If you’re planning a visit to Guangzhou, whether for business or
pleasure, there’s no better time to visit than when one of its famous
fairs or festivals is in season. That’s also the time when the weather is
at its best, especially during October and November as well as in April
and May.
On the other hand, if you’re a big fan of Turkish steam baths, visit
Guangzhou during summer for its sweltering heat and suffocating humidity.
June to September aren’t ideal months either because of the typhoon
season.
Here’s a run-down of Guangzhou’s most festive fairs and festivals.
The Canton Fair
If you’re looking for business opportunities, the best time to visit
Guangzhou is either spring or fall when the Canton Fair is in full
swing.
Since 1957, the Canton Fair has made a splash every year. It used to
provide the only opportunity for foreign businessmen to make contact with
companies in China. Also known as the China Export Commodities Fair, the
Canton Fair’s importance has not diminished over the years, even with the
country’s expanding open-door policy. It is still the most important venue
for anyone who wants to do, or is currently doing, business with the
Chinese.
The Canton Fair takes place at the city’s two major exhibition halls.
These are the Pazhou Complex located at 380 Yuejiang Zhong Lu and the
historic Liuhua Complex located at 117 Liuhua Lu.
If you’ve decided to participate in the next Canton Fair, be
forewarned: it’s best to book your hotel early. The Canton Fair attracts
people from all over the world and most of the nearby hotels are packed
well in advance. Since the fair takes place during the third and fourth
weeks of April and October ever year, delegates to the Canton Fair compete
with regular tourists for hotel space. If you don’t book your hotel early,
be prepared to suffer the consequences.
The best hotels for delegates to the Canton Fair are the Dongfang Hotel
and China Hotel. They are a little more expensive but are ideally located
right across one of the fair’s main exhibition halls. Most other hotels
provide complementary shuttle services to the Canton Fair’s venues. Taxis
are not a good choice since the traffic controls at the exhibition areas
prohibit taxis from entering certain venues, which means you may have to
walk a pretty long way. With your suit drenched in sweat and your face all
red, you certainly won’t be making a very good first impression. Hence,
booking the right hotel is key.
Chinese New Year / Spring Festival
For a riotous good time, nothing quite compares to the city’s
celebration of Chinese New Year, which usually takes places in January or
February, depending on the date of the first day of the first lunar
month.
The entire city celebrates the new year in style, and festivities last
for 15 days. While most streets are packed with people celebrating with
fireworks and dragon dances, some streets are eerily deserted. That’s
because the residents, usually migrant workers, go back home to their
provinces to celebrate Chinese New Year and the Spring Festival there.
Meanwhile, if you want to see the city in full bloom, visit Guangzhou
around a week or so before the New Year. That’s when the flower fair and
its kaleidoscope of color and fanfare is held.
Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated during the fifth day of the
fifth lunar month, which typically falls on May or June. The festival is
held in honor of a famous martyr and poet, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself
during the Warring States Period to protest widespread government
corruption at that time.
The festival is marked by a series of exciting dragon boat races at the
Pearl River, the place where Qu Yuan sacrificed his life. One of the most
applauded and watched events during the Dragon Boat Festival is an eating
contest where the participant who can eat the most number of rice
dumplings wins.
Mid-Autumn Festival
This festival is held during the 15th day of the eighth
lunar month, which typically falls on September of October. During this
time, people celebrate by enjoying the local Cantonese moon cakes, a
symbol of good fortune and prosperity. If you want to take part in this
joyous celebration, try to get your moon cakes at Lian Xiang Lou and Tao
Tao Ju. They serve the best and most popular moon cakes in town.
Children celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by making and displaying
paper lanterns. Grown-ups commemorate the festival by taking ferry rides
on the Pearl River and watching the full moon ascend.
Among the other notable festivals that Guangzhou commemorates are Tomb
Sweeping Day (during the spring equinox). Chinese Valentines Day (August
or September) and the Winter Solstice Festival (December 22).
Guangzhou has the Oriental Resort, which is one of the popular places
to stay in the city. It is close to area attractions and most of the
businesses in the city. All the rooms are decorated and equipped with
amenities to fill the needs of all leisure and business travelers. The
hotel is one of the highly rated resorts in Guangzhou. You will have the
traditional comfort from a hotel while enjoying the modern
conveniences.
Finally planning that vacation to culture-rich yet cosmopolitan
Guangzhou? Or is your trip more for business than pleasure? Whatever the
reason, heading to Guangzhou should not be a problem. Here are some of the
most convenient ways to get there.
By Plane
There’s a major international airport that
services Guangzhou, and it’s also the second most prominent hub in
Southern China, next only to Hong Kong. That’s the New Guangzhou Baiyun
International Airport, located just 28 km north of the Guangzhou city
center. (Not to be confused with the former Baiyun Airport, which is now
closed.)
The airport has a number of international connections, including to and
from Bangkok (via Thai Airways), Helsinki (via Finnair). Los Angeles (via
China Southern), Paris (via Air France), and Singapore (via Singapore
Airlines). There are also direct flights to and from Frankfurt, Jakarta,
Kuala Lumpur, Osaka and Tokyo. As the home base of China Southern
Airlines, the airport also provides a wide range of domestic flights.
The most convenient way to travel to and from the airport is by taxi,
and a ride to the city center usually costs around ¥120, inclusive of a
¥15 toll fee. A metro line servicing the airport is currently under
construction and is scheduled for completion by 2009. There are also nine
Airport Express bus lines that service the airport and take passengers to
virtually all major destinations in the city. Tickets range from ¥10 to
¥36.
A word of warning to Guangzhou newcomers: avoid taking rides to the
city from unofficial solicitors. These operators are illegal and will
charge you much more than official transport services.
By Train
From Hong Kong, there’s a direct train
that covers the 182 kms to Guangzhou in 1.5 hours, with a stop at Kowloon.
However, if you’re traveling from Shenzhen, the quickest way to Guangzhou
is to take the China High Speed train. It travels 200km per hour and fares
are cheaper. From Hong Kong, Shenzhen is just across the border and
thousands of people corss the bridge that links the two cities every
day.
A new express line recently opened between Lhasa in Tibet and
Guangzhou, a distance of 4,980 kms. Trains cover the distance in about 58
hours. Fares cost around ¥869 and up.
The two main train stations in Guangzhou are the Guangzhou East
Station, which has routes to Hong Kong and other major cities, and the
Guangzhou Station, which has many routes, including routes to faraway
Harbin. The Guangzhou Station is one of China’s biggest train stations.
Many tourists tend to mix up the two and end up missing their trains. Make
sure you double-check your tickets to know which station to go to.
By Bus
From the Hong Kong International Airport,
there are coach service on hand to take passengers to many destinations in
Guangzhou, including the China Hotel, Garden Hotel and Jinan University on
Huang Pu Da Dao. It’s a three-hour bus drive and costs around HKD 250. In
addition, many bus terminals in Hong Kong have services that cross the
border towards Guangzhou, including the bus stations on Canton Road (near
Kowloon Park) and Austin Road. Tickets cost around HKD 100.
Naturally, there are many domestic buses that travel to Guangzhou
covering practically every corner in Guangdong province. There are also
direct bus routes from nearby regions such as Fujian, Hubei and Guangxi.
The major bus stations are the Yuexiu Nan Station, Liuhua Station, Tianhe
Dasha Station, and the Provincial Station.
By boat
If you don’t mind the water, going to
Guangzhou by boat is always a fun way to visit the city and affords
travelers a majestic view of surrounding areas. If you’re coming from
Macau, Hong Kong or the Hainan Island on Haikou, head to the Zhoutouzui
Ferry Pier and take one of their hovercrafts or ferries to get to
Guangzhou. It’s an exhilirating way to travel.
If you’re coming from Shanghai, Xiamen, Qingdao or other nearby
mainland cities, you can go to Dashatou Pier and get a boat to travel to
Guangzhou.
From Hong Kong, the most convenient way to get to Guangzhou by boat is
through the New Nansha Pier, which has six lines that travel to Guangzhou
every day. The ride costs about ¥116-230 takes around 75 minutes
Whether you’re looking for impressive souvenirs, unique Chinese novelty
items or just some great fashion bargains, Guangzhou’s streets and
shopping malls will provide you with what you need.
The city’s main shopping center can be found at Beijing Lu Pedestrian
Street, the venue of a host of local shops, including the Mayflower Plaza,
which sells anything and everything and is also a favorite hangout of
fashionable young people. It’s open daily, from 9am to 10pm. There’s a
flourishing DVD piracy trade in this area, but don’t be deceived by the
cheap prices because their quality is often poor. And beware of sidewalk
vendors who lure you into dark alleys with the promise of big bargains and
imitation goods. They are likely to fleece you of everything you have.
The Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street is another popular shopping area that
offers a wide range of products. If you know how to bargain, you will fit
right in. This is also where you will find Liwan Plaza, located at 9
Dexing Lu, a place that’s famous for its crystal products. This entire
area is a beautiful snapshot of traditional Cantonese architecture.
Malls and shopping centers
Guangzhou is the home of a number of huge shopping malls and plazas.
The following are among the most popular:
- Teem Mall
Located at 208 Tianhe Lu above the metro station, this
is the most popular mall in the city center. Whether you’re looking for
clothes, appliances, household items, toys and the like, you’re likely
to find it in Teem Mall. At any time of the day, the place is filled
with scores of people moving to and fro and on a seemingly never-ending
shopping spree. There’s nothing like the endless array of fabulous items
up for sale to put one in the mood to shop.
- Zhengjia Plaza
Located a short distance away from the Teem Mall,
Zhengjia Plaza on 228 Tianhe Lu was built precisely to challenge the
popularity of its older neighbor. It has established its niche as the
favorite shopping destination of foreigners. The plaza houses a number
of department stores and many world-famous fashion shops. It is
exquisitely decorated by rows of beautiful fountains and elegant
designs. According to some estimates, close to half a million shoppers a
day can be found here during festivals and holidays. Tourists will feel
right at home, especially with fastfood chains like Pizza Hut and
McDonalds as well as Dairy Queen and Starbucks prominently on display.
- China Plaza
This is another huge shopping mall located atop a
metro station, located at 33 Zhongshan 3 Lu. It houses a wide array of
popular department stores, clothing shops, electronic stores and
restaurants.
- Zhong Tian Shopping Plaza
Located at Zhongxin Square, this plaza
offers more than just shopping and dining. There are also services such
as banking, grooming, dry cleaning and the like.
Other notable shopping malls and plazas in the city are the Zi You Ying
Outdoor Travel Goods, located at 229 Jiangnan Dadao Zhong, Xin An Plaza
Suite 180; the famous Wang Fu Jing department store, located at 40 Long
Lin Xia Lu; and the Friendship Store, located at 369 Huanshi Dong Lu and a
special favorite of foreigners.
Street markets
Meanwhile, if shopping in plush and upscale malls isn’t your cup of
tea, Guangzhou also has a host of street markets where searching for
fabulous bargains has become a local pastime.
Most of these street markets are located in back alleys which cars and
scooters cannot enter. However, walking is the ideal way to shop here
anyway, since that will give you the best possible chance to discover
those hidden bargains.
One of the city’s most popular street markets is the Haiyin Shopping
District, located just northwest of Haiyin Bridge. It offers some of the
best prices for clothes, fabrics, appliances, electronics, camera
accessories, sporting goods and the like.
Now, if it’s the raw ingredients for Cantonese food you’re looking for,
everyone knows that the best place to just about any type of food is the
Qingping Market. Located at Qingping Lu on Shamian Island, this market is
famous all around the world for its wild animal trades.
One of the best things about the city’s street markets is that
particular goods are usually concentrated at a specific area. For
instance, there’s Jade Street, located at Changshou Lu and Wenchang Lu;
Xiguan Antique Street, located near Liwan Park; Ivory and Sea products,
located at Daxin Lu beside Beijing Lu; Flowers, Aquatic and Lightings
Street, located at Danan Lu; and Flower Street, located at Baohua
Lu.
There’s also Toy Street, located at Yide Lu; Bridal
Street, located at Jiangnan Bei Lu; Cultural Street, located at Wende Lu;
and Household Merchandise Street (for everyday goods), located at Gaodi
Jie.
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About Canton Fair