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Guangzhou City Intro and Travel Guide

Guangzhou (pronounced /gwung-jo/) is the capital city of Guangdong Province in southeast China. A major South China Sea port, it is Chinas southern gateway to the world as well asa hub city of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Besides being a key city for world trade, more and more tourists are going to Guangzhou to enjoy new attractions, old museums/temples, and its mild climate. Its hugeChimelong Amusement/Wildlife Parkis nowChinas number 1 theme park.

Guangzhou isthe largest city in the worlds largestconurbation(the Pearl River Delta: pop. 65 million). A leading commercial and industrial city, it has 11 districts under its jurisdiction with a total area of 7,434 square km (2,870 sq mi). At the end of 2019, the population of the citys administrative area was estimated at 15,300,000.

Once known as Canton, Guangzhou was the only Chinese port accessible to foreign traders between 1760 and 1842 in the Qing Dynasty. It rose to prominence first as a trade port, then as a manufacturing base. More recently, business people by the hundreds of thousands have come for the biannualCanton Fair(Chinas largest trade fair), increasingly touring the city sites such as theCanton Tower.

Guangzhou isthe largest and most flourishing trade center in south China. It has huge clothing markets, which are mainly wholesale, but you can also find retail bargains. The best buys include clothing, cosmetics, electrical appliances, and digital products as well as characteristic handicrafts and Chinese tea.

Guangzhou is a shopping paradise, you can find almost everything you want to buy, as well as have an enjoyable time, check out somebest shopping places in Guangzhou.

Cantonese cuisine isone of the eight great styles of Chinese cuisine, of which Guangzhou cuisine,Chaozhoucuisine, and Hakka cuisine are the main sub-cuisines. It has the characteristics of clearness, freshness, coolness, tenderness, and smoothness. Read more onGuangzhou Food.

Cantonese cuisine is possibly as famous as French cuisine across the world. Due to the large number of overseas Chinese from Guangdong, it is the style of Chinese food served in most Chinese restaurants around the world. Check out our propoularCantonese food tourin Foshan and Shunde.

Guangzhou is the countrys largest commodity manufacturing city, so it is appropriate that Chinas largest commodities trade fair is held there. The Canton fair is held in April/May and October/November each year and attracts hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world. It is honored as Chinas Number One Exhibition. For details, seeChinas Biggest Trade Fairs.

Nearby,Shenzhenand Dongguan composethe worlds largest electronics manufacturing area, and thus, large flocks of business people go for electronics trade.

The recommended tour:4-Day Essence of Guangzhou and Shenzhen Tour

Guangzhou is a busy trade center with hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world (pre-COVID-19), and it is perhaps Chinas most multi-national city. Though this makes it more complex to control than other cities in China, in comparison with cities of a similar size in the world,the safety of Guangzhou must be among the top.

China is a country with strict gun controls and penalties for crime, and, now CCTV is everywhere on the streets, crime has decreased even more. Though pickpocketing and theft can still happen occasionally, Guangzhou is a heaven for tourists in terms of general safety.

Join ourGuangzhou private tourto gain a safe Travel expirence.

Guangzhou is conditionally open and can be visited [March 2021]. If you are planning a trip to Guangzhou and want to know more details, pleasecontact us.

Cantoneseis the main language spoken in Guangzhou. Most of its residents speak Cantonese. Small numbers speak theChaoshanandHakkadialects. However, in recent decades, with large numbers of migrants settling and increasing nationalization, Mandarin has become more and more popular in Guangzhou.

English is the first foreign language and a required core subject in Chinas schools and universities, so young people should be able to communicate in simple English.

Guangzhou has a humid subtropical climate with plenty of sunshine and rainfall and no snow. Summers are long, humid, and hot, and winters are short, mild, and sunny.

From May to October daytime temperatures often exceed 30C (86F). Even in the coolest time, from December to February, the temperature still climbs to around 20C (68F) and seldom drops under 10C (50F) at night.

The best time to visit Guangzhouis autumn and winter, from October till March of the next year, as temperatures are mild, and rainfall is lower. Check out more details onGuangzhou Weather, clothing and travel tips, as well asthe recommneded tours in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou isthe top transportation hub of southern Chinaand has very convenient transport systems.Guangzhou Baiyun International Airportflights reach out to over 40 countries as well as to all parts of China. Its railway (particularly high-speed trains), highway, water transportation, and city transportation systems are also well developed. Most tourists prefer to use the citys several big bullet train stations for domestic travel.

Guangzhou is144-hour-visa-freefor transit via Baiyun Airport. This permits you to travel around all of Guangdong Province including Shenzhen,contact usfor a layover tour in Guangzhou.

Whether seeing them from the outside or going inside, these two skyscrapers are big attractions and a witness to the development of Guangzhou.

TheCanton Tower(ranked 1 in TripAdvisor 2019),Chinas tallest tower and worlds second tallest tower, has an observation deck, a skywalk, and a Ferris wheel on top of the tower. The Canton Tower is 70 meters taller than the newCTF Finance Centrelocated nearby, which isthe worlds eighth tallest building(2019).

Museums and old architecture areas in Guangzhou are the best places to learn about the history and stories of the city.

TheChen Family Ancestral Templeis a concentration of ancient Chinese architecture, carvings, and paintings, as well as a museum of folk handicrafts. Also visit theSun Yat-sen Memorial Halland theTemple of the Six Banyan Trees.

Guangzhous colonial history has brought colorful overseas cultures to Guangzhou, and they have merged with the local culture. Guangzhou preserves historical buildings and old streets in the traditional Chinese style, but you can also find a series of well-designed British and French architectures inShamian Island.

If you love religious culture or are interested in different religions, besides visiting Buddhist temples,Sacred Heart CathedralandHuaisheng Mosquerepresent Guangzhous oldest Christian and Muslim places of worship.

TheChimelong theme parksare not quite as world-class as Hong Kongs Ocean Park and Disneyland, but they have still won high acclaim. The theme park cluster includes:

The city parks are wonderful places to relax within the city. You might enjoy visitingYuexiu Parkin the early morning where you can see local people exercising amid the beautiful scenery. Also, check out the statue of five goats in the park, which is the symbol of the city of Guangzhou.

Guangzhou provides interesting activities to do at night such as taking anight cruise on the Pearl Riverand enjoying a Cantonese opera. Bars and clubs are all over the city. Read more onGuangzhou Nightlife.

See the best of Guangzhou with ourGuangzhou Tours.

As Guangzhou is an international metropolis, the accommodation costs are generally higher than in more provincial areas, however visitors can select froma huge range of options: from high-grade star hotels to all kinds of chain hotels, youth hostels, etc.

The high-end hotels include many internationallyfamous 5-star or even super-5-star hotelbrands, e.g. The Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons Hotel. Most of these hotels are located in the most prosperous business districts of Guangzhou: Tianhe and Haizhu. These hotels management level and service quality maintain a leading position in China.

In recent years,various budget chain hotelshave developed rapidly in Guangzhou. Among them, Home Inns, Hanting, Motel, Jinjiang Star, and 7 Days are all well-known hotel brands in China, with moderate rates (standard rooms are usually under 300 yuan). They offer comfortable and safe stays and are widely distributed across Guangzhous districts.

The best place to stay in Guangzhou depends on who you are and why youre visiting:

If you are paying your first visit to Guangzhou: Yuexiu District is attraction packed.

If you are traveling with your family: Liwan District is quieter.

If you want a metropolis atmosphere: head for Tianhe District, especially Zhujiang New Town.

If you are traveling with the one you love: relax on Shamian Island.

If you are visiting Guangzhou for the Canton Fair: stay near the site or in Haizhu District.

If you only have a one-night layover: stay near Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

See more onThe Top 6 Areas for a Stay in Guangzhou.

If you would like to explore Guangzhou and discover more about it, it would be useful to have a professional English-speaking tour guide. We can help you with that and much more.Everything can be customized to your needs.

Consider our popular Guangzhou itinerary as a starting point:

4-Day Guangzhou and Shenzhen Essence Tour

We can arrange all: entry tickets, guide, hotels, ntact usfor a bespoke private tour.

As the biggest traffic hub in south China, it is easy to take flights and trains to all parts of China from Guangzhou. Here are some ofour tour packages starting from Guangzhou:

3-Day Kaiping and Foshan Tour from Guangzhou

7-Day High-Speed Railway Tour from Guangzhou to Guizhou

6-Day Zhangjiajie Tour from Guangzhou

How to Plan a Guangzhou Half-Day/One-Day Tour

How to Plan a Pearl River Delta Tour from Hong Kong

100% payment refund prior to 3 weeks before departure (more detail)

4-Day Essence of Guangzhou and Shenzhen Tour

The Top 12 Things to Do in Guangzhou 2023

How to Plan a Guangzhou Half-day/One-day Tour

How to Plan a First Trip to China 5 Easy Steps

The 15 Most Beautiful Places in China (7 Will Impress You)

China Travel Restrictions & Travel Advisory (Updated February 10, 2023)

4-Day Essence of Guangzhou and Shenzhen Tour

16-Day Chinese Culture and Art Tour

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