Religious buildings, state-protected areas and places of historic interest are the chief sites making it onto the list of must-see locations in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. There are of course, a plethora of other places that could be considered of interest and many of these can be discovered easily by simple walking tours of the city.

Guangdong Provincial Museum
The Guangdong Provincial Museum is comprised of two separate buildings; the first is the old Zhongshan University building which is now the Lu Xun Memorial Hall and the second is a newer building, originally constructed between 1957 and 1959 with enlargements and modifications made in 1992.

The former building is home to an exhibition of artefacts relating to Lu Xun and other Chinese intellectuals who influenced the country’s development and helped usher in the communist revolution. The latter building is home to a number of different exhibitions including one of Chinese wood carvings, another of ceramic figures created in the Shiwan style and a third displaying artefacts relating to the history of the city from prehistoric through to modern times.

Guangdong Puppet Art Centre
The old fashioned yet highly traditional art of Chinese puppetry is alive and well at the Guangdong Puppet Art Centre which presents displays of its ancient art at twice daily weekend performances. Non-Chinese speakers won’t understand the narrative but will appreciate the visual spectacle for its aesthetic qualities.

Huaisheng Mosque
Otherwise known as the Lighthouse Mosque, Guangzhou’s Huaisheng Mosque is 1,300 years old and consequently claims the title of one of the country’s oldest mosques. The name of the mosque is a tribute to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Huangpu Military Academy
The Huangpu Military Academy was declared a state protected relic in 1988 on account of its history and heritage which owes a great deal to the much revered Sun Yat-sen. There are a dozen areas and constructions at the facility that are open for public viewing; among them visitors will find the Premiere Sun Monument and memorial chamber, the cemetery of the Eastern Expedition martyrs, the Monument to the Northern Expedition, Jishen Park and the Jiaosi Pavilion.

Panyu Chime-Long Night Zoo
The Panyu Chime-Long Night Zoo is in fact a globally famous circus that can proudly claim to be one of the biggest of its kind in the world. The 1000-seater big top presents regular performances of traditional theatre acrobatics, magic, animal spectacles, music and dancing.

Sacred Heart Cathedral
The Sacred Heart Cathedral stands out in Guangzhou because it’s one of the few Christian buildings to grace the city’s skyline. Built between 1863 and 1888 (during the Qing Dynasty), the cathedral covers a total area of 2,700 square metres and boasts the title of the largest Gothic building in the country. Constructed mainly from granite blocks, the cathedral is commonly dubbed the ‘Shishi’ (Mandarin) meaning ‘Stone House’.

Shamian Scenic Spot
Shamian is a tiny island situated on the northern bank of the White Goose Pool on the Pearl River. The island has been classified as a state protected relic and is commonly known as the ‘Ninth Sight of Guangzhou’. Visitors will find a pleasant natural environment complimented by the presence of a variety of Western classicist buildings.

Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall
The famous Chinese architect Lu Yanzhi was responsible for the design of the Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall, a magnificent building that was erected during the Chinese revolution in memory of the Father of China; Dr Sun Yat-sen. Visitors will revel in the hall’s magnificent architecture and beautiful interior décor. The hall is open to tourists but its main purpose now is to host conventions, concerts and other functions, offering space for an impressive 4,700 seated guests.

Yuexiu Park
Yuexiu Park is where you’ll find the famous Five Rams sculpture that is considered the symbol of the city. The sculpture was erected in 1959 and its theme is based on an old legend that tells of five celestial beings that wore robes of five colours and rode five rams into the city. Also in the park, you’ll find the Ming-built Zhenhai Tower, a classic structure that now houses an interesting museum.

Visit the Guangzhou Space Flight Spectacle (SFS) 
It is the largest facility of its kind in China offering a number of sections devoted to differing aspects of space flight and other interesting themes. Among the most notable sections are the Rocket Launch Square, the Constellation Square, the Friendship Camp and Water World. SFS is located outside of the city of Guangzhou in Dongpu Town in the Tianhe District.

Have an evening of Chinese theatre
The Friendship Theatre in Guangzhou is the ideal place for visitors to enjoy an evening of cultural entertainment with Cantonese opera perhaps the most fascinating and culturally-rich performance available. Ballets and traditional song as well as dance performances are held regularly. Alternatively, the Guang Ming Theatre is also a good venue to catch Cantonese opera.

Take a Guangzhou day-tour
Local tour operators offer day trips which allow visitors to take in all of the city’s key sights without the worries associated with pursuing them unassisted. A typical tour itinerary might take in the Guangzhou-Five-ram Statue, the 900-year-history Ren Wei Temple, the 1000-year-old Six Banyan Temple, the China Fine Arts and Crafts Museum, the Chen Clan Temple and the China exhibition centre. Lunch is invariably a selection of dim sum and is included in the price of the tour.

Sample the local cuisine
With Guangzhou being one of the most significant influences on the style of cuisine we know as Cantonese, it would be crazy to visit the city without sampling some of the wonderful food available. Enjoy mouth-watering dishes such as Char siu pork, dry-fried beef with ho fan, steamed fish intestines, soy sauce duck and braised dried abalone. Dim Sum cannot of course be neglected a mention with its variety of interesting fillings and flavour combinations.