Street Photography in Guangzhou

Shamian is a small island on the Pearl River that was once a foreign concession, with 19th century consulates and churches along tree lined streets. Into Travel China recommends 15:00 to 17:00, when the light filters through the banyan trees and throws soft shadows on the pastel facades. Couples often come for wedding photos, and residents walk dogs and practice dance under the trees. Frame a walker between two trunks with a colonial facade behind. It is free and quiet on weekdays.

Qingping Market, across the canal from Shamian, is an old market for Chinese herbal medicines and dried goods. Travel China Guide describes it as the city's only licensed herbal medicine trading place in the center. Jess Rose found aisles of dried plants and sea creatures, with people on bikes hauling boxes through, and a glimpse of old China between the towers. Come in the morning, when trade is busiest. Many traders dislike cameras, so shoot the aisles wide and ask before close portraits.

Enning Road runs through Liwan, lined with qilou, the arcaded shophouses of old Guangzhou, where ground floor shops open under covered walkways. It is residential and commercial at once, with older residents and small tea shops. Morning is best, when people shop and eat breakfast. Stand in the arcade and shoot along the columns, so their rhythm leads to a figure in the light at the end. Some sections have been restored and some are worn, which gives you contrast. Respect residents on their doorsteps.

Yongqing Fang is a restored block of traditional Xiguan houses off Enning Road, now home to cafes and craft shops. Into Travel China recommends weekday mornings before 10:00, and says the best frames are in the side alleys, where residents still hang laundry and keep potted plants. Carved wooden doors and ironwork balconies make detailed backgrounds. The horsehead gable walls typical of the region top many of the houses. Shoot a resident passing a carved doorway in the side lanes, rather than the busy main street. Weekends are crowded.

The Sacred Heart Cathedral, also called the Stone House, is a granite Gothic church built between 1863 and 1888. Into Travel China suggests the southwest corner for the contrast between the spires and the modern apartment blocks. The streets around it, along Yide Road, are dense with wholesalers of dried seafood and goods, with porters and trolleys. Come in the morning, when trade is busiest. Frame the spires above the traffic and trolleys. The cathedral is open during the day; be quiet inside.

Beijing Road is one of Guangzhou's busiest pedestrian shopping streets. A glass floor section shows ancient road layers from the Song and Ming dynasties below. Into Travel China recommends 20:00 to 22:00, when the neon is fully on and the crowd flow gives you motion blur with longer exposures. Shoot people walking over the lit glass, or blur the crowd behind a still figure. The side streets off Beijing Road have food stalls and smaller crowds. It is crowded, so keep your bag in front.

Haizhu Bridge is one of the city's oldest bridges, first built in 1933. Into Travel China recommends blue hour, about 20 minutes after sunset, when the bridge and riverside buildings light up and their reflections spread across the Pearl River. The surrounding river walk is well lit and safe after dark. Evening walkers and anglers fill the banks. Shoot figures along the rail with the bridge behind, or use a slow shutter for boat trails. The south bank near the bridge foot gives the classic view.

Huacheng Square is the long central plaza of Zhujiang New Town, the modern business district, facing Canton Tower across the river. It fills with families and young people in the evening. The Canton Tower lights come on around 19:00, according to Into Travel China. Frame people on the plaza with the lit towers behind them. The Guangzhou Library nearby has a free rooftop view over the skyline. It is open, so use the lines of the plaza to lead to a single figure.