Haizhu, Guangzhou:
The Island With the Tower on It
Haizhu is the island south of the river, and it contains two completely different places. The western half — Canton Tower, Party Pier, Sun Yat-sen University and the dense local streets around Binjiang East and Jiangnanxi — is one of the best-value bases in Guangzhou at typically ¥180–600 (~$25–84) with almost no tourists in it. The eastern half is Pazhou, the Canton Fair complex, and it is worth being blunt: stay there only if you are attending the fair. Also on the island: Haizhu Wetland, 1,100 hectares, and Xiaozhou Village, a Yuan-dynasty water village.
Haizhu is an island, and that explains everything about it
The Pearl River splits and rejoins around it, so Haizhu is bounded water on every side — which is why the north bank got the old city and Haizhu got orchards, then universities, then a convention centre.
Think of it in four pieces. North-west: the riverfront opposite the old city, Binjiang East and Jiangnanxi — dense, entirely local, no tourists, and some of the best casual eating in Guangzhou. North-centre: Canton Tower, on Line 3 or the APM to Canton Tower, Exit A or B, and a little east of it Party Pier, on Line 8 or 18 to Modiesha or the Haizhu Tram. East: Pazhou and the Canton Fair complex, Line 8. South: Sun Yat-sen University's original campus, Xiaozhou Village and the wetland.
Sun Yat-sen University's south campus is the quiet surprise — the red-brick buildings of the old Lingnan University, founded in 1888, under old banyans, a genuinely beautiful ten minutes' walk that costs nothing and appears in no itinerary. Access to Chinese university campuses can require registration, so treat it as a walk-past you may get lucky with rather than a fixed plan.
Transport is good and slightly awkward at the same time. Lines 2, 3 and 8 all cross the island, plus the Haizhu Tram along the north-eastern riverfront. What Haizhu lacks is a single centre — the pieces are 20–30 minutes apart by metro, so pick which half you are basing yourself in rather than treating the district as one place.
What is actually in Haizhu
Canton Tower
The icon, with ticket tiers from ¥150 for the 433m decks to ¥398 for the top package. Worth it on a clear evening and an expensive lift ride on a hazy one — check the refund terms before you buy. The tower's lighting, from dusk, is free to watch from the ground. Line 3 or the APM to Canton Tower, Exit A or B.
Haizhu Wetland
1,100 hectares of former fruit orchards — billed as the only national wetland park on a megacity's central axis — with well over a hundred bird species recorded. Pricing is genuinely unclear — one source publishes ¥50, others show no fee at all — so carry cash and expect to find out at the gate. Best early, and hard work in July heat.
Xiaozhou Village
A Yuan-dynasty water village inside the city, with houses built from oyster shells and a working canal grid. Free, underrated and not over-touristed, which is a rare combination here. Getting there is the friction: Line 3 to Lijiao Exit A plus a bus, or Line 8 to Chigang and a taxi.
Party Pier
The old Zhujiang Brewery converted into Guangzhou's main riverside bar strip. Entry to the area is free and it fills from mid-evening. Local draught typically ¥30–50, imported and craft ¥45–70. Line 8 or 18 to Modiesha, or the Haizhu Tram to the Pati (琶醍) stop.
Binjiang East and Jiangnanxi
Dense residential Guangzhou with no tourist infrastructure and no English menus, which is exactly the point — this is where the ¥25 meal, the 23:00 dessert queue and the after-midnight siu yeh tables live.
Rather book it?Compare Haizhu hotels on Agoda ↗
Pazhou is for Canton Fair attendees. Nobody else.
It is a convention district with hotels attached, and outside fair weeks it is one of the least rewarding places a visitor can sleep in Guangzhou.
The Canton Fair Complex at Pazhou is enormous and, for a buyer, the entire reason to be in this city. The autumn 2026 session is the 140th: Phase 1 on 15–19 October, Phase 2 on 23–27 October and Phase 3 from 31 October to 4 November. Metro Line 8 to Pazhou puts you at the doors. During those phases, Pazhou hotel rates typically rise 200–300% against normal season and the good rooms are gone 60–90 days out.
Off-fair the same district is isolated, has essentially zero cultural charm, and leaves you a metro ride from anything you came to see. If your dates do not overlap a fair phase, there is no reason to book here — Yuexiu is cheaper and better placed, and even the western half of Haizhu is more interesting on foot.
One thing genuinely worth paying for if you are attending: a covered connection into the complex. October in Guangzhou can still be hot and wet, and walking a badge queue in the rain twice a day is a real cost. Ask any hotel you are considering whether it has covered access into the halls before you book.
What the fair-adjacent hotels cost
Named-hotel rates move too much to print — compare them live. Every one of these multiplies during the three fair phases, and the cheaper tiers vanish first.
| Hotel | Normal season | Why it is on this list | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westin Pazhou | Check live rates | Beside the complex — ask about covered access into the halls | WORTH IT |
| InterContinental Exhibition Center | Check live rates | Walking distance, full business facilities | WORTH IT |
| Langham Place | Check live rates | A branded Pazhou option to price against the two above | DEPENDS |
| Pazhou generally | Typically ¥300–3,000 | Rates typically rise 200–300% across the three fair phases | DEPENDS |
| Pazhou outside fair weeks | Typically ¥300–600 | Isolated, no charm, nothing to walk to | SKIP |
| Compare all fair options | — | Pazhou proximity against Line 8 access from cheaper districts | WORTH IT |
If you are attending the fair, book in July for October. If you are not attending and your dates land inside a phase, move the trip or stay well away from Line 8's eastern end.
Haizhu, practically
cheap, local and
nobody books it.
The riverfront strip opposite the old city — Binjiang East, Jiangnanxi, Shi'ergong — typically runs ¥180–600 a night, sits on Line 2 with Yuexiu three minutes across the water, and has more good cheap food per block than anywhere in the CBD. It is also where you find nothing in English, which is the trade. Book Pazhou only if you hold a Canton Fair badge, and if you do, book it in July for October.
Compare Haizhu hotelsQuestions people actually search
Is Haizhu a good area to stay in Guangzhou?
The western half is, at typically ¥180–600 a night — you get Line 2, the riverfront, Canton Tower a few stops away and genuinely local eating, with almost no other visitors around you. Pazhou at the eastern end is a different proposition and only makes sense during the Canton Fair. Nothing in Haizhu offers much English.
Should I stay in Pazhou for the Canton Fair?
If you are attending, yes — proximity is worth real money when you are doing the complex twice a day, and covered access into the halls is worth asking about before you book. Expect rates typically 200–300% above normal across the three phases and book 60–90 days out. If you are not attending, Pazhou has nothing for you.
How much does Haizhu Wetland cost?
Sources disagree. One publishes ¥50; others show no admission fee at all, which suggests either free entry or ticketing that has changed. It holds well over a hundred recorded bird species across 1,100 hectares of former orchards, and sits on Line 3 at Datang. Bring cash, go early, and verify at the gate.
What is Party Pier in Guangzhou?
The converted Zhujiang Brewery on the Haizhu riverfront, now the city's main open-air bar strip. Entry to the area is free and it is busiest from about 22:00. Typical prices: local draught ¥30–50, imported and craft ¥45–70, cocktails ¥60–120; some clubs charge at the door at weekends. Line 8 or 18 to Modiesha, or the Haizhu Tram to the Pati (琶醍) stop.
Is Xiaozhou Village worth the trip?
Yes, if you like places that are not managed for visitors. It is a Yuan-dynasty water village with oyster-shell houses and canals, free to walk, and genuinely under-visited rather than merely described that way. Budget an hour each way: Line 3 to Lijiao, Exit A, then a bus, or Line 8 to Chigang and a taxi.
How do you get from Haizhu to the old city?
Line 2 north crosses the river in about three minutes — Jiangnanxi to Haizhu Square, then on to Gongyuanqian and Yuexiu Park. Fares are ¥2–8. From the Canton Tower end, take Line 3 north to Tiyu Xilu and change to Line 1 west.
- 140th Canton Fair: 15–19 October, 23–27 October, 31 October – 4 November 2026 at Pazhou — China News Service
- Pati (琶醍) stop on Haizhu Tram Line 1, beside the Party Pier district — Wikipedia (zh)
- Party Pier on the old Zhujiang Brewery site — Guangzhou Municipal Government
- Canton Tower ticket tiers, ¥150 to ¥398 — Guangzhou Bendibao
Spotted something out of date? See how we check and correct facts.