广州 GuangZhou Nov 2018 trip report

[FireEmblem]

Here is to give something back to this community.

I am a Cantonese and especially since young with influence from Hong Kong movies etc have always wanted to one day visit Hong Kong or similar like Canton 广州 which this thread is about. In total i was in Canton for 12 days which many people will think, what? you spent so many days in Canton alone? Normally people just go there for like 4 days 3 nights and there is nothing else to do there anymore but well I like my trip relaxed and not rushed so mostly i slept more, woke up around 8.30 am and out in the streets only around 9.30 to 10.00 am.

This is my first trip to China and in Canton it is mostly a food hunt trip so I am creating this with the perspective of sharing my Canton trip, the good food as well as a newbie guide.

Firstly i am a solo traveler almost predominantly so with the freedom to be able to decide on the go on the fly on any particular day, it is a great blessing that now China is more developed especially in the area of technology to better assist travelers via great Apps. In this area, I will like to greatly recommend these two APPs.

1)大众点凭.

2)Baidu Map

From just my first trip to China, i have found these two to be indispensable while travelling in China and I am sure if i am ever to visit another location in China in the future, they will be of great help too.

An introduction to 大众点凭, what it is?

This app is like an encyclopedia plus review plus guide plus pictorial reference etc of just where is where and what is of China (actually the world too thou less significant) as per data input from the app's users and as more and more people use it and provide input, the amount of data stored within this app to help travelers is staggering. So firstly here are some screenshots of just what this app helps you with

General home page

Few screenshot on what this app offers. As an outsider traveler, most of the time it is almost impossible to know these places etc where locals goes and this app help tons

Type anything and it will give you list of recommendation

App's recommendations based on 人气 via tons of reviews input from app users which mostly will be local's reviews so you know it is going to give you data on where locals goes to etc

you can change sort options based on what you like, example this is for food.

Look for what you want for food type

Once you are some recommended shop list based on your sort criteria, you can click into each shop list for more information example opening hours and here is for the shop's recommended items in pictorial guide format, the rough price (since price are dynamic and can change over time). This greatly helps to let you know what to expect if you wishes to dine there. If you have the blessing to have being able to open a China bank account and can link your account to top up wechat/Alipay etc, you can also go into each shop's page to find out what promotion price package you can purchase and purchase it directly in this app

 

[FireEmblem]

Why I recommend baidu map?

Baidu map is cross-linked to 大众点凭. In comparison google map is kiddish and useless in China. Baidu map itself has certain in app ability to provide recommendation on where to go to around any area you choose especially very useful when you just want to find out just what is around you, their reviews etc and it is cross linked back to 大众点凭 if you need further information on any location etc

With such a great help, I have being able to take the local transport just as like a local can do so and my this first trip to China Canton, I got around to all my locations via the local bus/subway system

Inside any recommendation in 大众点凭, you will find the address, click on the address and you will see this link to baidu map

Click in and you can have options on how to go this location from your location which here is for local transportation

Click on each of the recommended route and it will provide you a map on where you are and how to start the journey

 

[FireEmblem]

Ok preview and newbie guide to exploring China out, here is actual trip

Upon arrival at the airport, you can purchase this Yang Cheng Tong 羊城通 card. It is very recommended for anyone taking public transport in Canton. To purchase this, upon going out of the arrival hall, do not walk out of a security area which takes you to the subway. Otherwise if you enter the subway area of going thru your first luggage scan etc, you need to U-turn back and go back to the departure hall.

Instead you need to turn left, walk to the end and take the lift up to 3rd floor departure hall where you will find a 7-11 straight ahead after exiting the lift to purchase this card. The card cost 38 rmb, 18 rmb is the cost of the card, 20 rmb as deposit. Thereafter you can top up the value. I topped up 200 rmb which end of the trip I still had bout 80 rmb left. Why this card is sold only at the departure hall really makes me wonder but on well after wasting some time, i finally got my card.

This card currently only allows for travel within Canton and some surrounding area like ShenZhen, FoShan, DongGuan etc, but within the next few months, you can purchase the 一卡通 version that allows you to use the same card in over 200 cities within China so look out for that.

Scene in the subway where everyone has to go thru these scanner and have bag scanned. Thou almost everyone who went thru that metal detector has the alarm going off but they cannot afford to check everyone so everyone goes beep beep beep but no further checks

First stop after arrival, dropping my luggage at hotel and a nice bath, it is time for dinner. Canton is famous for dimsum and there are tons of places for dimsum here. I am a newbie so with so many in various Canton threads inside the Hardwarezone China forum recommending this, here i am

点都得for my dinner. The dim sum in Canton are huge, i had 6 items here and was super stuffed finishing them. I had Har gow here too and they were like golf ball size which is much bigger than what it is like in SG. Bill came up to around 155 rmb. The dimsum was quite ok but over the next few days, there are much better dim sum found elsewhere

 

[FireEmblem]

Tea set

kettle for hot water (which is nicely heated at the bottom with a very small flame)

location shot

One of the must try: Red rice roll

Roasted pigeon

Siew mai

Coconut juice based desert

 

[bluestone27]

Was it a solo trip? Any food/places recommendation as I am going end of December

 

[s7460597]

Can't wait for more updates of the trip.

Bluestone, he did say he's a solo traveler.

I'll be going Shunde in January.

 

[beanstalk6]

Always lovely to hear from travellers giving back to the community here in terms of reviews, itineraries and reports.

 

[FireEmblem]

Was it a solo trip? Any food/places recommendation as I am going end of December

Yup solo trip, you see my photos later and any of the food stalls you are interested in, just key into 大众点凭 will find it easily

 

[FireEmblem]

After finish makan, is dark already. Since i went to the outlet at Beijing road and heard many people recommending it, decide to walk down the road to walk walk see see

Hmm, most of this shopping street is selling China brand clothes or stuff but at prices which makes it looks like pasar malam clothes at high enough prices to be unattractive.

I seriously dun recommend buying stuff in this street. Walk walk abit but need to settle some office work so went back early to hotel room already.

 

[FireEmblem]

Second day morning.

As i am staying near to the Chen clan academy, there is an area nearby which is what is referred as Hutong 胡同. Went in walk walk a few rounds

had a cheap 5 rmb century egg lean pork porridge

followed by a 10 rmb beef noodle

 

[FireEmblem]

hutong price grade

surprisingly around the area got this automated vending machine selling daily vege and stuff. Pay by wechat or etc phone paying system after scanning the QR code.

walk walk more, got kor kor still playing song bird walking somewhere

Guangzhou all the roads got dedicated cycling track so many many people cycle around. People were also using e-scooter like regular car on the road itself (pic come later)

 

[FireEmblem]

ok back to posting

Walk walk walk, found my first surprise find of the trip.

The tastiest dim sum i had in GZ and also the cheapest (Cheaper than dim do tak and tao tao ju by bout 50%). It is a 老字号 old canton style 茶楼 whose cliente are almost 100% the older folks who lived around there and not really well advertised like those popular dim sum places. I was like their youngest diner. It is seriously good enough that it was the only dim sum place i went more than once ( I went total 3 times to try other stuff)

These siew mai are seriously good, much better than those at dim sum resturants there ( i ate at 6 dim sum places in GZ in total)

Hargow that is golf ball size or bigger with alot of prawns in it and also very very good.

glutinous chicken rice

肠粉

spinach with pork

All

 

[FireEmblem]

After the mid morning breakfast, went to Chen clan academy, 10 rmb admission fee payable only with cash.

Overheard one xmm behind me asking her friends if they have cash with them as she never bring any out (cos as we know now, they all use handphone to pay for everything liao)

my attempt at replication of the ticket

 

[FireEmblem]

Walk walk finish chen clan academy, went look for food again

Along the way saw these, cut your hair for less than 2 sgd and dye it for 5 sgd anyone?

ok got to where i want to go, 珍珍. Just opposite the road from that great dim sum i had just few hours ago.

had the best beef and pig intestine hor fan i had in the whole trip really super super sedap

Another 老字号

 

[FireEmblem]

After lunch,

Go walk walk Old Liwan town area, famous confectionary shop but i quite full so never buy anything

walk walk more, found this desert shop

another 老字号,

so got myself two bowls of desert, black sesame and green bean with lotus seed

 

[FireEmblem]

Spent the whole afternoon walking around this old liwan street area plus went into one of their shopping mall walk walk but nothing interesting to buy

around old liwan street, many shops selling food

Have many many shops selling freshly made wan ton

Another famous shop for 肠粉 but not today

 

[bluestone27]

Thanks for sharing! That plate of pig intestine/beef horfun looks really good!

 

[FireEmblem]

walk and walk, soon it is time for dinner

Saw this store which has high rating for boat porridge so went in ordered one set, hmm tasted normal only, imo not worth high rating

 

[FireEmblem]

After light pre dinner, went back to beijing road walk walk again as previous day just walk abit only

Saw a pet shop in one of the shopping malls selling mainly rabbits so took a photo

In Guangzhou, they have ear picking service which few days later i tried it out but like nothing much. Maybe my ear poop are the very hard and dried type so cannot dig much out

Hmm this place supposedly sells very good Si Chuan cuisine but nah dun want to eat high chilli food and risk spoil stomach for trip

Found a Hong Kong style Cha Chan Ting which incidently i met the most rude people ever here while in Guang Zhou. The girl waitress like not interested and like practically throw your food at your table once reaching.

The guy waiter worst, i was eating half way, then you know you are resting your elbow on the table while using chop sticks to eat, i was eating half way when that waiter reached under my armpit (triangle area between resting elbow armpit and body) to reach for my receipt see if i have ordered something he was holding and never said a word like it was normal to do so really really super super rude. All the while when i was actually eating

the food sucks too, so highly highly not recommended.

 

[FireEmblem]

Choose this store (was at random but checked that rating was average so just tried) as have not eating 烧蜡 yet in GuangZhou yet and since saw one store, just walked in

I had never eaten roosted goose before and since young watching Hongkie show had always wanted to try it, this is my virgin roasted goose and choose a leg which was very expensive at $16 sgd for this plate of rice.

Sucks siah

Also order a plain wanton soup, also not nice. Also ordered a hong kong style milk tea which is also average. Total cost me like $25.00 and i got lousy food and super rude service.

After eat finish, walk walk more around beijing road then is take subway back to hotel already

Chen Clan academy at night

This area around Chen Clan academy comes is a very lively area in the evening, many people come with their kids to play or the adults were dancing etc