Guangzhou Travel Guide

The large and bustling city of Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province. This is an excellent place to start exploring the region as the city is well connecting to the surrounding area.

Worth It?: If you are visiting Guangdong Province, Guangzhou is a good place to use as a base.
What to Do: temple hopping, bargain hunting in the shopping malls, visit museums, gaze at city views from the mountain top.
Best Time to Go: between April and September, when the weather is warm and dry.
How Long?: Two or three days are needed to appreciate all that Guangzhou has to offer.
Trivia: according to local legend, Guangzhou was formed when five celestial beings rode into the area on rams and bestowed their blessings. The rams turned to stone after the celestial beings left and Guangzhou was transformed into a prosperous city.

Guangzhou is comprised of 10 different districts to explore. The Liwan district is the oldest part, full of interesting buildings. Yueiu and Dongshan are the political and cultural areas, full of tourist attractions such as Yuexiu Park, Beijing Lu Shopping District and Huanghuagang Martyrs Memorial Park.

Travel south of the Pearl River to Haizhu and wander along the Pearl River Promenade before hunting for bargains in the modern shopping malls of the Tianhe district.

The Baiyun area is best known for Baiyun Mountain, while there are a couple of animal theme parks in the Panyu district. To the east of the city center is the Huangpu district, while Huandu Sqaure is the highlight of the Huandu district. At the very southern tip of Guangzhou is Nansha, while Luogang is famous for its plum forest and historical sites.

Guangzhou is certainly one of the most interesting cities in China. Guangzhou receives large numbers of foreign visitors, and tourists should feel quite comfortable exploring the city's back streets and main attractions. There is plenty of local transport, making getting around almost effortless.

This is a city where ancient traditions and style meet modern demands with shiny shopping malls and transportation. Not only does Guangzhou feature China's largest urban park, there are also plenty of natural parks to wander through when the hustle and bustle of the city becomes overwhelming.

Sip tea in one of Guangzhou's traditional tea houses and visit the city's museums to be transported back in time. Guangzhou is very much a cultural city and there are several art galleries and theaters here, while the grandeur of the palaces and mausoleums shows that this is a city that cares deeply about its roots.

A great way to get from Guangzhou to the next destination is by taking a ferry or hovercraft from the city's Zhoutouzui Ferry Pier. From here passengers can travel to destinations such as Hong Kong, Macau and Hsikou. Hong Kong can be reached in just over an hour by taking a boat from the city's Nansha Pier, and there are several boats each day.

Travel to Guangzhou - Getting There

Visitors from a range of international destinations such as Los Angeles, Sydney and Paris can fly straight to the New Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, which is located 28kms from the city center. There are also connecting flights to a number of Chinese cities such as Hong Kong. There is a large train station covering destinations such as Beijing (12 hours) and Shenzhen (1 hour), while the bus station receives buses from all over the province and around China.

Guangzhou Things to Do

Guangzhou Attractions

Baiyun Shan (White Cloud Mountain)

take a cable car to the top for spectacular views across the city and to take part in activities such as bungy jumping.

Guangxiao Temple

rebuilt five times over the years, this temple is a popular pilgrimage site for Zen Buddhists as Hui Neng trained here in the 7th century.

Shamian Island

wander the streets of this pretty island which features a number of historically significant buildings such as Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel.

Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall

built in the 1920s, this is a tribute to Dr Sun Yat-Sen, founder of the Republic of China and local hero.

Guangdong Revolutions History Museum

full of well represented stories from the Opium War to the founding of the new China, this is also the place where Sun Yat-Sen was sworn in.

Side trips from Guangzhou

Peach Orchards: take a boat along the canal to nearby Xiazhou.
Foshan: located an hour away by bus, this was the former home of legendary martial arts master Wong Fei Hong.

Events

Chinese New Year/Spring Festival: celebrated in late January/early February, the festivities are particularly lively in Guangzhou.
Dragon Boat Festival: this May/June festival commemorates the sacrifice of the famous poet Qu Yuan who took her life in protest against the government.