Where to stay

Guangzhou's most famous building is the Zaha Hadid-designed Opera House on the banks of the Pearl River in the central neighborhood of Tianhe. This area is the place to stay for those who want to be in the city's hyper-modern heart, centered on Zhujiang New Town. Many hotels here are architecturally significant in their own right, and are close to the 111-storey CTF Finance Centre, the striking Guangzhou Library and Guangdong Museum, and Guangzhou Central Business District. The instantly recognizable Canton Tower is across the river to the south in Haizhu, where there's also some high-end accommodation options, such as the Shangri-La.

Guangzhou is renowned for being a green city. Yuexiu's park is one of the largest urban parks in China, making the neighborhood the top choice for those who want to stay reasonably centrally but do not want to compromise on being close to green space. Hotels in Baiyun are further out, but what they lack in proximity to the business district, they make up for in easy access to the lush hills and natural beauty of Baiyun Mountain, where there are six different scenic areas to explore and a cable car. Back in downtown Guangzhou, look for spots near Huanghuagang Park, off East Huanshi Road, where you won't feel surrounded by high-rises.

Book a room in Liwan to be at the heart of Guangzhou's old quarter. This is one of the best areas to come in search of traditional Cantonese cooking, restaurants specializing in dim sum and food tours that include trips to bustling Huangsha Wholesale Fish Market. For the widest choice of international cuisine as well as numerous five-star hotel restaurants at institutions such as the Ritz-Carlton and Mandarin Oriental, Tianhe is the best neighborhood to choose for accommodations. Those in search of bar culture should stay on or near Huanshi Dong Lu, a street that comes to life after dark.