Au pair in Guangzhou: your local guide
The home of Cantonese food and one of China’s great trading cities, warm almost all year, with Mandarin and Cantonese spoken side by side.
Life in Guangzhou
Guangzhou has been trading with the world for more than 2,000 years, and it shows: the city is open, busy and friendly to newcomers. It is also the capital of Cantonese cooking, and morning tea with dim sum (zaocha) is a weekend ritual for families. You will hear Cantonese at home and in markets, but everyone speaks Mandarin too, so you get two languages for the price of one.
Many host families live in Tianhe and Zhujiang New Town, the modern centre around Canton Tower and the Pearl River, close to parks, malls and schools.
Not sure which city suits you? Compare all our host cities, or read the Shanghai guide for our home city.
Getting around Guangzhou
Public transport is cheap, clean and signposted in English. These are the basics.
Metro
Line 3 links Tianhe with Baiyun Airport, Line 1 runs through the old city, and a small driverless line (the APM) serves Zhujiang New Town. Fares start at 2 yuan, and you can scan in with Alipay or WeChat.
Trains
Guangzhou South station connects you to high-speed trains across China. Shenzhen is around half an hour away.
Taxis and bikes
DiDi is easy to use across the city, and shared bikes are handy along the river paths.
Free and affordable culture
Some of the best places in Guangzhou cost little or nothing. Bring your passport for museum bookings.
Guangdong Museum
Zhujiang New Town · APM lineLingnan history, Chaozhou woodcarving, Duan inkstones, ceramics and a natural history hall. Free with a booking.
Chen Clan Ancestral Hall
Line 1, Chen Clan Academy stationA 19th-century family temple covered in wood, stone and ceramic carvings. Small entrance fee.
Shamian Island
Liwan · Lines 1 and 6Quiet, tree-lined streets of old European buildings on a little island in the Pearl River. Free.
Yuexiu Park
Line 2, Yuexiu Park stationThe city’s biggest park, with the Five Rams statue, an old watchtower and lakes. Entry is free.
Huacheng Square
Zhujiang New TownThe modern heart of the city, between the opera house, the library and Canton Tower. Free, and best at night.
Beijing Road
Line 1, GongyuanqianA busy pedestrian street where glass panels in the ground show old road surfaces from past dynasties. Free.
Opening times and booking rules change around public holidays, so check before you go.
Outings with your host kids
Days out are one of the best parts of the exchange, and a natural way to share English with the children. Ask them to name what they see, count the stops on the metro or tell you the story of a place. Find more ideas in our games and play guides.
- Morning tea at a dim sum restaurant: let the children choose from the trolley and practise ordering in English and Mandarin.
- Guangzhou Library and its children’s floors, a free and cool escape on hot afternoons.
- An evening boat along the Pearl River to see the lights of Canton Tower.
- Baiyun Mountain for gentle walks and a cable car, for a small fee.
Weekend and day trips
- Foshan, right next door and linked by metro: Ancestral Temple (Zumiao), lion dances and kung fu legends.
- Shunde, famous across China for its food, for a day of eating.
- Shenzhen and its beaches, around half an hour away by high-speed train.
Good to know
Guangzhou is subtropical: long, hot and rainy summers and short, mild winters. Carry an umbrella from spring to autumn, and expect air-conditioning everywhere. A few words of Cantonese, like “m goi” (thank you), win you a lot of smiles.
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Ready for your Guangzhou adventure?
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