Footprints Recruiting

Guangzhou

China Information - Cities and Towns in China

Teaching English in Guangzhou, China

Guangzhou has become one of the major gateways to China, after Beijing and Shanghai. This fertile southern city is a showcase of modern China because of its economic contribution to the nation. Its history goes back 2,800 years when a rogue general founded the independent Nanyu Kingdom in Panyu.

Guangzhou is now a modern city in China, a political, economic, educational, cultural powerhouse as well as a scientific and technological center in Southern China.

Guangzhou is situated in the south of China a short train ride from Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The coldest it will get is in January or February when the mercury dips to 9C to 12C... Not very cold... The temperatures are actually quite hot. In June, July, August and September the daytime highs will be around 30C.

If it's too hot for you to sleep then you'll be pleased to know that there's lots for you to do. Guangzhou has been named the "no night city" with neon lights blazing in discos and karaoke bars keeping people entertained throughout the nights. Again, check with a hostel or hotel concierge to see what's hot and hopping.

Food in Guangzhou

Eating is everyone's favourite 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. 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.

Recommended Restaurants in Guangzhou

Banxi Restaurant
- The Banxi (Banxi jiujia) is a great restaurant with spectacular views over the nearby lake. This place has been here since 1947 and people are still filing through the doors today! From the outside, the restaurant looks fairly ordinary but inside the decor and especially the food are much more impressive. The famous house specialties here include Barbecued Pork with sesame and Crisp Fried Crab. This restaurant has an excellent selection of dim sum too. Top favorites include Stuffed Taro Root and Rainbow Prawns.
  Expect to pay: RMB 100-200 per person and upwards.
  Address: 151 Longlu Xi Road, Guangzhou
  Telephone: 020-81815718
Guangzhou Restaurant
- The Guangzhou Restaurant (Guangzhou jiujia) is not only the most famous and busiest in the area but also has a branch in Hong Kong and Los Angeles. There are three branches of this busy restaurant in Guangzhou and the one on Wengchangnan Road is the busiest and most historical, dating back to 1936. This is a classic and elegant restaurant serving up tasty and authentic Cantonese food. House specialties include Shrimp roe with orange, Casserole of Pork with chili and Abalone served with sprinkles of 24 carat gold! The deserts here are also great and those who have been in China for a long time will especially appreciate the sweeter things. Try the Cream Custard tart and Grated Coconut Cake. The restaurant also specializes in banquets.
  Expect to pay: RMB 100-200 per person and upwards.
  Address: 2 Wenchang Nan Road, Guangzhou
  Telephone: 020-81389840
Beiyuan Restaurant
- This palatial style restaurant is one of the best places to eat genuine Canton food in Guangzhou. This impressive restaurant is set amidst pretty gardens and although the restaurant is huge (they claim to seat up to 1300 people), the atmosphere is relatively calm and peaceful.
  The emphasis in the cooking is on tenderness and freshness and the Beiyuan's chefs are renowned for their exciting and vast menu.
- House specialties include; Fried Fish and Pine nuts, Braised Beef in Wine and Steamed Chicken in Shaoxing Wine.
- The sweets here are also worth trying. The Crispy Deep Fried Pineapple is good as is the Watermelon Jelly.
- Squirrel Nut Fish - Guangzhou Squirrel Nut fish is a big hit with many foreigners. The fish in this dish is deep fried with egg and flour and served with a sweet and sour sauce. When cooked and presented, the fish is said to resemble a squirrel's nut, hence the name!
- Expect to pay: Approximately RMB 100-200 per person.
  Address: 202 Xiaobei Road, Guangzhou
  Telephone: 020-83391888
Dasanyuan Restaurant
- The Dasanyuan Restaurant (Dasanyuan jiujia) is one of Guangzhou's finest and has been acclaimed numerous times for the fantastic Guangzhou style cuisine. House specialties include; Braised Shark fin with Soy Sauce, Stir Fried Turtle and Chicken Wings stuffed with Crab Roe.
  Expect to pay: RMB 100-200 per person.
  Address: 260 Changti Street, Guangzhou
  Telephone: 81883970
Kathleen's
- Kathleen's was the first international style restaurant to hit Guangzhou way back in 1997. This is a great little place serving up pasta, pizza, vegetarian dishes and Mexican food. Prices are very good and the staff is very friendly.
  Expect to pay: RMB 30 per dish and upwards.
  Address: 60 Taojin Road, Guangzhou
  Telephone: 020-83598045

Places to See in Guangzhou

Orchid Park
- The Orchid Park (Lan Pu) is a spectacular and unique sight in the summer months when there are over 100 different types of Orchid on display. This cool and quiet garden is elegantly designed with winding paths, pools, pavilions and flowerbeds. It is a traditional Chinese style garden and is the perfect place to seek relief from summer heat.
Baiyun Mountain
- Baiyun Mountain (Baiyun shan) is the nearest mountain retreat that makes it a pleasant half-day trip away from the traffic and congestion of Guangzhou. The Mountain (known locally as White Clouds Mountain) is approximately 15km north of the city and is part of the Kun Shan Mountain range.
  This is an attractive spot with pagodas, monasteries and teahouses dotted about the mountain park. The mountain has pleasant surroundings and is refreshingly lush and green.It can get busy here and the citydwellers are particularly keen on climbing this mountain to escape the hustle and bustle. The peak, "Star-touching hill" (Moxing Ling) is a three-hour walk from the base and provides spectacular views over the surrounding countryside and city. The view at sunset is especially enjoyable.
Qingping Market
- Qingping market sells just about everything one could ever imagine, from teapots to tiger skin to handbags. This great, distinctive market first opened in 1979 but it became more popular after 1993 when business restrictions were lifted. The market has its own dynamic atmosphere of commerce laid out in a sprawling maze of alleys and streets. It really doesn't matter if you get lost as someone will always be selling something interesting to say the least. You can also pick up numerous plants, pots, mini pagodas and all kinds of wonderful food and medicines!
  Currently, the market can be found on the city side of Shamian Island's middle bridge. Ask a hotel concierge for the latest information.
South Mansion
- The South Mansion Department store is among the top state owned department stores in the country and the selection of goods is especially good here as the headquarters is based in Hong Kong.
The Temple of Six Banyan Trees (Central Guangzhou)
- The Temple of Six Banyan Trees (liu rong si) is a striking and exceptionally well-maintained temple situated in the heart of Guangzhou. It is one of the best preserved historical monuments of China yet the ancient Chinese architecture contrasts sharply with the modern skyscrapers surrounding it. The Temple was originally built 1450 years ago and had a different name but was renamed the "Banyan tree" temple by the dissident poet Su Dongpo during a visit to the site in 1100.
  An interesting structure stands in the temple grounds. The Hua Ta Pagoda is an octagonal building rising seventeen-stories high. The sculpture in the wooden eaves and the ceiling here is exquisite and there are hundreds of small Buddha's in various poses, peering out at visitors as they make the climb up the steep staircase.
Lotus Mountain
- Lotus Mountain (Lianhua shan) stands in Panyu City at the mouth of the Zhujiang River. Hikers are greeted by the 40.88 meter high Goddess of Mercy statue and Pavilion with 1,000 statues in her image. The mountain is about 45km southeast of Guangzhou so it is best to allow an entire day to get to and from this site. It is easily accessible from Hong Kong by a one and a half hour boat journey up the Pearl River Delta.
  Although stone cutting at the Mountain ceased hundreds of years ago yet today, the sheer cliff of the mountain looks almost natural and it resembles a blooming lotus from a distance. There are pagodas, temples and other Ming dynasty constructions dotted about the mountain. Lotus Mountain also served as a line of defense against the British in the Opium Wars and as is known locally as the "Great Wall of Guangzhou".
Sun Yat-Sen's Memorial Hall
- At Dongfeng Road in the center of Guangzhou is the memorial hall that was built with money raised by overseas Chinese and Guangzhou residents in honor of Dr. Sung Yat-sen. Construction began in 1929 on the former site of the building where Sun took power as China's Provisional President to become the father of modern China and the hall was completed in 1931. It is an octagonal structure with a distinct national style; covering a floor-space of 12,000 square meters, the 47-meter-high hall has more than 4,700 seats. A bronze statue of the national hero Sun Yat-sen is erected in front of the hall.
Conghua Hot Springs Scenic Region
- The structures near the springs were first built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The water, colorless and odorless, contains numerous elements good for health. The therapeutic springs are surrounded by rolling mountains. It is a welcome retreat in an idyllic setting with green mountains and blue water.
Xiangjiang Wildlife World
- A lively world in Panyu with about 10,000 animals in 300 species introduced from all over the world. Many are rare animals that have never been seen before in China. The park is divided into a vehicle tour area and a walking area. Here, visitors may stroll in different ecological environments, interacting with the vital elements of nature and wildlife in its natural state.
Chen Family Temple
- The Chen's Family Temple is one of the finest examples of 18th century architecture with restoration extended to the smallest detail. It is situated at Eighth Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou and was built in 1890 or the sixteenth year of the Guangxu Reign of the Qing Dynasty. As the best preserved and most magnificent of all temples in existence in Guangdong Province, the temple with nice halls in six courtyards cover a space of more than 10,000 square meters. It has a well-conceived layout, imposing structures with an elaborate and elegant ornamentation; the temple is a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and a unique Guangdong style of decorative art. The buildings are embellished with a vast collection of wood, stone and brick carvings, clay and porcelain sculptures and cast-iron decorations.
South China Botanic Garden
- This is the largest sub-tropical botanical garden in China. It is situated in the northeast suburb of Guangzhou at Longdong in a beautiful environment and is one of top ten tourist attractions in Guangzhou. The botanic garden has more than 5,000 species of plants introduced from home and abroad. It houses a collection of palm, bamboo, orchid, pteridophyte and shade plants.
Liuhua Lake Park
- Liuhua Lake Park (Liuhuahu Gongyuan) consists of a huge artificial lake dotted with a few islands and walkways that is situated in the north of the city. This is a fairly popular site among locals at weekends when families and couples swarm to play around the lake. It is relatively peaceful during the week. There are numerous leisure facilities in the park including a badminton court, teahouse, restaurant, nursery and an aviary.