What to Do in Guangzhou

For the first time, we’re in “real” China. We’ve been to Hong Kong and Macau, which are independent cities, and we’ve visited Hainan, China’s biggest holiday destination, where prices are pretty steep. But now we’re in mainland China, and you can really feel the difference in prices. - A night at a 4-star hotel costs about 230 kr for a double room. - A McDonald's meal is just 12 kr. This is a benchmark used worldwide to compare price levels. - A taxi ride around the city costs around 9 kr. For the first time, we don’t have to haggle over the fare. The driver automatically turns on the meter. The starting fare is 7 yuan. - Two replica bags – a Chanel and an LV – cost about 90 kr. We managed to negotiate the price down from 650 yuan to 145 yuan. You can quickly tell if the seller is open to bargaining. Show a little interest and ask about the price. Then say it’s way too high and walk away. If they stop you, the negotiation is on! :o) Guangzhou’s biggest attraction is shopping. There’s a huge variety of stores and shopping malls, and most importantly… the prices are great. You can score some really good deals here, but it takes time to haggle over the prices. As night falls, many people head towards the Pearl River, where there are plenty of night cruises. Several companies have multiple departures every evening, and the boats are large, so there’s no need to reserve tickets. We paid 56 yuan per person for a spot on deck 1. The cruise lasts about 1.5 hours. Usually, the seats on deck 1 come with snacks and tea, while deck 2 offers a buffet. You shouldn’t just sit at your table. Most people end up on the roof of the boat, which offers the best views of the city and all the illuminated buildings. It turns out that not many people take the boats for the food. It’s the view that draws folks in. So save your appetite for later – the city has plenty of restaurants to choose from. They say no one leaves Guangzhou hungry! :) When you get back to shore, it’s worth walking towards the bridge. You often stumble upon exciting moments by pure chance. Under the bridge, there was a small band playing while about 50 people danced along. Others formed small groups playing with a hacky sack-like thing – a little sand-filled ball that you kick with your feet. The goal is to keep it in the air at all times. They were dressed in sweatpants, so they could jump and bounce after the little ball. They were really skilled. In Hainan, we also noticed that many people gather in the evenings to dance or do tai chi together. The Chinese seem like very social people who love being together.