Guangzhou

Guangzhou, China

Also known as Canton, Guangzhou is the third largest city in China. It has long been one of China's main commercial and trading centres and is one of the first cities that opened to the world. As one of the fastest growing cities in Asia, Guangzhou has also seen fast growth in tourism, attracting visitors with its cosmopolitan atmosphere, world-renowned Cantonese cuisine and its vibrant nightlife.

Population:

14.5 million (2017)

Currency:

Chinese Yuan (CNY)
1 Chinese Yuan ~ US$0,25

Emergency Numbers:

Police: 110
Ambulance: 120
Fire Brigade: 119

Opening Hours:

Major banks are open from 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM on Saturdays and are losed on Sundays and public holidays. Most malls and supermarkets are open between 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM. Most restaurants are open until 11:00 PM or later while bars and nightclubs keep going through the night.

Newspapers:

South China Morning Post (in English)
www.scmp.com/frontpage/international

China Daily (in Chinese, English and French)
www.chinadaily.com.cn

The City

Being the capital and largest city of Guangdong Province in south-eastern China, Guangzhou is located on the Pearl River about 120 km north-northwest of Hong Kong and is one of China's most important international transportation hubs and trading ports.

Guangzhou, was, in fact, one of the principal harbours of the Maritime Silk Road in the 330s (the world's oldest, and most historically significant overland trade route) and the city became a world famous trading harbour with countries in the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean during the Tang dynasties (618-907 AD). It grew rapidly and became the largest commercial city and treaty port in China. Guangzhou was mainly exporting silk, china and tea to foreign countries whereas spices were the main things imported from the Western Region to China. Therefore, the maritime Silk Road was also known as "the maritime China road "or "the maritime spices road".

Guangzhou continues serving as a major port and transportation hub and is the third biggest Chinese city after Beijing and Shanghai today. The city has a lot to offer the tourists with its endless skyscrapers, history, temples and shopping malls and with the largest trade fair in China, the Canton Fair, Guangzhou attracts hundreds of thousands of business people every year.

Besides known for offering historical sights, Guangzhou is also known as the "City of Flowers" with evergreen plants and flowers blooming all year round, resulting in beautiful gardens and greenery everywhere. The Guangzhou people are genuinely crazy about their flowers, and when hosting festivals, every park holds a flower show, and the streets are beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and kumquats.

Guangzhou is a beautiful tourism city that truly deserves a visit, a city that offers exciting history, fascinating culture, and mouth-watering Cantonese cuisine in a dynamic and vibrant atmosphere.

Do & See

With a history of more than 2,200 years, Guangzhou is a famous cultural city with many interesting sights to explore. Everything from temples to museums, gardens and historical buildings are on offer, as well as sighs that are more modern such as the fun theme park called Chimelong or why not visit Canton Tower, the landmark of Guangzhou City, where you will get amazing panoramic views of the city. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle from the city centre, then Baiyun Mountain, also called "the lung of the city" for its restorative greenery, is another must-see sight.

It doesn't come as a surprise that Guangzhou is one of China's top 10 most popular tourist areas, in fact, there is so much to do in Guangzhou that you cannot see it all in just one visit, so start planning and fill your list with must-see attractions.

Dining

Cantonese cooking is world-famous, yet the watered-down version we know in the West fails to do justice to the delicacy and vibrancy of the real thing. Because of its extraordinarily fortunate location on the Pearl River Delta, the wealth of food is enormous and the locals’ expectations are subsequently demanding.

The Chinese say that the Cantonese eat anything that flies, except for aeroplanes, and anything with legs except for chairs. It is barely an exaggeration. However, while you may be inclined to stick to delicious dim sum and shy away from some of the fare on offer, there is still a freshness and vivacity to the cuisine that is difficult to rival.

From roast suckling pig and stewed snake and the enormous variety of dim sum dishes, this is a food lover’s paradise. If you can get out of your comfort zone in Guangzhou, you could open your pallet to a host of flavours and dishes that would previously have been beyond your imagination. It really is one place where it pays to be brave.

The restaurants offered below are just the merest selection. Remember that there are thousands of them in Guangzhou.

Cafés

Given that Guangzhou historically was the centre of the East to West tea trade, herbal tea drinking cafés fill up long before lunchtime. As an escape from Guangzhou’s summer heat, they are perfect retreats as well as fascinating places to watch the degree of reverence applied to the tea-making process. Coffee freaks do not need to worry – Guangzhou has a plethora of coffee shops, and the vast majority offer free WiFi.