuangzhou Baiyun International Airport; high-speed trains to Guangzhou South and Guangzhou East

What to See in Guangzhou: 12 Favorites

Landmarks 3

Canton Tower

Rising about 600 metres on the south bank of the Pearl River, this slender, lattice-wrapped tower opened in 2010 and became the sy...

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Completed in 1931 on the site of Sun Yat-sen's former presidential office, this grand octagonal hall combines traditional Chinese...

Sacred Heart Cathedral Guangzhou

Known locally as the Stone House because it is built entirely of granite, this Gothic Revival cathedral was constructed in the sec...

History 1

Chen Clan Ancestral Hall

Built in the late 19th century with money from Chen families across Guangdong, this ancestral hall and academy is a showcase of so...

Neighborhoods 1

Shamian Island

This small sandbank island on the Pearl River was home to British and French concessions from the mid-19th century. Today its traf...

Parks 1

Yuexiu Park

The largest park in central Guangzhou covers several hills with lakes, gardens and a stretch of the old Ming city wall. Look for t...

Nature 1

Baiyun Mountain

White Cloud Mountain rises on the northern edge of the city as a large scenic area of forested peaks, gardens and temples. Paved p...

Museums 2

Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

Discovered by chance in 1983 during construction work, this stone tomb belonged to Zhao Mo, the second king of the Nanyue kingdom...

Guangdong Museum

Housed in a striking dark block in Zhujiang New Town, designed to evoke a carved lacquer treasure box, the provincial museum cover...

Temples and Shrines 1

Temple of the Six Banyan Trees

Founded in the 6th century, this Buddhist temple takes its name from an inscription by the Song dynasty poet Su Dongpo, inspired b...

Shopping 1

Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street

In the old Liwan district, this long pedestrian street is lined with qilou, arcaded shophouses whose covered walkways shelter shop...

Entertainment 1

Pearl River Night Cruise

After dark, sightseeing boats leave piers such as Tianzi Wharf and sail along the Pearl River past illuminated bridges, the glitte...

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