May and June mark the beginning of Guangzhou’s hottest, wettest season – and the time of year when newly arrived foreigners realise it’s hard getting used to the subtropical climate. With daily highs hovering in the 30s throughout the humid summer, even the shade offers little respite from the heat.

So, before the mercury rises any higher, here are some ideas for keeping cool in the Guangzhou summer.

1)  Herb tea
One of the classic ways for Guangzhouers to beat the heat is to cool down from the inside out. Sipping the bittersweet liangcha varieties on a hot summer’s day is meant to balance your internal and external temperatures.

Commercial, canned or bottled, varieties of liangcha like Wang Lao Ji (王老吉) are beloved (and be-marketed) all over China. But Guangzhou has many home-grown varieties, with new stalls popping up every summer. A wander down one of the pedestrian shopping streets like Beijing Lu will offer you several to choose from.

2)  Catch a movieView In Map
If you can’t take the heat anymore, you can hide from it, at least for the duration of a feature film. Guangzhou’s cinemas are air-conditioned, and usually located in a shopping mall with nice frosty air. If you subscribe to the bigger-is-better school of thought, Guangzhou’s biggest screen is at the Wanda Shopping Plaza – the Guangzhou Wanda Cinemas IMAX.

Add: 3/F, 503 Yuncheng Donglu, Wanda Plaza, Baiyun District, Guangzhou
地址: 广州市白云区云城东路503号白云万达广场三楼
Tel: 36689666, 36689777
Opening hours: 10:00 to last showing
Ticket Prices: 80 RMB and up
Website: www.wandafilm.com
Getting there: Metro Line 2 Feixiang Park Station, Exit C

3)  Quench your thirstView In Map
When the heat peaks, birds of a feather flock to where the beer is. From perching on plastic stools outside your neighbourhood’s local convenience store to venturing out to the Zhujiang InBev Party Pier, this is a time-honoured way to merge one hazy summer day into another. One of the breeziest places to get a brewski this summer might be at the rooftop Paulaner Brauhaus.

Add: 3/F, TaiKoo Hui Shopping Centre, 383 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
地址: 广州市天河区天河路383号 
Tel: 0202808 6333
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs, 11:30-24:00; Fri-Sat, 11:30-1:00
Website: www.paulaner-brauhaus.com/guangzhou/home
Getting there: Metro Line 3, Shipaiqiao Station

4)  Clean out your air conditioner
If the hot weather makes you feel like a hermit, make sure the cave you retire to has squeaky-clean air. In the cooler months, mildew, dust and nasty bacteria can take up residence in your air-con unit. To sanitise your air flow, www.allergy-details.com recommends soaking your AC screen in hot water with laundry detergent for 15 minutes and then letting it dry before reinstalling it. If you think your unit needs more than a filter scrub, then now’s a good time to call your landlord or local handyman to help you out.

5)  Baiyun Shan View In Map
When you’ve got a free day, another tip for escaping the delta heat is to head for the hills. Baiyun Mountain Park has got plenty of shade, reflecting pools, and, most importantly, it should be degrees cooler than the city centre. To guarantee you catch a breeze on a summer’s day, ride the cable car up the hillside.

Add: Guangyuan Lu, Baiyun District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市白云区广园路
Opening hours: 09:00 - 17:00

6)  Ice skatingView In Map
For a little exercise while you cool down, it’s always nice on the ice at Glacier Bay ice rink in Grandview Mall. And if you’re not sure that you’re ready for spinning around by yourself on a slick surface, they also offer classes.

Add: 5/F, Grand View Mall, 228 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
地址: 广州市天河区天河路228号, 5偻                  
Tel: 020 383 31482, 020 383 30966
Opening hours: 10:00-22:00
Price: Adults 50 RMB; Children 40 RMB for 2 hour tickets. 68 RMB per person for unlimited use in one days
Website: www.binghewan.com

7)  Ocean WorldView In Map
Retire from the heat to watch fish – and mermaids – swimming at the Guangzhou Ocean World, located in the same complex as the Guangzhou Zoo and accessible on a joint ticket. See corals and critters from the South China Sea and a few aquatic performances with dolphins and humans (the "mermaids”).

Add: 120 Xianlie Zhonglu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
地址: 广州市越秀区先烈中路120号   
Opening hours: 09:00-18:00
Getting there: Metro Line 5, Zoo Station.

8)  Swimming
If your place of residence doesn’t have its own pool for an afternoon plunge, the city has several Olympic-sized public swimming pools on offer. Try your best strokes out at the Tianhe Swimming Pool at the Tianhe Sports Center, or perhaps the one in Yuexiu Park, near the China Hotel. 

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Keywords: summer in Guangzhou how to stay cool Guangzhou how to beat heat Guangzhou health tips Guangzhou Guangzhou summer activities