I have a bad opinion of Guangzhou. Driving toward the city from the mouth of the Pearl River, the sky always becomes gradually darker as the air pollution thickens. And once there, it is a sea of elevated roadways, massive junctions, towering apartment blocks and traffic jams. In short: a hellish “Blade Runner” type city.

But.

One winter day, roughly three years ago, I did go to Guangzhou and have a wonderful day of sightseeing. These photos are from that day. Looking at them now, I know that I must give Guangzhou another chance. This time via the express train (to avoid traffic hell) and on a day that’s predicted to be a “Blue Sky Day” (to save my lungs).