Guangzhou · Visitor Guide

Canton Tower (广州塔, Guǎngzhōu Tǎ)

Canton Tower (广州塔, Guǎngzhōu Tǎ), nicknamed 'the Slim Waist' (小蛮腰) for its twisted hyperboloid waist, is the 600 m lattice tower on the south bank of the Pearl River, built for the 2010 Asian Games and still China's tallest TV tower and the world's second-tallest tower after Tokyo Skytree. It is the postcard image of modern Guangzhou — the counterpoint to the colonial-era Shamian Island across town — and the single best place to read the Pearl River Delta megacity from above.

Last updated: June 17, 2026

Quick Answer

Is Canton Tower worth visiting?

A 600 m TV-and-observation tower finished in 2010 for the Asian Games, with a 488 m deck, a tilted Ferris wheel around its crown, and a freefall Sky Drop. Allow 2-3 hours; go at sunset for the day-to-night switch over the Pearl River.

Quick facts

Ticket	¥150-398 CNY by level: about ¥150 for the 433 m Cloud deck, ~¥298 for the 488 m photography deck, with the Ferris wheel and Sky Drop sold as add-ons; full top-level package reaches ~¥398 (as of 2026) (verify)
Hours	Daily 9:00-22:30, last entry around 22:00; the outdoor Ferris wheel and Sky Drop close earlier and shut in high wind or rain (as of 2026) (verify)
Recommended duration	2-3 hours including lift queues (which can hit 30-45 minutes on weekends); 90 minutes if you skip the top deck and the rides
Best time to visit	Sunset, arriving about an hour before, for the day-to-night switch over the delta. But summer sunsets are hazy and crowded, so a clear October-November weekday afternoon gives better daytime visibility and shorter lift queues.
How to get there	Metro Line 3 or the APM people-mover to Canton Tower station (广州塔站, exit B); the APM's southern terminus is the station, linking the tower to Zhujiang New Town in minutes. DiDi from central Tianhe runs ¥25-40.
English signage	partial
Wheelchair accessible	partial
Built	Construction 2005-2009; opened late 2010 for the Asian Games
Height	600 m to antenna top (604 m per CTBUH) — China's tallest tower, world's 2nd-tallest after Tokyo Skytree
Highest deck	488 m photography observation deck
Designed by	Information Based Architecture (IBA) + Arup engineering
Nickname	Xiao Man Yao (小蛮腰), 'the Slim Waist,' for its twisted hyperboloid waist
Rides	Tilted Ferris wheel around the crown (billed world's highest) + 484 m Sky Drop freefall

What to expect

The tower stands on the south bank of the Pearl River, directly across from the Zhujiang New Town CBD, and the first thing you notice is the waist. The hyperboloid lattice shell twists and narrows at mid-height, which is how it earned the nickname 小蛮腰 ('the Slim Waist,' a Tang-dynasty poetic reference to a dancer's waist). Three observation levels stack up the concrete core: the 433 m Cloud deck, the 488 m photography deck, and at the crown the 16-capsule Ferris wheel running on a tilted track around the lattice — billed as the world's highest. Add the Sky Drop (a 30-metre freefall from 484 m) and a horizontal rope-and-harness skywalk around the shell, and the top of the tower is half adrenaline ride, half viewing platform. Two to three hours covers one deck plus one ride; the lift queues can eat 30-45 minutes on a weekend.

Construction ran from 2005 to 2009, and the tower opened in late 2010, weeks before the Asian Games opening ceremony it was built to anchor — the fireworks launched from its lattice during that ceremony are the image most Chinese viewers remember. Dutch firm Information Based Architecture designed it with Arup as engineer, and the hyperboloid structure (two twisted outer steel columns around a concrete core) was a genuine departure from the straight-tube formula of towers like Toronto's CN Tower. For two years it was the tallest tower in the world, until Tokyo Skytree (634 m) opened in 2012; it is still China's tallest tower and the second-tallest in the world, and the second-tallest structure in China after the Shanghai Tower (632 m). It was the centrepiece of Guangzhou's push of its modern centre south across the river to Zhujiang New Town.

The honest take: the view is the reason, not the tower interior, which is a standard souvenir-and-cafe circuit. The 488 m deck is worth the extra money on a clear day; on a hazy summer afternoon you will pay around ¥298 to stare at grey. Most guidebooks push sunset, and they are right about the day-to-night switch, but sunset in summer is also peak haze and peak crowd — an October weekday late afternoon gives you both the light and the visibility. Buy online in advance (the official WeChat mini-program and Trip.com both sell tickets at the same price) to skip the ground-floor ticket queue, and pair the visit with the APM ride back through Zhujiang New Town and the Pearl River night cruise, which is frankly the better way to see the tower lit up than from inside it.

How to get there

Metro is the answer. Take Line 3 or the APM (Automated People Mover) to Canton Tower station (广州塔站, exit B is closest to the base); the APM's southern terminus is this station, connecting the tower underground to the Zhujiang New Town CBD (Haixinsha, Huacheng Square) in a few minutes. Buses 121, 204, and 468 serve the Canton Tower West (广州塔西) and Canton Tower South (广州塔南) stops, but routes change often — verify on Amap or Baidu Maps. A DiDi from central Tianhe or the old city (Liwan/Shamian) runs about ¥25-40 and 15-30 minutes depending on traffic; from Baiyun Airport expect ¥100-130 and 45-55 minutes. Metered taxis use about a ¥10-12 flagfall but few drivers speak English — DiDi with the in-app translator is easier and tracked. There is a paid underground car park if you self-drive.

Best photo spots

The Haixinsha / Huacheng Square promenade on the north bank, looking south across the river — the classic full-tower reflection shot at blue hour, with the Zhujiang New Town towers behind you.
The base of the tower at the south entrance, shooting straight up through the twisted lattice waist for an abstract structural shot.
From the Pearl River night-cruise boat as it passes the tower, capturing the lit-up lattice against the Zhujiang New Town skyline.
The 488 m photography deck itself — there is a glass-floored section for the straight-down 488 m drop shot.

Tips

Buy online in advance — the official WeChat mini-program and Trip.com both sell tickets at the same price as the kiosk, and the ground-floor ticket queue is the worst part of the visit.
If you pay for only one level, make it the 488 m photography deck, not the 433 m Cloud deck. The extra roughly ¥148 buys real visibility on a clear day; the 433 m deck often sits inside the haze band.
Skip the Sky Drop and Ferris wheel on a windy or rainy day — they shut, and staff reschedule rather than refund, so check the weather before booking a ride ticket.
Go on a weekday in October-November, late afternoon: the delta haze is at its lowest, crowds are smaller, and you still catch the sunset without the weekend ticket-queue crush.
The tower lit up at night is arguably better seen from outside (Huacheng Square, or the river cruise) than from inside it. If you are budgeting one Canton Tower experience on a hazy day, the night cruise past it beats going up.

Scams to avoid

Touts near the metro exit selling 'discounted' or 'fast-track' tickets — these are usually standard tickets marked up, or expired/resold QR codes that fail at the gate. Buy only from the official kiosk, the WeChat mini-program, or Trip.com.
Unlicensed 'taxi' drivers offering rides back to your hotel for a 'fixed price' after the night cruise — insist on a metered taxi or book a DiDi, which is cheaper and GPS-tracked.

Frequently asked questions

How tall is Canton Tower?

600 m to the top of the antenna (604 m per the CTBUH measurement), making it China's tallest tower and the world's second-tallest tower after Tokyo Skytree (634 m). The structural body reaches 454 m, with the antenna mast adding the rest.

How much does it cost to go up Canton Tower?

About ¥150 for the 433 m Cloud deck, around ¥298 for the 488 m photography deck, with the Ferris wheel and Sky Drop sold as add-ons; full top-level packages reach about ¥398 (as of 2026, prices change — verify on the day).

What are the opening hours?

Daily 9:00-22:30, last entry around 22:00. The outdoor Ferris wheel and Sky Drop close earlier and shut in high wind or rain, so check the same day if you have booked a ride (as of 2026, verify).

Which observation deck should I choose?

The 488 m photography deck if the day is clear — it is the highest publicly accessible point and worth the extra roughly ¥148 over the 433 m Cloud deck. On a hazy day, save the money and do the 433 m deck, or just view the tower lit up from the river cruise instead.

How do I get there by metro?

Take Line 3 or the APM people-mover to Canton Tower station (广州塔站); the APM's southern terminus is the station, and exit B drops you nearest the base. The APM connects the tower to Zhujiang New Town (Haixinsha, Huacheng Square) in a few minutes underground.

Is the Ferris wheel really the world's highest?

It is billed as the world's highest Ferris wheel — 16 capsules running on a tilted track around the tower's crown at roughly 460 m, rather than a conventional vertical wheel. It runs weather permitting and costs extra on top of an observation-deck ticket.

When is the best time to visit?

Sunset, arriving about an hour before, for the day-to-night transition over the Pearl River Delta. But the delta haze is worst in summer, so a clear October weekday afternoon gives better daytime visibility and smaller crowds than a July sunset.

How long should I allow?

2-3 hours including lift queues, which can hit 30-45 minutes on weekends and holidays. If you skip the top deck and the rides, 90 minutes covers the 433 m deck and the lobby.

Is Canton Tower accessible for wheelchair users?

Partially. Lifts reach the 433 m and 488 m observation decks, and the base, ticket hall, and cafes are step-free. The Sky Drop, the skywalk, and the Ferris wheel are not wheelchair-accessible, and the glass-floor sections need care.

Was it built for the Asian Games?

Yes. Construction ran from 2005 to 2009, and the tower opened in late 2010, weeks before the November 2010 Asian Games opening ceremony — the fireworks launched from its lattice during that ceremony are the image most Chinese viewers remember.

Other things to do in Guangzhou

Shamian Island

Guangzhou's 1861 British-and-French concession island — about 0.3 km² of banyan-shaded colonial villas on the Pearl River, free to wander 24/7. Allow 90 minutes to two hours, ideally in the late afternoon when the light turns golden and the wedding-photo crews thin out.

Chen Clan Ancestral Hall

A late-Qing clan academy finished in 1894, now the Guangdong Folk Art Museum — the finest carved roof ridges and wood, brick, and stone work in south China. ¥10, 1.5–2 hours.

Pearl River Night Cruise

A 60-to-80-minute boat ride down Guangzhou's lit-up Pearl River past Canton Tower and the Zhujiang New Town skyline. Tickets run roughly ¥88–¥198 (as of 2026), and the best sailings leave around 19:30–20:00.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

A 1931 octagonal, blue-roofed hall to Sun Yat-sen on the site of his 1921 presidential office — 49 m tall with a 71 m column-free auditorium span. Grounds are free; allow 45 minutes and pair it with next-door Yuexiu Park.

Baiyun Mountain

Guangzhou's largest green area — a 21 km² ridge of 30-plus peaks topping out at 382 m (Moxing Ridge), reachable by cable car or a 1–2 hour hike from the South Gate. Allow half a day; the main entrance ticket is just 5 RMB (as of 2026).

Kaiping Diaolou (Watchtower Villages)

About 1,833 surviving fortified tower-houses scattered across rural Kaiping, built mainly between the 1890s and 1930s by returned overseas Chinese; plan a full day, ideally an overnight, to see Zili and Li Gardens properly.

Museums in Guangzhou

Guangdong Museum

Cantonese culture, Maritime Silk Road export art, and Chaoshan woodcarving in a striking "treasure box" building in Zhujiang New Town. Free. Guangzhou's premier museum.

Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

A 2,000-year-old royal tomb you can walk into — the intact burial of the second Nanyue King, Zhao Mo, with his jade burial suit sewn in silk thread. One of China's best-preserved Han Dynasty tombs. ¥12.

Guangzhou Museum (Zhenhai Tower)

Inside Zhenhai Tower (1380) overlooking the Pearl River — Cantonese history from Neolithic to modern. ¥10. 1.5 hours. Less crowded than the bigger museums.