FN CITY GUIDE: GUANGZHOU

So, hawk-eyed readers may have realised that I did a spot of disappearing last week after this post, where I ventured to Guangzhou, the third most populated metropolitan area in mainland China. The official estimate of the city is close to 10 million people.

It sure felt that way when I was there! There was never once I felt like I was ‘alone’, except when I was in my hotel room. China gets to you like no other country does, with its overflow of human traffic and in your face WTFs – fake Converse shoes were being sold opposite the official Converse store, there are stores with similar ‘Impossible is Nothing’ taglines, except in Mandarin. It’s wacky, but its also filled with culture and tradition. It’s mindboggling!

I met up with Laila, who happened to be in the area as well and is rather familiar with Guangzhou. We had crazy fun just walking and shopping for two days, so I have to thank her for making me feel immediately at home in a place where it is pretty hard to feel at ease, especially if you don’t know the language.

So! Guangzhou!

(click image for bigger map!)

Hotels

I didn’t do much surfing for accomodation, but my key pointer to you is to live along the yellow color tube line. It’s the central line and gets you pretty much anywhere you need to go in terms of a 4-5 day stay.

Staying near Gong Yuan Qian 公园前 (literally translates to ‘in front of the Garden’) will be great, it’s near the central shopping hub.

Transport

Take the tube. It costs next to nothing (around RMB4= SGD1= 0.33GBP= 0.50 euros) for one trip and it is fast and safe. Transport in Guangzhou is very well developed due to the sheer size of the city, if the transport sucks then life is really going to suck.

Safety

Wouldn’t advise you to be out late, but taking photos in the open is fine. You shouldn’t expect to be mugged in the open. Customary precautions taken by the average tourist will keep you safe.

Food

Must eat here.

Name of restaurant: Tao Tao Ju (陶陶居)

Address: 20 Dishipu Lu, Shangxiajiu, Guangzhou (荔湾区第十甫路20号)

Tao Tao Ju is the super famous dim sum restaurant of Guangzhou.

At the very best, Tao Tao Ju is a restaurant serving traditional Chinese dishes which even the locals consider a delicacy. The concept of the restaurant is: open from 6.30AM – midnight, serve tiny dishes of amazing Chinese food, serve tea all day and all night long and expect money to flow in while the people clamour for more.

It works.

This is only one level of several levels of the restaurant where locals just sit, chat, catch up, complain, discuss food and drink tea all day long. If you haven’t been to a dim sum restaurant before, note three things:

1. You are 90% expected to share tables with strangers who do not give a damn about you.
2. You are expected not to drink the tea but to wash your utensils with it first. Observe what the locals do to their cutlery before you start eating. It’s a complicated process of pouring tea here there everywhere to rinse all eating utensils.
3. No one is going to take your order – go to the counters to get the food yourself.

Serious visitors should go after 2.30PM where food price goes to 50% of original price, if I am not wrong.

I have scary food photos, their specialty is chicken claws so if you see something like that, don’t be surprised.

The locals are especially concerned if you don’t finish your food, so make sure you do that or you’ll get concerned and stern comments from those sharing your table.

I am also never eating dim sum in Singapore again. It is overpriced and not as nice (unless you have secret restaurant locations to share with us!).

Sight-seeing

Just walking along the streets is enough, the entire country of China is a wonderland in itself. Unless you want to see pandas – go to the nearest zoo.

Shopping

Before I say anything, remember this:

Always be prepared to see fakes.

Here’s the list of shopping areas I found great:

• Chang Shou Lu station (长寿路）

Get out and find Shang Xia Jiu Lu (上下九路）and walk down this stretch. The mall of Chang Shou Lu station is trendy too. Find Zhuangyuan Fang (状元坊）at the end of Shang Xia Jiu Lu (上下九路）and you’ll get great shopping there too.

• Lieshi-lingyuan station a.k.a. Martyr’s Park (烈士陵園)

The mall attached to this metro station is great, lots of shopping. Locate the underground mall nearby called（地王）which is loosely translated to ‘Underground King’ as it has 3 levels of boutique shops suitable for trendy shoppers.

• Bei Jing Lu (北京路), near Gong Yuan Qian 公园前 station

Guangzhou’s UNIQLO can be found here, as well as loads of other chain stores and boutique shops.

Suggested Duration of Stay

If in doubt, spend 4D3N in Guangzhou.

(Photo credits: All from Flickr except the restaurant shots, which are my own)

And that’s all from us for our Guangzhou Shopping Guide (:
Stephie