Guangzhou, once better known internationally as Canton, has been China’s busiest trading centre for centuries. Located in the Southern province of Guangdong, Guangzhou benefits from a tropical climate pretty much all year round, with October and November being the most pleasant months. Guangzhou has a unique charm where narrow, leafy streets conceal temples and mosques, pockets of colonial-era heritage, traditional dim-sum eateries, distinctive qílóu shophouses and Lǐngnán architecture. The Zhujiang New Town area has paved the way to modernity with 21st-century architectural landmarks such as the late Zaha Hadid’s Opera House and the slim-waisted Canton Tower, rising up over the Pearl River.

Guangzhou is very well placed for both domestic and international travel with the airport serving direct flights to most international destinations including London, Paris and Sydney. Guangzhou also sits on several high-speed train lines. It only takes 33 minutes to get to Shenzhen via the Guangzhou- Shenzhen-Hong Kong high speed train line and just a little longer to Hong Kong making them perfect weekend getaway destinations.