Guangzhou

Understand

thumb|right|230px|Zhujiang New Town (with 103-story West Tower) in the Tianhe district As a historic gateway for overseas culture, Guangzhou has long been accustomed to the presence of foreigners — unlike many other Chinese cities where visitors may still stand out. As a result, travelers often find greater personal freedom and space here. Beyond the central districts and their towering skyscrapers, traditional neighborhoods continue to thrive at a slower, more familiar pace, where locals gather outdoors to share tea and conversation.

The city is home to China’s largest urban park, a charming island lined with restored colonial-era buildings, a globally recognized skyline, a wealth of world-class galleries and exhibition venues, and a stunning central square. Today, Guangzhou ranks among the most prosperous cities in China and is often regarded as the country’s most liberal, open, and cosmopolitan urban center.

Get around

Guangzhou has a fairly efficient and rapidly expanding public transportation system. If you intend to stay in Guangzhou for a long time, buy a multi-purpose Lingnan Pass - Yang Cheng Tong () stored value card, similar to the Octopus Card in Hong Kong. The card can be used in most metro areas in Guangdong province (but not Shenzhen). It can be used not only for public transportation (bus, subway, parking meters and some taxis), but also for public phones and designated shops, places of interests and certain vending machines. The card costs ¥50, which includes an ¥18 deposit and a starting balance of ¥32. You can purchase and recharge the cards in many places, such as some 7-Elevens, Metro customer service counters, and Tiantian Laundry. Returning your card at the end of the trip can be done at any Yang Cheng Tong service centers. The best locations include centers near metro station Gongyuanqian Exit J, Tiyu Xi Exit G, and East Rail Station exit HJ. It may be worth it to keep the card as a souvenir.

See

Guangzhou's long history can be experienced in the Liwan and Yuexiu districts. Traditional buildings are slowly disappearing due to the city's rapid growth, but they can still be found near Yide Road, Renmin Nan Road and Zhongshan Road. They make great photo spots. Shamian Island (Liwan) was the European settlement in Guangzhou in the 19th century, and colonial buildings can be seen there. The Chen Clan Academy (Liwan) is a famous example of traditional Cantonese architecture, and Yuexiu contains several temples which are popular destinations. Yuexiu is also home to 20th century historical sites like the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall.

The Tianhe district has become home to a new business district (Zhujiang New Town), with towering office buildings and some new cultural institutions.

Guangzhou is a massive city, but it is also home to beautiful natural sites. Baiyun Mountain, located just north of the city center, is a large mountain park with forests, streams, and long hiking paths, as well as a cable car to the top for the less adventurous. The Chimelong theme parks in the city south (Panyu district) include a popular safari park as well as roller coasters and other attractions.

The Canton Tower, formally Guangzhou TV Astronomical and Sightseeing Tower, is a 604-meter (1,982 ft)-tall multi-purpose observation tower in Haizhu district. The tower was topped out in 2009 and it became operational on 29 September 2010 for the 2010 Asian Games. The tower briefly held the title of t…

Do

thumb|400px|Pearl River Night Cruise Pearl River Night Cruise () Dashatou Pier (), Tianzi Pier (), and Xidi Pier () – This is a one- to two-hour cruise in the evening and a great way to see the Guangzhou skyline along the Pearl River, including a light show at Bai-E-Tan. Tickets for the deluxe dinner cruise can be bought from most high-end hotels. Prices from ¥50–200 per person. Higher end cruises usually include dinner buffet. Daytime River "Cruise" As cheap as ¥5, you get a ride down to the last terminal at ZhongSan University and back. Just tell the ticket seller at the jetty, in front of Riverside Hostel, you just want a joyride. On your way back, you can get off on the other side of the river at the heart of the commercial district. After spending a couple of hours walking around or even dinner, it will cost you only ¥1 to cross back to the Riverside Hostel. Ride the public buses. Cheap and generally safe, but beware of pickpockets. The electric trams are even cheaper at flat rate of ¥2. Hop on to any one of the public buses. Drivers are generally very friendly and helpful. So long as you have sufficient small change for the journey, tell the driver you are in just for a joyride. (In Cantonese Yau Cheh Hor literally meaning just for the ride or just for fun. Where the journey terminates, ask anyone what buses will take you back and request the driver to let you know when to get off. So long as you sit not too far away, he (sometimes she) will tell you. Don't worry, every…

Buy

thumb|350px|Locals on the run outside the Grandview Plaza in Tianhe District. In the background is the 80-story CITIC Plaza.

Eat

Cantonese cuisine is well known for its blend of color, fragrance, taste and presentation, and it is ranked among the top four in the country. In particular, dim sum, a delicate pastry, is famous for being simple yet delicious. Local customs, as well as a long history of contact with the West compared to other regions in China, have played a major role in the development and diversity of Cantonese cuisine. "Chinese food" in Western countries is usually Cantonese food, albeit slightly adapted to Western tastes, meaning that many Western visitors will be familiar with Cantonese food to a certain extent.

Authentic Cantonese cuisine is also famous throughout China for another reason — Cantonese people tend to eat absolutely anything. A well-known Chinese joke is that they eat anything that has four legs other than a table, anything that flies other than an airplane, and anything that swims other than a submarine. In addition to that, various internal organs of animals are regularly eaten, such as the liver, kidneys, heart and even brain. This means that Cantonese cuisine is one of, if not the, most adventurous in China due to their expansive use of exotic ingredients, and their extremely broad definition of what is considered edible. This is how Guangzhou earned the distinct name of "Eating in Guangzhou ()."

Unlike Sichuan food and many other cuisines across China, Cantonese food tend to preserve the original flavor of the ingredients and is generally not spicy. The taste…

Drink

right|thumb|250px|Bar Street at Bai-E-Tan When it comes to drinks, Guangzhou is one of the best cities in China to knock back a few. With a relatively large population of foreigners here, the city offers a wide variety of nightspots that cater to all tastes.

Tsing Tao and Zhu Jiang are the two major Chinese beer brands that are sold almost everywhere. Both are fairly standard light lagers. Carlsberg is also brewed in Guangzhou, which explains the reasonably large amount of Carlsberg taps in the bars.

thumb|250px|Cave Bar

Pubs tend to be in Yuexiu and Tianhe district, while dance clubs are clustered in Yuexiu, particularly around the Garden Hotel (Metro 5 Taojin).

Sleep

Hotels can be found across the city, but particularly in the Yuexie and Tianhe districts.

Youth hostels are uncommon in Guangzhou, unlike many other big cities in China. Most hostels in the city are illegally operated and unlicensed, mostly located in residential apartment buildings. The management usually discourages most socializing activity, worrying that any noise may lead to complaints from their neighbors and result in government crackdown.

Stay safe

Guangzhou, which was the first open port in China, is generally tolerant of different cultures.

Despite its reputation among the Chinese for being crime-ridden during the 90s, Guangzhou's crime rate compares favorably with any Western city of similar size, and violent crime is very rare. Pickpockets are active in shopping areas and transportation hubs. The best defense, as always, is to avoid flashing your valuables in public. You should use only official taxis, and change money at banks instead of money changers in the street. Scam artists operate in the main tourist areas, so you should exercise prudence and remember that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

As the capital of the richest province of China, it has attracted an enormous number of immigrant workers from other provinces and some other developing countries. Drug trafficking is a serious offense and foreigners are not exempted from the death penalty. Even consumption is taken very seriously by the police; expect to be fined, imprisoned and deported if you get caught. The police is recruiting more Arabic- and English-speaking officers to deal with the rising drug trade among foreigners.

thumb|African neighborhood in Guangzhou

Guangzhou hosts the largest African population in China, mostly concentrated in Sanyuanli () in Baiyun, and Xiaobei () and Guangyuanxi () in Yuexiu. The relationship between Africans and local Chinese is tense: most local Chinese hold negative views of Africans, their ne…

Connect

The area dialing code for Guangzhou is 020. From overseas, dial +86 20 XXXX-XXXX. Phone numbers are 8 digits. Mobile numbers are 11 digits and city code is not required when dialing from within Guangzhou. From outside of Guangzhou, add 0 before the number (0 XXX-XXX-XXXXX). From overseas, dial +86 XXX-XXX-XXXXX. Complimentary wi-fi is offered throughout national airport via SSID "AIRPORT-WIFI-FREE." Internet cafes are common in major Chinese cities, though are often the target of government crackdowns. Popular ones in Guangzhou include: Worldwide Network on Jiangsu Road the famous elite cafe Sparkice () in Central Plaza on Huaihai Middle Road China Mayors Plaza (). 189 Tianhe North Road (天河北路189号) Budget Internet Cafe on Fuzhou Road Starbucks