Which places in Guangzhou could you visit if you only have half a day to explore the city? From July 11, international travelers arriving at the Baiyun International Airport and having a layover of more than eight hours can enjoy a free half-day guided tour in Guangzhou. Where can you visit and what can you experience in this short tour?

Huacheng Square (花城广场)

At the first stop, Huacheng Square, you can have a look at the modern city. Located in the new central axis of Guangzhou, Huacheng Square is regarded as "Guangzhou's parlor". It is surrounded by 39 buildings including many city landmarks, such as Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou Library, and Guangzhou Opera House. If you want to check out as many of the city’s landmarks as possible for once, the square will be a good choice. 

Guangdong Museum (广东省博物馆)

Situated beside Huacheng Square, Guangdong Museum resembles a jewel box in its appearance. Its exterior's design is inspired by the Guangdong traditional handicraft of the carved ivory ball. There are 5 permanent exhibitions in this huge box, which houses a collection of more than 320,000 pieces of exhibits presenting Guangdong's natural resources, history, and culture. 

Guangzhou Library (广州图书馆)

Guangzhou Library is next to Guangdong Museum. Taking up 21,000 square meters, the library is one of the largest city libraries in the world. Adopting the forms of beautiful books as the design concept, its external structure looks like a cascade of books. It was put on the list of the top ten cultural landmarks of Guangzhou in February 2024. 

Guangzhou Opera House (广州大剧院)

Guangzhou Opera House was recognized as one of the "10 Best Opera Houses Around the World" by USA Today. The theatre holds performances from around the globe and produces theatre arts work with the principle of "international, innovative, original and explorative".

Chen Clan Academy (陈家祠)

As a national-level protected cultural heritage site, Chen Clan Academy houses the Guangdong Museum of Folk Arts. There, you would be amazed by Guangdong's folk architectural styles, which show brilliant decorative arts. You will see exquisite wood, brick, and stone carvings, intricate lime-clay mixtures, stunning pottery sculptures, elegant iron castings, and vibrant paintings. These masterpieces vividly represent different themes, bursting with rich colors and presenting impeccable craftsmanship. 

Yuexiu Park (越秀公园)

The last place to visit is Yuexiu Park, the biggest comprehensive park in Guangzhou, which features 7 hills and 3 artificial lakes. While the first four attractions are located on Guangzhou's current central axis, Yuexiu Park marks the beginning of Guangzhou's old central axis. It serves as a crucial witness to the development of Guangzhou city. The park houses cultural relics such as Zhenhai Tower, the Sun Yat-sen Monument, and the ancient city wall of the Ming Dynasty, alongside representative architecture from various historical periods. Interesting is that you can find the origin of the nickname of Guangzhou in the park. The Five Goats Statue, built in 1959, is a symbol of Guangzhou as Guangzhou has a nickname "the Goat City".

Come and join this free half-day guided tour to explore these incredible attractions and the charming Guangzhou!