Guangzhou

In the early 20th century, Guangzhou was a hotbed of revolutionary zeal, first as the birthplace of the movement to overthrow the last dynasty (culminating in the 1911 Revolution), and then as a battleground between Nationalists and Communists in the years leading to the 1949 Communist revolution. Following the open-door policy of Deng Xiaoping in 1979, the port city was able to resume its role as a commercial gateway to China.

Rapid modernization during the 1980s and '90s has taken its toll not just on the environment but also on the pace of city life. On bad days the clouds of building-site dust, aggressive driving, shop touts, and persistent beggars can be overwhelming. But in Guangzhou's parks, temples, winding old-quarter backstreets, restaurants, river islets, and museums, the old city and a more refined way of life is never far away.