Off the beaten track

Compared to the 72-hour visa-free transit policies in Beijing and Shanghai, the visa offered in Guangzhou has the advantage of enabling foreign visitors to leave the provincial capital of Guangdong to explore other cities in the province.

Zhaoqing, a city two-hour drive from Guangzhou, boasts many forest parks. Ding-hu Mountain is the first natural reserve in China to join UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program thanks to its abundance of wildlife.

Birdsong and streams liven up the deep and tranquil forests.

Seven Stars Cave is another scenic spot not to be missed.

If you desire more excitement, you can try rafting adventures at Panlong Gorge or Seven Stars Cave.

Besides the natural wonders, visitors will also be captivated by the architecture. The most striking is diaolou, or watchtowers, in Kaiping, a city three-hour bus ride from Guangzhou.

As a World Cultural Heritage site, Kaiping diaolou is an interesting combination of Chinese rural architecture and Western styles, including Greek, Roman and Gothic.

Kung fu fans may wish to make a trip to Foshan, where they can visit the former residence of Ye Wen, a Wing Chun master, and the memorial hall of Huang Feihong, a classic character in Chinese kung fu movies famous for his fast kicks. It is easy to travel to Foshan because it is linked to Guangzhou by subway.

For business people who wish to relax after busy schedules, the hot spring town in Conghua is a good choice.

People can also try digging out a "bathing tube" in the soft sands by the Liuxi River, and a hot spring will appear in the sand hole.