Guangzhou

Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province in southern China and has a population of over 10 million, making it China's third largest city. It is adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau. In the era of tea clippers, Guangzhou was known in the West as "Canton". The food and the language of the area are still known as "Cantonese".

The rapidly developing city of southern China has new financial districts, vibrant culture, and foreign business friendly environments. The city is famous for foreign trades and businesses. It holds China's largest trade fair, the Canton Fair.  

Get in
By plane
The New Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is a major hub in Southern China, second only to Hong Kong. The airport is the base of China Southern Airlines and has not only an extensive range of domestic flights, but international connections  to Paris, Los Angeles, Bangkok, Singapore, Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Frankfurt, Tokyo and Osaka.


By train
Standard trains cover the 182 kilometers from Hong Kong in one and a half hours or less. 
It is faster and cheaper to take the high speed train (200 km/h) from Shenzhen to Guangzhou. Shenzhen is right across the border from Hong Kong and thousands of people walk over the bridge between the two every day.
A new express line connecting Guangzhou with Lhasa, Tibet is now open. The 4,980 km journey will take 58 hours. (¥869 and up)
Bear in mind there are two major train stations in Guangzhou. The Guangzhou East Station services routes to Hong Kong, and other popular tourist destinations. The Guangzhou Station is one of the biggest in the country and services routes that go all the way to Harbin. Metro line 1 ends at Guangzhou East Station, and line 2 has a stop at the main station.

By bus
Coach services are available to bring passengers from Hong Kong International Airport to several locations in Guangzhou. 
Domestically, it is possible to hop on a bus from any corner of Guangdong province and get to Guangzhou. There are also many options from nearby provinces like Guangxi, Hubei and Fujian. 

By boat
There is a frequent ferry and hovercraft service from Hong Kong, Macau, and Haikou (Hainan Island) at the Zhoutouzui Ferry Pier (洲头咀码头). There are boats from other mainland cities, such as Xiamen, Shanghai, and Qingdao at the Dashatou Pier (大沙头码头).


Get Around

Guangzhou has a fairly efficient and rapidly expanding public transportation system. If you intend to stay in Guangzhou for an extensive period of time, it is highly advisable to purchase a multi-purpose Yang Cheng Tong (羊城通) stored value card, similar to the Octopus Card in Hong Kong. It can be used not  only for public transportation (bus, subway, parking meters and some taxis), but also for public phones and designated shops, places of interests and certain vending machines. The card includes a ¥30 refundable deposit.

By subway
Guangzhou's metro system opened in 1999. The network covers much of the city center and is growing rapidly outward. The fare ranges from ¥2 to ¥12. 

By bus
There is also a comprehensive public bus service that covers Guangzhou from end to end. By far, it is the cheapest way to move around. Bus fares are ¥1 for the older buses and ¥2 for the air-conditioned ones. There are also 3 tourist bus lines, passing through many scenic spots in the city.

By taxi
This is the most popular way for foreigners to get around, and it is very affordable. The starting charge is ¥7 for the first 2.3 kilometers, or about 1.4 miles. After that is ¥2.6 for each kilometer. The cost may be slightly different, depending on the taxi operators. ¥1 fuel surcharge is now added. 

Language

The primary language of Guangzhou is Cantonese, although standard Mandarin, or Putonghua, is fast becoming the lingua franca due to the large influx of migrants. English is not common, but is still better understood here than other Chinese cities, especially in restaurants and bars. Be sure to check out the Cantonese phrasebook and Chinese phrasebook. 

Food

Renowned both inside and outside China, Cantonese cuisine draws upon a great diversity of ingredients, Guangzhou (Canton) being a great trading port since the days of the Thirteen Factories, bringing it many imported foods and ingredients. Besides pork, beef, chicken and seafood Cantonese cuisine incorporates almost all edible meats, including organ meats, chicken feet, duck and duck tongues, snakes, and snails. Many cooking methods are used, steaming, stir-frying, shallow frying, double boiling, braising, and deep-frying being the most common ones in Cantonese restaurants, due to their convenience and rapidity, and their ability to bring out the flavor of the freshest ingredients.