The Pearl River Delta: Cantonese food heaven next to China's Silicon Valley. Budget 2–3 days.
Guangzhou — eat everything
- Dim sum is a religion: morning yum cha at a packed old teahouse (try Guangzhou Restaurant or a local spot in Liwan) — shrimp dumplings, siu mai, rice rolls
- Shamian Island — leafy colonial concession architecture
- Canton Tower — the twisted 600m tower; bubble tram at the top at sunset
- Chen Clan Academy — the most ornate Cantonese folk-art carvings
- Yongqing Fang — restored Xiguan lanes mixing heritage and cafes
Shenzhen — the future, fast
- Went from fishing town to 17 million people in 40 years
- Ping An Finance Centre observation deck, OCT-Loft creative district, Sea World area in Shekou for restaurants and bars
- Huaqiangbei electronics market — gadget-lover heaven (bargain hard)
- Great as a day trip from Guangzhou (35 min by high-speed rail) or from Hong Kong (14 min)
Hong Kong connection
High-speed rail links Guangzhou South and Shenzhen (Futian/North) to Hong Kong West Kowloon in under an hour — an easy add-on, but note Hong Kong requires its own immigration rules.
Eat (the real reason to come)
Cantonese roast meats, claypot rice, double-boiled soups, wonton noodles, and the dessert shops (double-skin milk). Guangzhou is arguably China's best eating city — Chengdu disagrees, visit both and decide.