Also known as the Pearl River Delta Mega City, Guangzhou is the third largest city in China and is located about 75 miles northwest of Hong Kong on the South China Sea. When in the 17th century China started opening up to foreign trade, Canton, as it was then called, was ideally placed and it became the country's largest port. Nowadays it is prosperous and dynamic, one of Asia's foremost business hubs - but if you have time when visiting the Canton Fair, explore behind the scenes and the many attractions of the city will give you a great insight into China's history and culture.

Pearl River Crossed by ten bridges in Guangzhou the river is particularly beautiful at night with the lights from the bridges and skyscrapers alongside reflected in the waters.

Bright Filial Piety Temple is a grand and ancient building famous for its 10th century iron towers carved with 1000 Buddhist shrines.

Yuexia Park is right in the city centre, home to the city's emblem, the Five Ram Statue, lakes, pavilions and gardens.

White Cloud Mountain is a popular beauty spot, a rocky hill just over 300ft high with birds and trees, flowers and lakes.

Chen Ancestral Hall, filled with wood, stone and brick carvings including some spectacular dragons lying on the roof, intricate metalwork and colourful frescoes, and it now houses the local Folk Arts and Crafts Museum

Huaisheng Mosque is perhaps the oldest in China, this is where Islam was introduced way back in the 7th century.

Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, built to commemorate the forerunner of Chinese communism

Temple of the Six Banyan Trees dates from the 6th century and has a beautiful nine-storey red-and-white pagoda.

Shamian Island is where the foreign 'concessions' were, and there are many fine British and French colonial-style mansions and civic institutions along leafy avenues.

Canton Tower is a striking building that at night emits a glow and is the world's tallest TV tower at 1,967ft high - the lifts take just 90 seconds from bottom to top and on the rooftop you can board the world's highest Ferris Wheel for fantastic evening views of the city and the Pearl River.