Zaha Hadid's Guangzhou Opera House.

©Cathy Adams/Lonely Planet

Guangzhou Opera House

Top choice in Guangzhou


Designed by Zaha Hadid, southern China's premier performance venue has transformed the area with its typically commanding, otherworldly aspect. Futuristic glass panels have been woven together to form subtle curves, creating a visual effect that has been described as pebbles on the bed of the Pearl River. As well as opera, dance and classical music, touring international productions, such as War Horse, are staged here. You're free to stroll around the architecturally interesting exterior, which is lit up at night.

Weekend visiting slots are at 10am, 11am and on the hour between 1pm and 4pm. Taking the form of a 45-minute tour (Chinese only), you'll get to see the grand opera hall with its ethereal LED lights as well as the state-of-the-art rehearsal studios.

Transportation

  • metro: Line 3 to Zhujiang New Town, exit B1

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Guangzhou attractions

1. Guangdong Museum

0.31 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. Canton Tower

0.62 MILES

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,…

3. Guangdong Museum of Art

1.08 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

1.62 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

1.68 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. Martyrs' Park

2.52 MILES

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

8. Redtory

3.02 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…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "china/guangdong/guangzhou/attractions/guangzhou-opera-house/a/poi-sig/1336903/355940",
      "destination": "Guangzhou",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "China",
      "city": "Guangzhou",
      "position": "superzone"
    }