Entertainment thrives in Guangzhou, a center of commercial and maritime activity and site of the world’s largest trade exhibit, the annual Canton Fair. Multitudes of visitors with time for fun after work can choose among concerts, historic venues, river cruises and a tram line with an entire district devoted to art and recreation.
Las Vegas and Broadway shows along with experimental theater and operas are performed at the city’s swooping, theatrical “double pebble” Opera House, created by renowned architect Zaha Hadid. On historic Shamian Island, overseas headquarters for foreign colonials, the recently renovated White Swan Hotel serves meals in three dining rooms and cocktails at the see-and-be-seen Destination Bar with views of the dinner cruises floating by. Lavish showboats outfitted in brocades serve up rich buffets and live music as they navigate past brilliant neon light shows illuminating highrises lining the Pearl River bisecting the city. Popular LGBT venues for disco, karaoke and bars are listed weekly on the Fridae website.
A simple approach is to jump on and off at stops of the charming electric Haizhu tram, which runs about five miles along the southern riverfront, passing several evening destinations. The quiet cars depart from the Canton Tower, where an observation deck provides “crystal” cars circling passengers around the perimeter. Farther along, the tram stops at Zhujiang Party Pier, an art and culture district devoted to galleries, restaurants and clubs such as the curvy new JZ Club, a barrel-shaped jazz bar with musicians playing on a stage surrounded by towering arched windows. A popular steakhouse, the Mr. Rocky Bar is done up in cowboy style with country music, free billiards, darts, telecast sporting events and nightly dancing to the house band.
The Shangri-La Hotel, midway down the tram line, offers a venue for elegant and inventive dining and drinks, where Summer Palace and Nadaman serve Chinese and Japanese cuisine and the less formal RIBS features a smoked rye with bacon cocktail, baby back ribs and unique and savory Beijing duck pizza.
The tram’s final stop, Wanshengwei, delivers passengers to the historic Huangpu Ancient Port, a preserved village of Lingnan-style carved wood buildings with wok handleshaped houses and tile roads. Harborside cafés serve sampan congee, shrimp dumplings and Huangpu scrambled eggs with local beers and cocktails.
Read This Next
Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedMarch 2024
Mar 27, 2024Udaipur Unveiled: A Walking Tour in Rajasthan’s Most Romantic City Reveals Its Many Layers
Anyone who makes their way to Rajasthan in northern India has likely heard of Udaipur’s allure. The city revered for its lakes and marble palaces is considered by many who know not only the Indian subcontinent but the planet as a whole to be the most spectacularly romantic city on Earth.
Sponsored Content
Exclusive Savings: Cruise Along the Danube River with Global Traveler
Exclusive Sailing with Global Traveler
Daily
Mar 27, 2024Go Island Hopping in Spain with Meliá Hotels International
It’s time to start planning summer travel. Consider a chic island getaway off the coast of Spain. Spain’s Meliá Hotels International offers a collection of hotels throughout the islands that highlight the Spanish lifestyle.
Daily
Mar 27, 2024“Deal or No Deal” Interactive Game Show Comes to Holland America Line
Holland America Line expands its entertainment offerings by launching the game show brand Deal or No Deal on nine ships. TimePlay, an entertainment software company, powers the show format, with a highly adaptable design and strong brand identity, on more than 85 ships worldwide.
Sponsored Content
Briggs & Riley: Elevate Your Journey with Quality Luggage
Embracing a life well lived often means embracing a life well-traveled. Every journey becomes a canvas for experiences that shape our lives and at the heart of every adventure lies the indispensable companion: quality luggage.
eFlyer Reviews
Mar 27, 2024Hotel Indigo La Paz Puerta Cortés Review
Hotel Indigo La Paz Puerta Cortés is an oasis where the desert meets the sea, nestled between the Sea of Cortez and La Paz Bay in Mexico. With an emphasis on providing guests a relaxing experience through wellness and culture activities, the hotel is a short 10-minute drive from Downtown La Paz, Mexico. Upon entrance under the porte cochere you are greeted with a palette of whites and browns, a theme constant throughout the property.
Japan Airlines Purchases 32 Airbus, 10 Boeing
eFlyer News
Mar 27, 2024eFlyer Lead
Mar 27, 2024Aeromexico Named Most Punctual Airline in the World
Cirium, a global aviation analytics company, recently released the most on-time airlines in the world for early 2024. The study found Aeromexico as the most improved airline in February, with a 90.66 percent on-time performance, a 12.5-point increase in on-time performance over January 2024.
Sponsored Content
The Argosaronic Islands Are Calling
The Saronic or Argo Saronic Islands of Greece call travelers to explore its seven small islands and islets brimming with history, natural sites and more. With most easily accessible by boat, the islands’ proximity to ports of Athens make the Saronic Islands an ideal destination for those preferring shorter boat rides. In fact, trips from Athens ports to the islands take only between 10 minutes and two hours, depending on the island you choose, making them perfect for day or weekend trips. From Piraeus port, you can access Hydra, Spetses, Aegina and Poros directly. Come explore these stunning islands with us and find the inspiration to plan your next trip to these islands. Hydra Hydra town curves around a slope overlooking the Argosaronic Gulf like an amphitheater and is considered one of the most romantic destinations in Greece. Most unique to the island is its lack of vehicles. People on the island get around on mules and donkeys as well as water taxis, making for a peaceful and laid-back day. Hydra lies a two-hour ferry ride from Piraeus port in Athens.
Daily
Mar 27, 2024Hyatt Regency Chicago Unveils Renovations This Spring
Half a century ago, several architecturally significant buildings not only changed the face of Chicago but also reintroduced the city as a world-class travel destination. Roughly a year after the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) emerged as the then world’s tallest building, Hyatt Regency Chicago opened its doors in August 1974. A second tower was constructed in 1980, making it one of the most ambitious hotels the city had seen, down to its above-ground skyway and underground concourse.
ShareThis