Travel Guide > Asia > China > Guangdong > Guangzhou
Guangzhou (廣州) is a large industrial city on the banks of the Pearl river with a population of between 8 to 13 million depending on what areas you include. Many overseas Chinese trace their heritage to this city. The city was traditionally known to westerners as Canton during the period of foreign occupation and still has a strong expat community today. Originally settled in the 3rd century BC the city grew in importance over the millenniums. The city is the centre of southern Chinese culture and a major export centre. Even during the height of oppression during communist area this city still had trade shows and export fairs.
Now Guangzhou has grown to be the third largest city in China (behind Beijing and Shanghai) and is a modern city. It is also close to Hong Kong and Macau making it very convenient to or from travel there.
Every year from the second half of April to the first week of May and from the second half of October to the first week of November, the China Import and Export Fair is held in Guangzhou. Travel should be avoided at these periods as hotel rooms become scarce and more expensive. Transport prices also rise.
There is a free monthly english magazine called that's PRD covering the pearl river delta region. It writes about the latest events and things to do. The magazine can be picked up free from many expat locations including Starbucks. It is a valuable resource to get to know the city and places to go for visitors.
Although Guangzhou is 6,000 sq miles, the metro system does a good job connecting the city and its districts.
Parks in China are often a hive of activity. There are many opportunities in Guangzhou to go strolling through the parks and witness old people dancing or exercising. Though strangely (to western standards anyway) parks require a small entrance fee, usually RMB1-4.
Shopping is plentiful in Guangzhou. Ranging from modern malls selling designer brands to local markets selling export goods to markets selling animals. Haggling is expected in smaller shops and markets while the prices posted in department stores are final.
Guangzhou celebrates the same festivals that are common throughout the rest of China, including:
The China Import and Export Fair or Canton Fair occurs twice a year (April-May and October-November). Travel should be avoided at these periods as hotel rooms become scarce and more expensive.
Guangzhou is situated near the tropic of Cancer. The temperature rarely reaches 0 °C but during winter can drop to 10 °C. Winter can be deceptively cold given most buildings are not equipped with double glazing or central heating. However during the summer the temperatures can reach 40 °C and the humidity and pollution can be very high. The city experiences monsoon season from April to September.
Baiyan International Airport (广州白云国际机场) (IATA: CAN, ICAO: ZGGG) is located outside of the city. A long bus or taxi ride (~1hr) is required to reach it from the city center. Flights arrive/depart from this modern airport to many destinations around the world and within China. However taxis and shuttle buses are readily available just outside of the terminals.
Two train stations are located within the city. The main train station is good for short national travel, while the east train station serves longer national travel and direct trains to Hong Kong (or the border).
12 daily trains to/from Hong Kong (Kowloon) are available on roughly a hourly schedule. The journey takes 2 hours and costs RMB210. Alternatively 16 daily trains to/from Shenzhen are available (1hr, RMB75). From here the border can be crossed by foot into Lo Wu metro station in Hong Kong or vice versa. Note there is a seperate area to buy tickets to Shenzhen and Hong Kong (Kowloon). Trains are air-conditioned and it is not neccesary to book tickets beforehand.
Be careful to avoid the rush around Chinese New Year as the stations typically will be packed with millions of migrant workers returning home. As this is possibly, for many, their only extended vacation for the entire year this is not an exduration of the word "million". Riots occured here during the 2008 travel season when 500,000 passengers were stranded in Guangzhou.
Self driven car travel is not recommended within China. If you wish to use this mode of travel it is best to hire a local driver with local knowledge.
There are many long-distance bus stations around Guangzhou. Overnight (sleeper) buses may be available for longer journeys. Destinations include Guilin, Yangshuo and Nanning. Bus tickers tend to sell out faster than train tickets so it is recommended to buy tickets up to 3 days in advance.
Many daily shuttle buses operate between Hong Kong and Guangzhou (2 1/2 hours). Tickets may be purchased at Hong Kong International Airport (Terminal 2).
To go to Macau, get a bus to Zhuhai (3 hours). The bus staion in Zhuhai is just across the road from the Macau border.
Several companies offer ferry service from Hong Kong to Guangzhou by going up the Pearl river. However, most travellers perfer the more convienent services of the bus and train companies. The Hong Kong International Airport offers ferry service from the airport SkyPier to Guangzhou.
Car rental fees and insurance are quite high in most of China. Most companies will rent cars to people with Chinese drivers licenses. International licenses are not accepted. Also navigation through the busy & chaotic streets can be extremely difficult.
Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive. However most drivers only speak Cantonese or Mandarin.
Guangzhou has a modern, efficient and expanding subway system. Ticket prices depend on the distance you wish to travel and can be purchased through multi-language vending machines in the stations.
The bus system can be somewhat difficult to navigate for travellers not able to read Chinese as there are many different companies that share the same stations. Therefore the signage, routes, times, cost, etc. vary quite significantly. However, they are a fast and inexpensive way to get around town.
Some parts of Guangzhou is pedestrian friendly. Normally streets are over-crowded, dirty, hot and the air is polluted. However it takes a brave soul to cross some streets. Therefore, many busy streets have overpass pedestrian cross over bridges.
Due to the sheer number of bikes in China, there are dedicated bicycle lanes. However cycling may still be daunting due to the number bikes and cars.
Guangzhou is the home of Cantonese cooking; a style that has widely been exported throughout the world. Most westerners will find many dishes familiar to them as "Chinese food". However, be forewarned that many food items that westerners find distasteful (such as dog, snake, etc.) will be on clear display in open air markets. You can also find many western franchises such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC.
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| CanBeyond Business Hotel | 160 Tianhezhijie Tianhebei Road South of Times Sqare | Hotel | 20 |
| Chundu Hotel | No.212, West Huang Pu Avenue, Tian He District Guangzhou | Hotel | 74 |
| Daysun Park Hotel | No.277 Zhongshan Road Tianhe District | Hotel | - |
| Fu Ho Hotel | No.27-33 Cangbian Rd., Yuexiu District Guangzhou | Hotel | - |
| GDH Inn (Gang Ding) | F/7-10 Tianhe Business Bldg, No.8 Zhongshan Rd.(W) Tianhe District, Guangzhou | Hotel | 20 |
| GuangDong Bostan Hotel | NO.76 Tianhe North Road | Hotel | 71 |
| Guangdong Victory Hotel | No. 53 Shamian North Street Guangzhou | Hotel | 82 |
| Guangwu Hotel | No.603 Tianhe Road, Tianhe District Guangzhou | Hotel | - |
| Guangzhou Euro Asia Hotel | 186-188 Xian Lie Dong Rd | Hotel | - |
| Guangzhou Guotai hotel | No.376 Huanshi Dong Rd. Guangzhou | Hotel | 68 |
| Guangzhou Shenzhou Hotel | No.1 Shatai Rd. Tianhe District Guangzhou | Hotel | - |
| Guangzhou Weijing Hotel | No. 32, Xinnan Rd, Yingbin Avenue, Panyu District Guangzhou | Hotel | - |
| Haitao Hotel Guangzhou | Huang Pu Road Tianhe District | Hotel | 50 |
| HengFuLai Hotel | No. 201, Huanshi Middle Road | Hotel | 59 |
| Henry Business Hotel | No.26 Baohua Road Huadu District | Hotel | - |
| Huashi (GDH) Hotel | No.55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District Guangzhou | Hotel | - |
| Jinjiang Inn Guangzhou Haizhu | No. 245 Jiangyan Rd. Haizhu District | Hotel | 80 |
| Jinjiang Inn Guangzhou Liwan | No.77 Xi Hua Rd. Liwan District | Hotel | 53 |
| Lilac International Suite | No. 1 Taisheng Rd., Tianhe District | Hotel | 84 |
| Liuhua Hotel | 194 Huanshi Road West Guangzhou | Hotel | - |
| Nan Yang King Hotel | NO38,Xinghua Road Tianhe Area | Hotel | - |
| Ocean Hotel Guangzhou | No. 412, Huanshidong Road Guangzhou | Hotel | - |
| Pearl Garden Hotel | No.721 Kaifa Rd, Guangzhou Economic Guangzhou | Hotel | - |
| RiverSide YHA (Jiangpan) | No. 15, Changdi Street, Luju Road Fangcun Liwan District | Hostel | 77 |
| Shan Shui Hotel | No.727, Huangpu Road(east) Huangpu District | Hotel | - |
| Shengdi Hotel | NO.1421 North Guangzhou Avenue | Hotel | 67 |
| Silver-River Hotel | :268 Shatai Road | Hotel | 53 |
| Tomorrow Business Hotel---Li wan | No100,LiwanRoad | Hotel | - |
| Tomorrow Business Hotel-Tian he | No18, West Zhongshan Da Road Tianhe District | Hotel | 73 |
| Tomorrow Business Hotel-Yuan Jing | No61. Tang Jing Commercial Pedestrian Street Sanyuan Li | Hotel | 53 |
| V8 Hotel (Train Station Branch) | No.183, Huanshi Road West Guangzhou | Hotel | 56 |
| V8 Hotel (Ziyuangang Branch) | No.11 Nanjie, Ziyuan Gang, Baiyun District Guangzhou | Hotel | 61 |
| Wa King Town Hotel | NO.368ZhongShan Da Dao(M)TianHe | Hotel | - |
| Warm Yes Business Hotel | No.468 Xingang Middle Rd. Guangzhou | Hotel | - |
Most jobs require Mandarin or Guangdonghua (Cantonese). However like many places around China, it is relatively easy to get a job as an English teacher in a school, university or firm. No prior knowledge of Chinese is required. The employer will usually apply for your work permit.
It is also possible to be a teacher of another foreign language but opportunities are somewhat rarer. French is probably the second most common required teacher.
There are many internet cafes to be found where many of the local people play computer games. Internet typically costs RMB1-3 per hour.
See also International Telephone Calls
SIM cards can be cheaply from one of the many mobile phone outlets in the city. Some carriers incur a roaming fee if used outside of Guangdong province and should be aware before making calls (although rates are still cheap by western standards).
If you have China Mobile, by prefixing 12593 to any international number, rates are substantially reduced (RMB0.36-RMB2 depending on country). (For example dial: 12593 + 00 + country code + area code + phone number.)
The cheapest way to send letters or packages abroad are by one of the many China Posts. The maximum weight they can ship is 30kg. If sending abroad, remember to include the destination country in Chinese characters or it may not be delivered.
When receiving packages from abroad, note that China Post will not deliver packages to their final destination from some countries and will require the receiver to collect it from the post office. A form of identification (a passport will suffice) will be required to acquire your package.
This is version 60. Last edited at 8:03 on Aug 7, 09 by Utrecht (+82). 31 articles link to this page.

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