Your essential guide to Guangzhou

STROLL

It only takes half an hour to walk the length of Shamian Island, a sandbar on the Pearl River that’s home to Guangzhou’s finest cluster of colonial-era architecture. Former banks and consulates evoke an east-meets-west grandeur of old, and there are plenty of inviting cafés, shops and restaurants to stop at.

SHOP

Facing Shamian Island, the Qingping Chinese Medicine Market is an atmospheric labyrinth of stalls hawking traditional Chinese medicine essentials such as ginseng, goji berries, herbal teas and tinctures, plus equipment including acupuncture needles. Just being here is an experience but, if you do buy anything, be prepared to haggle.

DINE

One of the city’s best restaurants couldn’t be more convenient to get to. Mandarin Oriental’s fine dining restaurant, Jiang by Chef Fei, was awarded two Michelin stars in 2022. Expect a thrillingly creative take on Cantonese cuisine, with a menu that runs from wok-fried lobster to caviar-laced crispy pork belly.

CRUISE

If you’re tied up in meetings all day, one way to still get a feel for the city is by taking an evening boat cruise on the Pearl River. It’s a chance to survey the city’s neon illuminations, along with architectural icons such as the Canton Tower and Zaha Hadid’s opera house.

SEE

For a sampler of Guangzhou’s elegant Lingnan style of architecture, visit the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, now home to the Guangdong Folk Art Museum. Look up to admire the exquisite relief carvings and scrollwork in chambers that once served as study rooms for Chen clan members sitting the imperial examinations.

BRUNCH

Join the locals for an old-school dim sum brunch at Tao Tao Ju, where dishes are still served from heated carts. In place of a menu, you’ll be given a slip of paper, which is stamped each time you help yourself to a steamer of shrimp dumplings (xia jiao), egg tarts (dan tat), or whatever takes your fancy.

DISCOVER

Spend a morning exploring the city’s redeveloped Downtown, starting at the Guangdong Museum. Its collections include some splendid dinosaurs housed in a striking building and a geometric, tessellating box inspired by ivory-ball puzzles. Nearby, the slender Canton Tower soars 600m above the city, with cloud-level bubble-tram rides and a lofty look-out deck.

DRINK

Hope & Sesame, a discreet speakeasy in Dongshankou, is regularly named one of Asia’s best cocktail bars. Obsessive mixologists dream up new creations in an on-site lab, while another door leads to a secret jazz room with nightly jam sessions. Ask the concierge to book you in at least one day in advance.

ESCAPE

On the outskirts of the city, Yuyin Mountain Villa is a serene Chinese garden in the classical style, combining water, pavilions, plants and rockeries to sublime effect. Don’t miss the playful Deep Willow Room, where windows of coloured glass create an illusion of the passing seasons.

SEE

The late Zaha Hadid dreamt up Guangzhou’s asymmetrical opera house, known as the ‘double pebble’ for its resemblance to waterworn river rocks. Ask the hotel’s concierge for the latest on touring shows and tickets or visit at the weekend between 10am and 4pm for an hour-long tour.

EXPLORE

Long ago, Guangzhou was ruled by the ancient Nanyue Kingdom, of which few traces remain. One treasure that has survived is the remarkable tomb of Zhao Mo, a Nanyue king laid to rest in 122 BCE. Exploring the tomb is akin to time travel, with a museum’s-worth of precious artefacts to examine.

VISIT

Around 45km south of Guangzhou, Shunde is revered as one of the best places to eat in China and was named a Unesco City of Gastronomy in 2014. Take a day trip with Mandarin Oriental to sample its specialities, from fish sashimi and soy sauce chicken to fried milk custard desserts.

In the east of the city, Dongshankou is one of Guangzhou’s most charming historic neighbourhoods. Its mid-century mansions have now become hip cafés, galleries and boutiques, with an atmosphere that evokes Shanghai’s French Concession. The best way to discover it is on two wheels, and we can arrange a half-day guided bicycle tour for guests.

- The concierge team at Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou.

Go for a stroll in hilly Yuexiu Park, a green escape from the city, where you’ll also find a section of Guangzhou’s ancient city wall. Afterwards, head across the road to the serene and little-visited Guangzhou Orchid Garden, where you can cross arched stone bridges to ornamental pavilions filled with delicate blooms.

Continuing the floral theme, another way to restore harmony to body and soul is with Bouquet of Guangzhou, a signature treatment at the Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou. A comforting bath is followed by a flower-fragranced exfoliation, before a traditional Chinese massage banishes any aches and pains.