Guangzhou

Come to Guangzhou hungry. Southern China's biggest city, known to the West for centuries as Canton, has been trading with the world for over a thousand years, and the habit shows: this is a merchant town that measures its self-worth in food. There are fewer imperial monuments than Beijing or Xi'an, and that is the point. The reward here is the everyday texture: morning yum cha in a packed teahouse, arcaded qilou shophouses a block from 400-metre towers, and the Pearl River lighting up after dark.

Eat first: dim sum and the yum cha ritual

Cantonese food is the city's real attraction, and the morning teahouse session (yum cha) is where to start. Order har gow (shrimp dumplings), char siu bao (barbecue pork buns) and cheung fun (rice noodle rolls), and keep the teapot topped up; lifting the lid signals a refill. Tao Tao Ju, pouring tea since 1880, now has branches across the city, so you can skip the longest queues at the Beijing Road original. Between meals, graze: wonton noodles in a neighbourhood shop, milk tea and pineapple buns in a cha chaan teng, late-night congee by the river. Qingping Market near Shamian Island is the classic dried-goods and herb street if you want to see where the ingredients come from.

The sights between meals

• Canton Tower: the 600 m "slim waist" is open well into the evening (roughly 9:30am to 10:30pm); go up in late afternoon and you get daylight, sunset and the night skyline on one ticket.
• Pearl River night cruise: the cheapest great view in the city, with the illuminated skyline and Liede Bridge sliding past.
• Shamian Island: a leafy former foreign concession of European mansions and quiet lanes, good for a slow morning.
• Chen Clan Ancestral Hall: the masterpiece of Lingnan craftsmanship, covered in carved wood, brick and ceramic figures.
• Yuexiu Park and the Five Rams statue: the symbol of the city's founding legend.
• Beijing Road and Yongqingfang: pedestrian streets layered over excavated Song-dynasty roadbeds, with restored qilou arcades.

Landing and getting around

Two arrival points, two different plans. From Baiyun Airport (CAN), Metro Line 3 runs straight into the city, about 45 minutes to the Zhujiang New Town business district. Guangzhou South, the main high-speed station, is not central: it sits about 17 km south in Panyu District, so allow a solid 40 minutes on Metro Line 2, 7 or 22 to reach the center. Once in town the metro is extensive, cheap and signed in English. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your overseas card before arriving; both work at metro gates and street stalls alike.

The Pearl River Delta on a day ticket

Guangzhou is the best springboard in the south. High-speed trains reach Shenzhen in about half an hour and Hong Kong West Kowloon in under an hour (bring your passport; you clear exit and entry formalities at the station). Foshan, the martial-arts and ceramics town, is a direct metro ride away. With more time, the UNESCO-listed Kaiping diaolou, fortified watchtowers mixing Chinese and Western styles, make a memorable countryside excursion. Book cross-border and mainland trains on the official 12306 site (no markup) or via Trip.com in English.

When to go

Guangzhou is subtropical: October to April is the comfortable window, with autumn the sweet spot. July and August bring heat, humidity and the odd typhoon. One local trap: the twice-yearly Canton Fair (spring and autumn sessions) fills hotels citywide and sends rates up sharply, so check the fair dates before locking in your stay.