Fodor's Expert Review Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Road

Shangxiajiu, officially known as Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Road, is a massive warren of old buildings and shops and considered the user-friendly heart of Old Guangzhou, otherwise known as "Xiguan." The half-mile main street is a pedestrian mall lined with hundreds of shops and department stores. The buildings in Shangxiajiu are old, but the stores are the same ones as in "modern Guangzhou." Even though the overall decibel level hovers around deafening, the area isn't without its charms. Our favorite shops are the small storefronts offering dried-fruit samples, which are very addictive. There's also a wide variety of street stalls selling a large selection of delicious edibles.