Shenzhen
By far the best place for strolling or simply hanging out in the city is the breezy OCT-LOFT complex, a warren of repurposed communist-era factories criss…
Must-see attractions in Guangdong
Guangzhou
Don't depart Guangzhou without an amble through the concession-era gem that is Shamian Island. The central east–west drag is a time-warp boulevard of…
Guangzhou
Designed by Zaha Hadid, southern China's premier performance venue has transformed the area with its typically commanding, otherworldly aspect. Futuristic…
Guangdong
Zili, 11km west of Kaiping, has the largest collection of diāolóu historic watchtowers in the area, though only a few of the 15 are open to the public…
Shenzhen
China's first dedicated museum of design, this architectural landmark opened with media fanfare in 2017 on the Shekou shore with its famous founding…
Guangzhou
An all-in-one ancestral shrine, Confucian school and ‘chamber of commerce’ for the Chen clan, this compound was built in 1894 by the residents of 72…
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Shenzhen
This folksy urban village of narrow lanes and alleys is a pleasure to visit in itself, but what makes Dafen simply unmissable is the hundreds of art…
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Guangdong
The moat of ancient Chaozhou is a lake inside a park well loved by locals. Around the lake are a few notable buildings. Hanbi Building served as a…
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Guangdong
Originally a 12th-century pontoon bridge with 86 boats straddling the Hán River, Guangji Bridge suffered repeated destruction over the centuries. The…
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Shenzhen
It's an easy half-hour amble up to the top of this tropical hill in the heart of Futian District for Shenzhen's best skyline photographs. Appropriately,…
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Shenzhen
It's 'Around the World in 80 Minutes' (OK, more like half a day) at this endearingly kitsch theme park set in well-tended gardens. From the Houses of…
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Qingping Chinese Medicine Market
Guangzhou
Just north of the channel that divides Shamian Island from the city, this tumbledown market is a sensory delight, with open-fronted vendors arranged…
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Shenzhen
Built from the vestiges of a century-old Hakka home, this idyllic courtyard gallery was created by Chen Qiuzhi, a contemporary ink artist from Anhui…
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Guangdong
Foreboding and beautiful Xuan Villa was built in 1936 by a wealthy Malaysian-Chinese member of a secret society tied to Sun Yatsen. Parts of the building…
Guangzhou
One of Guangdong's four famous classical gardens, this graceful property on the outskirts of the city was built in 1871 by an official of the Qing court…
Guangzhou
You'll feel like Indiana Jones/Lara Croft (select as preferred) as you descend the two-millennia-old steps into an actual Han dynasty tomb. This was the…
Shenzhen
This Ming dynasty walled town was erected 600 years ago to shore up the coastline against marauding Japanese pirates, and later became embroiled in the…
Guangzhou
Built for the 2010 Asian games, this 604m tall tower was designed to look 'female' by its Dutch architects, earning it the nickname 'slim waisted' (小蛮腰,…
Shenzhen
Parts of this 300-year-old Hakka village have been preserved and repurposed into workshops and galleries showcasing printmaking artists from China and…
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Guangdong
The 11.3-sq-km Dinghu Shan Reserve lies 18km northeast of Zhaoqing and offers great walks among lush vegetation, rare trees and roaring waterfalls, and…
Museum of Contemporary Art & Planning Exhibition
Shenzhen
One of those thrillingly space-age, 'only in China' architectural projects, this gargantuan exhibition space designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au anchors…
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Guangzhou
Tree-lined streets Xinhepu Lu (新河浦路), Xuguyuan Lu (恤孤院路) and Peizheng Lu (培正路) in the historic Dōngshān area offer a welcome respite from the city. Here…
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Temple of the Six Banyan Trees
Guangzhou
This Buddhist temple complex was first built in AD 537 to enshrine Buddhist relics brought over from India and placed in the octagonal Decorated Pagoda …
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Guangzhou
The warehouses and workshops of the former Guangdong Canned Food Factory (c 1958) are now home to Redtory art village. If you're hoping for an experience…
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Guangdong
This quiet village about 17km west of Meizhou is where you’ll see fine examples of wéilóngwū (围龙屋), dwellings nestled between paddy fields and the hills,…
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Guangdong
China’s largest octagonal tǔlóu (土楼, Hakka earthen house), Dàoyùnlóu is located in Raoping (饶平, Ráopíng), 53km northeast of Chaozhou. Some 600 villagers…
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Maritime Silk Road Museum of Guangdong
Guangdong
Sitting right on Shili Yintan beach, this museum was purpose-built to house an 800-year-old Song dynasty shipwreck that was wholly salvaged near the…
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Guangzhou
This reconstruction of a military school founded in 1924 (the original was destroyed by the Japanese) is a museum of China's modern revolutionary history…
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Guangdong
The charming old town of Chikan, 10km southwest of Kaiping, has streets of shophouses with arcades on the ground floor flanking the Tanjiang River (潭江)…
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Guangdong
The former home of famous Qing dynasty era, Meizhou writer-philosopher Huang Zunxian (1848–1905) is hands on, allowing you to sit in the Lingnan-style…
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Guangzhou
Erected in 1959 in Socialist realism style, this statue on a knoll in Yuexiu Park depicts the symbol of Guangzhou: five mythical rams who bore five…
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Guangdong
Pebbled paths and a willow-fringed pond make this small park on the north bank of the Meijiang River a delight to stroll around in. The Hakka Museum here…
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Guangdong
The landscape of limestone hills, grottoes and willow-graced lakes in this massive, busy park is beautiful, so it’s a pity the authorities try so hard –…
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Guangzhou
Marking a brief period of concord between the Kuomintang and the Communists, this school, at the site of a former Confucian temple, was a joint…
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Guangzhou
The flagship museum of Guangdong province, this ultramodern institution was conceived as one of the city's new showpiece buildings along with the Canton…
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Shenzhen
Operated by CTS, China's major state-owned travel company, this theme park features recreations of minority villages from across China, together with…
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Guangzhou
Baiyun ('White Cloud'), a cluster of scenic peaks in the northern suburbs of Guangzhou, is the closest natural escape from the city. Star Touching Peak …
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Shenzhen
Some 20km east of downtown Shenzhen is OCT East, a theme-park-meets-resort set in attractive mountainous surrounds. Think Universal Studios plus Chinese…
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Guangzhou
You can't miss the 36m-high minaret thrusting up over Guangta Lu like a lighthouse. Enter just east of it and you can stroll all the way through the…
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Guangzhou
Across from Yuexiu Park is this charming and little-visited garden, with worn stone bridges crossing pools, an orchid display and a quaint little…
