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I know guys like Rock and Xiongmao have talked to me about Guangzhou before, and now, after having visited the city a few weeks ago, I have to agree with their assessment of the place: in another words, I think it's a pretty interesting place.

First of all, there's lots more things to see and do in Guangzhou than Shenzehn. Since it's not a new city like Shenzhen, there's a lot more cultural attractions and historical sites than the former. Also, the people seem much more livelier and happier than in Shenzhen: the people there don't seem to be as motivated by money as much as people from Shenzhen.

I visited the big observation tower there, as well as the Asian Games stadium, and the big IFC building dowtown. Also went to the commercial center and Koreatown in GZ.

I don't know if it's me, but I find the Chinese in Shenzhen unhappy and stressed. Not so, with the people in Guangzhou as much.

Also, although there are many attractive females in Shenzhen, most of them are bitchy and materialistic. I found the women in Guangzhou have a much better temperament than your average Shenzhen women. In fact, I have recently started dating a lovely GZ women for the past few weeks, and not only is she attractive, nice and smart, but she's got that 'full-bodied' '' Latina' look that you usually don't find in Asian women.

I liked the 'vibe' I got from the women in GZ. I really can't say the same about women in Shenzhen. Also, GZ women seem much more approachable as well...I also didn't see as many interracial couples there as in Shenzhen. The women in GZ seem to stick to Chinese/Asian men there...for the most part.

There's also a lot of bars and pubs for expats to go to, something I think Shenzhen is a bit lacking in...

Anyway, does anyone else agree with my assessment of Guangzhou as well? Tell me what you guys think...I know Xiongmao is one...

Yes I love Guangzhou, although trying to live there, well you'd go mad like I did!

I've gone mad there on each of my three visits.

My friend keeps going mad there as well, so he keeps having to go to Bangkok to calm down.

Although it's good for dating, it's overcrowded, hot, very humid (much more than Bangkok), and full of aggressive mosquitoes. The weather also changes very suddenly, and 3 thunderstorms in a single day isn't uncommon. Upset stomachs are also common although I didn't do too badly. The Koreans in my language class had it worse and frequently turned up to class looking green. There's also quite a bit of crime there, and the roads are death traps. Oh, and so are the sidewalks.

Really only frogs and trees should live there.

I was worried about going to Bangkok in July, but I have to say that Guangzhou had the harsher climate.

As to ladies, actually I found Shenzhen ladies to be more, er, desperate for want of a better word. I dated some top notch ladies there. One was a middle manager earning very good money (actually the same I was earning in the UK in 2006). Another had a degree from Guangzhou's best University.

There are more Cantonese in Guangzhou - they tend to have bustier figures. My last gf (sadly now married - to another man!!!) was Cantonese.

I tell you Gz is so big I never did get to visit Korea town. But I did go on the bus through there when my ex took me to visit a clothing factory in a downtrodden neighborhood. I got a lot of "hello's" there from tough looking Chinese dudes*.

Did you visit any of the wholesale markets? That's the real Guangzhou, or the one that most foreigners are there for.

Did you visit Xiaobei? Falcon liked that part of town. There are lots of Africans there. Also lots of shady Chinese. My crazy friend and I once rode down to there on his electric motorcycle. On an overpass we got accosted by this Chinese dude selling health potions. My friend is into medicine, so he tried some skin stuff. After a few seconds of applying the stuff his leg started smoking. Lol. Thankfully he never did buy the whole bottle of it.

I saw two foreign tourists in Guangzhou once - they were looking for the HK train.

There are more foreigner places to go in Guangzhou though, and it's easier to find foreign foods.

*Having said "hello", they've exhausted all the English they know.

Anyway, I hope more of you guys get to see the teeming metropolis that is Guangzhou.

I found everyone to be real nice in GZ, although I can't compare since it was the only city I visited. Girls had such nice manners, I love that stuff. And they don't have a problem 'checking you out'.
Man it's so refreshing to see a non-tatooed girl that says hello in a pleasant/sincere voice and asks how your day is going.

I visited the big observation tower there, as well as the Asian Games stadium, and the big IFC building dowtown. Also went to the commercial center and Koreatown in GZ.

I wanted to visit that tower but didn't get a chance to. Is it a good place to take a girl to? or is it 'cliche' for them already? How are the restaurant (s) in there?

I have recently started dating a lovely GZ women for the past few weeks, and not only is she attractive, nice and smart, but she's got that 'full-bodied' '' Latina' look that you usually don't find in Asian women.

you're having too much fun over there, and keep rubbing it in lol


Just a bit more time... tic-toc-tic-toc

droid wrote:I found everyone to be real nice in GZ, although I can't compare since it was the only city I visited. Girls had such nice manners, I love that stuff. And they don't have a problem 'checking you out'.
Man it's so refreshing to see a non-tatooed girl that says hello in a pleasant/sincere voice and asks how your day is going.

I visited the big observation tower there, as well as the Asian Games stadium, and the big IFC building dowtown. Also went to the commercial center and Koreatown in GZ.

I wanted to visit that tower but didn't get a chance to. Is it a good place to take a girl to? or is it 'cliche' for them already? How are the restaurant (s) in there?

I have recently started dating a lovely GZ women for the past few weeks, and not only is she attractive, nice and smart, but she's got that 'full-bodied' '' Latina' look that you usually don't find in Asian women.

you're having too much fun over there, and keep rubbing it in lol


Just a bit more time... tic-toc-tic-toc

If you want a good view of the city, then I suggest you check-it out with your girl. The stadium, observation tower and the IFC building is all in the same area. It's actually a nice place to take a date to...

Yes! Your right about the girls. Lovely...why aren't females in Shenzhen like GZ girls? They seem so stuck-up, materialistic and unfriendly by comparison...

xiongmao wrote:Yes I love Guangzhou, although trying to live there, well you'd go mad like I did!

I've gone mad there on each of my three visits.

My friend keeps going mad there as well, so he keeps having to go to Bangkok to calm down.

Although it's good for dating, it's overcrowded, hot, very humid (much more than Bangkok), and full of aggressive mosquitoes. The weather also changes very suddenly, and 3 thunderstorms in a single day isn't uncommon. Upset stomachs are also common although I didn't do too badly. The Koreans in my language class had it worse and frequently turned up to class looking green. There's also quite a bit of crime there, and the roads are death traps. Oh, and so are the sidewalks.

Really only frogs and trees should live there.

I was worried about going to Bangkok in July, but I have to say that Guangzhou had the harsher climate.

As to ladies, actually I found Shenzhen ladies to be more, er, desperate for want of a better word. I dated some top notch ladies there. One was a middle manager earning very good money (actually the same I was earning in the UK in 2006). Another had a degree from Guangzhou's best University.

There are more Cantonese in Guangzhou - they tend to have bustier figures. My last gf (sadly now married - to another man!!!) was Cantonese.

I tell you Gz is so big I never did get to visit Korea town. But I did go on the bus through there when my ex took me to visit a clothing factory in a downtrodden neighborhood. I got a lot of "hello's" there from tough looking Chinese dudes*.

Did you visit any of the wholesale markets? That's the real Guangzhou, or the one that most foreigners are there for.

Did you visit Xiaobei? Falcon liked that part of town. There are lots of Africans there. Also lots of shady Chinese. My crazy friend and I once rode down to there on his electric motorcycle. On an overpass we got accosted by this Chinese dude selling health potions. My friend is into medicine, so he tried some skin stuff. After a few seconds of applying the stuff his leg started smoking. Lol. Thankfully he never did buy the whole bottle of it.

I saw two foreign tourists in Guangzhou once - they were looking for the HK train.

There are more foreigner places to go in Guangzhou though, and it's easier to find foreign foods.

*Having said "hello", they've exhausted all the English they know.

Anyway, I hope more of you guys get to see the teeming metropolis that is Guangzhou.

Yeah, I guess living there and visiting are two different things...

You're right about Shenzhen women, Xiongmao: a lot of them seem desperate in a way, because there are a lot of "leftover women" or "Sheng nu" types in the city. Because it's solely a place to make money, and the women seem so career-minded and focused on money, that they delay relationships or engage in non-serious dating, resulting in lot's of single females there...

Based on the posts here, it sounds like both cities are pretty good for dating.

Gz is good for nice, sweet, pretty girls.

Shenzen is good for rich, hot, sugar mamas. Depends on what you're looking for, it seems. LOL!

I agree that Guangzhou is actually a very nice city, one of the best in China. It has lots of the amenities that Shanghai and Beijing have but it is much less stressful and more friendly. I have only been to the train station and bus station in Shenzhen, i was always afraid of that town. Heard that it was full of scammers, etc, but that could just be from the rep from Hong Kong people.

There is a SUPERB Turkish restaurant in Xiaobei, probably one of the best (if not the best) in China. The food is a treat in Guangzhou. I ate at Guangzhou restauarnt, and had a high class experience for about $15. There are also the places with the live fish that they will cook for you. Guangdong food has a good reputation.

As for the girls, personally, i found them short and less attractive (the local Guangdong girls), fortunately there are a lot of transplants in Guangzhou, as it was a place where people from the countryside that they were allowed to move to. They need permits to move to Shanghai and Beijing.

Also don't miss the Canton Fair, when lots of foreigners visit the city. The new whole area alongside the river is very beautiful and the new area of town is very nice too.

There are also lots of foreigners in Guangzhou compared to the rest of China. People from Latin America, Africa and Arabs/Turks. It's a very international city for China.

See this is a real happier abroad thread. I like this.

Nice. I'm going to be hitting GZ for a week or so before I start my job. As a short person, I prefer shorter girls anyway. A lot of the GZ girls I've been chatting with on QQ have those thick legs too (thick, not fat, for the record). MMMM, delicious.

My friend took me to that Xiaobei restaurant. I found it stupendously expensive - 100RMB for rice and beans. We feasted a lot better in Bangkok's Middle Eastern restaurants.

I had a fish selected and cooked for me in Gz, but it wasn't very good. Carp or something. I had an awesome Tilapia in Bangkok Tescos - about 150RMB and they clean it then BBQ for it.

Thick legged girls are easy to meet in Gz - the local guys just like the really thin girls.

I never went to Canton fair, but why would you need to when there are so many other wholesale markets there. Plus you're more likely to get ripped off at Canton fair, and the police are on the lookout for foreigners illegally working etc. etc.

There are plenty of other places to explore there though. The old airport has an interesting history, and the terminal is now a shopping mall.

I found a great flower and pet market, and at the back were aligators for sale. I made do with a plant (that's now 3x the size of when I bought it).

The bus system is also great and you can go here there and everywhere.

KokujinKrusader wrote:Nice. I'm going to be hitting GZ for a week or so before I start my job. As a short person, I prefer shorter girls anyway. A lot of the GZ girls I've been chatting with on QQ have those thick legs too (thick, not fat, for the record). MMMM, delicious.

Yeah, the girl I'm dating is thick in the trunks and bust, too. Hahaha...

There's lots more of those types of girls in GZ than in other parts of China, I think. ...

So many beauties here.

KokujinKrusader wrote:So many beauties here.

Yes, many beautiful women in China. I only wish some of them weren't as materialistic as they are now.

I've been going out a lot with locals, trying to learn the ropes. This is not like Japan where you could get by with English; here, you are expected to speak Chinese, or at least I am.

The people here have been generally nice. I get a few "you don't belong here" stares, but for every one of those, I get a "welcome to China", and even some stares of interest, and smiles. My lack of Chinese and confidence makes it hard to approach though, and I don't want to misconstrue anything and ruin what few good thoughts they may have had about me.

KokujinKrusader wrote:I've been going out a lot with locals, trying to learn the ropes. This is not like Japan where you could get by with English; here, you are expected to speak Chinese, or at least I am.

The people here have been generally nice. I get a few "you don't belong here" stares, but for every one of those, I get a "welcome to China", and even some stares of interest, and smiles. My lack of Chinese and confidence makes it hard to approach though, and I don't want to misconstrue anything and ruin what few good thoughts they may have had about me.

Yes, learning Chinese will definitely help expand the scope of girls you are dating; I had to break-up with some, because of the difficulties associated with the language barrier...

Also, if you don't want to deal with the more 'Westernized' Chinese females--who usually speak good English--then you will have to learn the language, in order to meet more traditional, and less 'Westernized' Chinese girls.

Most Chinese girls dating foreign men, are either the highly-successful, highly-educated, well-traveled types (who have been overseas to countries like the USA, many times), gold-digggers, prostitutes, or the more 'Westernized' Chinese females. In order to meet Chinese women who don't fall into those categories, then you need to be fluent in Mandarin.