Guangzhou is a modern, beautiful🌈 and high-tech🛠️ city with many tourist attractions📸 and high-tech applications. My HKUST university also has its Guangzhou campus.
It's also known as the "City of Flowers💐" (花城) with the tradition for flower-planting for several millenniums (several thousand years). Learn More
Kapok is the flower representing the Guangzhou city. It’s also part of the logo for China Southern Airlines.
In addition to my study journey at university and in high school, I would like to introduce and share my home city🏘️, Guangzhou, exploring a range of places, food🌯 and high-tech.
Personally, I enjoy modern✨ design and environment supporting the latest and future technology development🛠️. I also explain in as many details📄 as possible.
Canton Tower View from a Tall Building
The photos and list of my favourite places about Guangzhou were separated↔️, whether in "My Trips" and "About" webpages or social media. By merging🔗 them into this article, you can learn them in one place.
Ken's Study Journey is based in Guangzhou, the city where I live🏘️ and where the main web servers🌎 (i.e., "CN-CAN" server node) are.
It's my great opportunity and pleasure to share the modern and high-tech city🏙️ I live in to the audiences.
Latest Updates
Things Change in Guangzhou Very Quickly
From new metro lines to new buildings, Guangzhou has been experiencing a rapid development in the last few months.
While I continuously monitor the latest updates through news channels and physical visits, some information may be outdated.
While studying as a student outside, I constantly go back to and revisit my home city (Guangzhou) to check the latest changes.
- Registration is no longer necessary for weekends (outside Public Holidays) for Haixin Bridge
- Nancun Wanbo (南村万博) (18|04) station in Guangzhou Metro Line 18 has also become an express station since 28 Sep. 2024 Learn More (Chinese)
- Guangzhou Metro Line 3 has been extended to Haibang (海傍) (3|01-4) (interchanging with Line 4) from Panyu Square (番禺广场) (3|01) since 1 Nov. 2024, giving convenience for HKUST (GZ) students. Learn More (Chinese)
My Favourite Places
There is a range of places I enjoy in Guangzhou with not only tourist attractions.
- Canton Tower
- Huacheng Square (Zhujiang New Town)
- Guangzhou Library
- Party Pier
- Pazhou Internet Innovation Area
- Canton Fair Complex
- Haizhu Square
- Shamian Island
- Baiyun Mountain
- HKUST (Guangzhou Campus)
1. Canton Tower
Among many places in Guangzhou, Canton Tower🗼 is my first choice.
As an iconic skyscraper built in 2010 with 600m high and colourful lights in the heart of Guangzhou city (Haizhu district), it attracts tourists globally.
Due to its slim body in the middle (wide at the top and bottom), people usually call it "小蛮腰" in Chinese.
It lights up at around 19:00 (7:00 pm) at night with colourful lights🌈 on its body, along with some rotating ads at the top.
It not only serves as a tower emitting TV signals but, more importantly, is functional to tourists, including:
- Restaurants 🥙🍽️
- Observation Deck (exploring the panorama (360° view) of Guangzhou city🏙️) 🔭
- Cinema (Movie Theatre) 🎬
- Bubble Tram (Ferris Wheel) 🎡
Personally, our family have been there several times enjoying the complimentary (free) Observation Deck🪟 after dinner.
You can learn more (and book tickets online🎫) on the Canton Tower official website (English version available).
Canton Tower (View from Huacheng Square)
Discover Knowledge in Real Life - My “Tradition” from 2019
Discovering🔍, applying🔬 and sharing📤 knowledge in real life can help me remember knowledge firmly, teach others and explain real-life phenomena.
This is my invented🌟 study tip in 2019 in middle school. It used to be available in WeChat Moments (among friends) only.
Since 2021, I started inserting knowledge, whether learned in middle school, high school or university, in Green Boxes in my articles📄.
Now, I discovered relevant A Level Physics (9702) Knowledge: Electromagnetic Waves and Visible Light
The wavelength of visible lights (like a rainbow🌈) vary between 7 × 10-7 m (red; longer wavelength) and 4 × 10-7 m (violet; shorter).
A Level Physics (9702) Knowledge: Visible Light Wavelength
Areas around Canton Tower
Some of my favourites are also around the Canton Tower.
In the next few places (see below⬇️), I will move to and explore🔍 the places near the Canton Tower.
Areas around Canton Tower (Rough Map)
There are Haixinsha Square and Huacheng Square (in Tianhe District) to the North⬆️ along the APM Line (crossing the Pearl River) and the New Central Axis.
On the East side➡️ along the Haizhu Tram (Line 1), there are Party Pier, Pazhou Internet Innovation Area, Canton Fair Complex, and so on.
Crossing Harbour (Haizhu & Tianhe)
There is a Pearl River🌊 in front of the Canton Tower connecting between Haizhu and Tianhe Districts.
So, how can we cross the harbour?
Generally speaking, we (pedestrians) usually cross the harbour in 3 ways:
- Metro (Line 3 and APM line) 🚇
- Haixin Bridge 🌉
- Ferry Pier 🛳️
Being close to Canton Tower, Guangzhou Metro Line 3 and APM line is one of the ways to cross the harbour.
Another way is to cross the Haixin Bridge, a pedestrian bridge on the Pearl River, near the Canton Tower where online reservation☑️ may be necessary (limited quota) during public holidays🗓️.
Similar to Haixin Bridge, HKU has implemented the Tourist Flow Control with reservation and limited quota since 1 May 2024.
APM Line & Haixin Bridge
Guangzhou Metro APM Line
APM is shorted by Automated People Mover🚟.
In Guangzhou, the APM Line lies along the central axis📏 of Zhujiang New Town, from Canton Tower to Linhexi (from South to North), opened in 2010 (same year as Canton Tower).
Guangzhou Metro APM Line
Guangzhou Metro 1 Day and 3 Day Passes can be used here (at the APM Line).
Unlike regular metro lines, the fare is paid💸 directly at the entry gate for Yangchengtong cards and QR Code Tickets.
If we use Single Journey Tickets, we insert📥 them at the entry gate.
Similar to Disneyland Resort Line and South Island Line in the MTR, the APM line uses autonomous driving🤖.
Being transparent🪟 on both sides of the train, children are usually more than excited to see the tracks🛤️ for fun.
You can refer to the last part of my Guangzhou Library study vlog to learn more.
Gates of Guangzhou Metro APM Line
Haizhu Tram
Another thing next to the Canton Tower is the Haizhu Tram🚃 Line 1 (THZ1) opened at the end of 2014, travelling along the Haizhu side of the Pearl River, between Canton Tower and Wanshengwei (from West to East).
Haizhu Tram and Liede Bridge
It passes through a number of attractions, including:
- Canton Tower 🗼
- Liede Bridge
- Party Pier 🍻
- Pazhou Internet Innovation Area (Nanfeng station)
- Canton Fair Complex 🏢
- Pazhou Bridge
- Pazhou Pagoda
Haizhu Tram Line 1
This allows people to enjoy the riverside view🌊 right on trains without walking along the promenade.
2. Huacheng Square (Zhujiang New Town)
At the opposite side of the Pearl River and Canton Tower, Huacheng Square🌺, in Tianhe District, is my second option.
Along the Zhujiang New Town Central Axis and the APM Line, it comprises many attractions, including:
- Mall of the World (花城汇) underground shopping street
- Haixinsha Square
- Guangzhou Library
- Guangzhou Opera House
- Guangdong Museum
Walking along the Huacheng Square above the APM Line and car park tunnels🚇, you can see lots of colourful flowers💐 and modern screens📺 at lamp posts.
As I mentioned at the beginning⬆️, Guangzhou is known as the "City of Flowers💐" (花城).
Huacheng Square
In Zhujiang New Town (around Huacheng Square), there are hundreds skyscrapers (tall buildings🏢) providing spaces for company offices right in the city centre.
The Mall of the World (花城汇) underground shopping street contains hundreds of restaurants🥙 and shops🛍️.
Mall of the World at Huacheng Square
3. Guangzhou Library
My third favourite is the modern and knowledgeable Guangzhou Library📚 in Zhujiang New Town, offering a range of materials (e.g., books, audios, digital items).
It's close to the Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou Opera House and the Guangzhou Opera House station of the APM Line.
Guangzhou Library Outside
4. Party Pier
Moving to the East side🧭 of the Canton Tower, you can see a lot of restaurants just beside the Pearl River and the Haizhu Tram.
It's Party Pier giving people the place to enjoy the food🧆, party🎉, riverside view and fresh air💨 at the same time.
Western Food and Night View at Party Pier
5. Pazhou Internet Innovation Area
By moving East further, there are many high-tech companies🏢, some of which originate from Guangzhou.
Yes. It is the Pazhou Internet Innovation Area, a modern and high-tech🛠️ area in Guangzhou.
In Early 2023 being inspired by the latest high-tech developments and applications (e.g., online shopping🛒, pay by face and hand, autonomous cars🚙 and buses🚌 under trial stage), I enjoyed the tech companies.
Tech Company Headquarters & Autonomous Buses
Later on, I am then fascinated by the on-campus high-tech applications👆 at HKUST, including Path Advisor, and some other modern and high-tech areas in Guangzhou (with autonomous cars🚙), some of which may be under construction🏗️, including:
- Bio Island (Guanzhou station in Metro Line 4)
- Tianhe Smart City (Line 21)
- Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (Wangcun station in Line 14)
Designated Lanes (Green) for Autonomous Testing Cars
6. Canton Fair Complex
On the Eastern side of the innovation area (by moving East further), it's the Canton Fair Complex.
Canton Fair, formally called China Import and Export Fair, was established in 1957, strengthening the bonds and exchanging↔️ ideas, goods and services among over 200 countries/regions worldwide🌎.
The modern🌟 Canton Fair Complex (here) was established in 2008 with more spaces.
New Canton Fair Complex
Giving convenience to foreigners, there is an English announcement📣 in Guangzhou Metro Line 8 at Pazhou and Xingangdong stations specifically for the Canton Fair. For example:
"To Area B or Area C of the Canton Fair Complex, please get ready for your arrival."
English Announcements of Line 8 near Canton Fair Complex
According to some posters at metro stations, WeChat Pay and Alipay welcome foreigners to pay💸 and take metros🚇 like locals.
WeChat Pay / Alipay Welcome Posters
7. Haizhu Square
So, what about the old venue for Canton Fair?
Originally, it was near Haizhu Square (Metro Line 2 and Line 6) and the Guangzhou Hotel (established in 1968).
On the North side⬆️ of the Haizhu Square, it's the Beijing Road Pedestrian Street with many ancient buildings and shops.
Canton Fair Old Venue & Guangzhou Hotel
8. Shamian Island
Apart from the historical buildings near Haizhu Square, I also enjoy Shamian (a small island) with a range of useful ancient buildings.
Shamian Island, Guangzhou
9. Baiyun Mountain
Finding opportunities for mountaineering, Baiyun Mountain⛰️ is one of my choices enjoying the fresh air💨 and natural view (despite the very cheap ticket🎟️).
Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain
10. HKUST (Guangzhou Campus)
Last but not least, I enjoy the modern, green and sustainable Guangzhou Campus of my university (HKUST) opened in 2022 in Nansha District near Dongchong station of Metro Line 4.
Unlike the Clear Water Bay (Hong Kong) Campus I am studying at🧑🎓, its Guangzhou Campus may not be an open campus🚪 where visitor registration📝 may be necessary.
While the Clear Water Bay Campus may not be close to an MTR🚇 station, we still can take direct bus routes🚌 (10-minute ride) to the nearest one (Hang Hau station).
For more information, you may refer to the last part of this page.
Whether for Guangzhou or Clear Water Bay campuses, be careful⚠️ of directions/destinations for metro🚇 back to campus.
Guangzhou Campus: Guangzhou Metro Line 4 (Nansha Passenger Port (via Dongchong) / Xinzao)
Clear Water Bay Campus: MTR Tseung Kwan O Line (Po Lam (via Hang Hau) / LOHAS Park)
HKUST (GZ) Campus Environment
Food in Guangzhou
Apart from the places, I also enjoy the Guangzhou local cuisine🥙 like Guangzhou Morning Tea.
Guangzhou Morning Tea
Among different types of cuisines, the first thing coming to my taste is the Guangzhou Morning Tea🍵🫖.
It contains a range of food, including Tea☕️, Shaomai (烧卖), Noodles🍜, Egg Tart, and so on.
The restaurants are not only the place for eating and enjoying food. By the way, people usually chat💬 with each other (like hanging out with friends).
Personally, our family irregularly enjoys the Guangzhou Morning Tea among a range of restaurants🏢 and hotels🏨, such as Weekly (周记) and Tancha (叹茶靓点).
Guangzhou Morning Tea
Steamed Rice Roll
Apart from the Guangzhou Morning Tea, I also enjoy the Steamed Rice Roll.
It's made of rice milk cooked under steam♨️ with a range of content, including egg🍳, meat, mushroom🍄🟫, BBQ pork🥓, and so on.
It's usually cooked as a breakfast🧇 with some well-known restaurant brands around the city, like Yinji (银记; since 1958) and Liyin (荔银).
Steamed Rice Roll
Transportation in Guangzhou
Now move on to the transportation system🚃 in Guangzhou.
The public transportation in Guangzhou includes:
- Bus 🚌
- BRT 🚌 (Bus Rapid Transit)
- Metro 🚇
- Water Taxi 🚢
- Tram 🚃 (in Haizhu and Huangpu districts)
Guangzhou BRT & Metro
New Concession Scheme
Since 1 Sep. 2023, Guangzhou introduced a new concession🤑 scheme for public transportation🚌🚇🚢, depending on how much you have spent in a month:
- 20% off if you have spent 80 CNY within a month; or
- 50% off if you have spent 200 CNY within a month.
The discounts will automatically apply✅ when and after reaching the thresholds. You don't need to collect the subsidy manually.
Make sure you use the SAME Yangchengtong (羊城通) Transportation Card or QR Code Ticket to accumulate the spending value.
Apart from the new scheme, the QR Code Tickets🎫 for bus, metro and water taxi were interconnected together at the same time.
More importantly, you can check your real-time concession status with a progress bar (for example, in the Guangzhou Metro app).
Guangzhou Public Transport Concession Status Progress Bar
About QR Code Ticket
Nowadays, it's our trend to use QR code tickets🎫 linking to mobile payment sources💴 (e.g., WeChat Pay, Alipay, e-CNY).
WeChat Pay and Alipay are the 2 commonly used payment sources in the Mainland.
Like tapping cards/tickets, we show the QR code🤳 to machines/gates, where the fare will be paid directly from payment sources.
In Guangzhou city, we can use Guangzhou Metro or Yangchengtong apps📲 or mini-apps.
Guangzhou Metro
Guangzhou Metro🚇 is my first choice of transportation travelling around Guangzhou city.
It has an increasing number of lines and modern technologies (e.g. Express Train), along with some connections🔗 to other adjacent cities.
You may download the latest system map🗺️ from the Guangzhou Metro website. (subject to change as there will be more lines later)
You can also buy day passes🎫 to save money if you take the metro many times, including:
- 1 Day Pass (20 CNY; valid for 24 hours)
- 3 Day Pass (50 CNY; valid for 72 hours (3 consecutive days))
Guangzhou Metro 1 Day Pass (Physical Card)
East Extension of Line 3
Guangzhou Metro Line 3 has been extended to Haibang (海傍) (3|01-4) (interchanging with Line 4) from Panyu Square (番禺广场) (3|01) since 1 Nov. 2024, giving convenience for HKUST (GZ) students.
Learn More (Chinese)
Guangzhou Metro Line 3 East Extension (1 Nov. 2024)
History and 2 Branches in Line 3
Previously, the 2 branches in Guangzhou Metro Line 3 were not logically connected together.
- Panyu Square - Tianhe Coach Terminal (via Tiyu Xilu)
- Tiyu Xilu - Airport North
This means people (especially those from the Airport🛬) needed to change trains at Tiyu Xilu (3|11) station.
Since 2019, however, they are connected together✅. This means:
- the trains to both directions (Tianhe Coach Terminal / Airport North) will stop on the same platform
- people from the Airport can go to stations between Zhujiang New Town and Haibang without changing trains
The Line 3 has 2 airport🛫 stations:
- Airport South (3|29): Terminal 1 (T1)
- Airport North (3|30): Terminal 2 (T2)
Guangzhou Metro Line 3 History
You should check the directions, whether to Tianhe Coach Terminal or Airport North in the platform TV screens before boarding.
You may refer to the green font colour for trains to Airport North.
Guangzhou Metro Line 3 Direction TV Sign
Adding the green colour for special trains is to enhance the experience for passengers with short-sight.
Learn More (Chinese)
Short Trains
It's commonly seen that the metro🚇 can have short trains to accommodate the need✅ for a very large number of passengers within certain shorter intervals↔️. It's called "小交路" in Chinese.
Check the destination in the platform TV screens📺 carefully before boarding the train.
If you accidentally took the short train, you can simply change to the next train🚉 at its destination.
For Example (from my observations; subject to change):
Line 2
Standard Trains:
- Jiahewanggang - Guangzhou South Railway Station
Short Trains:
- Jiahewanggang - Jiangtai Lu
Line 3
Standard Trains:
- Haibang - Tianhe Coach Terminal
- Haibang - Airport North
Short Trains:
- Dashi - Tianhe Coach Terminal
- Dashi - Airport North
- Tiyu Xilu - Tonghe
- Tiyu Xilu - Jiahe Wanggang
- Tiyu Xilu - Airport North
Line 4
Standard Trains:
- Huangcun - Nansha Passenger Port
Short Trains:
- Huangcun - Xinzao (Can’t Reach HKUST (GZ))
Line 5
Standard Trains:
- Jiaokou - Huangpu New Port
Short Trains:
- Jiaokou - Sanxi
- Jiaokou - Wenchong
Guangzhou Metro Short Trains (Lines 2, 4, 5)
Line 6
Standard Trains:
- Xunfenggang - Xiangxue
Short Trains:
- Xunfenggang - Huangbei
Line 7
Standard Trains:
- Meidi Dadao - Yanshan
Short Trains:
- Jinlong - Shenjing
- Meidi Dadao - Jitang
Line 8
Standard Trains:
- Wanshengwei - Jiaoxin
Short Trains:
- Wanshengwei - Julong
Guangzhou Metro Short Trains (Lines 6, 7, 8)
TV Display for Short Trains (Line 4 & Line 8)
Express Trains (New Technology)
In recent years, Guangzhou Metro used a technology, Express Train, where trains can only stop at some stations while skipping💨 others using the hidden track🛤️.
This is very similar to Tung Chung Line (like the Standard Train) and the Airport Express (like the Express Train) in Hong Kong MTR, where the tracks can be merged together along some parts.
Tracks of Express Trains; Tung Chung Line & Airport Express
The Express Trains are available in Line 14, Line 18 and Line 21.
Express Trains in Guangzhou Metro Line 21
Note: There may be a translation error (Chinese to English) in some screens, where "普通车" should be translated to "Standard" instead of "Local".
You should be extra careful of the TV screen display whether it has "Express (快车)" in green font colour and the Express Station (快车停靠站) signs on platform gates.
Guangzhou Metro Line 18 Express Station Signs
Guangzhou Metro Line 18 Express Train Stations
Following the latest technology development, Guangzhou Metro Line 18 and Line 22 can reach the peak speed of 160 km/h
Guangzhou Metro Line 18 Reaching 160 km/h
As well as TV and announcements, we can also refer to the top⬆️ lights above platform screen doors for Line 18 and Line 22 (yellow for standard trains, blue for express trains) when trains arrive.
Yellow & Blue Lights above Platform Screen Doors
Connecting to Foshan City
Last but not least, Guangzhou and Foshan Metro are connected together🔗 in recent years, with not only Guangfo Line.
Foshan is an adjacent city beside Guangzhou. It's also the city of my high school🏫 (studying IGCSE and A Level curriculum🎓).
Both cities are part of the Great Bay Area🌊. By connecting the 2 cities together, it facilitates the rapid development.
Currently, in addition to some high-speed intercity trains🚄, the following 3 lines interconnect between 2 cities, Guangzhou and Foshan:
- Guangfo Line
- Guangzhou Metro Line 7
- Foshan Metro Line 2
Metro Lines that Connect between Guangzhou and Foshan Cities
Guangzhou BRT
Apart from the Metro and regular buses, Guangzhou also has its BRT (Bus Rapid Transit)🚌 established in 2010.
Buses with route numbers beginning with letter "B" are BRT routes using the designated lane🛣️ (for BRTs) on the left side.
Apart from the B1 route with longer car bodies travelling along all BRT stations, other routes (e.g., B2 to B31) may travel to regular bus stations outside.
Guangzhou BRT (Near Tianhe Sports Centre Station)
Congestion in City Centre
If we use private cars🚙, congestion is one of the issues in the city centre followed by the limited parking slots.
To avoid this issue, Guangzhou restricted the cars in the city centre not allowing⛔️ cars from outside Guangzhou (based on the number plates🪪, NOT begin with "粤A") during peak hours on weekdays, including:
- 7:30 am - 9:00 am
- 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Note: The prefix "粤A" on Mainland vehicle number plates means Guangzhou city.
Prohibition Sign for Outside Vehicles in Guangzhou City Centre
Thanks for Reading!
These are the details, including transportation🚇, places and local cuisine (food)🥙 I would like to share in my Guangzhou city.
In addition to my travelling routes, my useful study techniques🛠️ and habits📝 are available on my website. You can explore them if you want.
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