Guangzhou travel guide

Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province and has an excellent transport network, with a dense provincial expressway system. Shuttle buses run from Guangzhou to every prefecture-level city.

There are many direct trains and flights from all over China to Guangzhou, so it is very convenient to reach.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is located in Huadu District of Guangzhou. From the city centre, it takes about 40 minutes by expressway to reach the airport.

China Southern Airlines booking website: www.csair.com

Guangzhou Railway Station is next to the Guangzhou Provincial Bus Station, opposite Liuhua Hotel. Guangzhou East Railway Station is behind CITIC Plaza in Tianhe District and is a departure point for trains heading to Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Changsha and other destinations.

Guangzhou South Railway Station is the meeting point of the Beijing–Hong Kong HSR, the Guiyang–Guangzhou HSR, the Nanning–Guangzhou HSR, the Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity railway, the Guangzhou–Shenzhen HSR and the Guangfo–Zhaoqing intercity railway. It is also one of the three departure stations for the Wuhan–Guangzhou passenger dedicated line and the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link, and one of the three departure stations for the Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity railway. It currently mainly serves passenger dedicated line and Pearl River Delta intercity rapid rail trains.

1. To Shenzhen: The Guangzhou–Shenzhen HSR runs from Guangzhou South to Shenzhen North, a journey of about 30 minutes.

2. To Dongguan: Many trains from Guangzhou East and Guangzhou Railway Station run to Dongguan.

3. To Hong Kong: Guangzhou has direct trains to Hong Kong every day. The shortest journey takes 44 minutes, with fares of ¥187–¥215.

Guangdong's expressway network is very well developed. Expressways radiating from Guangzhou to all parts of the country and within the province form a dense web. Travel from Guangzhou to other Pearl River Delta cities usually takes about 1 hour.

Passenger ferry services on the Pearl River in Guangzhou are also very well developed.

Guangzhou's city buses are all unmanned, with fares of ¥1–¥5.

Guangzhou has invested heavily in metro construction in recent years. Operational lines include Lines 1, 2, 3, the Line 3 Northern Extension, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, the Line 14 Zhishicheng section, 18, 21, 22, the APM Line and the Guangfo Line.

Line 1: Xilang (西塱) → Guangzhou East Railway Station

Line 2: Jiahe Wanggang (嘉禾望岗) → Guangzhou South Railway Station

Line 3: Airport North (机场北站) → Panyu Square (番禺广场)

Line 3 Northern Extension: Tianhe Coach Terminal (天河客运站) → Tiyu Xilu (体育西路)

Line 4: Huangcun (黄村) → Nansha Passenger Port (南沙客运港)

Line 5: Jiaokou (滘口) → Huangpu New Port (黄浦新港)

Line 6: Xunfenggang (浔峰岗) → Xiangxue (香雪)

Line 7: Midea Avenue (美的大道) → Yanshan (燕山)

Line 8: Jiaoxin (滘心) → Wanshengwei (万胜围)

Line 9: Feie Ling (飞鹅岭) → Gaozeng (高增)

Line 13: Yuzhu (鱼珠) → Xinsha (新沙)

Line 14: Dongfeng (东风) → Jiahe Wanggang (嘉禾望岗)

Line 14 (Zhishicheng section): Xinhe (新和) → Zhenlong (镇龙)

Line 18: Xiancun (冼村) → Wanqingsha (万顷沙)

Line 21: Yuancun (员村) → Zengcheng Square (增城广场)

Line 22: Chentougang (陈头岗) → Panyu Square (番禺广场)

APM Line: Canton Tower (广州塔) → Linhexi (林和西)

Flag fall of ¥12 covers the first 3 km. Beyond 3 km, the rate is ¥2.6 per km. The fuel surcharge has been abolished.

“Food is heaven for the people, and flavour comes first in food” is one of the most popular catchphrases among Guangzhou residents. Cantonese cuisine is famed nationwide for its meticulous craftsmanship. Master chefs can peel the skin off a live fish whole, mix the fish bones and flesh with other delicacies, and stuff them back into the fish skin to form a complete “fish” again. There is also Winter Melon Soup (冬瓜盅), which, after simmering for several hours, becomes a dish of outstanding flavour. In addition, Guangzhou people are masters of soup. Most soups are simmered for several hours, and locals are used to having a small bowl of soup before meals.

Guangzhou's snacks are endless: har gow (shrimp dumplings), glutinous rice chicken, wonton noodles, turnip cake, water chestnut cake, Shahe rice noodles, stir-fried field snails, beef bone soup, savoury fried pancakes, pig blood congee, cheung fun (rice noodle rolls), beef brisket rice noodles and more. Beijing Road is home to many famous beef offal shops and juice bars, as well as cha chaan tengs serving congee, rice noodles, noodles and milk tea. Around Shangxiajiu Road you will find many traditional Guangzhou-style snacks, such as the double-skin milk from Nanxin at Xiguan Renjia and street-side beef offal. On Baohua Road, several unassuming noodle shops serve pig trotter noodles and beef brisket noodles, which stand out among Guangzhou's noodle dishes. Xihao Erma Road, Guangda Road, Hongde Road and Guangcong Road, all renowned food streets, are equally unforgettable.

Eight-Treasure Winter Melon Soup, Baiyun Pig Trotters, White-Cut Chicken, Salt-Baked Chicken, Roast Goose, Roast Suckling Pig and Wenchang Chicken.

Cantonese cuisine has nearly 300 major dishes, about 80 percent of which are based on poultry, with chicken taking the lead. There is a saying in Cantonese cuisine: “no feast without chicken.”

In Guangzhou you will never encounter the “one dish rules all” situation common in other cities. Food from around the world and from every part of China can be found here, a true blossoming of flavours in which no single cuisine dominates.

Nanxin Milk Dessert Specialists opened in 1934. A time-honoured establishment, it serves Guangzhou's most authentic double-skin milk. Service is good and it is very popular.

Guangzhou offers a wide choice of accommodation, from luxury star-rated hotels to budget and mid-range guesthouses of every kind, so you can choose whatever suits your needs and budget.

Shopping is a must in Guangzhou. The city is a famous hub of fashion, so you can kit yourself out from head to toe.

Guangzhou's local specialities include Wong Lo Kat herbal tea, soup mixes, Cantonese embroidery, Canton enamel, Cantonese carving and a range of Lingnan fruits such as lychee, star fruit and longan.

On Taiping Road stands Tai Ping Guan, China's first Western-style restaurant, which has welcomed many famous guests.

Route: Starts at Xidi Pier and ends at Hedong Bridge, with scenic highlights including “Moonlit Night on Ezhan” (鹅潭夜月) and “Zhuhai Danxin” (珠海丹心).

Standard cruise: ¥38, ¥48

Luxury cruise: ¥68, ¥98

Guangzhou has plenty of great food, and it is affordable. Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street is home to many long-established restaurants. If you want to have dim sum at one of these old eateries, arrive early to grab a table on weekends.

A distinctive sight along Guangzhou's central axis, Flower City Square has an especially dreamy night view. Lights blaze and shimmer, and nearby you can also take a stroll to the Guangdong Museum and the “Slender Waist” (Canton Tower).

Of course, Guangzhou, the heart of Guangdong, has the most complete range of Cantonese food. Whenever and wherever you are hungry, you will find somewhere serving authentic Cantonese flavours.

K11 is a favourite shopping and photo spot for young people, and is considered one of Guangzhou's most luxurious shopping centres. The trendy wall on the first floor, the art gallery bridge on the third floor and the small art space on the fourth floor are popular spots for photos.

Guangzhou has many garden-style restaurants with beautiful surroundings: Yongya Shanfang at the north gate of Yuexiu Park, Liuhua Congee City in Liuhua Lake Park on Renmin North Road, Tangli Garden on Liwan Lake near Ruyi Fang off Huangsha Avenue, the seafood restaurant beside Yuntai Garden, the park restaurant on the summit of Baiyun Mountain, and Green Island Western Restaurant in Sculpture Park. All offer elegant and tranquil places to dine.

Guangzhou is a city that never sleeps. Once night falls, the city glows with neon lights and countless signs, and the allure of the night is irresistible everywhere. In Guangzhou, many snack shops and entertainment venues stay open all night, and going to bars, KTV, bowling, billiards and video games are the most common nightlife pursuits among locals. Friends who enjoy finding quiet amid the bustle can stroll along the Pearl River and Shamian Island, where the night scenes are very enchanting.

Be sure to enjoy the Pearl River night views. Taking a cruise from Xidi Pier to Hedong Bridge lets you sip tea and admire the scenery at the same time.

For Guangzhou people, a truly wonderful day begins at nightfall. Locals call 夜宵 “宵夜” (late-night snacks). As the saying goes, “Beijingers pursue culture, Shanghainese pursue atmosphere, and Guangzhou people are the most direct: what they pursue is spending.” This is a city full of desire, quiet by day and restless and tempting at night.

Guangzhou has nearly 300 bars, mainly concentrated in three areas. Huanshi East Road and the Huaqiao New Village area have long been Guangzhou's traditional bar district, lined with four- and five-star hotels, and they attract the most foreign patrons. Bai E Tan Bar Street, across the river from Shamian Island, has nearly 40 bars packed into a row of three-storey buildings and can be reached by ferry. Yanjiang Road Bar Street centres on Haizhu Square, and Roar Bar (咆哮酒吧), the largest-space bar in Guangzhou, is in this area.

Amigo (亚米高): “Amigo” is Spanish for “friend.” The owner is an overseas Chinese from South America, and the decor has an Argentine cowboy vibe, with walls hung with genuine leather accessories the owner collected in Argentina, carrying the spirit of the Pampas grassland.

1920 PRIMEO: This German-style building was completed in 1920. Grab a seat by the window and gaze out at the Pearl River, a good way to steal half a day of leisure.

Drinking tea is a habit Guangzhou people never give up, and teahouses are found all over the city. Tea is divided into morning tea, afternoon tea and evening tea, and teahouses are busy from morning to night. “Yi zhong liang jian” (one bowl and two items) is the most common breakfast: a bowl of steamed spare-rib rice and two small dim sum. Afternoon tea is often when people meet clients to chat business over tea, and evening tea is essentially late-night snacks. Teahouses known for good dim sum include White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou Restaurant and Yuji Roast Goose Restaurant.

Pearl River Night Views