Girls' Getaway: Weekend Fun at Guangzhou Yi Airport Cultural Tourism Town

It's the weekend again! Living in this bustling metropolis—Guangzhou, how can I not hang out with my bestie?

My good friend Xiaoli flew all the way from Beijing to catch up and also wanted to explore Guangzhou for a couple of days. Since she would land right at Baiyun Airport, I searched for fun spots near the airport and discovered the Guangzhou Yi Airport Cultural Tourism Town. It's not only packed with interesting and cost-effective hotels and B&Bs, but also full of Instagram-worthy spots. It easily covers all our needs—eating, staying, traveling, and having fun. So, I booked a B&B there—the Wujie Xinju Hotel. The hotel introduction says it's a vinyl music-themed design hotel, and since my bestie loves retro music and photography, off we went!

After picking up my bestie at the airport, we took just one subway stop—about five minutes—to reach our destination. Super convenient. We walked into the hotel and the friendly front desk lady warmly welcomed us and quickly checked us in.

While checking in, we were immediately drawn to the lobby. It's uniquely designed like a small lounge bar named "Hei Jiao Tang" (Vinyl Hall). Besides a variety of drinks for a sip, it's filled with vinyl records—classical, pop, jazz, country, rock, folk—exuding a rich retro vibe. Just imagine: after a tiring day, gathering with a few close friends, slightly tipsy with fine drinks, and "letting loose" to music. Isn't that awesome?

After the formalities, the staff member led us to our room. Opening the door was another delightful surprise! The room features a unique "Morandi color palette," equipped with a projector and a vinyl player. The walls, lights, sofa, bed, cabinets—all present a simple, retro beauty. What's more, we learned that every guest room comes standard with a custom retro vinyl player, four different styles of records, and retro speakers. Super nice.

My photo-loving bestie couldn't help but whip out her phone and start snapping away!

The hotel lady also showed us how to place the vinyl. As the stylus slowly dropped and gently traced the grooves of the old record, a warm, delicate sound flowed past our ears, evoking thoughts that felt like time-traveling, as if we were transported back to the last century or even older eras... Unknowingly, we relaxed in the music.

With music playing, my bestie and I casually took photos, each one looking like a blockbuster shot.

After unpacking, we headed downstairs to explore! Mainly, we wanted to experience that small lounge bar and have a few drinks with my bestie.

If you enjoy a little drink, you must come here. In this quiet, dimly lit little bar, listening to the slow vinyl music, you'll feel warmth and beauty deep inside.

After drinks, we returned to our room. Late at night, my bestie turned on the projector to watch a 90s movie, accompanied by the complimentary wine from the hotel, chatting on and off with me about life and dreams.

The next morning, the hotel served a sumptuous breakfast, and we enjoyed a lovely meal here.

The public areas also carry that strong retro charm. If you're into fresh and cute vibes, don't miss this perfect photo opportunity.

After breakfast, we set out to explore the Guangzhou Yi Airport Cultural Tourism Town. Besides the hotel we stayed in, there are many other uniquely themed accommodations, like the Dayin Yushi B&B and Hepingli Boutique Hotel...

I heard that the Guangzhou Yi Airport Cultural Tourism Town is the core kickoff area for Baiyun District's aviation-themed town. Not only does it boast a beautiful environment and multiple B&Bs and hotels, but it also has numerous trendy spots for eating, drinking, playing, shopping, and entertainment.

Walking along the streets, while enjoying the lovely Lingnan countryside scenery, we could also feel a strong cultural atmosphere. It preserves century-old blue-brick houses and has added cultural facilities like a midnight bookstore and a rural art gallery.

Being a "cultured person," how could I not check out the internet-famous art gallery—Yi Space! At first glance, Yi Space looks like a unique "blue-brick box," where blue bricks and glass mirrors blend seamlessly, and it cleverly merges with the surrounding "white houses," giving a sense of antique charm mixed with modern fashion.

Inside Yi Space, the entrance is a ceremonial time tunnel. At the entrance, several elegant Manchuria windows and hollow wooden doors echo each other, vividly capturing the essence of Guangzhou's arcade buildings. Walking up the stairs, the middle wall features a hollowed-out design with birdcage-shaped lamps cascading like a waterfall inside a column. With each step, the view changes, making my bestie and me snap photos non-stop.

The second and third floors are exhibition halls, mostly designed with elegant Lingnan garden archways. Inside, various artworks are displayed—ink landscape paintings, orchid, chrysanthemum, plum, and bamboo—exuding a strong literary scent that makes you fall for this fresh and elegant place.

I heard they often hold calligraphy and painting exhibitions here. If you're into that, come visit and soak up some inspiration.

After visiting Yi Space, it was almost lunchtime! The town offers a variety of Chinese and Western cuisine—Northwest snacks, Cantonese private kitchen dishes, dai pai dongs (open-air food stalls), rice noodle rolls, beef offal snacks, barbecues, desserts, coffee, tea drinks, and so many choices!

I highly recommend this place called Xiaozhen Luhao (Town No. 6). The fragrant black pepper steak, the cheese-loaded seafood pizza with stretchy strands, the special braised pork rice—every bite is delicious. You've got to try it.

After enjoying the food, here's a little secret: there's a place to buy small gifts and souvenirs. Since my bestie came all the way to Guangzhou, how could we not pick up some small Guangzhou-special souvenirs?

Feng'an Street No. 3 gathers China's time-honored intangible cultural heritage handicrafts and blends them closely with modern life. Walking into the shop, you'll see many exquisite little gifts and souvenirs. Every piece makes you want to hold on and never let go. My bestie and I each bought small gifts to give to each other, marking our strong friendship. Hehe.

After exchanging gifts and heading back to the hotel, we bumped into several tour groups. Among them were a group of adorable kids dressed in pilot uniforms, looking super stylish. We asked and learned they were there for the "Xiaoyi Science Popularization" aviation study program, said to offer basic aviation courses for children. Parents with kids can organize a group to bring them here for a hands-on learning experience—lots of children have already tried it.

Also, there's Juntu Outward Bound where you can play real-life CS missions, with a jungle combat zone faithfully recreating scenes from a battle royale game, letting you experience the thrill of gunfire and bullets! After the CS, there's barbecue, open-fire cooking, and a bonfire party to rock the night—quite suitable for company team-building events. I heard a few other groups we saw were indeed there for that.

However, our stay was a bit too short, and we could only rush through the highlights. But next time I get a chance, I'll definitely come back to experience more. Besides being fun and interesting, the transportation is truly super convenient. During our two-day trip, we even squeezed in time to go shopping in Tianhe, just over thirty minutes away. When my bestie was heading back, it took only five minutes to the airport—so easy. If you're intrigued, you can also make time to visit.

Address: Guangzhou Yi·Airport Cultural Tourism Town, Fenghe Village, Renhe Town, Baiyun District, Guangzhou

Transport: Exit D, Gaozeng Station, Guangzhou Metro Line 3/9