The Canton Tower dominates the Guangzhou skyline from the southern bank of the Pearl River, its twisted red lattice structure rising 600 metres above Haizhu district. Completed in 2010 for the Asian Games, it is the centrepiece of the modern Tianhe and Zhujiang New Town skyline, which you can see stretching north across the river.
The observation deck at 488 metres is reached by high-speed elevator and provides a panorama across the entire metropolitan area on clear days. Above the main observation deck, an outdoor "bubble tram" circles the top section — a glass gondola that moves slowly around the outside of the tower's upper structure, with nothing below for 450 metres. The tower is best visited at dusk when the city lights up and the Pearl River turns gold. At night, the lattice itself is illuminated in rotating colours. Take metro Line 3 or Line 8 to Chigang Pagoda or Guangzhou Tower station.