Neighborhoods in Guangzhou

Tianhe CBD is Guangzhou's gleaming financial centre — a forest of futuristic skyscrapers, elevated skywalks, luxury malls and the sparkling IFC and CTF towers. The district showcases China's economic ambition in glass, steel and light.

Shamian Island (沙面) is a serene 900-metre-long sandbank in the Liwan District, separated from the mainland by a narrow canal. Once divided between the British and French concessions from 1861, it retains dozens of restored colonial-era buildings now hosting boutique cafés and consulates.

Zhujiang New Town (珠江新城) is Guangzhou's futuristic central business district, home to supertall skyscrapers, the city's major cultural institutions, and generous public plazas along the Pearl River waterfront.

Enning Road (恩宁路) is the longest surviving Qilou (arcade) street in Guangzhou, stretching through the heart of the old Liwan District. A sensitive urban renewal project has restored its shophouses while introducing galleries, theatres, and artisan workshops.

Shawan Ancient Town (沙湾古镇) is an 800-year-old Lingnan heritage village in Panyu District, famous for its ancestral halls, oyster-shell walls, and the local delicacy — ginger-milk pudding.

Lychee Bay (荔枝湾涌) is a revitalized historic waterway in Liwan District, named for the lychee orchards that once lined its banks. The creek and surrounding lanes preserve Lingnan-style courtyard houses, Cantonese opera stages, and traditional snack vendors — a living glimpse of old Guangzhou.

Dongshan is Guangzhou's best-preserved Republican-era residential quarter. Its streets are lined with red-brick Western-style villas built in the 1920s–30s by returned overseas Chinese, now repurposed as bohemian cafés, galleries and co-working spaces.

Xiao Bei is one of Asia's most multicultural neighbourhoods — a trading district where African, Middle Eastern and South Asian merchants run import-export businesses. The surrounding streets are filled with Nigerian, Senegalese and Ethiopian restaurants.

Ersha Island (二沙岛) is a leafy residential island in the Pearl River between the old city and Zhujiang New Town, known for its sculpture gardens, museums, and riverside running paths — a peaceful escape minutes from the CBD.