Firearms are banned in the country except for police and military use, but the streets can still be dangerous in its own way for the unwary. Due to the enormous number of people from other mainland provinces flocking to Guangzhou in the hope of finding jobs (often unsuccessfully), the area surrounding the main train station has gained a notorious reputation for being chaotic, unsafe and rampant with petty crimes. Pickpockets are especially active here. In recent years, armed (large blades, knives, and such) robberies in the open and abductions which resulted in first degree murders have been on the rise in the city. Just bear in mind, when people become desperate, they will do anything to get what they want. If you are getting robbed, do not expect the crowd to help. And if they are armed, do not fight back. The best defence, as always, is common sense. Do not flash your valuables in public, do not wander around by yourself late at night and remain alert at all times. Use only official taxis and get advice from the government-run tourist office.
With its vast, ever-increasing population, there will always be people (mostly from out of town) who just seem to be hanging around. Those unaccustomed to this may feel intimidated, especially Westerners who get stared at a lot. However, please remember that rural Chinese are not used to seeing a "Lao Wai" (a Westerner), so their stares are merely out of interest, and should not be taken as something rude or offensive. In this respect, it is important to be aware that 3 out of 10 people in Guangzhou are migrants from other provinces.
Traffic accident rates in Guangzhou (or China for that matter) are significantly higher than those of other countries. Use extra caution when crossing streets; use pedestrian bridges and tunnels whenever possible. Like everywhere else in China, cars do not yield to pedestrians. Instead, drivers automatically expect pedestrians to yield to them. So in most cases, they don't stop until it's too late. Due to the high number of traffic accidents and crimes involving motorcycles, they will be totally banned in Guangzhou starting in 2007. Once the most important mode of transportation in China, bicycles will be also limited to certain roads within the city.
Emergency numbers are: Police: 110; Fire: 119; Medical: 120; Traffic accident: 122.
2008-3-14 15:49:02
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Districts of Guangzhou