Taste of Guangzhou | Guangzhou + Beijing Road + Zhujiang New Town + Chen Clan Ancestral Hall + Lizhiwan + Yongqingfang 2-Day Food Tour

Welcome to Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province. It is a hub city of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and a famous trade and cultural center in South China, with a history of more than 2,200 years. Relying on its advantages as a port city and integrating local and foreign cultures, it has formed a unique urban character. As the birthplace of Lingnan culture, Guangzhou has nurtured rich cultural symbols such as Cantonese, Cantonese cuisine, and Cantonese opera, demonstrating profound cultural heritage. Today's itinerary begins at Yuexiu Park. Yuexiu Park is the largest comprehensive park in downtown Guangzhou and one of Guangzhou's landmark buildings, praised as one of the "Eight Sights of Yangcheng." It preserves a large number of historical and cultural relics: the site of Zhao Tuo's "Chaohan Terrace" of Nanyue, the remains of the wooden water gate of the Nanyue Palace, the longest and most complete existing Ming Dynasty city wall in Guangzhou, Zhenhai Tower (first built in 1380), the Five Immortals Temple, the first tower of Lingnan, the monument to Sun Yat-sen's reading and administrative office, and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Monument (498 granite steps). Moreover, Yuexiu Park is shaded by green trees and has very beautiful scenery. You can enter from the West Gate of Yuexiu Park. The 11-meter-high granite group sculpture in the park—the Five Rams Stone Sculpture—is well worth seeing. It is Guangzhou's most iconic urban sculpture and also a symbol of Guangzhou, carrying Guangzhou's thousand-year legend and city spirit. It is said that during a famine in Guangzhou, five immortals rode rams and gave rice ears; the main ram holding rice ears in its mouth recreates the legend of "five immortals granting grain," and Guangzhou thus got the names "Yangcheng" and "Suicheng." Near the Five Rams Stone Sculpture, you can see the only remaining section of Guangzhou's Ming Dynasty ancient city wall, first built in the 13th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1380), with a history of more than 600 years. You can also climb to the top of the hill to visit Zhenhai Tower, which has been destroyed and rebuilt five times (optional: admission 10 yuan/person). It is now the main hall of the Guangzhou Museum, a landmark ancient building and historical cultural landmark of Guangzhou, where you can view the essence of Guangzhou's more than 2,200 years of history and culture. After reaching the top, you can also take in the magnificent views of the Pearl River and Baiyun Mountain. In addition, if you are interested, you can also visit the Sun Yat-sen Memorial architectural complex to gain an in-depth understanding of Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary spirit, Republican-era architectural art, and modern Guangzhou history. After visiting Yuexiu Park, head to Beijing Road, praised as the "First Street of Lingnan" and the "Thousand-Year Commercial Avenue." This is Guangzhou's oldest urban central axis (unchanged for 2,200 years since the Qin Dynasty) and also one of Guangzhou's most popular commercial pedestrian streets. Strolling along it, you can browse quaint and exquisite local time-honored brands and international brand shops, taste authentic Cantonese snacks (such as rice noodle rolls, claypot rice, wonton noodles, beef chow fun, Cantonese roast meats, and char siu buns), and see long-standing historical and cultural remains: the foundation site of Gongbei Tower of the Song Dynasty, the brick-paved road of the Southern Han period, the wooden water gate of Nanyue (the world's earliest and most complete wooden gate), the Nanyue Palace Office (the highest-grade palace complex in Lingnan during the Qin and Han dynasties), the Great Buddha Temple (a Lingnan-style Buddhist temple), and the City God Temple (Ming Dynasty, the largest City God Temple in Lingnan). After enjoying the delicious street food, you will go to a characteristic Guangzhou tea restaurant for the main meal. This is a place where local Guangzhou residents dine daily, and here you can taste the most authentic and classic Cantonese cuisine, from main dishes to desserts. Recommended lunch menu: chilled jellyfish head (cold dish); roast goose, char siu, suckling pig, white cut chicken, steamed spare ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, winter melon soup (main dishes); double-skin milk, pineapple bun, mango pomelo sago (desserts); chrysanthemum tea, silk stocking milk tea (drinks). Note: These menu items are for reference only; our guide will order according to your dietary preferences. After enjoying a hearty lunch, head to Zhujiang New Town, praised as "Guangzhou's Manhattan," to begin exploring. This is Guangzhou's largest CBD and one of the areas with the highest concentration of supertall buildings over 300 meters in the world, gathering many skyscrapers: Guangzhou International Finance Center (IFC, about 440 meters), Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre (about 530 meters, Guangzhou's second tallest building), and in the distance the Canton Tower (about 600 meters, Guangzhou's landmark building and China's tallest tower). Then continue to the core landmark of Guangzhou's new central axis—Huacheng Square. This area gathers 39 landmark buildings, including Guangzhou Library, Guangzhou Opera House, and Guangdong Museum, and is known as the "city's living room." You can also gaze at the towering Canton Tower in the distance, whose design is unique, with slender lines like a "small waist," very distinctive. In addition, the splendid light show at night is a highlight of Huacheng Square and not to be missed. It is worth mentioning that the Guangzhou International Light Festival held annually at Huacheng Square is well worth seeing; it is also one of the world's three major light festivals. Finally, you can stroll along the Pearl River, especially at night: the night view of Canton Tower, the light and shadow of bridges, and the lights on both banks reflected on the Pearl River surface paint a flowing, colorful Lingnan poetic painting. Recommended evening optional activities: 1. Seafood feast (dinner): Guangzhou seafood is fresh and delicious. For dinner, you can choose a seafood restaurant and enjoy a sumptuous seafood feast such as salt and pepper shrimp, garlic steamed scallops, and spicy crab, while enjoying Guangzhou's charming night view; or consult your guide about famous seafood restaurants in Guangzhou according to your taste. 2. Pearl River night cruise: From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., you can take a Pearl River night cruise (about 60 minutes), immerse yourself in Guangzhou's charming night scenery, and capture the most beautiful night views. Along the way, you can not only enjoy Guangzhou's magnificent city skyline, but also admire Guangzhou's landmark buildings: Canton Tower, Liede Bridge (LED light show), Haixin Bridge (the world's largest-span pedestrian bridge), and more.

Today, you will follow in the footsteps of the "Cantonese locals" and explore in depth Guangzhou's traditional old town—Xiguan. This is the most typical representative neighborhood of old Guangzhou's cultural style, having nurtured Lingnan cultural symbols such as Xiguan mansions, arcade streets, Cantonese opera, Cantonese music, and Guangdong music. It is often said, "To experience Lingnan culture in Guangzhou, you haven't truly been to Guangzhou without visiting Xiguan." In addition, Xiguan is a representative of Guangzhou's food culture, with the saying "Food is in Guangzhou, flavor is in Xiguan." First, begin your tour at the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, hailed as the "Crown of Guangdong Ancestral Halls." It is the pinnacle of traditional Lingnan architecture and one of China's largest, best-preserved, and most exquisitely decorated ancestral hall-style buildings, known as the "Pearl of Lingnan Architectural Art." Built jointly by the Chen clans of 72 counties in Guangdong and completed in 1893, its layout features three axes, three courtyards, nine halls, and six courtyards, with axial symmetry and exquisite decoration. It embodies the best of Lingnan's "three carvings, two sculptures, one casting, and one painting" crafts and is known as a "dazzling palace of folk decorative art"—a great place to appreciate Chinese Lingnan architecture and ancestral hall culture. The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall also houses the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum, where you can admire traditional Guangdong craft masterpieces such as ivory carving, jade carving, wood carving, Cantonese embroidery, and Canton porcelain. Then, proceed to Lizhiwan, famous for the line "A bay of green stream water, red lychees on both banks." The scenery here is beautiful. Strolling along, you'll see ancient banyan trees with hanging aerial roots on both banks, very picturesque, complementing the gray-brick and dark-tile ancient buildings. You can also admire the landmark skyline formed by the Wen Tower (a Ming Dynasty hexagonal ancient pagoda), Longjin Bridge (a three-arch stone bridge), and Xiguan mansions with wok-ear gable walls, enjoying the unique Lingnan water town charm. Along the way, the tea restaurants are not to be missed. You can find a traditional tea restaurant, order a freshly brewed local tea such as chrysanthemum, jasmine, Tieguanyin, or Pu'er, and a few specialty Cantonese dim sum items like BBQ pork buns, shrimp dumplings, and egg tarts, savoring authentic Cantonese flavors. After enjoying the Cantonese tea restaurant, you can visit the Lizhiwan Grand Theater, the most representative Cantonese opera cultural landmark in Liwan District, Guangzhou. If timing is right, you may catch a live Cantonese opera performance. Not far away, the Liwan Museum is also worth a visit. It is Guangdong Province's first district-level museum, focusing on collecting and researching Liwan's history, culture, and folk customs. A highlight is the Xiguan Folk Museum, converted from a typical Xiguan mansion, where you can immersively experience traditional Cantonese residential architecture, wedding customs, teahouse culture, and other Lingnan cultural features, as well as admire special artifacts such as Manchu windows and rosewood furniture. Afterward, continue your culinary exploration to Yongqing Fang, hailed as "Guangzhou's most beautiful old street." It preserves Guangzhou's longest and most complete arcade building complex, blending Chinese and Western elements such as gray-brick walls, Roman columns, and Manchu windows, with added modern cultural creativity. Strolling through, you can admire arcades, Xiguan mansions, the Moon Bridge, intangible cultural heritage craft workshops, and art galleries, enjoying the charm of old Guangzhou with new brilliance, and taste authentic old Guangzhou flavors such as beef offal soup, wonton, egg tarts, rice noodle rolls, lai fun, and double-skin milk. After visiting Yongqing Fang, continue to Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, China's first commercial pedestrian street. This is Guangzhou's oldest commercial street and one of its three traditional commercial centers. It still retains the original appearance of old Xiguan and has Lingnan's largest arcade complex. The Guangzhou Restaurant arcade (Roman columns + Manchu windows) and the Tao Tao Ju Republican-era tile staircase are landmark buildings well worth seeing. In addition, the specialty Cantonese cuisine on Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street is very authentic, attracting countless food lovers. It has many time-honored restaurants: Guangzhou Restaurant's Wenchang chicken, Tao Tao Ju's Cantonese mooncakes, and Lianxiang Lou's lotus paste are so delicious you'll want more. If you love sweets, the sugar cane, radish cake, water chestnut cake, and ginger milk curd here are worth trying, allowing you to enjoy traditional Xiguan flavors. In the evening, visit the Qingping Herbal Medicine Market, hailed as a "century-old sacred place for Chinese herbal medicine trading." This is Guangzhou's famous Chinese herbal medicine center and one of China's largest Chinese herbal medicine markets, established in 1979. Here, you can find a rich variety of Cantonese ingredients, discover many nourishing treasures, and immersively experience Lingnan medicinal cuisine culture. Among them, Guangdong herbal tea, which clears heat, relieves summer heat, removes dampness, and promotes salivation, is worth trying. This traditional herbal beverage of the Lingnan region was inscribed on China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006. You can also chat with experienced vendors and learn about health preservation methods and medicinal cuisine preparation. After the tour, this wonderful and unforgettable 2-day Guangzhou food tour will come to an end. Our driver will take you to the airport/train station. If you wish to extend this trip and explore more Chinese destinations such as Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Huangshan, Harbin, Yunnan, Xi'an, Zhangjiajie, Tibet, Guilin, Xinjiang, etc., you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you.