Canton Tower

Where is Canton Tower? How about Canton? What is the tallest tower in Guangzhou? What shall we visit when we are in GZ?

Canton Tower (in Chinese is 广州塔), formerly known as Guangzhou TV Astronomical and Sightseeing Tower (in Chinese is广州电视台天文及观光塔) and also known as Guangzhou Tower (in Chinese is广州塔), is a 600-metre (1,969 ft) tall multi-purpose observation tower in the Haizhu District of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton or Kwangchow), Guangdong, China. The tower was topped out in 2009 and it became operational on 29 September 2010 for the 2010 Asian Games. The tower briefly held the title of tallest tower in the world, replacing the CN Tower, before being surpassed by the Tokyo Skytree in 2011.It was the tallest structure in China prior to the topping out of Shanghai Tower on 3 August 2013. It is now the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world.

There had been a long discussion about the naming of the Canton Tower since the commencement of its construction in 2005 after the groundbreaking ceremony. In September 2009, at the request of the tower's investor, Guangzhou Daily launched a contest for naming proposals. The contest attracted over 180,000 valid entries, among which "Haixin Tower" (in Chinese is海心塔; literally: "Tower in the Sea") was awarded the first prize. The name alluded to the city's historical setting as the start of the Maritime Silk Road and the tower's geographical proximity to Haixinsha Island. However, this name was considered obscure to people unfamiliar with the history of the city. Local residents continued to refer to the tower by various nicknames including "Slim Waist" (in Chinese is小蛮腰), "Twisted Firewood" (in Chinese is扭纹柴; a metaphor for "stubborn" in Cantonese) and "Yangdianfeng" (Chinese: 羊巅峰; literally: "Peak of the Ram City"; homophonic to "epilepsy" in colloquial Chinese).

The naming was reconsidered in 2010. After surveying a broad range of public opinions, "Canton Tower" was decided as the official name and announced at the end of September 2010. The new English name, alluded to the city's prosperous past, was considered the most identifying and least ambiguous among the multitude of proposals.

The Canton Tower's main body stands at 450 m (1,476 ft). Combined with the tower's 150-metre-long (492 ft) antenna, the Canton Tower possesses a total height of 600 m (1,969 ft), making it the second tallest tower in the world, second tallest in Asia, and the tallest in the People's Republic of China. The tower has 37 floors, and 2 basement floors.

In terms of weight, the Canton Tower weighs a total of 100,000 t (100,000,000 kg), including the tower's antenna which weighs 1,550 t (1,550,000 kg) and the main body, which includes all the features of the tower, which weighs a total of 98,450 t (98,450,000 kg).

The Canton Tower occupies a total floor area of 175,458 m2 (1,888,610 sq ft). In addition, the tower's net usable area measures 114,054 m2 (1,227,670 sq ft).

As the southern city of Guangzhou was selected to host the 2010 Asian Games, the Canton Tower was opted as the venue for the 2010 Asian Games opening ceremony. The sky above the observation tower was filled with different assorted colors as numerous fireworks were displayed in the area. The ceremony took place at 8:00 pm China Standard Time (UTC+8) on 12 November 2010 (see 2010 Asian Games opening ceremony), a few months after the tower was inaugurated and opened.

The Canton Tower hosted an annual Christmas Concert on Christmas Eve inside the tower's ground floor, making it the first concert to be held in the Canton Tower. Celebrated on Christmas Eve, the concert was held on 24 December 2012.

The Canton Tower is situated alongside the Yiyuan Road (Yuejiang Road West), in the city of Guangzhou, which in turn, is the capital and the largest city of the provincial level division of Guangdong, which lies in the southernmost part of the People's Republic of China. Additionally, several famous landmarks surround the tower, such as few pagodas, a park towards the south, and several high-rise apartments, buildings, and skyscrapers, both commercial and residential.

Hotels around Canton Tower:

Guangzhou Hengtai Hotel

Guangzhou Marriott Hotel 

Jinzhou International Business Hotel