Guangzhou Travel Forum

May I know is Guangzhou safe to travel? I heard that the crime rate is quite high especially targeting tourists. May I know if its true

Hi

the crime rate in Guangzhou is higher than the overall China except Shenzen.
However the main crime targeting the foreigners is pickpocketing and it is not really something to be afraid of as long as you take the necessary precautions like carrying your bag on your chest and prefer taxis more than buses.Buses are the place where the skillful pick-pocketers usually appear.
Carrying your valuables in your bag but not in your pockets would help a lot on the busy streets of Guangzhou.Violent robberies are not common in Guangzhou so carrying your valuables in safe places would help you to avoid unwanted events during your travel

enjoy your trip

I've been there 3-4 times, nothing untoward has happened to me so far!

Guangzhou is highly unsafe and you're better off not going there. Opt for Lhasa or Shanghai instead.

Good luck

Spent 6 weeks in Guangzhou and surrounding areas, used the buses frequently, but I did not travel alone, always in a group, the more the better, and I did take a few taxis, and hired drivers in mini van, scooters. Found the worse areas for pick pocketing were all the tourist areas, airports, train stations, and advise caution at all times.

Although I was lucky, I never had anything taken, but my brother who was with me, had his back pack unzipped in a matter of seconds by a smooth operator when we first arrived at the Beijing airport and we were unloading from the plane onto the shuttle bus to the terminal. After that he carried his back pack on his chest.

Pay attention to your belongings, keep your hands on your purse at all times, keep wallets in front pockets, and use a pouch that you can wear around your neck close to your chest or a money belt under your shirt around your waste. When you do need to take out money, go to the washroom & remove what you need. Keep minimal cash in your pockets. Never walk with your wallet in your hand, that's just asking for trouble. Do not keep all your money in one location, incase you do get jacked.

I travelled alone many times around China. I never had problems, even in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Be careful of pickpokets in the crowd: markets, large stores, underground and train stations. The situation in China is less serious as the ones you meet in many other countries in the world.

Claude