Top Places to Shop in Guangzhou

Top Places to Shop in Guangzhou

Guangzhou is the largest and most flourishing industrial and foreign trade center in south China. The city is overflowing with a business atmosphere, with large shopping malls and popular shopping streets scattered around. See famous shopping streets in China. Don't forget to bargain!

1. Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street: Enjoy Grabbing a Bargain

Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street is one of the most prosperous three business centers in Guangzhou, consisting of Shangjiu Road, Xiajiu Road, and Dishifu Road. It is a nice destination with various affordable goods, unique Guangzhou-style buildings, and delicious Canton snacks and food.

Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street

What you can buy: The street is a summary of Guangzhou people’s eating and clothing. There are hundreds of shops (including numerous department stores) along this 1,218-meter street. The main goods sold there are clothing and cloth. The famous Huanlin Jade Street (a nice place for buying jade articles), and the largest farm products market, Qingping Farm Products Market, are also located there.

Tasting Canton food: After hundreds of years’ development, there are many old and famous restaurants and teahouses, such as Qingping Restaurant (清平饭店), Huang Shang Huang (皇上皇腊味店, well-known for its cured meat), Lianxiang Building (莲香楼, famous for its Canton-style moon cake and various dim sums), TaotaoJu (陶陶居, another famous tea house), and Guangzhou Restaurant (广州酒家). Most of them are located on Dishifu Road. You can also taste the numerous street snacks.    

Cloth, clothing, paper, and herbs: Centered around Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street there is a business area covering 2.5 square kilometers, with several cloth markets, a clothing market, a paper wholesale market, and a Chinese herbal medicine market.

Subway: Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street is in Liwan District. You can take Subway Line 1, get off at Changshou Road (长寿路), take Exit A, and walk about 500 meters along Baohua Road (宝华路, follow the stream of people if you do not know which direction).

2. Tianhe Teemall: Guangzhou's Top International Mall

Guangzhou Teemall

Teemall is the most prosperous and the most international business center in Guangzhou. The all-encompassing shopping mall offers services of shopping, eating (including Chinese food and Western food), entertainment, bodybuilding, business affairs, and exhibition. However, the large shopping mall has no difference from those in other cities. If you are looking for local products, go elsewhere.

What you can buy: It is not a cheap place to shop, but there is a modern shopping center with a few local shops. International stores include Lacoste, Zara, H&M, and Versace. Guangzhou Book Center, the largest book store in Guangzhou, is also located there.

How to get there: Teemall is near the Guangzhou CBD, Tianhe Sports Center, and Guangzhou East Railway Station. You can take subway line 1 or 3 to Tiyu West Road (体育西路) or a bus stopping at Tianhe (天河站) or Sports Center (体育中心).

3. China Plaza

China Plaza

China Plaza is located at the junction of Zhongshan Third Road, facing Guangzhou Cemetery of Revolutionary Martyrs. The shopping mall, together with its Grade A office building, is one of Guangzhou's landmarks.

Free Wi-Fi is available in China Plaza.

China Highlights remind you not to show too much interest and not to buy too quickly. You might get a surprise of a lower price if you do not give in too quickly.

What you can buy: China Plaza has 9 floors, including a basement floor. Clothing, mobile phones and accessories, furniture, and food are all available there.

  • Basement floor: Many famous internationally branded goods, including CK, TOMMY, MONGO, and THEME
  • Floor 1: domestic branded goods
  • Floor 2: supper market and video games
  • Floor 3: fashionable clothing and accessories
  • Floor 4: mobile phones, digital products, and accessories
  • Floor 5: furniture
  • Floor 6: Culture City with food, snacks, and clothing and accessories
  • Floor 7: Food Palace with cooking styles of Chinese, Japanese, South Korean, European, and American food
  • Floor 8: cinema and health club

Subway: Take subway line 1, get off at Cemetery of Revolutionary Martyrs (烈士陵园), and take Exit A.

4. Gangding Computer and Digital Shopping Circle

Guangzhou Computer Shopping Circle

There are several computer shopping malls in this circle, and the main ones are Tianhe Computer Mall (天河电脑城, at 502 Tianhe Road), Buynow Computer Mall (百脑汇), Pacific Digital Plaza (太平洋电脑城), Guangzhou Computer Mall (广州电脑城), and EGO Digital Plaza (颐高数码广场).

Appliances and various digital products including computers, laptops, tablets, digital cameras, accessories, and software are widely sold there. If you are an enthusiastic fan of digital products, this circle should be a nice place for you. Cheap and fine goods can be founded there: the central premise is that you are a good bargainer with sharp eyes.

  • How to get there: Gangding Computer and Digital Shopping Circle is located in Tianhe District, you can take subway line 3 and get off at Gangding Station (岗顶站).

5. Beijing Road Pedestrian Street (北京路步行街)

Beijing Road

Beijing Road Pedestrian Street is a typically crowded place to shop and eat, especially during weekends. There are about 140 stores in this 440-meter street.

The main goods sold there are clothing, articles of daily use, shoes, leather products, bags, food, jewelry, and books. Guangzhou Cartoon Star City (广州动漫星城) nearby has lots of products imported from Japan and South Korea, and is an exciting place for youths and comic fans.

Beijing Road is not far from Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street. Generally, Beijing Road is not as good as Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, because it does not have so many excellent restaurants and snacks, though it has its own charm.

  • How to get there: Beijing Road (Beijing Lu) is located in Guangzhou city center. You can take subway line 1 or 2, get off at Gongyuanqian (公元前站), and then walk to Beijing Road.
  • Recommended tour: Four-Day Essence of Guangzhou and Shenzhen Tour
Hi, I'm Lynn Ye
I updated this article on March 14, 2013
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Q: Patsy Asked on 2013-05-17 Reply
I a visiting for the lighting fare 9-13th June and would like to visit, what I believe to be, the second hand and antique market. Can you give me more info? Patsy
Q: jai Asked on 2013-05-14 Reply
I am to visit Guangzhou from 8 June to 15 June for Lighting Fair. I need to buy some items for my own use such as 32 inch LED TV, Vacuum Cleaner etc. as well as a Laptop and Bluray Drive for my PC. Where will I get these items at low cost and is it all available at one place or will I have to travel to different places for them? Do these shops deal in Dollars or in Yuan? Generally how much percentage should I expect to bargain? Thanks!
Dear Jai, We listed some good places for shopping, you could buy the laptop and bluray drive at Computer Mall, such as Tianhe Computer Mall (天河电脑城, at 502 Tianhe Road), Buynow Computer Mall (百脑汇), Pacific Digital Plaza (太平洋电脑城), Guangzhou Computer Mall (广州电脑城), and EGO Digital Plaza (颐高数码广场). and buy the TV at a big department store, such as Haiyin Square (海印广场). Please click this link to realize the details: http://www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/shopping.htm In some big shopping mall, you could use the credit card, but in many store, you need to use cash. I suggest you'd better change some RMB in advance. For the price, I could not give some suggestions about the price to you as I am not familiar with these things. Lussie Lu Replied on 2013-05-15
Q: Zara Asked on 2013-05-12 Reply
I would like to know if there are any other locations to shop in guangzhou other than those mentioned in the articles featured. i will be in guang zhou for about 3 days
Dear Zara, We listed many kinds of shopping places on website, please click this link to check the things you are interested in. Click: http://www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/shopping.htm Lussie Lu Replied on 2013-05-13
Q: Solm Asked on 2013-05-09 Reply
Am planning to visit China next month of June especially Guangzhou and i would like to know the locations of wholesales markets of ladies'' items ie Jackets,dresses etc and how do i get there by train or by crab. How will be the weather like into that month.?

Hi Solm, please check here for the wholesale markets: http://www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/shopping.htm

You can get there by metro or cab.

The weather in Guangzhou is excellent, also hot, summer clothes will do.

Whitney Liao Replied on 2013-05-11
Q: devinder paul Asked on 2012-09-28 Reply
I will be in Guangzho just for 8 to 9 hours stopover. I like to visit the shopping centre close to airport. Can you pl. suggest me something. I have to be back to airport by 6.00 in the evening. Thanks
Dear Devinder Paul, The airport is far away from down town and there is not any good places for shopping. I suggest you take a subway to the train station from airport. There are many stores around the train station for shopping. You could take line 3 subway to Jiahewanggang station(嘉禾望岗站）， then change to line 2 subway to train station. It takes about 1 hour. So that you have enough time for shopping. Lussie Lu Replied on 2012-09-29