Pearl (Zhujiang) River Run: South and North Banks

One of the signature places to run in central Guangzhou is along the Pearl (Zhujiang) River. There are paths along both the north and south banks, with Ersha Island as an additional option in the middle. If you want to do a loop involving both banks, the best bets for crossing are the Haizhu Bridge and the nearby Jiafeng Bridge.

South Bank: On the south bank, the best area for running is along the path paralleling Binjiang Rd. You can start as far east as the Party Pier, and run west along river for 10+ km to Binjiang West Park. The first couple of miles center around the Canton Tower and a bit of weaving away from the river just west of there. Then the path is fairly seamless west of the Hiyan Bridge. There are great water and skyline views, and some lovely old trees. It can get crowded — best to go early! It’s also well lit at night.

North Bank: Nearly 15 km between the Pazhou Bridge and Shamian Park. A couple of sections:

• A western route is 4.7 km from Lin Zexu Memorial Park to Shamian Park. Fantastic views of the water and Canton Tower. For a longer run, head east through Ersha Island to Huacheng Square and further east for as much as 10 km to the Pazhou Bridge (below).
• Eastern route. In the Tianhe District, good running along Linjiang Avenue between the Pazhou Bridge and the Guandong Museum (~5 km). Can be combined with a run up to Zhujiang Park and Huacheng Square/Sports Center. You can also continue west along the river to our route that begins in Lin Zexu Memorial Park through Ersha Island (~5 km).