The Canton Tower as seen from the Four Seasons Hotel, IFC.

©Cathy Adams/Lonely Planet

Canton Tower

Guangzhou


Built for the 2010 Asian games, this 604m tall tower was designed to look 'female' by its Dutch architects, earning it the nickname 'slim waisted' (小蛮腰, xiǎo mányāo). Most visitors flock here after dark to ogle the rainbow-lit exterior. Good views can be had from the grassy plaza south of the tower or across the river north near the museums area.

You'll need to pay extra or buy a more expensive combo ticket to reach the very highest vantage point inside the tower, or go on the rides: a scenic 'Bubble Tram' and the 'Sky Drop' stomach-churner.

Transportation

  • metro: Line 3 to Canton Tower, exit D

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Guangzhou attractions

1. Guangdong Museum

0.57 MILES

The flagship museum of Guangdong province, this ultramodern institution was conceived as one of the city's new showpiece buildings along with the Canton…

2. Guangzhou Opera House

0.62 MILES

Designed by Zaha Hadid, southern China's premier performance venue has transformed the area with its typically commanding, otherworldly aspect. Futuristic…

3. Guangdong Museum of Art

1.11 MILES

On the southern shoreline of Ersha Island (Èrshā Dǎo), this colossus of an art museum showcases the works of important Cantonese artists and has been the…

4. Dōngshān

1.95 MILES

Tree-lined streets Xinhepu Lu (新河浦路), Xuguyuan Lu (恤孤院路) and Peizheng Lu (培正路) in the historic Dōngshān area offer a welcome respite from the city. Here…

5. Spring Garden

1.99 MILES

Located in the historic Dōngshān area, Spring Garden was the headquarters of the central committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1923. Mao Zedong…

6. Redtory

2.89 MILES

The warehouses and workshops of the former Guangdong Canned Food Factory (c 1958) are now home to Redtory art village. If you're hoping for an experience…

8. Martyrs' Park

2.93 MILES

East of the Peasant Movement Institute on Zhongshan Sanlu, this lavish memorial park commemorates communists killed after an attempted coup in 1927, which…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "china/guangdong/guangzhou/attractions/canton-tower/a/poi-sig/1239758/355940",
      "destination": "Guangzhou",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "China",
      "city": "Guangzhou",
      "position": "superzone"
    }