The Pearl River Night Cruise is located in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. Its cruise waterway covers four major urban districts: Yuexiu District, Haizhu District, Liwan District and Tianhe District. As a landmark waterfront cultural tourism project of Guangzhou, it serves as the core urban nighttime water sightseeing route. The main waterway of the Pearl River Guangzhou section stretches about 12.8 kilometers in total length, and the main navigation water area for night cruises covers approximately 3.5 square kilometers. Relying on the original riverbanks, cross-river bridges and urban landmark buildings along both sides of the Pearl River, the whole route forms a nighttime sightseeing system. The core feature of the scenic spot is taking a boat to appreciate the night scenery on both sides of the Pearl River in Guangzhou, integrating urban skyscrapers, historical arcade ancient buildings, modern lighting renovation projects and cross-river bridge landscapes into one. It is one of the earliest launched and largest-scale inland river night cruise projects in China. Dozens of special cruise terminals including Tianzi Wharf, Dashatou Wharf, Canton Tower Wharf and Haixinsha Wharf are built along the route. Each terminal is equipped with waiting halls, tourist rest platforms, boarding trestles and other waterfront facilities. The construction area of standard terminal waiting buildings ranges from 800 square meters to 2200 square meters, and the total length of waterfront lines of all terminals exceeds 3000 meters. The entire cruise route connects new and old core urban areas. Visitors can enjoy urban riverbank scenery in the daytime, while a exclusive nighttime sightseeing landscape belt is formed by full-range lighting projects after dark.
History and Culture
The shipping history of the Pearl River dates back to the Qin and Han dynasties. The Guangzhou section of the Pearl River has been the inland river starting channel of the Maritime Silk Road since ancient times. During the Tang and Song dynasties, merchant trade flourished at riverbank wharves. Since the Qing Dynasty, Tianzi Wharf had become an official dedicated dock for welcoming and seeing off officials and receiving foreign guests, retaining hundreds of years of official port cultural heritage and acting as a vital carrier for modern foreign exchanges in Guangzhou. In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, ferry routes were opened along the Pearl River, and river-crossing by boat became a daily travel mode for citizens. The prototype of water night tours gradually took shape. During the Republic of China, literati took boats to cruise the Pearl River at night and left poems recording the river night views.
In 1993, Guangzhou officially launched standardized Pearl River Night Cruise operation services, launching the commercialized nighttime water sightseeing mode. At the initial stage, there was only one route departing from Tianzi Wharf with small sightseeing cruise ships put into operation. In 2001, Guangzhou launched the first-phase renovation project of night lighting along the Pearl River. Landscape lighting was uniformly installed on buildings and bridges along the route, greatly improving the ornamental value of night cruises and bringing steady growth in passenger flow year by year. On the eve of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, full-range lighting upgrading was completed on the Pearl River, adding core landscape belts of Canton Tower and Haixinsha Asian Games Park. Meanwhile, multiple cruise terminals such as Dashatou and Canton Tower were expanded, with the number of cruise ships and navigation routes expanded synchronously. The Pearl River Night Cruise became a key cultural tourism card of the Asian Games. After 2020, the scenic spot kept upgrading cruise facilities, adding themed cruise ships, catering cruise ships and immersive performance cruise ships. It integrates Lingnan culture, Cantonese folk customs and modern urban elements to form a comprehensive water cultural tourism product integrating sightseeing, leisure, catering and cultural performances.
Main Scenic Spots
Canton Tower
Situated on the south bank of the Pearl River in Haizhu District, Canton Tower stands at a total height of 600 meters and acts as the core landmark building on the Pearl River Night Cruise waterway. When cruise ships sail from the Haizhu Bridge section to the Haixinsha section, visitors can fully watch the shifting night lights of the tower. The tower lights switch exclusive colors for holidays and special events, forming double-layer light landscapes together with river reflections. It is the visual focus of the whole night cruise route. Most cruise routes pass the river surface under the tower at close range and stop for tourists to take photos and enjoy the scenery.
Haixinsha Asian Games Park
Located on an islet in the middle of the Pearl River, Haixinsha Asian Games Park served as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Large-scale light landscape belts, green viewing platforms and Asian Games-themed sculpture groups are built along the riverbank of the islet. Cruise ships can circle from the north waterway to appreciate the full light outline of the islet. Large projection light devices are arranged on the riverbank, looping city cultural videos at night. Combined with green landscapes and river breeze, it is a scenic node integrating leisure and humanistic features on the route.
Liede Bridge
Liede Bridge is an iconic arched cross-river bridge on the Pearl River with a double-main arch design. The total length of the bridge is 4.3 kilometers. Dynamic landscape light strips cover the whole bridge deck and arches. The night lights flow and gradient, and the arch bridge outline reflects on the river to form a symmetrical light and shadow picture. The river surface here has a wide view without shelter of high-rise buildings, making it an ideal spot to shoot night views of the bridge.
Tianzi Wharf
Tianzi Wharf is located on Yanjiang Middle Road, Yuexiu District, with a history of more than 300 years. It is the departure terminal with the deepest historical heritage for the Pearl River Night Cruise. The wharf retains the original riverbank layout of the official port in the Qing Dynasty, matched with retro-style waiting corridors and Cantonese historical cultural relief walls along the bank. Visitors can view the humanistic scenery of the ancient wharf at close range before boarding. The wharf connects old town business districts including Beijing Road Pedestrian Street and Haizhu Square, linking the historical style of old Cantonese towns.
Haizhu Bridge
Haizhu Bridge is the first steel cross-river bridge in Guangzhou, built in 1929, carrying nearly a hundred years of urban development memories. The bridge retains retro steel frame structures with warm yellow static lights at night, forming retro river scenery together with surrounding arcades and old town buildings. As a landmark historical landscape on the northern section of the Pearl River route, it allows visitors to intuitively compare the new and old urban styles of Guangzhou.
Tour Routes
Route 1 (Classic Circular Route from Dashatou Wharf): Board at Dashatou Wharf → Haizhu Bridge → Tianzi Wharf → Haixinsha Asian Games Park → Canton Tower → Liede Bridge → Return to Dashatou Wharf
Route 2 (Short Route from Canton Tower Wharf): Board at Canton Tower Wharf → Liede Bridge → Haixinsha Asian Games Park → Cruise around the river surface of Canton Tower → Return to Canton Tower Wharf
Route 3 (Old Town Long Route from Tianzi Wharf): Board at Tianzi Wharf → Haizhu Bridge → Renmin Bridge → Bai'etan → Return to Tianzi Wharf
Travel Tips
- Priority is recommended for departures between 19:30 and 21:00, when all lights on both riverbanks are fully lit for optimal viewing experience.
- Choose the open-air deck on the second floor of cruise ships for boarding; glass windows on the first cabin will reflect light and affect night photography views.
- Bring a thin coat in summer; the wind is strong on the river at night, and the temperature by the water is 2 to 3 degrees Celsius lower than urban areas.
- Carry anti-shake equipment for photography; slight shaking of the ship during sailing may cause blurry pictures.
- Passenger flow surges on holidays; book tickets online 1 to 3 days in advance to avoid sold-out tickets at the wharf and delayed trips.
- Select themed cruise ships with buffets and refreshments if catering service is desired, with leisure food provided throughout the voyage.
- Walk along the riverside pedestrian path after the cruise to visit riverside light landmarks and take close-up night photos.
Precautions
- It is forbidden to climb over ship rails or lean on guardrails during the whole cruise. Do not stretch mobile phones, cameras or other valuables out of the ship to prevent falling into the river and loss.
- Flammables, explosives and controlled tools are banned at all wharves and on all cruise ships. Alcohol and glass bottled drinks are not allowed on open-air decks for partial routes.
- Children under 1.2 meters tall enjoy free admission; children between 1.2 and 1.5 meters need child tickets and must be accompanied by adult guardians throughout the cruise.
- Elderly visitors with severe heart disease, hypertension, vertigo or mobility difficulties are not advised to take cruise ships, as river turbulence may trigger physical discomfort.
- Operators will suspend cruises or adjust routes temporarily in heavy rain, gales of level 6 and above, thunderstorms and other severe weather. Check daily sailing notices before purchasing tickets.
- Private swimming is prohibited during navigation. Do not throw garbage or food into the river and abide by all river environmental protection regulations.
- Valid identity documents matching ticket information are required for boarding; identity verification will be conducted at wharf security check, and visitors without documents cannot complete boarding procedures.
- No chasing or horseplay on decks during navigation. Queue up in order when crowds gather for sightseeing to avoid collisions and injuries.
Transportation
- Metro: Take Metro Line 6 to Donghu Station Exit B and walk 800 meters to Dashatou Wharf; take Metro Line 3 or APM Line to Canton Tower Station for Canton Tower Wharf; take Metro Line 2 to Haizhu Square Station Exit A and walk 500 meters to Tianzi Wharf.
- Bus: Dashatou Wharf Bus Stop serves routes 7, 12 and 89; Canton Tower West Bus Stop serves routes 262 and 468; Nanguan Bus Stop near Tianzi Wharf serves routes 1, 4 and 57.
- Self-driving: Charged parking lots are equipped at all wharves, and a large underground parking lot is available at Canton Tower.
- Taxi / Online car-hailing: Navigate to the exact cruise wharf name directly. Special drop-off zones are set at wharf entrances for temporary stop to pick up and drop off passengers.
Opening Hours
The Pearl River Night Cruise operates all year round without rest. Departure schedules are divided into daytime cruises and nighttime cruises. Daytime cruises run from 10:00 to 17:00 with departures every about 60 minutes. The core nighttime sightseeing period lasts from 18:30 to 22:30. The first night cruise departs at 18:30 every night, and the last cruise departs at 22:00. Single voyage durations vary by route: short routes take 40 minutes, classic circular routes take 70 minutes, and the long Bai'etan route takes 90 minutes. Extra departures at 22:10 and 22:20 will be added during legal holidays, summer vacations and Spring Festival. Real-time schedules are subject to wharf on-site notices and online ticketing platforms. Operators will shorten operating hours temporarily or suspend all daily voyages under extreme weather conditions.
Ticket Information
Tickets start at 36 RMB per person. Search the official WeChat service account "珠江夜游" to get the latest updates.
Online Booking
Click here to jump to the Trip.com ticketing platform for ticket purchase.