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In search of a quick, easy weekend getaway? Our editor Adam White says that Guangzhou has exploded in the last five years from a boring morass into a seriously chilled-out city.
Admire the Old
A nexus of the opium and tea trades, and also of the Opium Wars, Shamian Island was Guangzhou's foreign concession. It's a beautiful, leafy island full of colonial architecture, and the occasional plaque describing how the Chinese finally kicked the westerners out. A wander under the trees will take you past surreal bronze statues and myriad couples posing for wedding photos. Afterwards, head north over the bridge to Qingping Market. The market's southern edge specializes in dried goods but beware: the farther you go, the closer you get to the live animals. Let’s just say they don’t stop at chickens.
Explore the New
The Tianhe district of Guangzhou has completely transformed of late. Buildings and hotels are flinging themselves upwards: visit the brand new Guangzhou Library (4 Zhujiang Dong Rd., Tianhe, (+86) 20-8383-6666, www.gzlib.gov.cn), whose huge atrium feels like a giant book steepled above your head. And this is no dusty archive: the building is full of readers. The extraordinary Guangdong Museum (2 Zhujiang Dong Rd., Tianhe, (+86) 20-3804-6886, www.gdmuseum.com, free admission) looks like a Borg cube, and it's home to a permanent history exhibition on the province. Across the way, there’s the Guangzhou Opera House (1 Zhujiang Si Rd., Tianhe, (+86) 20-3839-2888, www.gzdjy.org), architect Zaha Hadid's geometrically crazy but genuinely cool theater. It has great programs that sell out quickly, so scoop up seats ahead of time.
Admire the Old
A nexus of the opium and tea trades, and also of the Opium Wars, Shamian Island was Guangzhou's foreign concession. It's a beautiful, leafy island full of colonial architecture, and the occasional plaque describing how the Chinese finally kicked the westerners out. A wander under the trees will take you past surreal bronze statues and myriad couples posing for wedding photos. Afterwards, head north over the bridge to Qingping Market. The market's southern edge specializes in dried goods but beware: the farther you go, the closer you get to the live animals. Let’s just say they don’t stop at chickens.
Explore the New
The Tianhe district of Guangzhou has completely transformed of late. Buildings and hotels are flinging themselves upwards: visit the brand new Guangzhou Library (4 Zhujiang Dong Rd., Tianhe, (+86) 20-8383-6666, www.gzlib.gov.cn), whose huge atrium feels like a giant book steepled above your head. And this is no dusty archive: the building is full of readers. The extraordinary Guangdong Museum (2 Zhujiang Dong Rd., Tianhe, (+86) 20-3804-6886, www.gdmuseum.com, free admission) looks like a Borg cube, and it's home to a permanent history exhibition on the province. Across the way, there’s the Guangzhou Opera House (1 Zhujiang Si Rd., Tianhe, (+86) 20-3839-2888, www.gzdjy.org), architect Zaha Hadid's geometrically crazy but genuinely cool theater. It has great programs that sell out quickly, so scoop up seats ahead of time.
Get Arty
Snag a cab and check out Redtory, a former canning factory that has been transformed into an exceedingly hip artist community. It’s like the Cattle Depot in Hong Kong, but actually effective. Red brick buildings and abandoned machinery sit alongside sculptures, galleries, crafts stalls and restaurants. Go soon—the authorities might close it down when the lease runs out. 128 Yuancun Siheng Rd., Tianhe, Guangzhou, (+86) 20-8557-4417, www.redtory.com.cn.
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Eat Cantonese in Canton
Check out the classy Bing Sheng (various locations including 168 Tianhe Dong Rd., Tianhe, (+86) 020-8751-8682), which serves super-caramelized “black” char siu and gooey pineapple buns. They don’t speak English, so you’ll have to bust out your Chinese or your pointing finger (the menus are plentifully illustrated). Also: don’t go late unless you want to be greeted with “mei you”—“nope”—every time you ask for something tasty.
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