I spent 5 days in Guangzhou and was shocked by how little I spent.

I just finished my special forces trip to Guangzhou, never went hungry, and never squeezed into crowds. This "poor and proud" guide will teach you how to enjoy the essence of Guangzhou for just ¥160 a day! 🏠Accommodation I recommend staying in a hostel dorm bed in Xihua Road/Beijing Road (¥60/night). Downstairs, you'll find intestinal powder stalls and sugar water shops. This time, I stayed in a retro guesthouse converted from a Qilou building. Opening the wooden window, I was greeted by the hawking of an old lady selling chicken olives. I saved money on an alarm clock and got an immersive experience of Xiguan culture💤. Fun fact: You can heat up takeout food in the hostel kitchen, and the downstairs market sells half a roasted duck leg for ¥8. Pair it with sour plum sauce, and you'll be licking your fingers～ 🚴♀️Transportation Hacks: See the Pearl River night view for ¥2 Avoid Subway Line 3 during rush hour! I recommend the APM line with its transparent carriages for a view of the underground galaxy. Kids get so excited they scream and slap the windows🚇. An alternative to the Pearl River night cruise: Take the S2 water bus route (¥2) to see the Canton Tower light show. The money you save is enough for three bowls of ginger milk curd. Shared bikes + walking is the right way to explore the old town. The chance encounters with turtle jelly carts are more authentic than the internet-famous shops～ 🎡Attractions ✅Shamian Island (free): European architecture makes for movie-like photos. Shoot against the light at 4pm to make your hair glow. ✅Yuexiu Park (free): Feed the koi under the Five Rams Sculpture. Local uncles say touching the ram's horns brings good luck🐑. ✅Yanjiang West Road (free): Use your phone's long exposure mode to capture the Aiqun Mansion from Renmin Bridge, and you'll have a "In the Mood for Love" still in seconds. ❌Avoid: The Canton Tower's admission fee is expensive, and it's often foggy. It's better to take panoramic photos for free at Huacheng Square. 🍜Foodie Frenzy ▪️Morning tea: Guanlü Tea House (¥25 per person) has taro puffs that ooze with filling when you bite into them, surpassing internet-famous shops. ▪️Sugar water: Shawan Ginger Milk Curd (¥10) is spicy and sweet, leaving your throat feeling like it's had a spa treatment. ▪️Hidden menu: Pig's feet ginger (¥15) at Stall 5 in Xihua Market. The gelatin sticks to your lips👄. 💣Avoid: The crust on the internet-famous clay pot rice on Beijing Road can chip your teeth. The beef offal cart in the alley is a better choice. 📸Photo Tips: Props are more important than filters ✅Buy a string of frangipani flowers at the market for ¥5 and wear them in your hair while taking photos on Shamian Island, pretending you're in Southeast Asia. ✅Buy an English newspaper (¥8) from a convenience store and pose for literary photos on a bench under a banyan tree. ✅Pick up a kapok flower by the Pearl River and use it as a prop. Everyone on your Moments will think you've gone to Australia. 🌟Summary: The essence of budget travel is off-peak travel This 5-day trip cost a total of ¥798. My top three cost-effective moves: 1️⃣ Sharing a hostel room + shopping at the market saved me 40% on accommodation and food. 2️⃣ Taking the water bus instead of the Pearl River night cruise offered the same scenery but cut my budget in half. 3️⃣ Visiting museums on working day mornings and having morning tea during afternoon tea time for a 50% discount.