Why go?

Home to some of the best food in the People’s Republic, the capital of the southern Guangdong province has undergone a transformation since hosting the 2010 Asian Games. Away from the usual suspects of Beijing and Shanghai, the city – previously known as ‘Canton’ – offers the best of both worlds, a thoroughly traditional slice of China on one hand and a shiny modern chunk on the other. Throw in the fact that citizens of 45 countries, including the UK, can now stay visa-free for 72 hours while in transit, and it would be rude not to spend a few days exploring.

What to do

Only a decade ago, the city centre was farmland; now it’s home to high-end shopping malls, five-star hotels, an opera house, a games stadium that’s like a huge piece of modern art, and the 600m-tall Canton Tower. Here you’ll find the world’s highest observation deck plus, terrifyingly, a bubble car track skirting around its rim and, worse still, the Sky Drop thrill ride that plummets you 30m – all 480m above ground. At night, the whole plaza area – together with most of the buildings lining the Pearl River – turns neon to put on a show to match the fluoro boats that cruise up and down the waterway. This is 21st-century Guangzhou. By way of contrast, head west to the Liwan district. At Qingping Market, there is a remedy for any ill, from deer tendons for leg problems to crocodile meat for throats. For inner peace, visit the Haulin Temple, which dates back 1,400 years and is home to 500 golden buddhas as well as a statue of Bodhidharma, the monk who brought Buddhism to China. For another escape, head to Shamian Island. The former French and English concession area on the edge of the river is a cultural fusion, with colonial architecture and a Roman Catholic church centred around perfectly manicured Chinese gardens.

Where to stay

Pick a central location and use the relatively cheap taxis to drop you off for exploring. Jianguo Hotel (00 86 20 8393 6388, jianguohotelgz.com) is right by the railway station and, strangely, does brilliant Peking duck – birds, sauce and special oven all brought in from Beijing. For the best views of the neon night show and the best Cognacs in town (courtesy of The Churchill Bar), there’s The Ritz-Carlton (00 86 20 3813 6688, ritzcarlton.com/guangzhou). If you want five-star with a mall next door and perhaps the best Cantonese chef in town, the Mandarin Oriental (00 86 20 3808 8888, mandarinoriental.com/guangzhou) could be the ticket.

Where to eat and drink

The saying goes that if the people of Guangzhou had to choose between chicken or clothes, they’d always take the poultry. This is the home of dumplings and the Liwan district is renowned for them – every cubbyhole joint will do the best har gow you’ve ever tasted. The street hawkers’ skewered meats would fetch princely sums back home too. Nowhere does dim sum badly and Panxi Restaurant (00 86 20 8172 1328) does some of the best. Opening at 6am, it’s a behemoth on the edge of Liwan Lake that comprises several dining halls and could almost literally feed the 5,000. At the other end of the scale, Jiang at the Mandarin Oriental hotel is home to Guangzhou’s answer to Jamie Oliver. Chef Fei owns restaurants across town but this is his most refined, turning out the finest Cantonese classics with the finest ingredients. The xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) – juicy pork swimming in a delicious pork broth hand-wrapped in a dumpling – are heavenly, and his simple, poached chicken is the most chickeny chicken you’ll eat. It may not be silver service, but the seafood couldn’t be any fresher than at the bustling restaurants above Huangsha Seafood Market in Liwan. Make your selection from the likes of abalone (sea snails), geoduck (clam), giant crabs and sea snakes, then bring them up to be cooked as you like.

Time running out?

Either enjoy an hour-long hike or cable car your way up to Baiyun Mountain (also known as White Cloud Mountain) to take in the sight of the 30 forest-carpeted peaks encroaching on the Guangzhou cityscape.

Travel Information

Travel Information

China’s currency is the renminbi, and Guangzhou is eight hours ahead of GMT and a 10 and-a-half hour flight from London.

Getting There

China Southern (csair.com) runs a daily non-stop service between London Heathrow and Guangzhou.
British Airways (ba.com) has daily flights to Shanghai and Chengdu, with domestic connections to Guangzhou.

Resources

China National Tourist Office (cnto.org.uk) includes travel tips and information on visas, public holidays and tour operators.