GuangZhou -- 'shopping paradise'. It is absolutely truth. Guangzhou is the most important commodity distribution center in south China. You would find complete categories worldwide brand-name commodities here.

Fashionable dress, jewelry, watches, cosmetics, computer and electronic goods, photographing apparatus, sports goods, stationery, fashionable playthings, curios, arts and crafts, medicines and herbs, sea products and other endless goods. Worldwide visitors will always enjoying the fame of "shopping paradise".

Guangzhou Commercial Pedestrian Street

One of the prime downtown shopping areas located in ShangxiajiuLu. Tourists can shop, eat and have fn in 238 stores all within a 800 meter walk. President JiangZemin inspected this pedestrian street.

Mouse Street Shopping Center/Mall, Guangzhou

Mouse Street (Lao Shu Jie) is also known as "women's street" (Nu Ren Jie) and is where Guangzhou's modern misses hit the rails. Hundreds of tiny stores sell locally produced, Japanese-brand clothes, shoes, and accessories.

It's cheaper than Beijing Road, but more crowded. Bargaining is essential. Open 10-6. Address: North of China Plaza, Zhong Shan Lu, Guangzhou, China

Friendship Store

The Friendship Store occupies a five-story building with departments selling a wide range of designer wear, children's wear, luggage, and household appliances. Address: 369 Huanshi Dong Lu, Guangzhou, China

GITIC Plaza Arcade

GITIC Plaza Arcade has stores in the mid- to upmarket range. Some are contained in the Monte Carlo Shopping Center, where women's and men's fashions, accessories, cosmetics, and stationery are sold.

More clothing boutiques, jade shops, and Chinese arts and crafts are found here as well. The spacious arcade is busy from 8 AM to 9 PM. Address: Huanshi Dong Lu, Guangzhou, China

Antique Xiguan Street

Very hard to find but once you get there it is worth it. You know you are getting close when you are surrounded by local women all chanting "change money, change money".

This place is old China and I mean everything about this place is old, from the street to the shops to the furniture, even the people selling the goods have been around a long time. It takes five minutes' walk to this antique street from the Changshou metro station. A long narrow lane is in the very old part of town.

The Fangcun plant, flower and pet market

This is the place to go if you need to give your rather drab apartment the natural look and fit it out with the potted ferns and the potted flowers.

Everything comes in pots so it is a bit of a hassel getting it home on the Subway, so don's go overboard with the pennies as most things are reasonable cheap.

Also when the lovely little puppies are looking rather cutely at you just remember you have to register dogs so if your neighbours complain that rather cheap excursion to Fungcun could get very expensive, but I have never actually heard of anybody getting a license.

Also be warned most dogs are not the standard Peking Dog and after a few months your lovely little puppy might turn into a large guard dog. This place is easy to find and easy to get to just go to the last stop on the Subway, the other end from Tianhu and it is right there.

At the moment with summer nearly in full force, if you want the place to yourself you can go there at lunchtime, but I recommend the morning or the evening.