Guangzhou (Canton) skylines and views

Guangzhou's skyline is very impressive, with 8 buildings over 300m tall in 2016, 2 over 400m, one over 500m and Canton Tower, a 600m tall observation tower! And all these were built 2010 and after, most of them in Zhujiang New Town. Previously the skyscrapers were scattered all over the city, and the largest concentration of skyscrapers (with offices and hotels) and residential highrises used to be the West part of Tianhe district, dominated by what was then Asia's tallest building, CITIC Plaza that was built in 1996. Yuexiu district, Liwan district and Huzhou district also have their fair share of skyscrapers. As recently as in the year 2000, only 2 buildings were more then 200m tall, and in 1990 only 8 buildings were more then 100m tall! With a history several thousand years old, with almost no highrises until the 1990s, it is very remarkable that the shape of the city's skyline changed so dramatically in just a few years. This is a typical, and one of the most extreme, example of the dramatic change in Chinese cities in recent years, due to the rapid growth of the economy.

Zhujiang New Town is a newly constructed CBD in the southernmost part of Tianhe district, it stretches to the Pearl River and is connected with the "old" CBD of Tianhe. Only 5 years ago this district didn't have many tall buildings. Today Guangzhou two tallest buildings (Canton Tower is not counted as a building as it is a freestanding tower) are situated here; International Finance Centre (hereafter called IFC) stands 438m tall with 103 floors, and opposite it the 111-storey (!) Chow Tai Fook Centre is under construction and will be 530m tall upon completion in 2016! During our visit in 2015, it was nearly topped out.

Other notable buildings in Zhujiang New Town are the oval Pearl River Tower (310m), the postmodern The Pinnacle (360m), the glass Fortune Center (310m), the diagonal Leatop Plaza (303m) and the glass R&F Yingkai Square among others (296m). All these skyscrapers have been built after 2010!

Canton Tower, Guangzhou's and Guangdong Province's tallest structure, was the world's tallest freestanding tower for 2 years, and is today the world's 5th tallest tower. For more information and pictures of Canton Tower and it's views, click here.

Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel. In the front is Tianhe district. To the right is Tianhe district's CBD, and to the left Zhujiang New Town. To the far left Canton Tower in Huzhou district can be seen. In the distance is Yuexiu and Liwan districts. Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel. Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel, looking towards Zhujiang New Town from Tianhe district. The skyline has changed dramatically the last 10 years and boasts a collection of some of the world's tallest buildings! Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel: Tianhe district. Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel, looking towards Zhujiang New Town from Tianhe district. The skyline has changed dramatically the last 10 years and boasts a collection of some of the world's tallest buildings! Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel, towards Tianhe district. Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel: CITIC Plaza in Tianhe district. Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel: Tianhe district. Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel: Zhujiang New Town with International Finance Center and Chow Tai Fook Center (u/c) both around 500m tall! Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel: Zhujiang New Town. Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel: Canton Tower. Guangzhou view from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel towards a nearby highway. Guangzhou view from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel towards a nearby highrise residential area. Guangzhou skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel: Yuexiu district anda in Tianhe district. Tianhe district seen from the overpass at Gangding. View of central Guangzhou from a bridge above Pearl River. View of central Guangzhou from a bridge above Pearl River. View of central Guangzhou from a bridge above Pearl River. View of Zhujiang New Town from a bridge above Pearl River. View of central Guangzhou from a bridge above Pearl River. To the left is Yuexiu district and to the right is Haizhu district. View of Haizhu district from a bridge above Pearl River. View of Yuexiu district in central Guangzhou from a bridge above Pearl River. View of Yuexiu distric and Haizhu district in central Guangzhou from a bridge above Pearl River. View of Yuexiu distric and Haizhu district in central Guangzhou from a bridge above Pearl River. View of Yuexiu district in central Guangzhou from a bridge above Pearl River. View of central Guangzhou from a bridge above Pearl River. View of Yuexiu distric and Haizhu district in central Guangzhou from a bridge above Pearl River. In the background is Canton Tower. View of Canton Tower in Haizhu district, the world's 5th tallest structure, from a bridge above Pearl River. Liwan district, Western part of Central Guangzhou, seen from the entrance to Chen Clan Academy. Guangzhou TV Tower (218m) from 1991, seen from Yuexiu Park Yuexiu district, here dominated by Doubletree Hotel, seen from Yuexiu Park.Yuexiu district, here dominated by Doubletree Hotel, seen from Yuexiu Park. The structure to the left is Guangzhou TV Tower. Zhujiang New Town, from the left: Chow Tai Fook Center (530m, completion 2016), IFC (International Finance Center (438m, built 2010), R&F Yangkai Square (296m, built 2014). Zhujiang New Town. Zhujiang New Town. Zhujiang New Town with two new skyscrapers u/c: GT Landmark Plaza and GT Landmark Plaza u/c (280m, 2015). Zhujiang New Town. Zhujiang New Town. Chow Tai Fook Centre in Zhujiang New Town will be Guangzhou's tallest building upon completion in 2016, with a height of 530m. It will have 111 floors, taller then Empire State Bldg and Taipei 101 for example. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and will be mixed use (hotel, offices, helipad). Initially, it was planned to be a twin tower to nearby IFC, but is now almost 100m taller! Zhujiang New Town from IFC (International Finance Centre, current tallest building). Zhujiang New Town from IFC. Zhujiang New Town from IFC. View from the Four Seasons Hotel on the 70th floor of the 103-storey IFC Bldg towards the even taller Canton Tower. View from the Four Seasons Hotel on the 70th floor of the 103-storey IFC Bldg, towards Pearl River. Guangzhou skyline from Four Seasons/IFC. View from from Four Seasons/IFC. Lobby of from Four Seasons Hotel. View from Four Seasons/IFC. Guangzhou skyline 52 View of Pearl River from Four Seasons/IFC. The base of Canton Tower from Four Seasons/IFC. View of Pearl River and CC Tower in Zhujiang New Town from Four Seasons/IFC.Sky bar at the Four Seasons Hotel. Tianhe district CBD and Chow Tai Fook Centre. Chow Tai Fook Centre in Zhujiang New Town will be Guangzhou's tallest building upon completion in 2016, with a height of 530m. It will have 111 floors, taller then Empire State Bldg and Taipei 101 for example. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and will be mixed use (hotel, offices, helipad). Initially, it was planned to be a twin tower to nearby IFC, but is now almost 100m taller! Chow Tai Fook Centre (530m, 111 floors, u/c, 2016) and IFC (438m, 103 floors, 2010 ) the two tallest skyscrapers of Guangzhou. Zhujiang New Town and Tianhe district. Zhujiang New Town with IFC. Canton Tower, built 2010, is 600m tall to the top. Twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower, it was the world's tallest freestanding tower for 2 years, now it is 5th tallest. The skyline of Zhujiang New Town with Chow Tai Fook Centre (530m, 111 floors, u/c, 2016) and IFC (438m, 103 floors, 2010 ) the two tallest skyscrapers of Guangzhou. Business district at Zhujiang New Town with CC Tower in the middle. Zhujiang New Town with Chow Tai Fook Centre and Provincial Museum. Hangzhou district with the base of Canton Tower and Pearl River. Tianhe CBD with CITIC Plaza, Asia's tallest building upon completion in 1996. Chow Tai Fook Centre (530m, 111 floors, u/c, 2016) and IFC (438m, 103 floors, 2010 ) the two tallest skyscrapers of Guangzhou. Leatop Plaza, Bank of Guangzhou Tower and Fortune Center, all over 300m tall and only a few years old. Zhujiang New Town with the 3 tallest structures of Guangzhou: Chow Tai Fook Centre (530m, u/c), Canton Tower (600m) and IFC (438m). IFC to the left and Grand Hyatt to the right. Zhujiang New Town with the 3 tallest structures of Guangzhou.Pearl River and Huzhou district seen from Restaurant Rose Garden. Pearl River and Huzhou district seen from Restaurant Rose Garden. Pearl River and Huzhou district seen from Restaurant Rose Garden. Pearl River seen from a restaurant with illuminated cruise ship. Pearl River and Huzhou district seen from Restaurant Rose Garden. Guangzhou TV Tower (218m) from 1991, seen from Yuexiu Park at night. Zhujiang New Town at night, from the left: Chow Tai Fook Center (530m, completion 2016, not illuminated), IFC (International Finance Center (438m, built 2010), R&F Yangkai Square (296m, built 2014). Guangzhou night skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel, from the left: Canton Tower, Chow Tai Fook Centre, IFC. Guangzhou night skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel. Guangzhou night skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel Guangzhou night skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel, from the left: Canton Tower, Chow Tai Fook Centre, IFC. Guangzhou night skyline from our hotel room at the Yutong Hotel, towards Canton Tower. Guangzhou_Pearl_River_pano_original Guangzhou_Pearl_River_pano_resized