The Garden Hotel, Guangzhou: Full of Cantonese Nostalgia, as if Stepping into an Art Gallery

Let me start with this: The Garden Hotel, Guangzhou is one of the nation’s only three Platinum Five-Star hotels, and for old-time Cantonese, it’s steeped in Lingnan nostalgia. Now, follow me, Le Wan Jun, as we explore all the fun and fascinating things this hotel has to offer.

The Garden Hotel was among China’s first wave of five-star hotels and now boasts a 36-year history. The entire property exudes understated luxury, with decor blending traditional Chinese culture and Lingnan garden aesthetics. It houses a wealth of artworks for guests to admire, making a visit feel like stepping into an art-filled palace.

My stay this time was two days and one night, and I’ll share my experience from three angles: food, culture, and the accommodation.

At check-in, the friendly receptionist handed me a booklet with a map highlighting the hotel’s must-see spots. So, come with me, Le Wan Jun, to tour this museum-like art sanctuary. The 'One Hundred Beauties' lacquer painting...

The 'One Hundred Beauties' is located just to the left as you enter. It’s a lacquer painting from Yangjiang, Guangdong, and lacquer art is a national-level intangible cultural heritage—I’ve seen similar works at the Yangjiang Lacquer Art Museum. The painting depicts scenes of Tang Dynasty palace ladies at leisure: playing with dogs, admiring flowers, chasing butterflies, or engaging in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as graceful dancing. Each figure is portrayed with elegance and poise, rendered in concise, fluid strokes and exceptionally fine craftsmanship.

Opposite 'One Hundred Beauties' is 'One Hundred Horses', which portrays scenes of handsome steeds grazing and frolicking. It’s said that the two lacquer paintings together symbolize that all patrons visiting the Garden Hotel are handsome men and beautiful women.

As you step into the lobby, a gigantic gold-inlaid mural greets you, based on the 'Dream of the Red Chamber' story of 'Granny Liu’s Visit to the Grand View Garden.' It’s the hotel’s most iconic cultural and artistic masterpiece.

The mural reportedly took 30 of the country’s top craftsmen over seven months to complete. It incorporates the artistic shapes of Foshan paper-cutting into the design, blending seamlessly with the architecture. Within the mural are twelve small scenes, each evoking the lives of the 'Twelve Beauties of Jinling' and the splendor of the Grand View Garden. The 'Daiyu Burying Flowers' scene is the most recognizable—I spotted it at first glance.

Opposite the 'Grand View Garden' mural is a white-background stone-carved mural depicting the waterside landscapes of Guangdong.

The Lingnan region has a long-standing dragon boat racing tradition, with the Pearl River Delta’s dragon boat culture stretching back over a thousand years. Even today, Yanbu in Foshan preserves the nation’s oldest surviving dragon boat and centuries-old ritual customs of the Yanbu Old Dragon.

The stone mural vividly captures the distinctive Lingnan water village life, including scenes of farmers planting sugarcane. Notably, you can spot many local fruits—coconut, banana, jackfruit, lychee, papaya, and pomelo—adding a strong regional flavor.

The lobby of the Garden Hotel is truly impressive: it soars four stories high with not a single supporting column in the middle. Overhead, at the very center, is a remarkable ceiling feature called the 'Golden Dragon Playing with a Pearl Caisson Ceiling.'

It consists of vividly painted square pillars and gilded wooden coiling dragons. The central circular coiled-dragon design is incredibly lifelike; reportedly, it took 49,000 sheets of gold leaf, weighing a total of one kilogram of gold, to create.

No visit to the Garden Hotel is complete without the food. The hotel boasts two Michelin-recommended restaurants: the Peach Garden and Liwan Pavilion. Let me introduce them one by one.

[Waterfall Restaurant] The Waterfall Restaurant is one of Guangzhou’s most popular instagrammable dining spots. Its most striking feature is the massive glasshouse—from ceiling to walls, everything is transparent, facing a landscaped waterfall garden for a truly stunning view.

Inside the glasshouse stands a four-meter-tall gilded statue of General Liu, a symbol of Lingnan totem culture.

The afternoon tea here is a fusion of East and West; the Western pastry tower is designed like a romantic Ferris wheel, very photogenic. The Cantonese dim sum is a big hit with locals, served buffet-style and absolutely delicious.

[Peach Garden Restaurant] The Peach Garden is on the third floor. Its name derives from the 'Oath of the Peach Garden' in 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms.' As you enter, you’ll spot a colorful ceramic mural of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, painted and fired on-site 35 years ago by a team led by teachers from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts—a precious piece of art.

The restaurant is full of little storytelling details: for instance, flanking the small bridge at the entrance are Guan Yu’s Green Dragon Crescent Blade and Zhang Fei’s Ten-Foot Serpent Spear.

The whole restaurant feels like an art gallery, adorned with murals of Three Kingdoms heroes. Here you can savor the culture of the era and feel the camaraderie and valor of legendary heroes gathered together.

Tip: The Peach Garden is a Michelin-recommended Chinese restaurant that gathers fine cuisine from across the country. Besides the decor inspired by 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' it also features private rooms like the Zhang Fei Hall, and creative dishes such as 'Three Heroes vs. Lü Bu,' 'Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats,' and 'Prime Minister’s Rice.'

[Liwan Pavilion] I absolutely love the old Xiguan vibe of this restaurant, with lychee trees hanging from the ceiling. While enjoying the most authentic Cantonese cuisine, you can also experience the poetic charm of old Guangzhou’s Lychee Bay: 'emerald streams meandering, banks ablaze with red lychees.'

Nine must-do things at Liwan Pavilion:

① Sit in a 'sampan' and enjoy a bowl of silky sampan congee.

② Pull up a stool and savor some bean curd pudding, rich in soybean flavor, fresh and silky—reliving the joy of eating street-side tofu pudding in childhood.

③ Listen to a 'storyteller' spin tales—just like the popular radio dramas of 1990s Guangdong, you’ll feel transported into the story.

④ Taste the lychee wood barbecue pork, a Michelin-recommended local specialty. The chef roasts it right before your eyes, serving it piping hot with a touch of lychee honey—crispy outside, tender inside, utterly delicious.

And don’t miss the oyster shell wall, a hallmark of Lingnan architecture—a must-see photo spot.

[Executive Lounge] In the evening, head to the Executive Lounge for a cocktail; the bar exudes a nostalgic vibe. From 9 PM, international vocalists take the stage, singing classics from different eras. Sipping a drink while listening to their enchanting voices, with a slight buzz—what a pleasant way to unwind!

The hotel’s garden is huge, featuring bridges over flowing water, a waterfall, and an array of beautiful landscaping.

For in-house guests, I recommend having breakfast at the Koi Executive Lounge, choosing an open-air terrace table to enjoy the garden view with your meal.

[Guest Rooms] I stayed in the Executive Cantonese Rhythm Suite—one bedroom, one living room, very cozy. The bathroom features a wet/dry separation and a soaking tub. The welcome treats were exquisite: the chocolate on the tea pastries was stamped with patterns from the 'Dream of the Red Chamber' gold-inlaid mural in the lobby.

The room is steeped in culture, with intangible cultural heritage birdcage lamps, a lacquer painting by the bedside, and a minibar cabinet adorned with traditional Chinese bird-and-flower patterns, all very elegant.

Back Garden: Moonlight on Koi (1st Floor) During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the most poetic pursuit is moon gazing, and the hotel’s back garden is the perfect spot. With bridges, streams, colorful lanterns, and koi fish, you can see the full moon above and its reflection shimmering in the pond.

# Lantern Illuminations (1st Floor, Glass Corridor) I remember as a child, during Mid-Autumn Festival, every kid carried a paper lantern. Growing up, this tradition faded in Guangzhou—but here at the Garden Hotel, I rediscovered it. The first-floor glass corridor is special, decked out with colorful lanterns: red, pink, purple, and all kinds of fresh flowers, creating a gorgeous sight.

Liwan Pavilion: Lychee Trees Aglow (2nd Floor) Honestly, it was my first time seeing a restaurant in Guangzhou with real lychee trees—and densely planted at that. For the festival, the trees were hung with colorful lanterns, creating a festively joyful atmosphere. Dining beneath the 'lychee bay' is truly a unique experience.

Japanese Restaurant: Jade Rabbit Gazing at the Moon The mythical jade rabbit that lives on the moon has descended here. With its rockeries, pine trees, and a rabbit-and-full-moon arrangement, the Japanese restaurant offers a delightful Japanese-style moon-viewing ambiance.

[National Day Accommodation Package] During the National Day holiday, the hotel has a special offer: a family of three staying in a Garden Suite can enjoy a breakfast buffet for three at the Waterfall Restaurant each morning and a parent-child discovery dinner set at Liwan Pavilion. Extra bed and parking are complimentary during this period. Spending the holiday together as a family here is truly joyful.

🍽 [Travel Tips] √ The Garden Hotel, Guangzhou 📍 Address: 368 Huanshi Dong Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 🚗 Getting There: Very convenient by metro or bus. Take Metro Line 5 to Taojin Station, Exit A, then a 150-meter walk. The bus stop is Garden Hotel Stop. For more information, search for the Garden Hotel Guangzhou official WeChat account.