While the internet abounds with information on fun places for adults to hang out – fancy restaurants, romantic getaways and places to spend those hard-earned Renminbi – not much is written about fun things for children to do in Guangzhou. But don't despair! While you'll have to go to Hong Kong for Disneyland, or a seaside town for a beach, Guangzhou still has a bunch of engaging places for children to play and interesting sites to engage both kids and adults.  

 
Yuexiu Park

1) Parks
Tried-and-true children venues work as well in Guangzhou as they do elsewhere in the world. The city's larger parks have places designed for children in them, such as the play areas near the west gate of Yuexiu Park for example. Toddlers and very young children can bounce around at the smallish slides and play area. These areas have rubberized flooring to protect from falls. Slightly older kids will enjoy riding the nearby carnival rides at the “Happy Paradise,” including electric cars, a merry-go-round and a jellyfish carousel. The whole family can have a splash on the artificial lakes in the park by renting paddle boats. Some of the boats come with water canons for friendly firing on passing boats and some are shaped like cartoon animals.

Yuexiu Park 越秀公园 View In Map
Add: 988 Jiefang Beilu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市越秀区解放北路988号
Opening hours: The park is open 06:00- 21:00
Price: Toddler play area, 5 RMB per child and 1 RMB for accompanying adults; Happy Paradise rides, 3-10 RMB per person per ride (some have height and age restrictions); boats, 30-50 RMB (can fit 2-4 people).
Getting there: Metro Line 2 to Yuexiu Park Sation or Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall

 
Guangzhou Zoo

2) Guangzhou Zoo
While zoos can be a controversial destination because of the treatment of the animals within, the Guangzhou City Zoo is worth a look. Located at the conveniently-named Zoo metro station, it's a leafy refuge in the heart of the city. Smooth concrete paths make walking or rolling a stroller easy and a hop-on-hop-off shuttle bus makes a frequent circuit through the park. The shuttle also has information about some of the star animals, like the panda and the lion, recorded in English. Just ask the driver. The zoo's collection includes a large range of deer, oryxes and the like as well as both greater and lesser pandas, lions, tigers (and two ligers), elephants, zebras and the ever-popular monkeys. For an additional fee, visitors can watch animal performances, visit the Ocean World aquarium and see sea animals do tricks, or go to the Goldfish World where kids can get wet trying to catch some goldfish of their own.

Guangzhou Zoo广州动物园View In Map
Add: 120 Xianlie Zhonglu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市越秀区先烈中路120号
Opening hours: Daily, 08:00-18:00
Price: 20 RMB adults/10 RMB children 1.2 meters to 1.5 meters tall for the zoo alone; 30-50 RMB per person for adding on the animal performances or Goldfish World; 120 RMB for the Ocean World and zoo.
Website: www.gzzoo.com
Getting There: Metro Line 5.

 
Guangzhou Tower

3) Cityscape
How about taking the children for an urban walk and then a walk above the city? The Huacheng Plaza that is still under construction goes past the newly built Guangzhou Library, Guangzhou Opera House, the Second Children's Palace and the Guangzhou Museum. It leads to Haixinsha Island and, via the underground APM across the river, to the world's tallest building, the Canton Tower. At 600 meters to the tip top of the spire, the Canton Tower (formerly the Guangzhou TV and Sightseeing Tower) is now the tallest structure in China—a fun fact for kids to repeat to their friends and family. Go up to the observation decks and enjoy the SpiderWalk which winds from 168 to 334 meters above ground.

Canton Tower 广州塔 View In Map
Add: 222 Yuejiang Xilu, Haizhu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市海珠区越江西路222号
Opening hours: Daily 10:00-21:00
Price: 50 RMB per person for the lower levels or 100 to 240 RMB per person for the SpiderWalk, depending on which observation deck you want to ascend to.
Website: http://www.gztvtower.info/index.htm
Getting there: Metro Line 3 or APM to Chigang Pagoda.

4) Shopping
With the idea that little people like to do what big people do, why not go shopping? For this all-time-favourite Guangzhou hobby check out these two malls focused on kids: the One Link International Toys and Gifts Wholesale Market and the BB Mall. One block from the Haizhu Square metro station, the One Link International Toys and Gifts Wholesale Market has four floors of toys, accessories and souvenirs. While geared toward wholesalers who are looking to export Chinese-made goods overseas, sellers at this market will sell one-offs. Girls' hair accessories, cute phone ornaments, school backpacks and stationery supplies, scooters and inline skates can all be found here. The recently opened BB Mall sells things for smaller children and babies, and has made an effort to make shopping with young children in tow a fun experience for all. Each of the five storeys has play areas or kid-friendly furniture for children to stop at. The stores sell local and international brands of toys, clothes and baby necessities. There's even a kid-happy restaurant on the fourth floor.

International Toys and Gifts Wholesale MallView In Map
Add: No. 39 Jiefang Nan Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市解放南路39号万菱广场
Opening hours: Roughly 09:00 to 18:30 though individual sellers may have different opening hours.
Getting there: Metro Line Haizhu Square exits B1 or B2 then walk west one block.

BB MallView In Map
Add: Yuexiu Zhong Road, across from the old Guangdong Provincial Museum
地址：广州市越秀区宝贝城
Opening hours: 09:00 to 18:00
Getting there: Metro Line 1, Peasant Movement Institute Station.

Chimlong Circus

5) Amusement Parks
If you're lucky enough to have all day to play, families should plan on going to some of Guangzhou's wonderful amusement parks. Panyu District's Chimelong group of entertainment facilities includes a park with rollercoasters and other rides, a circus, a safari park and a crocodile park.

Chimelong Parks View In Map
Add: Yingbin Lu, Panyu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市番禺区迎宾路
Opening hours: 09:30 - 19:00
Price: From 180 RMB adult/90 RMB child to 320 RMB adult/180 RMB child depending on how many of the parks you will visit.
Getting there: Bus numbers 221, 247, 512, 562

With all these things to see and do, what are you waiting for? Go out and have some fun!

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: kids activities Guangzhou Guangzhou for kids Guangzhou kids entertainment