Sights & Attractions in Guangzhou and Shenzhen

Guangzhou (also known as Canton), the capital of Guangdong province, is both a modern boomtown and an ancient port city. This metropolis of over 7 million people has all the expected accoutrements of a competitive, modern Chinese city: Skyscrapers, heavy traffic, efficient metro, and serious crowds. But Guangzhou is also an old city with a long history. Exploring its riverfront, parks, temples, and markets, one is constantly reminded the impact its irrepressible culture, language, and cuisine has made on the world.

Roughly speaking, Guangzhou is divided in half by the Pearl River, which runs from east to west and separates the Haizhu District (a large island) from the districts in the north. Most of the sights we're recommending will keep you north of the Pearl River, since this is where the majority of the more culturally edifying parts of Guangzhou lie.

Shenzen may be China's youngest city, but this is one metropolis that's definitely come of age. A small farming town until 1980, Shenzhen was chosen by Deng Xiaoping as an incubator in which the seeds of China's economic reform were to be nurtured. The results are the stuff of legend; a quarter century later, Shenzhen is now China's richest, and, according to some, its most vibrant city.

Sprawling Shenzhen is composed of six districts. Luohu and Futian are the "downtown" districts, with most of the major shopping areas, financial districts, and hundreds of hotels. If beautiful beaches and Soviet-era aircraft carriers-cum-theme parks are your thing, you won't want to miss the Yantian district. Shekou District is an area extremely popular with locals and visitors alike for its waterfront dining and plethora of bars and restaurants. Nanshan is Shenzhen's arts and theme-park district. Surrounding these smaller districts like a misshapen croissant are Shenzhen's two largest (and least urban) districts: Bao'an to the east and Longgang to the west.

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