Top 15 Things to Do in Guangzhou 2023/2024

Canton Tower as the tallest building in Guangzhou with the height of 600 meters and the landmark of this city is surely your must-go place. Apart from admire its “Slim Waist” outlook from the land, it is more suggested to take the superfast elevator up to the observation deck in the air. From the world highest “Outdoor Observation Deck” at 488 meters, panorama of Guangzhou City is easily caught, including IFC Tower and other skyscrapers in Zhujiang New Town, Flower City Plaza, the central axis of urban planning, Pearl River, etc. Many people go there in the late afternoon to appreciate the city’s full view in clear, and then with the lights and neon lit on gradually, the shining night view is the main course for your visual feast! After getting down to the foot of Canton Tower, you can even enjoy the amazing changing light show of this appealing tower.

Besides, visitors also can enrich your experience at Canton Tower to have fun with other exciting amusement, such as sky drop between 450m-484m, Bubble Tram at 460m, world longest spiral staircase - spider walk between 168m-344.8m, etc.

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>> 3 Days Guangzhou Short Stay Tour with All Highlights

It may be failed to visit Guangzhou if you go there without a visit to Chen Clan Ancestral Hall! Housing and preserving the outstanding seven wonders, which are wood carving, stone carving, brick carving, pottery figures, stucco relief, iron and copper casting and colored drawing, this old house composition is a heaven for Guangdong architectural arts. Once you step in front of the entrance, its colorful carvings and sculptures of vivid figures and articles on the roofs will draw your attention very tight and well. Walking in there, you will see more delicate patterns and decorations of typical Lingnan elements arranged in the tranquil traditional compound. Follow the materials of words, pictures and relics to know its history from an ancestral hall to an academy and figure out why it is so popular among world visitors to Guangzhou!

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Recommended Tour to Enjoy Chen Clan Ancestral Hall:
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Making a trip to Guangzhou, there is no reason not to try its food since this is a great place for gourmets. The best recommendation is absolutely the Yum Cha “Cantonese morning tea”, as hundreds of and even over one thousand kinds of “Dim Sum” of different delicious flavors and feelings are offered in any one local morning tea restaurant to give you a big feast for tongue and eyes. The fresh and transparent Shrimp Dumplings are not to be missed. Furthermore, you are also highly recommended to discover more delicious Cantonese Cuisines and street snacks during your free time in Guangzhou, including Char Siu, desserts, seafood, porridge, old fire soups, etc.

Learn More about Cantonese Food | >> Top 10 Best Restaurants in Guangzhou

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Shamian Island in Liwan is a nice place to seek the opposite appearance of Guangzhou. Keeping more than 150 buildings of strong European features left from the colonial period during the 19th Century, Shamian is reputed highly as a “Museum of World Architectures”. There you can not only see buildings of Baroque, pseuso-Gothic, neo classic styles, etc., but also find a lot of precious historical relics such as the previous site of Britain Consulate, Soviet Consulate, HSBC, Guangdong Museum of Foreign Affairs, the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, etc. Taking a leisure stroll between the typical exotic buildings, it seems being in a European country.

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To get a lot of fun and laughter with your kids and family member, Chimelong Tourist Resort is surely your must-visit site in Guangzhou. Chimelong Safari Park with over 500 species of animals from different countries and regions, including the chubby giant pandas, cute koalas, etc., is really good to stimulate your innocent smiles and create interesting moments for memorable photography. More than that, you will have wonderful time with the international class performance and acrobatic shows at Chimelong International Circus, screaming amusement activities in Chimelong Paradise, Water Park…

Recommended Tour to Enjoy Chimelong Resort Guangzhou:
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Pearl River traveling through Guangzhou downtown is the mother river of this city. Taking a night cruise Pearl River is very popular for many tourists to see this city in a different angle and different time. Starting from Shamian Island, you can travel from the old Guangzhou during colonial years with various foreign buildings, vibrant streets of bars and pubs, to meet the new area of lots of high risings in Tianhe District, including Canton Tower, Zhujiang New Town, etc. You will successfully see this southern Chinese girl change into a charming lively lady with dazzling costume of lights.

Learn More about All Top 6 Things to Do in Guangzhou at Night >>

Yuexiu Park as the very old site of Guangzhou City preserves a lot of precious historical materials and feelings of this city. More importantly, boasting the “Five Rams Statue” which is the symbol of Guangzhou and explaining perfectly of why people call it “City of Rams”, Yuexiu Park is quite suggested to pay a visit to appreciate more culture and historical remaining. As many people play Tai Chi, dance, practical Cantonese Opera there in Yuexiu Park, it is a great place to get close to life of local citizens.

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Recommended Tour to Enjoy Yuexiu Park:
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The Museum of Mausoleum of Nanyue King is one of the most important archeological discoveries in the 1980s in China. Displaying more than 10,000 pieces precious cultural and historical relics, including the unbelievable “The Jade Burial Suit with Silk Thread”, rich types of pillows in old styles, and the royal mausoleum of Zhao Mo, the second king of Nanyue Kingdom 2,000 years ago, this museum is the best place to explore the old history of Guangzhou, the evidence of Guangzhou once being a capital city in China, and know the change of politics, economies and culture of the whole Lingnan area in southern China.

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Temple of Six Banyan Trees, historical as about 1,500 years, is one of the 5 great Buddhist temples in Guangzhou. Many cherished historical relics are preserved well there including the symbolic standing out Flower Pagoda of 57.6 meters, precious Sarira, old temple structures, etc., just for your good knowledge of the long history of this temple. furthermore, enormous amount of Buddhist believers visit here to express their sincere hope of better life and health, so you can see the particular scene of incense and red candles burned nearly nonstop in rich Buddhist atmosphere. Besides, the nearby Guangxiao Temple as the oldest temple in Lingnan area is also recommended to visit its Iron Pagoda of over 1,000 years.

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Wandering along the city’s most prosperous pedestrian street is the best way to feel the prosperity and people’s passion and lifestyle there. Beijing Road of 2,000 years old is in the center of Yuexiu District. As the nationally famous and vibrant pedestrian shopping street, it is really popular among tourists to do nice shopping along with various shops and stores lining on both sides. Apart from that, Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street in central Liwan is also favored for locals with countless budget buying options. No matter you want to take something there, take a leisure walk along the historical streets lined with featured Arcade buildings is so special to seek the past look of Guangzhou in 19th century. And rich kinds of local food are handy to get more joy!

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Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall near Yuexiu Park is constructed by local Guangzhou people and overseas Chinese to commemorate that great Father of the nation of China. A large quantity of materials, real historical relics and cultural records give detailed introduction of Mr. Sun and his devotion to make China rise up. Besides, the inner design of non-pillar of the hall, combination decoration of Chinese and Western styles and the magnificent appearance of octagon in blue and red, statue of Mr. Sun, etc. are must to admire for most visitors there!

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Favored by lots of foreign tourists there, Qingping Market in Liwan is a nice place to have a walk and see the authentic life of Guangzhou people who put much emphasis on keeping in good health. Unnumbered sorts of traditional Chinese herbs, dried seafood, preserved food materials including tens of kinds of mushrooms, and so on are offered in the open-fronted shops along the worn out roads. Aroma of the Chinese medicine products, the busy sellers and hardworking removers offers the best pleasant moment to feel the simple but passionate hope of life of people in Guangzhou.

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As one of the must visit attractions in Guangzhou for visitors home and aboard, Shishi Sacred Heart Cathedral is also a top nice recommendation for you! Built for 25 years since 1863 AD by Chinese with the design of French architects, this cathedral is the most magnificent and characteristic Christianity church in Guangzhou and also one of the only 4 Gothic churches of full stone structure in the whole world (the other three are Notre Dame de Paris, Westminster Abbey in London and Cologne Cathedral in Germany). Besides admiring the beautiful typical Western facade, you will surprisingly find some traditional Chinese elements like Chinese lions at the water outlets, sticky rice and China wood oil instead of concrete at the whole church, and Cantonese styled wood carvings.

Held twice every year in spring and autumn, Canton Fair is a superb world class trading fair to see enormous number and kinds of products, and that is why there are always a large amount of people participate in this grand fair every year. Arranged into 3 phases during 20 days, Canton Fair gives outstanding exhibition of tens of thousands of things from wearing, eating, living, traveling, to entertainment, etc. to please your curiosity and vision. Traveling in Guangzhou, you are surely not to miss this wonderful event.

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Guangzhou houses multiple museums of different types to let you get more culture and joy of this region in slower pace. Guangdong Museum in Zhujiang New Town is a national first class museum and collects more than 166 thousand pieces of exhibitions of historical development, traditional and modern culture, valuable folk arts and skills, and natural resources and creatures in Guangdong Province. Guangdong Museum of Art on Ersha Island offers proud collections of paintings, sculptures and ceramic crafts of coastal art in modern time of China and modern Guangdong area.