Liwan District:
Old and archetypal Canton in the western wing of the downtown area, Liwan is filled with local architecture (Qilou buildings and bustling alleys), Cantonese Opera (the Bahe House, home of the original opera style), ancient foreign trade (the Shisan Hang trading center, active for centuries) as well as traditional Cantonese delicacies and morning tea. These mainstays of Cantonese life are all to be found in this crowded and centuries-old matrix of streets and alleys.
The streets are narrow, old, and not very well planned, but each is filled with character and has many stories to tell.
Wholesale markets selling medicinal herbs (such as the Qingping market), clothing, accessories, electronics and other merchandise are scattered throughout.
In 2005 the district's border was expanded to cover the original outskirts of Fangcun District just across the river. Fangcun's extensive flower markets and riverside "bar street" add further appeal to Liwan.
This old district is mainly inhabited by local Cantonese, not known for an abundance of foreigners.
The Qilou buildings at the roadside of the Shang Xia Jiu Street, a shopping place in Liwan District of Guangzhou.
The façade of the Chen Clan Academy, with gems of South China architectural exquisiteness, in Liwan District of Guangzhou.
Northward overlook at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and the Yuexiu Hill in Yuexiu District of Guangzhou.
Yuexiu District:
The center of Guangzhou and its traditional city axis, Yuexiu is home to Guangzhou's municipal, provincial and military authorities, as well as many major historical and cultural sites. It is financially the strongest and most developed district in Guangzhou and even in Guangdong province. Its educational resources are also the best in the city.
The city axis runs southward from the Zhenhai Tower (Guangzhou Museum) on Yuexiu Hill all the way down to the Pearl River, crossing Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (beside the Provincial Hall), City Hall, People's Park, Qiyi Road (commemorating the communist Guangzhou Uprising in 1927), Soldier Statue and Haizhu Bridge along the way. The axis has been interestingly referred to as the Guangzhou's "Vein of Fortune". Therefore, the municipal government has not yet moved City Hall from the axis to neighboring Tianhe District, a newer and more modernized wing of the city.
The Soldier Statue, a landmark of Guangzhou, in the Haizhu Square on the traditional city axis.
Haizhu District:
This big island south of the Pearl River was once an industrial area. Now, however, it has become a booming area for property development since most of the factories have moved out, giving way to residential estates.
Jiangnan Xi Road, Jiangnan Dadao Boulevard (both in the center of the district) and Binjing Dong Road (on the Pearl River waterfront) are the most developed and bustling places in this largest of downtown districts.
The brand-new University Town and neighboring Xiaozhou Village to the south are new centers of culture. More and more artists, writers, photographers and college students live, work and visit the scenic and centuries-old Xiaozhou Village. The blending of artistic creativity with the local customs and countryside architecture has sparked an interesting community in this historic enclave.
Compared with the northern part of Guangzhou, Haizhu is less developed economically, bringing down the overall cost of living.
More immigrants live in Haizhu's eastern and southern parts while more locals dwell in its central area.
Green-banyan-shaded Binjiang Road at the waterfront of the Pearl River in Haizhu District of Guangzhou.
Peaceful Xiaozhou Village in Haizhu District of Guangzhou.
Tianhe District:
A thriving modern "turf" for immigrants and the new city center, Tianhe's development started in 1987 when Guangzhou hosted the National Games of China for the first time. The main venue was the Tianhe Sports Center, which became the center of Tianhe's subsequent booming development in the following decades.
The municipality has made many efforts to develop the land and create opportunities, attracting swarms of immigrants from home and abroad ready to do business in Guangzhou. Not as many locals were willing to move there in its earlier days since it was a bit far from the traditional city center. However, newcomers started to cluster there for its low cost of living and more "Western" style options.
Tianhe is also the home of over half of the universities in Guangzhou, including some national institutions.
Many middle-class and better-off people live in the communities around the Tianhe Sports Center and the Pearl River New Town (also called Zhujiang New City), while lower income people tend to dwell on its eastern wing. Mandarin is the prevailing language spoken in Tianhe, instead of local Cantonese.
The pricing and living cost in Tianhe is higher, and the living and business environment is more modern than Liwan and Haizhu.
The Tianhe Sports Center and the CITIC Plaza, symbols of the new Guangzhou, in Tianhe District of Guangzhou.
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