Even if you've never been to China, Guangzhou may strike a familiar chord. That's because a large portion of the overseas Chinese population originally hails from the city formerly known as Canton, and Cantonese culture—especially that its food culture—dominates Chinatowns around the world. 

And with a long history of international trade flowing into and out of Guangzhou, it's no wonder there's a distinct cosmopolitan feel to the place. Though you may get stares and a few suspicious looks in China's countryside, don't expect a second glance in Guangzhou. That said, with a little time in this South China city, you'll discover that the Cantonese generally earn their reputation for being generous and friendly many times over.

Located at the apex of the Pearl River Delta, Guangzhou forms a golden triangle with financial powerhouse Hong Kong and upstart Shenzhen. Indeed, with Guangdong Province functioning as the world's factory floor for the past decade-plus, recent years have proven very prosperous, allowing the city to transition from a period of industrial growing pains (think pollution and horrible traffic) into a more mature and settled modern Chinese metropolis, complete with a well-manicured riverfront and renovated colonial buildings. 

Despite the city's ranks of new glass and steel towers, Guangzhou retains its traditional soul. It isn't hard to find the vibrant signs of daily life in this famed port in steamy dim sum eateries, bustling markets that appear to sell a little bit of everything. 

Expect to eat well and a lot (and, if you're daring, to eat things you'd probably never thought of eaying before), bargain hard when you shop and enjoy the fruit of Guangzhou's increasing prosperity, which includes several new world-class museums.
 

If you choose to ignore the story about the five immortals riding rams (or goats) down to ancient Guangzhou to plant sheaves of grain in the name of peace, the city's history begins sometime in the 3rd century B.C. when it was known as Panyu. It has been an important trading city pretty much since then with foreign visitors from the Roman Empire (Africa!) coming around as early as the 2nd century A.D. Traders from the Middle East were active in the area in the 8th century, but things really picked up in 1511 with the appearance of the Portuguese, who were eventually given more free-reign in downstream Macau, where their influence is still strongly felt. Ships from almost everywhere else in the world eventually followed and throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the masts of Dutch, English, French, American, Danish, Swedish and Australian ships could be seen bobbing in the harbor.

Something about Guangzhou attracted revolutionaries and its more modern history touches on most of the major conflicts in the PRC's history. The port was ceded to the British at the end of the so-called First Opium War, though their control of Guangzhou wasn't nearly as strong as their hold on neighboring Hong Kong. Later, it became the place where Hong Xiuquan hatched plans for what would become known as the Taiping Rebellion. In the 20th century, the locally born and raised revolutionary, Sun Yatsen, used Guangzhou as a Nationalist capital. The young leaders of the Communist Party—Mao and the rest of the gang—spent some time strategizing in the city as well.

It seems the "capitalist revolution" is seated in Guangzhou now, with an impressive chunk of the world's consumable goods being manufactured in its own backyard. The Cantonese have long been the most business-savvy residents of the People's Republic (and long before there was a PRC), so that now the city is as well-known for its gluttonous business meetings as it is for its rebellious past.

Guangzhou has a subtropical climate and is warm year-round with distinct rainy and dry seasons. May through August is very wet with daily rains and temperatures in the lower 30sºC (upper 80sºF). Fall and spring are drier and pleasant and the coldest temperatures are in January and February, but only bottom out at around 10ºC at night (low 50sºF).