Experience Guangzhou
The city of Guangzhou (GZ; during long time known also as Canton), capital of the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, is famous for foreign trades and businesses. It holds China's largest trade fair, the Canton Fair. Known for lay-back attitude, the city counts as China´s most prosperous, liberal, and cosmopolitan cities.
The best time for a visit is autumn or spring, for the summers can be very hot and humid. If not planning to simply get there by plane, visitors can take a train from Hong Kong, and within two hours find themselves already drinking tea in Guangzhou, or choose to travel with the new high speed train all the way from Lhasa, which will take 2,5 days.
It´s amazing how much this city of 10-million inhabitants has to offer for visitors. Parks, museums, a number of Buddhists temples (Guangxiao and Liurong are the most visited); the oldest Muslim temple in China - Huaisheng Mosque; or an oasis of the former British and French concession on Shamian Island. In the outskirts of the city, White Cloud Mountain tempts with green hills and great view over Guangzhou.
Back in the city, a walk among countless antique shops in back alleys or exploring malls like Mayflower Plaza or shops along Beijing Lu Pedestrian Street will bring you another kind of pleasure.
Practical info:
Currency: Chinese renminbi, also known as Yuan (CNY).
Time zone: UTC (GMT)+8.
Driving: on the right side of the road.
Electricity: 220-240V/50Hz.
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