Category — China

If you are lucky enough to get the chance to visit Guangzhou China, you will find a tourist-friendly city with plenty of amenities to make visitors comfortable, some interesting historical sites, but more than anything a front row seat to the incredible economic growth in China is experiencing In the early years of the 21st century.

On a recent visit to Guangzhou my wife and I found a wonderful Guangzhou cheap hotel on Shamian Island, a quiet place on the shore of the Pearl River that was used long ago by the British and French for their trading. Shamian island makes a relatively quiet base for exploring the city and I would recommend it.

When it comes to eating in Guangzhou, visitors are in for a real treat. If you enjoy dim sum, you’ll find yourself in the dim sum capital of China, with some restaurants offering literally hundreds of dim sum choices. Wonton noodles, Cantonese porridge and steamed vermicelli noodles are a few of the other local foods that you really should try.

As you might expect, Guangzhou is a bit of a shopper’s paradise. You can certainly find old-style street markets selling trinkets of every kind, but I was astounded at the size and variety of new shopping malls such as Teem Plaza, that have gone up in the city, rivaling anything I’ve seen in the Western world. Another real treat is Shangxia Jiu Lu Pedestrian Street, a whole area that’s been closed off to traffic and which feels like an outdoor shopping mall. It’s a great place to window shop and people watch as well.

If you want to take a look at the vibrant new China, you could do a lot worse than paying a visit to Guangzhou. It’s just a few hours by train or bus from Hong Kong or Macau, and even a short visit will give you a great view of economic powerhouse that China is becoming.