Canton Tower: Officially Off My List. Terrible Experience!
-
Since it's hot now, indoor activities are probably a better bet. If you're with kids, Grandview Mall (Zhengjia Plaza) is a good option with lots of exhibitions and rides. You could also check out the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King and the Thirteen Hongs Museum – one tells stories of the Yue King, the other showcases luxury goods. The Guangdong Museum is another choice, if you can manage to book tickets. The Swan Lake Greater Bay Area Centre for the Arts is quite large, so kids can run around freely. The Guangdong Science Center in University Town is also very spacious. You can book activities there, but you'll need to see if the timing works out. For example, viewing the summer starry sky through an astronomical telescope is a nighttime activity and might run quite late. If you haven't seen a circus before, the Chimelong International Circus is an option, though prices seem to have gone up for the peak season. If it's all adults, you could take the tram from Canton Tower and get off at Party Pier; the bar street there has live music, and the night view is decent. However, the most beautiful night view in Guangzhou is definitely at Huacheng Square.
-
Wow, this is the longest comment I've ever received! Thanks so much for the detailed recommendations, that's really thoughtful of you! I went to the museum, and it was genuinely great!
-
Hey sis, how long did it take you to get downstairs?
-
We started queuing to go down around 10-ish, from the 107th floor. The elevator capacity is pretty small, so we waited for almost half an hour.
-
What's the big deal about going up the tower anyway? Standing in such a tiny space just to look at rows and rows of buildings... what's the appeal, really?
-
Well, because out-of-towners haven't been, and they always hear people talking about it.
-
I was stuck in the same sea of people. They weren't even letting people into the subway, so I just ended up wandering around the base of the tower for ages.
-
Yeah, it was a really long walk.
-
It's like that everywhere when it's crowded. 'Can't even squeeze into the subway station,' 'drivers overcharging like crazy,' and 'getting home exhausted after 10 PM' – these aren't issues specific to the Canton Tower. You don't have to like the Canton Tower, but I don't think your reasons are fair. It's like experiencing Shanghai on a 5,000 RMB/month budget with its packed subways and fast food, versus experiencing the glamorous 'Magic City' Shanghai on a 500,000 RMB/month budget.
-
That makes sense.
-
Is the Ferris wheel worth riding?
-
Honestly, you might as well go to Happy Valley. The tickets to go up here cost a fortune, several hundred RMB!
-
Would it be any better on a weekday?
-
But there's really not much to see up there, unless you don't mind spending over 200 RMB just to watch the sunset.
-
Just go back to delivering your takeaways, mate.
-
What's that supposed to mean?
-
I went around the same time last night, and there was basically no queue; we got to the platform in 30 minutes. But honestly, it was a real letdown. Trying to get good night photos is pretty much impossible – every view is obstructed by pillars or the Ferris wheel cars. The experience doesn't even come close to the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai.
-
And the management is worlds apart. Both are landmark TV towers, but one's heavenly and the other... well, not.
-
@Squidward
-
No way, it's not fun at all.