While Guangzhou is known among the Chinese for its relatively high crime rate, it is still not a dangerous city by Western standards, and is no more dangerous than a large American or Western European city. Due to the enormous number of people from other mainland provinces flocking to Guangzhou in the hope of finding jobs (often unsuccessfully), the area surrounding the main train station has gained a notorious reputation for being chaotic, unsafe and rampant with petty crimes. Pickpockets are especially active here. Security enforcement has increased and security cameras are now more commonly used since the 2010 Asian Games. In recent years, armed robberies in the open and abductions which result in first degree murders have been on the rise in the city, even though such crimes are punishable by death. Just bear in mind, when people become desperate, they will do anything to get what they want. If you are getting robbed, do not expect the crowd to help. And if they are armed, do not fight back. The best defense, as always, is common sense. Do not flash your valuables in public, do not wander around by yourself late at night and remain alert at all times. Use only official taxis and get advice from the government-run tourist office. While shopping, be aware of scams such as street hawkers trying to sell fake laptops and other high value goods.
Use caution at bars or night clubs. Foreigners have been targets of physical assaults in these venues. Attacks on foreigners have been provoked when someone is perceived to have made derogatory statements about China. Overall, bars are relatively safe in the city.
With its vast, ever increasing population, there will always be people, mostly from out of town, who just seem to be hanging around. Those unaccustomed to this may feel intimidated, especially Westerners who get stared at a lot. However, please remember that rural Chinese are not used to seeing a "Gwai Lo," or white man. Their stares are merely out of interest, and should not be construed as something rude or offensive. In this respect, it is important to bear in mind that 3 out of 10 people in Guangzhou are migrants from other provinces.
Traffic conditions in Guangzhou have drastically improved in recent years and rules are followed relatively well. However, car speed in Guangzhou is fast enough to claim more lives when accidents happen. Use extra caution when crossing streets; use pedestrian bridges and tunnels whenever possible. Like everywhere else in China, cars do not yield to pedestrians. Instead, drivers automatically expect pedestrians to give way to them. So in most cases, they do not stop until it is too late.
Motorcycles have been completely banned from central Guangzhou's streets due to a previous rash of motorcycle based snatch robberies and other safety issues. There are still plenty of motorcycles in the suburbs.
Emergency numbers are: Police: 110; Fire: 119; Medical: 120; Traffic accident: 122.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Guangzhou
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Guangzhou - updated May 2024
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Guangzhou Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
