Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street

What it is

Guangzhou's qilou-arcade pedestrian street — old shopfronts in colonial-Chinese hybrid style, dense with laozihao (century-brands): bakeries selling wife cakes, almond cakes and chicken biscuits by the tin.

How to order like a local

The shopping is the snack: Lianxianglou and neighbours sell by weight — buy small assortments, not one big tin. Try the chicken biscuits (ji zai bing) warm if you can find them fresh. Fresh double-skin milk at any of the dessert houses is the street's proper finish.

Good to know

Late afternoon into evening, when the arcades light up. It's a walking street — go slow, graze sideways.