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GENERAL INFORMATION

Guangzhou, known in the West as Canton, is the capital city of the huge province of Guangdong. Guangdong and its residents are regarded with a mixture of suspicion and fascination by their northern counterparts. This intrigue is partly due to Guangdong's fame as a dirty, noisy and dangerous city. Although the area has a fairly buoyant economy, the crime rate here is high and there are multitudes of migrant workers from out of town who hang about Guangzhou on the look out for money. Guangdong people are also famously aggressive and noisy. Many visitors to the city however, find this kind of enthusiasm refreshing and passionate as opposed to threatening and it is this attitude which laid the foundations for the revolutionary beliefs that the city has harbored in the past. Indeed, the revolutionary sights are among the more interesting aspects of Guangdong and the Communist Party Academy is a fascinating insight into the foundations of the PRC's political party.

There is also a colonial side to Guangzhou that has a relaxed and laid back feeling to it. Many of the buildings and churches on Shamian Island are well maintained and rather pretty, especially compared to the high rises and granite buildings on the other side of the river.

Perhaps the best thing about Guangzhou however is eating. The Chinese saying "Born in Suzhou, eat in Guangzhou and die in Liuzhou" is a fitting way to describe the wealth of great food available here. (Apparently if you are born in Suzhou you have a beautiful mother, and if you die in Liuzhou you will be buried in the finest coffins!) Eating is certainly the main pleasure for the local residents here and there are literally hundreds of good restaurants serving up authentic Cantonese cuisine. The atmosphere in many of these places is great and not unlike the city itself- lively, friendly and very very noisy!

PLACES TO VISIT

Baiyun Mountain	Communist Party Military Academy	Five Immortals Temple
Huaisheng Mosque	Liuhua Lake Park	Lotus Mountain
Orchid Park	Original Xiguan Architecture	Sacred Heart Cathedral
Shamian Island	The Temple of Six Banyan Trees	Yuexiu Park

LOCAL CUISINES

Eating is everyone's favorite activity in Guangzhou. When it is time to eat here, the range and diversity of dishes will impress even the most expert Chinese food connoisseur.

Guangzhou dishes are among the most famous in China. This fame derives partly from the excellent resources and fertile land surrounding the area and partly from the scarcity of money in the city. Guangzhou is situated close to the sea and fresh sea food is readily available. The land here is also very fertile and a wide range of vegetables and fruits are grown. The European influence in the area can also be seen and fruit such as lychee and Portuguese oranges are commonly served up- an effect of the areas proximity to Macau. However, the fact that this is a traditionally poor area has also contributed to the growth of a great local cuisine. In times of need, resources were pooled and ingenuity ruled the kitchen! As such, the visitor to Guangzhou today can still find an incredible range of dishes that use ingredients in an unusual but inspired way.

The best Cantonese restaurants in town feature both traditional dim sum feasts- a selection of steamed delicacies- and bigger dishes. A good place to try exquisite dim sum is the Banxi Restaurant. Dim sum is best eaten with lots of friends! Traditionally the dishes are served in small baskets and in groups of four. If you come with other people you get to try a bit of everything! For those seeking a more formal atmosphere, the Guangzhou Restaurant prepare wonderful palatial style banquets. The Beiyuan Restaurant and the Dasanyuan Restaurant are also nice places to introduce yourself to Cantonese food. Most restaurants in Guangzhou are open from morning through till midnight and they tend to be very good fun, lively and noisy places!

Guangzhou also has a few good European style restaurants scattered about the town including Kathleen's. Most of these places are concentrated on Shamian Island. There are numerous cafes and bars here serving up adequate western style cuisine and the big hotels such as the White Swan also feature some nice international restaurants for those who need a break from Canton cuisine.

SHOPPING - LOCAL SPECIALITY

Guangdong Embroidery

Guangzhou Jade Carving

Wang Lao Ji Tea

TRANSPORTATION

Guangzhou boasts good domestic transportation links to most major Chinese cities and Hong Kong. There are also a few flights to International Asian and Australian destinations.

By plane:
The city's Baiyun airport is situated 12km from the center of town. There is an airport bus that travels between the CAAC office next to the train station and the airport and costs RMB3. A taxi from the airport to Guangzhou should cost between RMB30 and RMB40 but insist your driver uses the meter!
There are regular domestic flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, and Hong Kong. China Eastern and Air China both operate out of the airport and tickets to most destinations in China and some international ones can be booked through Ctrip. International flights are less convenient and tend to be very expensive compared to flights from Hong Kong. There are weekly or bi- weekly flights to Singapore, Malaysia, Osaka and Sydney from Guangzhou. The International Tax for flights is RMB90 and for domestic flights it is RMB15.

By train:
There are two train stations in Guangzhou; the old one in the center of town and a newer one to the east of the city. Make sure you check which station your train departs from! Trains leave from both stations for Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Kunming, Chengdu and Xian. Tickets can be bought from CITS near the station or inside the station itself- this however is not a good option as the station is usually very busy and it's not a nice place to hang about. Your best bet is to get tickets through a hotel- you'll have to pay for this service but it is a worthwhile luxury!

By bus:
There are two major bus stations in Guangzhou. The Provincial bus station which is next to the bus station serves Guilin, Macau and Hong Kong. There are also buses from the Garden Hotel, the White Swan Hotel and the LiuHua Hotel to Hong Kong. The Liuhua bus station, which is opposite the railway station serves most Guangdong destinations, Hainan, sleeper buses to Guilin and Shenzhen. Times and costs vary according to the type of transport used.

By boat:
There are regular ferry services to Hong Kong from Guangzhou. The port, Panyu is approximately a forty minute taxi drive from the center of town. Most boats to Hong Kong take approximately 2 hours and tickets can be bought at the pier. The trip costs HK$189 economy class and HK$284 first class. The boats leave at 9.30 am and 4.00 pm.

City transport:
There is a brand new efficient subway system here with convenient links to Shamian Island and the railway station. The names of the stations are in English so it is fairly easy to use. Tickets cost either RMB5 or RMB6. Taxis here are also numerous.

CLIMATE

Situated in the subtropical zone and on the Tropic of Cancer, Guangzhou enjoys a pleasant temperature most of the year round. After Kunming, this city ranks as the city with the minimum temperature differences. It is neither too hot in summer here, nor too cold in winter. However, there is abundant rainfall here, making the scenery very lush and green but also ensuring that visitors need an umbrella or a raincoat! Autumn is the best time of year to visit and this season can last from May until November when it is cool and comfortable .