Navigating Guangzhou Transit: A Quick Guide for China Southern Travelers
Lately, I've seen quite a few questions about transiting through Guangzhou, especially with China Southern Airlines offering such attractive fares for European travel. Since I just went through it myself, I wanted to share a few quick tips.
The Paperwork Process
On your flight from Vietnam to China, you'll receive a declaration form (see the image). The information requested is pretty basic, like filling out a simple introduction, so it should only take about 30 seconds to complete.
Upon arrival, head towards International Transfer. Here, you'll need to fill out another form (again, very straightforward). Once that's done, walk about 30 steps to the processing counter :v. After the staff verifies your appearance and, seemingly, your entire life story, they'll affix a 24-hour short-term visa sticker to your passport (as shown). And that's it! You can now proceed through immigration and security to explore the city.
A Taste of Guangzhou in 3 Hours
My transit was 7 hours, but after accounting for about 1 to 1.5 hours of procedures, I only had around 3 hours to explore Guangzhou. After exiting the airport, simply follow the flow of people heading towards the metro. Pay 8 yuan per ride via Alipay and head to Canton Tower (about a 45-minute journey). There, you can snap some photos and grab a grilled sausage (though I heard they recently seized tons of them with questionable origins) or some corn (potentially soaked in bleaching agents). Just remember to keep a close eye on the time to ensure you make it back for your connecting flight to Europe. If you unfortunately miss your flight, you could theoretically take a 3000km bus ride back to Saigon – just in time for dinner at home, easy game.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, these practical tips will be helpful for your European travels this summer!
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