Guangzhou: Living Guide
A prosperous city that is influenced by Hong Kong and Macau, and is a hugely popular tourist destination just like Beijing and Shanghai. If you want city living that is out of the ordinary, Guangzhou could be the choice for you! It hosts all the normalities with busy pubs, and up-beat clubs but it’s got a European styled island, and many more things to offer!
The Basics
Guangzhou is the capital and most populated city in Guangdong province. It’s on the Pearl River around 18km from Foshan, 120 km from Shenzhen and 145km from Macau.
Due to being a very southern city and bordering close to Hong Kong and Macau, Guangzhou’s consistently very hot and humid. Especially between the months of April to October varying from 21° to 34°. Also, there’s a lot of rainfall between May and August.
There are 14 metro lines used in the city where the trips are cheap from 5-20 yuan. The buses run 24/7 but differ between daytime lines and night lines meaning you can always get around, but a bus timetable is essential! Taxis and didis as always in the major city.
City Highlights
Chimelong Safari resort
A family friendly attraction where you can view up to 20,000 animals. It is one of the most visited places in Guangzhou where you can see the animals on the walk through, take the ‘safari on wheels’ option on a tram, or even better - a cable car in the sky! Ticket’s vary on prices, but a standard single costs 150RMB.
Canton Tower
The brightly coloured tower is the second tallest in the world hosting a romantic restaurant and an amazing observation deck. The indoor observatory is 450m above ground providing you with a fantastic overview of Guangzhou and the Pearl River, costing adults 150 yuan and children 75 yuan.
Shamian Island
A sandbank island divided into two and given to the UK and France, meaning it’s a historical reminder of the colonial European period. There are lots of European feel cafés, restaurants, shops and bars for you to visit making foreigners feel at home! It’s very easy to get around via bus or walking, since there’s a transport restriction on cars. You can take Metro line 1 and a short walk to reach the island, most visitors spend 2-3 hours walking appreciating the views and visiting the shops.
Pearl River Night Cruise
There are five wharfs where you can get onto the boat, Tianzi, Dashatou, Zhongda, Fangcun and Xidi. On the cruise you will pass lots of the largest buildings in the city that look outstanding with their fancy illuminations such as the Canton Tower, Xinghi Concert Hall or western buildings on Shamian Island.
Tianhe Stadium
It is the main multi-purpose stadium in the city. It can be used for athletic events, but predominately it is the home football stadium for Guangzhou Evergrande FC. It holds 55,000 people and the matchdays are filled with an electric atmosphere making it a fun evening excursion - if you can get a ticket!
Bai’e Tan
One of the city’s most attractive nightlife hubs. It has several big clubs and a number of smaller bars with some tasty restaurants down the back streets. Amigo is a must visit! It is one of the most popular bars, with a French pub on one floor having a vibrant emotional appeal and a V-shaped restaurant on the other.
Surrounding Areas
Foshan
An easy 30-minute metro ride away! Famous for its ceramic pieces in the Ming dynasty if you’re a Chinese history lover. Foshan is also well known for recently developing the Wing Chun style of kung fu and the birthplace of Bruce Lee’s Master, Wong Fei Hung. If you want an energetic getaway, you could become the next black belt! If not, you can sit back and relax an enjoyable Lion Dance performance which has been performed for hundreds of years.
Shenzhen
If you want a relaxing getaway you can visit the Dameisha Beach in the summer to sub-bathe all day and walk down the thrifty high-street shops. Art-lovers need to visit the Dafen Oil Painting Village to experience the beautifully hand crafted local pieces.
Macau
Perfect for culture lovers with its colonial architecture and ancient temples, it’s becoming a top attraction for tourists since it’s kept a lot of its nature However, it can be seen as a smaller Hong Kong since it does boast a big nightlife with lots of casinos and world class restaurants It also hosts famous sporting events such as the Macau Grand Prix.
What do you think of Guangzhou? Would you consider moving here?