Visiting Guangzhou, China: Top Sights on Foot

Guangzhou is a dynamic city in southern China where centuries of history meet a fast‑moving urban culture, known for its Cantonese cuisine and its place in the Pearl River Delta. Visitors find a blend of historic temples, gardens, museums and modern skyline that makes the city worth exploring. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Guangzhou with 100 narrated places.

Top Places to See in Guangzhou

Southern Han Mausoleums Museum

The museum and cemetery preserve the tombs of two rulers of the Southern Han kingdom from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The site links the archaeological remains directly to the history they represent.

Yuyin Shanfang (Yuyin Garden)

Located in Panyu District, this private garden dates to the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty and covers about 1,589 square metres. It has been recognized as a Guangzhou cultural heritage site since 1983, a Guangdong provincial heritage site since 1989 and a national key cultural relic protection unit since 2001.

Cemetery of 72 Martyrs of Yellow Flower Mound

This memorial commemorates the seventy‑two people who died in the Yellow Flower Mound Uprising of April 1911, led by Sun Yat‑sen’s Tongmenghui. The park serves as a reminder of the early republican struggle.

Guangzhou Children’s Library

Opened on 1 June 1996, the library moved to its current main building on 1 March 2015 in Yuexiu District. It now operates three locations and provides public library services for young readers.

Sacred Heart Cathedral

Known locally as the Stone Chamber, this Roman Catholic cathedral is built entirely of granite in Gothic Revival style. Construction began in 1863 and finished in 1888, giving the building a footprint of roughly 2,754 square metres, a width of about 35 metres, a length of 78.69 metres and twin towers that rise 58.5 metres.

Canton Custom House

Built in 1916, the building is famed for its clock tower and the unusual Latin inscription “CVSTOM HOVSE”. It stands as a landmark of the Changdi commercial district and reflects Guangzhou’s modern Western architecture of the early 20th century.

Huaisheng Mosque (Lighthouse Mosque)

One of Guangzhou’s most important Islamic landmarks, the mosque features a plain minaret, the Guangta, that rises thirty‑six metres. Historical texts trace its origins to the seventh century, though modern scholarship places its foundation in the Tang or Song dynasties.

Guangzhou Library

The public library’s new building in Zhujiang New Town opened fully on 23 June 2013, replacing the former site on Zhongshan Road. It now serves as a major resource for residents and visitors.

Guangdong Museum

Situated in Zhujiang New Town, the museum offers a broad introduction to the art, nature, culture and history of Guangdong and China. It was named one of China’s first national first‑class museums in 2008 and added to the national key museums list in April 2024.

Cantonese Opera Art Museum

Opened on 9 June 2016 in Liwan District, the museum brings together exhibitions, performances and explanations of Cantonese opera in a single venue near the junction of Enning Road and Penglai Road.

Site of the “Quell the British” Corps at Sanyuanli

Originally a Qing‑dynasty temple, the hall was converted into an exhibition hall in 1958 and rebuilt as a memorial museum in 1961. The 237‑square‑metre brick‑and‑timber structure displays broadswords, spears, a Three Stars flag, British uniforms and four ancient cannons.

小东营广场 (Xiaodongying Mosque area)

Xiaodongying Mosque is one of Guangzhou’s five mosques and an active Muslim place of worship. Nearby lies the former headquarters of the March 29 Uprising, adding another historical layer to the neighbourhood.

CITIC Plaza

This eighty‑storey office tower in Tianhe District was completed in 1997 after construction began in July 1993. With a structural height of 391 metres—including two antenna‑like spires—it was China’s tallest building and the world’s tallest concrete building at opening, and remains the tallest reinforced‑concrete tower worldwide.

Haizhu Square

Opened in 1953, Haizhu Square was the first landscaped square built in Guangzhou after 1949. It sits where the old city’s central axis meets the riverfront, beside Haizhu Bridge, and features the Guangzhou Liberation Statue erected in 1959. The area also hosts the Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Museum, opened on 1 June 2022 in a century‑old former power plant.

MouZoekNgam (Wuzhuo Monastery)

Described as the only Buddhist nunnery of its kind in Guangzhou, MouZoekNgam dates back to 1667 and was founded by Lai Ji, a Buddhist nun and sister of the late Ming monk Tianran. It remains a distinctive part of the city’s religious heritage.

Explore Guangzhou with Neywo

Neywo provides five walking tours and one bus route in Guangzhou. The walks range from 3.0 km to 4.9 km (76 to 120 minutes) and include 6 to 10 narrated stops each; the bus line is 5 km long, lasts 21 minutes and has 5 stops. As you reach each point, the app tells the story of that place, allowing you to go at your own pace with no group and no schedule. Download Neywo to enjoy a free audio guide and discover the city’s highlights on your terms.

Guangdong
China
Shenzhen
Dongguan