Complete Guide to Guangzhou’s Instagram-Worthy Photo Spots for the 2020 National Day & Mid-Autumn Festival
After the pandemic, inter-provincial travel finally reopened. In early September we discovered that round-trip flights to Guangzhou during the National Day holiday were only 830 yuan (including airport construction fee, all fees included). After discussing it, we bought the Hangzhou–Guangzhou round-trip tickets (4th–10th) on 18th September. Seat selection and check-in were all handled on the China Southern Airlines official website. Since we were traveling light and had no checked luggage, we went straight through security with the QR code from online check-in. We had expected all sorts of 'tightened' checks at the airport, but there was nothing – no temperature checks, no need to show a green health code, no declarations to fill in… Passenger traffic at the airport was moderate. We arrived two hours early and just passed the time on our phones.
The flight was delayed less than half an hour – that counts as 'on time'. Stepping off the plane we felt a wave of heat, 32°C. Guangzhou Baiyun Airport also had none of those 'strict checks', no requirement to declare or show a 'Suikang Code'. We took the metro to our accommodation, took a short rest, and by the time we headed out it was already past five. We strolled around Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, spotted plenty of famous snacks and had a bite – local snacks were a key part of our Guangzhou trip.
D1: Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport → Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, Metro Line 3 to Line 1, Minghuang Hotel (Chen Clan Academy branch). Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street.
D2: Walked to Shamian and Yongqingfang, returned to the hotel to rest, then headed to Taikoo Hui (by taxi).
D3: Took a bus to Tangxia Zhihui Park and Huangpu Ancient Port. Went back to the hotel to recharge before heading to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Marshal’s Mansion) and watched the light show by the riverside. We found that there is a bus stop right below the hotel, making getting around much easier. The most inaccessible photo spot, Tangxia Zhihui Park, turned out to have a direct bus – it still took an hour, but that saved a lot of effort. We went there in the morning, then transferred to Huangpu Ancient Port at noon. In the evening we watched the National Day light show and shot some time-lapses.
D4: Bus to Xifang Dayuan and Shawan Ancient Town.
D5: Bus to Dongshankou and Beijing Road Pedestrian Street, back to the hotel for a break, then bus to Yuexiu Park, taxi to Foshan’s Ichibangai, returned by bus. A side note: Ichibangai is an Instagram-famous spot that recreates a Japanese street. When we arrived, the big “Ichibangai” sign was covered with cloth, the interior was roped off, and a notice said it was closed to the public during rectification. Yet people were still taking photos, including us – all the lights were still on, a security guard was patrolling the area, and some parts had been graffitied. I immediately knew it had been reported and vandalized – those Eastern devils again!
D6: Bus to the Zhujiang New Town central axis: Haixinsha Island, Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou Library, K11, went up Canton Tower, returned by night metro.
D7: Bus to Shamian for more photos, then visited Chen Clan Academy. Checked out at noon, metro to Baiyun Airport, arrived at Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport right on time. That marked the end of the whole trip. We covered most of Guangzhou’s well-known Instagram spots, and both our photography and modeling skills improved. Walking 20,000–30,000 steps a day really takes stamina. Also, as usual I brought luck – Guangzhou, which had been raining for days, cleared up and not a drop fell. A cold front reached Guangzhou in the summer, so the temperature was only 2–3 degrees higher than back home.
Seven days of hitting internet-famous spots in Guangzhou brought back a mountain of photos. For detailed introductions, addresses, and transport for each scenic spot or creative park, you can look them up online.
【Tangxia Zhihui Park】The street scenes are mainly Hong Kong-style elements – red telephone booths, bicycles, little scooters lined along the street. Retro buses, taxis, station platforms, and English station signs – any snapshot here looks like a magazine shoot. The two-storey buildings along the street create an incredibly realistic three-dimensional streetscape.
【BGM Ichibangai】Located in Nanhai District, Foshan, BGM Ichibangai is an immersive, internet-famous themed commercial street that generates its own buzz. It’s a hub for internet celebs and a shooting base, offering free shared livestreaming studios where influencers gather and trendsetters meet.
【Heidong Gyeonggijeon (Korean Garden)】Inside Yuexiu Park there’s a Korean Garden, a popular spot for Korean-style photos. Unfortunately, the indoor areas and pavilions were locked and closed to visitors. The garden features Sejong Pavilion, Yulgok House, Chasan Pavilion, etc., recreating ancient Korean architecture. Right after the entrance you see Sejong Pavilion – with pavilions, terraces, and Korean-style houses that are simple yet distinctive.
【Guangzhou K11】Its overall interior design integrates the concept of the ‘banyan tree’, a hallmark of Lingnan culture. The K11 interior was designed by LTHKgroup and won a bronze prize in the 2016–2017 A’Design Award & Competition. The dominant interior colour is gold – an outright ostentatious gold! From the B1 atrium to the feature walls on each floor and up to the ceilings, it gleams with gold from inside out – bling bling!
【Guangzhou Library】One of the largest urban libraries in the world.
【Dongshankou】Famous Peizheng Road and Sibeitongjin. “Bei” means back, “tong” means pass, and “jin” means a ford – a road behind the temple leading to the river crossing. Visitors to Guangzhou all know Beijing Road and Shangxiajiu as historic districts with old arcade buildings, and Shamian with its exotic architecture. But Guangzhou also hides an even more charming historic quarter within its residential areas – every street there carries a deep historical imprint. Step into Dongshankou and explore the distinctive development of Dongshan from the Ming and Qing dynasties onward.
【Shawan Ancient Town, Panyu】The Lingnan people have used oyster shells as a building material for over a thousand years, and Shawan boasts the oldest oyster shell wall, now 600 years old. ‘Milk Cow Queen’ is a dessert shop famous on social media.
【Taikoo Hui Wharf】(formerly called White Clam Shell) is located in Haizhu District, Guangzhou. Built by the British firm Butterfield & Swire between 1904 and 1908, it was a fairly complete warehouse wharf for the China Navigation Company. Now it has been transformed into a mixed-use commercial complex for dining, entertainment, and more.
【Xifang Dayuan Cultural and Creative Park】Situated in the heart of Panyu – Shiqiao Street. Originating from a bustling supply and marketing cooperative in the 1960s, this site has undergone urban micro-renovation to become a boundless art-life performance venue integrating creative offices, cultural commerce, art community life, leisure, and tourism.
【Yongqingfang】Located on Enning Road in Liwan. Enning Road was born in 1931 and is hailed as ‘Guangzhou’s most beautiful old street’, still preserving the essence of Xiguan arcade architecture. There’s the Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Museum, Bruce Lee’s former residence, Zhan Tianyou’s former residence…
【Shamian】We went twice. Shamian is an important commercial port in Guangzhou with a history of over a hundred years. Consulates from more than ten countries, nine foreign banks, and over forty foreign firms once operated here. The Canton Customs Club, Guangzhou Club, etc., were established on Shamian. It has become a microcosm of China’s modern history and the history of foreign concessions. The European-style buildings on the island form a unique open-air architectural ‘museum’.
【Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street】
We also visited Huangpu Ancient Port, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Haixinsha, the Pearl River Light Show, Guangdong Museum, Chen Clan Academy, and other spots.
【Huangpu Ancient Port】
【Guangdong Museum】
【Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall】
【Pearl River Light Show】
【Beijing Road Pedestrian Street】
【Eating in Guangzhou】
