The weather from May to September is hot and humid, and it rains almost every day with occasional typhoons visiting the city. If this is not to your liking, then visit during the other half of the year, when the weather is nice and the temperatures more bearable. Autumn is said to be the best time to visit the city because the gardens in the parks are all in bloom with clear skies and cool temperatures. The peak season for travel to the city is during summer, so autumn and winter will be your best bet.

If you can, travel during the week when everyone else is at work or school and the parks and other tourist attractions will have more room for your leisurely walk. Also you need to check whether the spots you will be visiting are open during holidays.

The Canton Fair which happens twice a year during spring (April) and autumn (October) is a major event for the city. Unless you are going to the Fair, you should avoid travelling to Guangzhou because the city gets crowded and hotel rooms become more expensive.

Just like the Fair, if you really need to travel to Guangzhou during peak season and holidays, bear in mind that you need to book your accommodations well in advance and realize that a lot of places in the city get crowded, making you wait longer to do many things.

The reliable broad communication facilities in Guangzhou that reaches the entire Pearl River Delta form a convenient communication network extending in all directions. Once you arrive in the city, you will not have much problems communicating with your colleagues and loved ones back home. The only setback, though, is the capacity of everyone outside of your hotel room to converse well in English.

Despite being a tourist and business city, Guangzhou does not make it easy for travellers to speak English as most signs are only in Cantonese. When you step inside a ‘wang ba’ or cybercafé the operating system of a computer and the login procedures are all in the local language, and you will need the assistance of the operator first before you get to access your emails or browse the Internet, not to mention presenting your passport first before you are allowed access.

Good thing most hotels offer free Internet service. You just need to hook up your laptop using an ethernet cable supplied at most hotels and you are good to go. Most coffee shops offer free wireless and ethernet access. Ask the cafe attendant about the configuration and a cable and you will be all fired up.

The setback in this excellent Internet service in Guangzhou, and the rest of China, is its cyber censorship, or what is referred to by many as the “Great Firewall of China”. When accessing foreign websites you will notice some latency, but when browsing local sites the speed will be blazing fast. The reason for this is the government use of proxies to screen websites first before they can be browsed by the local population. From time to time, major websites such as Yahoo, Google, Facebook and Twitter are blocked because the censors see inappropriate content that they consider as immoral or a threat to Chinese government and identity. To start with, these websites are actually not the only biggest players in China, as there are some that are even bigger such as Baidu, Sina, and Alibaba.

If you want to place calls abroad and want to avoid too much roaming charges, calls from Guangzhou are actually cheap and call cards are widely available, from luxury hotels to 7-11s. China Mobile’s Easyown offers cards in the 10, 20 and 50 CNY denominations. Calls within the city cost 0.29CNY per minute during off-peak hours (12AM-11AM) while peak hours (11AM-12AM) cost 0.49CNY per minute. Calls within Guangdong province and the rest of China cost 0.49CNY per minute. Calls abroad range from 0.39CNY to 2.99CNY per minute.

Most hotels provide postal services, but if you need to send a parcel or package, you need to head straight to the local post office especially if you wish to send items that need customs control, like antiques or cultural relics. Guangdong Post office can help you with your mailing needs.

Cable TV is available in most hotels and GZTV (Guangzhou Television) offers English language broadcasts with cultural and entertainment shows. English channels from Hong Kong, Pearl TV and ATV, are available in many hotels, with programs from America and the UK.

Available at newsstands throughout the city are two English language newspapers, Global Times and China Daily.  South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong daily, can be bought here as well. Several other foreign periodicals are on hand in many newsstands and bookstores all over Guangzhou.

How to call Guangzhou:

-       Dial 86 (China’s country code), then 20 (Guangzhou’s area code), then the phone number. Phone numbers are just like in Hong Kong with eight digits.

How to call from Guangzhou:

-       You need to dial the entire number when phoning domestically; meaning ‘0’ is always added before the area code and phone number. If you are calling your home country, dial ‘00’, area code and phone number.

Situated at the south-central section of the southern province of Guangdong, Guangzhou forms part of the megacity around the Pearl River Delta, the world’s second largest. Hong Kong is 125 kilometers to the southeast while Macau lies 120 kilometers to the southwest. The city’s total area is about 7,400 square kilometers, with its 10 districts taking up more than half of the total area. Baiyun Mountains, 15 kilometers north of downtown Guangzhou is considered by the locals as the “lung of the city”, and true enough it absorbs the city’s carbon emissions a great deal.

To the immediate south of the Tropic of Cancer, 23° 7′ N latitude and 113° 15′ E longitude, Guangzhou is located in a subtropical monsoon climate zone. There is no stark difference in the climate whole year round, and the temperature is generally uniform, thus it is difficult to differentiate the four seasons. Winters are warm with mean temperatures between 14°C-20°C (57°F-68°F), January being the coolest when temperatures could go as low as 5° C (41°F); while summers are hot and humid with average temperatures between 22°C-29°C (72°F-84°F), July being the hottest when the mercury could shoot up to 39°C (102°F).

Guangzhou has a long summer spanning from May until September, interspersed with rainy days brought by the monsoon. At this period storms and typhoons occasionally visit the city so you better bring an umbrella with you. Trousers and shirts are okay, and you may also pack your coat. Just bear in mind that although it rains, the mercury is still up, so do not bring thick coats with you.

Autumn and winter are the perfect time to visit the city, as the hot and humid conditions have eased out, and the rains have disappeared. This is a period great for walking around and shopping, and while the rest of China up north is chilling below freezing point, you can have a nice stroll in the gardens at the peripheries of Guangzhou. If you are a flower lover, then this part of the year will be perfect as the whole city is blanketed with flowers, especially when the kapok, Guangzhou’s official flower, comes in full bloom with its red blossoms.

Guangzhou Climate Facts:

If you are attending the Canton Fair, you need to book a room well in advance because accommodations are likely to be overbooked and pricey during the Fair. There are various hotels in the immediate vicinity of the complex which is situated at 380 Yuejiang Zhong Road, but you may also stay at other hotels in nearby districts.

Three star to luxury accommodations are available throughout the city with prices ranging from 400CNY (US$62.50) to 7,300CNY (US$1,141) per night. More than 500 hotels are scattered all over Guangzhou. Of this number, 57 hotels are in the area around the exhibition hall so you would not be left without choices, just rooms perhaps when you book too late.

The best hotels to stay while at the Canton Fair would be Shangri-La Hotel Guangzhou (+86 20 8917 8088).  The complex is just a stone’s throw away from the hotel, a leisurely 10-minute stroll from Shangri-La. The Westin Pazhou (+86 20 8918 1818) is also located nearby and another Westin hotel, The Westin Guangzhou (+86 20 2886 6868) is across the river. The classy Ritz-Carlton Guangzhou (+86 20 3813 6688) is also across the river from the complex. Other hotels in the vicinity are Nanzhou Hotel (+86 20 8401 0328), Grand Royal Hotel (+86 20 8396 6333), Raystar Hotel (+86 20 3860 1999) and Casa Riva Hotel (+86 20 3336 3233).

Your hotel will most certainly provide you a ride to the fair complex, but in case you try to venture on your own, the taxi will be your best transportation option. The flag down rate for taxis is 7CNY (US$1.20) and an additional 2.2 or 2.6CNY (US$0.37-0.44) per kilometer. If taking the metro, the city’s MRT Line 8 has a station at the complex, the Pazhou or Xingangdong station. You may use the Yang Cheng Tong card, a top up card for transactions for the MRT, bus, taxi, parking, supermarkets and convenience stores. The card has a 30CNY (US$4.69) deposit with a 500CNY (US$78) maximum value.

You can see all hotels in Guangzhou on our page about Canton fair hotels and to get up to 75% discount, use the searchbox in the upper right corner.

The fair is held twice each year, in spring (April) and autumn (October) and is a major event in the city, attracting businessmen and tourists from all over the world. The local government of Guangdong and the Ministry of Commerce organize the fair which moved in 2008 to the new gleaming Pazhou Exhibition Hall at 380 Yuejiang Zhong Road. The complex is the largest exhibition center in Asia which covers a total area of 1.1 million square meters, with 338,000 square meters of indoor area and 43,600 square meters outdoor area.

The 110th Canton Fair in October 2011, just like the previously held fairs, has three phases spanning over a period of three weeks. Phase I will be held on October 15-19 showcasing electronic items from household appliances machineries. Phase II which will be held on October 23-27 will cover consumer good and home decorations. Lastly, Phase III offers products such as clothes, shoes, office supplies and even food and medicines. This phase will be held on October 31-November 4. Doors to the exhibition hall open from 9:30AM to 6:00PM.

There are several ways to apply for entry to the fair, from a Chinese foreign trade corporation to the China Foreign Trade Center. You will need an invitation from these organizations to present to the Chinese Embassy at home when applying for a visa. Registration can be done at the complex itself or at your hotel. If you already have the pre-apply buyer entry badge (IC Card), you may enter the Fair Complex directly. For more information about the procedure, browse this flyer from the official website of the China Import and Export Fair. Other websites that offer comprehensive information and packages about the Canton Fair are CantonFair.net, HRC Canton Fair, and Canton Fair Organization. Here can you find Canton fair hotels.

If you happen to require medical care while visiting the city and are looking for English-speaking staff to better understand your needs, the following facilities are recommended:

• Clifford Hospital (Clifford Estates, Qi Fu Xin Tun, Shiguang Road, +86 20 8451 8222/8333)
• Guangzhou Can-Am International Medical Center (5/F Garden Tower, Garden Hotel
  368 Huanshi Dong Road, +86 20 8386 6988)
• Guangzhou United Family Clinic (1F Annex Building, PICC Buidling, 301 Guangzhou Ave Middle, +86 20 8710 6000)
• Global Doctor Clinic Guangzhou (2F Guangdong Provincial Hospital of TCM, Da Tong Lu, Er Sha Island, +86 20 3890 6899)
• Modern Hospital Guangzhou (No.42 Lianquan Road, Tianhe District, +86 150 9999 9386)

Tap water is not considered potable in the city, so you should opt to buy bottled water which is available everywhere and relatively cheap. Sanitation at many eateries and street hawkers may be questionable so you need to make a bit of research where to eat lest you end up scrambling for a capsule of Loperamide. As a rule, select busy restaurants with lots of patrons coming in and out, and eat freshly cooked food.

There are no particular vaccinations necessary when you land in Guangzhou, but you may be required to present papers of your yellow fever vaccination if you just came from a region where the disease is endemic. Certainly, what you need to have is a flu shot prior to your visit to the city, especially during the hot and rainy summer months. Remember that Guangzhou is the hotbed of SARS, bird flu (H5N1 virus) and A(H1N1) fever. Not to scare you, though, and the most recent outbreak of SARS was April 2004 while the bird flu was last reported in 2009. The city has certainly taken great strides in cleaning up especially towards the run up of the 2010 Asian Games. Just avoid crowded places especially markets selling live animals such as poultry and civet cats. These animals are said to be the transmitters of the disease to humans.

Spitting has been a problem in Guangzhou, and even the whole of China, and the city has taken extreme measures to stop people from this practice. A code of civilized etiquette was introduced to prohibit people from spitting. If homeowners of government subsidized apartments are caught frequently spitting, tossing cigarette and dumping trash in the hallways, the local housing authority will evict them from their apartments. A scoring system took effect where each flat was given 20 points, and one point is deducted every time a resident is caught with an offense. On an internet poll, majority of the respondents agreed with the system and surprisingly, or not surprisingly, almost 50% did not accept spitting to be an offense.

With the economic revolution in China come more opportunities for social liberties that also lead to a sexual revolution of sorts. There are now approximately 500,000 to 1.5 million of HIV cases in China, and Guangzhou being a city of 12 million people certainly has its fair share of the scourge. Prostitution and intravenous drug use are two main causes of the spread.

As always practice caution and common sense when in a foreign land. Don’t forget your small bag that contains all your travel medical essentials such as over the counter drugs for minor ailments like headaches and stomach problems. Medicines and syringes for your ailments need to have your doctor’s prescription note. Medical insurance will be your best friend when the time comes that you need medical care. Make sure that it covers your trip to Guangzhou.

Guangzhou has China’s highest crime rate. In the run up to the 2010 Asian Games, the city made great strides in getting rid of bad elements by doing regular patrols on streets and train and bus stations, arranging neighborhood covert units, and installing additional CCTV cameras all throughout town. Guangzhou officials also banned motorbikes in the city to thwart bike-riding snatchers, but it has appeared that they moved to the buses and trains. There has been a downside trend in crime but petty crimes such as snatchings, burglaries and muggings are still commonplace in Guangzhou. Reported crime rates have decreased from a maximum of 140,000 annually a decade ago in 2000. Despite the efforts exerted by the city government, total crime in the city still reached 50,000 in 2008.

Don’t allow these details to make you shiver and cancel your trip to the city.  Guangzhou is comparatively safe but comes with all the normal cautions with regards to petty criminals. As always be careful of your bags and valuables when in a railway station. Take good care of your bags, purses and cameras anytime you are outside. Some thieves mingle in a crowded platform or bus station and slash with a blade the bags of unsuspecting victims. Avoid venturing out in backstreets especially at night. Take the cab, and never take a motorbike.

Numerous flats are gated and with roving guards, and many apartments have window bars. Burglary is still common, and electronic surveillance devices are still not prevalent. Install a few necessary security equipments if you will be staying at a flat for a lengthy period of time.

You also need to exercise caution even while staying at four-star accommodations. These establishments while equipped with CCTVs and guards still have occasional problems of their own. There have been reports of inside jobs, so you better deposit your valuables at the hotel’s deposit box.

Crime incidence should not be blamed on the poor rural migrants, as gangs who have nothing better to do operate in groups when doing their illicit operations. Crowded eateries are intermittently disrupted by bored teens where fights break out. Domestic violence is said to be common as well.

Traffic accidents, especially those involving motorbikes, are substantially higher than other countries. Observe extra caution when crossing the street, as cars generally do not yield to pedestrians, and drivers expect pedestrians to give way all the time.

Despite all these security issues, Guangzhou is said to be no different than any other major Western city. You just need to exercise common sense to enjoy your stay.

As China’s third largest city and with a population of close to 12 million people, you would not be hard pressed to locate a nice shopping place in Guangzhou. Its strategic position to Hong Kong and Macau, has contributed to a nice mix of shopping possibilities. In addition the biannual Canton Fair contributes to the frenzied commercial atmosphere in the city.

If Singapore has Orchard Road and Hong Kong has Nathan Road, Guangzhou has its own version of a shopping mecca. Shangxia Jiu Lu Pedestrian Street at the Liwan District of Xiguan will awaken the shopper even among the jaded travellers (there are jade shops around here, mind you). With more than 200 shops lining the whole stretch of road, various stores that suit your taste and wallet size are located here. The street becomes a nice pedestrian lane each night and the whole afternoon and evening on weekends and holidays. Make it a point to check out the area even if you do not plan to buy any stuff, because just strolling up and down this street will give you the energy that typifies the flurry of economic activity in the city.

Then there’s Beijing Lu Pedestrian Street more than two kilometers to the northeast. This is also a major shopping thoroughfare in Guangzhou where the young congregate and love to shop. This area is both traditional and trendy, but lots of peddlers selling pirated goods litter the place. Tee Mall at 208 Tianhe Lu Street is probably the most bustling and most popular shopping destination for locals.

If trendy is what you are looking for make your way to Lihua Street where the Palace Mall is located. Here you will find high-end stores such as Burberry, Hugo Boss, Salvatorre Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and a lot more up-market shops. Wang Fu Jing department store in Beijing opened another branch in Guangzhou (40 Long Lin Xia Lu Street). This store also showcases high-end merchandize apart from many mid-end products all over.

For some novelty shopping, head to Shuiyin Road, more popularly known as Costume Street because of the 30 or so stores that exclusively sell costumes. You will snatch great deals with some off-season costumes, 20 CNY (US$3) for simple costumes and 100 CNY (US$16). Just avoid purchasing costumes around Christmas and various Chinese holidays, especially Chinese New Year.

The nice garden park of Shamian Island offers local handicrafts at the night markets that operate from sun down well into midnight. Onelink Plaza (39 Jie Fang Nan Lu Street) is the mall for wholesalers. So if you find satisfaction ordering in bulk, don’t forget to haggle when buying jewelry, jade, crafts, sporting products, toys, and your souvenirs. If money is an issue or you just need a few items, it’s okay; you can still buy some. After all, this is a wholesale area and everything is cheaper.

As a major Chinese city, Guangzhou has huge seafood markets, and a big part of these markets has dried seafood. Various dried fish, squid and abalone are offered here, not to mention questionable items such as shark’s fin and seahorse. Qingping Market, on the other hand, is an interesting place to visit with its rows of shops trading a wide variety of Chinese medicines, food and even animals. Although this is the site for genuine Chinese goods, many shops here sell items that were derived from dubious procedures that affect the wildlife and environment is some parts of the world.

The currency used in Guangzhou, just like the rest of China, is the yuan. The actual currency used, though, is the renminbi. As of August 2011, 1 US dollar is equivalent to 6.40 CNY, 1 British pound is 10.57 CNY and 1 euro will give you 9.23 CNY. Credit cards are accepted in major stores, and ATMs are scattered in tourist spots and shopping malls. Bank of China has more than 100 ATMs all throughout Guangzhou.

Cantonese cuisine (Yuecai) is what defines food in Guangzhou, one of eight divisions of Chinese cuisine. It is characterized by its rich fragrance, color, presentation and taste. Seasonings are used sparingly, and compared with other Chinese dishes, Cantonese food use less thick spicy dressings so the original taste of the food stands out. Fresh herbs are used sparingly, and the manner of cooking mainly involves stir frying and steaming.

There is an adage in Guangdong that states “Except the plane and the stool, Guangzhou people eat everything in the sky and on the earth.” From this famous saying you will have a clear idea about what to eat once you reach Guangzhou—an adventure in gastronomy awaits. As the epicenter of all Cantonese food all over the world, you will find authentic Cantonese food in the city.

Guangzhou is reputed to host the most number of restaurants and tea houses in all of China, with some estimates saying the city has more than 10,000 restaurants. They serve roast suckling pig (Kao Ru Zhu), taiye chicken (Taiye Ji), and crystal chicken (a yellow and bright color dish, with tender meat, delicious juice and excellent smells). If you are on a gastronomic adventure, stewed wild dog meat and dragon fighting against the tiger (Long Hu Dou, which is stewed snake and wild cat) will surely awaken your palate. Other well known dishes around are jidi zhou, chang fen, yuntun mian, shuang pi nai, and guiling gao.

If you want the huge crowds while having dinner, head to Da Tong Jiujia (63 Yanjiang Lu +86 20 8188 5933). Housed in an old building, this is a huge eatery that spans all eight floors. The restaurant has been operating for a long time and has a lot of local patrons.

For a sumptuous meal of wenchang chicken, shrimp dumpling, durian crisp cake, and boiled chicken, make your way to Guangzhou Jiujia (2 Wenchang Road, +86 20 8188 8388). This place is a family-owned restaurant and has several branches all over the city.

Standard Cantonese cuisine using fresh ingredients is what Four Seasons Restaurant (122 Liuhua Road, +86 20 8666 6888) offers. This place is famous for its roasted suckling pig and the veritable Peking duck. If you want to take a peek at the kitchens of old Canton, then Food Street Restaurant (122 Liuhua Rd +86 20 6258 2582) Try their famous fisherman’s congee, dim sum, wonton noodles and other servings of regional and local cuisine.

For a garden-style restaurant, head to Pan Xi Jiujia (151 Longjin Road, +86 20 8181 5718). This eatery offers a lot of dim sum types, all 1,000 of them. With its more than 12,000 square meters of property situated on the banks of Li Wan Lake and with an imperial garden nearby, this restaurant offers a polished and stylish dining experience which earned it the highest rank of all garden restaurants in all of Guangzhou.

Another garden restaurant is Nan Yuan Jiujia (142 Qianjin Road, +86 20 8444 9211). Sample their bean paste chicken, bamboo cream chicken, brined vegetable pork steak soup, stewed wild goose, sliced beef, and the curious Buddha jumping over the wall (a type of shark fin soup). Take the last dish with caution as it is said to be the cause of the depletion of shark population.

Try the famous Cantonese pastries well known for their wide range of varieties, delicate flavours and different hues. Nanxin Milk Store on Xia Jiu Lu specializes on shuang pi nai or double-skin milk. This is a desert that has milk simmered first with a frozen cover from a combination of milk and egg white. It is white and semisolid with a sweet taste and soft texture. Chang fen or steamed vermicelli roll is a popular snack among locals. It is served in every nightmarkets and tea houses.

Tea drinking is really huge in Guangzhou. Especially at mornings, tea houses fill up with patrons even before 11AM. You may sample herbal tea, in particular order wang laoji herbal tea to help you cleanse your body from all the toxins you get while travelling. If you are into tea ceremony, have a sip of gongfu cha, because this tea requires ample attention in the preparation—from the teapot, to the tea leaves, to the quality of water and the procedure, and even the pouring and drinking of the tea.

If you’d rather consign yourself to the conventions of western cuisine, Guangzhou is a huge city and there’s still plenty of spots to make you feel at home. Pizzerias, Western cuisine, Southeast Asian, Japanese and even African and Islamic food abound in the city, not to mention your usual guilty pleasures from fastfood chains. Familiar convenience stores such as 7-11 and supermarkets such as Carrefour and well-known Chinese and Hong Kong chains are scattered all around the city.

The earliest name of Guangzhou was ‘Chu Ting’ which was derived from the 33rd year of Emperor Qin Shihuang’s rule. When the emperor unified Lingnan (the term that referred to the province and culture of Guangdong) and set up the Nanhai Eparchy in 214 BC, he based the administrative capital in Panyu, and in effect, Guangzhou was called Panyu during that period. In 226 AD, Sun Quan in his efforts to reinforce his rule transferred the administrative capital from Guangxin to Panyu. The name of the city took “Guang” from Guangxin, and soon enough, the name Guangzhou appeared and continued to be the name of the city until 1921.

Even before the arrival in 1514 of the Portuguese, the first Europeans to set foot in Guangzhou by sea, the city had already been maintaining ties with its neighbors, from as far west as Persia. With its strategic location along the Pearl River Delta, Guangzhou had trade ties with India, Persian Gulf, East Asia and Southeast Asia. There were quarters in the city where foreigners live, and by the 12th century there was even a sizable number of foreigners who lived in the city, many of them Persian women.

By 1517 the Portuguese founded a monopoly on trade along Pearl River and they were expelled and pushed back to Macau where they flourished starting in 1557. The quarters they left were called Cantão, a romanized term for Guangdong, and this started Canton, the Western name for Guangzhou.

The Spanish from the Philippines and Muslims from India were actively trading with the city and by the 1700s, the French and the English arrived through the Canton System, a system by China to control trade with the West in its favor. East India companies from Britain, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, the United States and Australia began trading with the city during that time, and by the mid-1700s and through the 1800s Guangzhou was touted as one of the top three cities in the world. Its chief products back then were porcelain, silk and tea.

One of the most prominent and controversial products coming from abroad was opium, which was produced by British East India Company and brought in by British and US traders from India. This substance was banned in China in the 1700s, but British traders managed to export opium to China in a complicated trading scheme that involved depending on legal markets, and to some extent smuggling them hidden on British ships and peddled into the mainland by local traders. The illicit component of the trade was its reaction to the imbalanced trade with China and the growing number of opium users in the country.

Realizing the harm that opium has brought to the Chinese, the Qing Empire again banned the opium trade in 1799, and ordered the seizure and destruction of all stock. The British retaliated, the Opium Wars ensued, and the Chinese lost that led to the Treaty of Nanjing. This led to the annexation of Hong Kong and opened up China and Guangzhou further, and the city essentially became the hotbed of Chinese politics and revolution. The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty in China and soon the Chinese Revolution led to the foundation of the Republic of China in 1911.

After the Japanese occupation, the Communist leadership under Deng Xiao Ping instituted economic reforms in the late 1970s that opened up Guangzhou once again to outside trade. Soon, the banks of the Pearl River saw the construction of numerous factories that attracted foreign businesses even more. With the ever-increasing cost of doing business in Hong Kong, Guangzhou offered a more cost-efficient alternative, and its nickname as the “Maritime Silk Road” was strengthened even more.