Modern and riverside — Canton Tower, Pearl River lights
Huacheng Square ringed by skyscrapers, a tower that twists into a wasp-waist silhouette, and the Pearl River lit on both banks after dark — this is the day Guangzhou shows off how modern it has become.
Start at Huacheng Square, the green civic heart of Zhujiang New Town, ringed by Guangzhou's tallest towers. The Guangdong Museum, the provincial library and the Guangzhou Opera House (designed by Zaha Hadid) are all within walking distance. It's clean, easy to walk and shows you modern Guangzhou in a single frame. Allow around 90 minutes to two hours here.
From the square, look across the river and you'll see Canton Tower standing tall. Walk the riverside and shoot the daytime view in the morning, but save the climb up the tower for the evening, when it's far more spectacular.
In the afternoon, cross to Canton Tower — the 600 m tower with the famous "wasp-waist" twist, one of the tallest towers in the world. Pick an observation level to match your budget: the 433/450 m decks, or the outermost 488 m open-air deck, which is the highest outdoor observation deck on earth. Arrive in the late afternoon and you can catch the daytime view, sunset and the lights coming on all from the same spot.
For a thrill, try the Bubble Tram — a horizontal ferris wheel that glides around the very top (at 460 m, the world's highest ferris wheel) — or the Sky Drop free fall from the antenna mast above.
After sunset, board a Pearl River cruise between 19:30 and 21:00 — this is the reason day one is structured the way it is. The Pearl River at night is Guangzhou at its best: both banks light up, the New Town towers glow, Canton Tower cycles through its colours, and the bridges shine over the water. From river level it's an entirely different view than from the towers above. Boats depart from several wharves, including Tianzi Wharf and Dashatou near the old waterfront.
