8 great Guangzhou impressions

Having not been to China since the pandemic, I was unsure of what to expect before I left for my trip to Guangzhou in October.

What are the security measures? Would I need to be masked? How would the locals react to foreigners?

Thankfully, all my concerns were dispelled! China is receiving foreigners — whether business people or tourist — with open arms. Life is just like pre-COVID-19 days with people moving around normally and freely. And the locals were welcoming and even tried their best to converse in English.

While I’ve been to other parts of China — Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Suzhou — I’ve not been to Guangzhou. Moreover, this is my first business trip as we were visiting the 134th Edition of Canton Fair.

Guangzhou has left a great impression on me.

1. Safe place. Just like other parts of China that I’ve been to, Guangzhou is a safe place. And interestingly, there is a police station located near major shopping and tourist areas.
2. Easy payment. Digital payment is the norm in China. Yet, one of the biggest bugbears was that such payment methods were not available to foreigners previously. But, the great news is that non locals can now set up WeChat Pay and Alipay accounts. This makes paying for goods and services so easy.
3. Quiet streets. Electric vehicle adoptionn is high in Guangzhou. Most cars, buses and motorbikes are running on electricity with plenty of charging points all over the city. This makes the roads practically pollution free and so quiet except for the peppering of horns.
   
4. Didi everywhere. From the moment we landed to the time we left, our primary mode of transportation was via Didi (the equivalent of Grab and Uber). It’s so convenient and can often deliver a racing experience (haha…some of the drivers are F1 wannabes).
   
5. No language barrier. While Guangzhou’s primary dialect is Cantonese, nearly everyone speaks Mandarin, making Chinese from other parts of the world feel at home.
6. Good food. The folks in Guangzhou really appreciate good food and at affordable prices too. So many types of food are available to cater to every pallette. There are food from different parts of China, street food and international food. I must give a callout to KFC, which offers a full fried chicken on its menu — and it’s juicy, tender and a must-try.
   
7. Thousand wholesale markets. Guangzhou is known as the world’s factory and filled with wholesale markets. It’s a case of walk till you drop!
   
8. ABTC privilege. Singaporean holders of APEC Business Travel Card can stay longer — 60 days compared to 14-day visa-free travel.

In my opinion, two areas could have been better. The first is that sitting toilets are a rarity. Even modern malls may only have squatting pans. Finding a sitting toilet is like finding a pot of gold. Sometimes, that pot cannot be found in other toilets in the same building. So, mark the spot.

My second peeve is that smoking is prevalent, even in hotels and restaurants.

These aside, my overall experience in Guangzhou was great and leaves me wanting to return for more. Canton Fair 2024, anyone?