At a Glance - Guangzhou
SCHOOLS Most international schools in Guangzhou follow the International Baccalaureate programme. All but three schools use English as the medium of instruction; two teach classes in Japanese, while the other is French medium. The American International School of Guangzhou is the oldest and largest international school in the city.
TRANSPORT Guangzhou has a modern metro and clean buses, but they can be crowded during rush hour. Taxis are plentiful and cheap, but many drivers are from out of town so don't be surprised if they can't speak the local dialect. If you don't speak Putonghua, you might want to have directions written down in Chinese. It's a good idea to identify your destination by prominent buildings rather than street numbers.
MEDICAL The city has more than 30 hospitals and several clinics have doctors and dentists catering to non-Chinese. The Guangzhou United Family Clinic, the EuAm International Medical Centre and the Chang Jiang International Medical Centre have multilingual doctors. The International Dental Services and Global Doctor Guangzhou Clinic have English-speaking dentists.
GETAWAY Some fine resorts are located in the hills of nearby Dongguan, while there are hot springs at Jiangmen and Taishan. Golfing at Mission Hills is about an hour's drive away, while Hong Kong and Macau can be reached within a couple of hours. Guangzhou has an international airport, putting Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan within two to three hours.
SHOPPING There are street markets all over town, with some specialising in antiques, Chinese medicine, jade, tea, birds or flowers. Some products are of dubious value. The Liwan district is full of shopping streets, and genuine bargains can be found, while Shangxiajiu boasts restored shophouses run by chain outlets and family businesses.
FOOD & BEVERAGE Guangzhou is home to Cantonese cuisine, generally rated as China's pre-eminent regional cooking style. For modern Cantonese cuisine, there is Lai Heen at the Ritz-Carlton and Summer Palace at the Shangri-La. For international fare, you'll find more than the usual run of American, Korean, Japanese and Italian eateries. Restaurants catering to the many traders from Africa, Russia and the Middle East can also be found.