ABOUT GAUNGZHOU

Guangzhou, the South Gate of China and the capital city of Guangdong. is a prosperous metropolis full of vigor. and the center of its political, economic, scientific, educational and cultural life. And It is adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau. Guangzhou was known in the West as "Canton". The food and the language of the area are still known as "Cantonese", and the airport code is CAN.

The city is famous for foreign trade and business, and holds China’s largest trade fair, the Canton Fair. However, in between the seemingly endless skyscrapers, shopping malls and building sites there is a lot of culture and history, and while Guangzhou is not usually high on the list of Asian tourist destinations, it is amazing how much the city actually has to offer.

The primary language of Guangzhou is Cantonese, although standard Mandarin, or Putonghua, is fast becoming the lingua franca due to the large influx of migrants. As the Guangzhou dialect of Cantonese is considered to be the prestige dialect, Guangzhou is a good place to start for those wanting to learn Cantonese in its "purest" form. English is not common, but is still better understood here than other Chinese cities, especially in restaurants and bars. Be sure to check out the Cantonese phrasebook and Chinese phrasebook.

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WHEN TO COME

In terms of climate, the best time to visit Guangzhou is in October and November. Alternatively, April and May are also good months.

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