Guangzhou is the transportation center in South China. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is the third largest airport in China next to Beijing and Shanghai. The Guangzhou East Railway Station has daily trains to Hong Kong. Guangzhou Port, the third largest seaport in China, is the distributing center as well as the largest international pivot port in Pearl River Delta Area. Currently, it has connections with over 500 ports in more than 170 countries. The city also offers convenient railway and highway networks which link Guangzhou with other cities in China. Besides, the public transportations, such as buses and metros, are also well developed.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, which inaugurated commercial flights on August 5th 2004, is one of the three major civilian airports in China. Today, it hosts over 30 airlines worldwide, operating a total of more than 110 flights to over 100 cities at home and abroad.
Situated on Huanshi Xi Lu in the northwest of Guangzhou, the Guangzhou Railway Station is convenient by bus or subway. Trains from this station serve big and mid-sized cities all over China.
Guangzhou East Railway Station
Guangzhou East Railway Station, located in Tianhe District, serves railway routes such as Guangzhou-Shenzhen, Guangzhou-Kowloon (Hong Kong) and Guangzhou-Shantou. Additionally, the station has trains running along Beijing-Kowloon railway that crosses the eastern part of China.
Road transportation services in Guangzhou have been greatly improved in recent years. Through a wide-reaching network, passengers can buy tickets for any of the 15 passenger stations in Guangzhou and those in Panyu, Huadu, Conghua and Zencheng. Many intercity expressways have been built with long-distance buses serving various destinations within and outside of Guangdong Province.
Getting around Guangzhou by City Bus
Guangzhou boasts a highly efficient public transportation with lots of gas and electricity-driven vehicles running on many lines. The price for ordinary buses is RMB1, while the fare of buses equipped with air-conditioner is RMB2. For some buses, passengers pay a varying charge depending on the distance served.
Getting around Guangzhou by Subway
There are four metro lines in Guangzhou and service charges are based on the distance between pick-up and destination points: charges are RMB2 for the first four kilometers; RMB1 for every four kilometers from four to twelve kilometers; RMB1 for every six kilometers from twelve to twenty-four kilometers and RMB1 for every eight kilometers over the distance of twenty-four kilometers.
Getting around Guangzhou by Taxi
There are about 16,000 taxis in Guangzhou. The various colors of the cars signify different taxi companies. Passengers can stop a taxi by just waving his or her hand.