The Rules That Catch People Out
In Guangzhou
None of this is difficult, and most of it is not in guidebooks. Carry tissues — squat toilets dominate public facilities and paper is often not supplied. Watch the pavement — pedestrians do not have right of way at crossings and e-scooters ride pavements silently and fast, which is the most likely way a visitor actually gets hurt here. Do not escalate loudly — 面子, face, means a raised voice with a driver or a hotel clerk makes the outcome worse, not better. Do not tip, anywhere. And know the language situation: Cantonese is the street vernacular, Mandarin is official and universal under about 40, and English is genuinely limited outside hotels, the airport and the fair halls.
The practical rules
Squat toilets dominate public facilities and paper is frequently not supplied. This is the single most useful thing on this page.
Silent, fast, and they will not slow down for you. Pedestrians also do not have right of way at crossings, even on a green man. This is the most likely way a tourist gets injured in Guangzhou.
Even in August. Ask for 冰水 if you want it cold, and expect mild surprise.
Not in restaurants, taxis, hotels or spas. A 5–10% service charge at sit-down restaurants is normal and is not a tip.
Despite regulations, Guangdong enforcement lags Shanghai and Beijing noticeably.
Not rudeness. Recalibrate rather than reacting.
Age, salary, marital status and weight are normal conversational openers, not intrusions.
Also border facilities. This is one of very few genuinely serious rules on this list.
Eating like you have done it before
叩手礼 — a silent thank-you, and the single best piece of etiquette to arrive knowing.
Staff will refill it without being asked. No need to catch anyone's eye.
老火汤 is served before the meal, not after — the opposite of Western practice and one of the deepest habits in Cantonese eating.
Bones on the table or in a side dish is normal. Slurping is fine. Nobody is watching your chopstick technique.
It resembles funeral incense. Lay them across the bowl or on the rest.
茶位费 of ¥3–20 per head plus 5–10% service is standard at every tea house in the city.
Cantonese, Mandarin and how little English there is
Cantonese (粵語) is the local vernacular — what you hear in dim sum houses, markets, taxis and among older residents. Mandarin is the official language, universal in schools and signage and spoken by essentially everyone under about 40. The two are roughly as distinct as Spanish and Italian, not dialects of one another.
English is limited. Realistic availability: international hotels, Canton Fair halls, Baiyun Airport, some staff at major sights, and younger professionals. Not taxi drivers, most restaurants, shop staff, metro staff or police. The metro itself is genuinely easy — Chinese and English signage and announcements throughout.
The practical kit: your hotel name and address in Chinese characters saved as a phone screenshot, a camera-translation app, Amap in English mode, and Dianping for choosing restaurants by rating rather than by reading a menu. One note worth making because visitors expect otherwise: the Cantonese-versus-Mandarin friction outsiders anticipate does not really show up in visitor accounts. Nobody will be annoyed that you are speaking the wrong Chinese; they will be pleased you tried either.
Questions people actually search
Do people speak English in Guangzhou?
Limited. International hotels, the airport, Canton Fair halls, some staff at major sights and younger professionals — yes. Taxi drivers, most restaurants, shop staff, metro staff and police — generally no. The metro is fully bilingual and easy to use. Save your hotel address as a screenshot in Chinese characters and use camera translation for menus.
Do you tip in Guangzhou?
No — not in restaurants, taxis, hotels or spas. A 5–10% service charge appears on sit-down restaurant bills and is not a tip; nothing further is expected and offering cash can be mildly awkward.
Is Cantonese or Mandarin spoken in Guangzhou?
Both. Cantonese is the street and family language, Mandarin is official and universal among younger and migrant residents. They are as different as Spanish and Italian. Learning 唔該 (m̀h'gōi, thanks/excuse me) in Cantonese will get you further socially than any amount of Mandarin, and everyone appreciates either.
What should I not do in Guangzhou?
Photograph military, police or government facilities. Raise your voice in a dispute — 面子 means escalation makes outcomes worse, not better. Stand chopsticks upright in rice. Assume paper will be in a public toilet. And do not accept unsolicited invitations to a tea ceremony from friendly strangers near tourist sites.
Are squat toilets common in Guangzhou?
Yes, in public facilities, metro stations and older restaurants — and paper is often not provided. Malls, hotels and newer museums have Western fixtures. Carry tissues and hand gel; it is the single highest-value item in your day bag here.