Way off the tourist circuit (at the moment) and difficult to find, but if you are a fan of traditional life and architecture, this small village of quaint canals and no cars has plenty of Ming Dynasty buildings preserved in their original state. You'll see clan halls, ancestral temples, wood carvings, craftsmen, locals playing mahjong by the winding tree-lined canals, and a home whose walls are made of oyster shells. There is even a village theater presenting Chinese operas in the evening. Artists have begun to relocate to this quiet haven and restoration and refurbishment for tourists is just beginning, so catch it soon before it becomes Disneyfied like so many of China's other famous water villages. Pay a local Y$20 (US$3) to give you a walking tour. Make sure your taxi knows the place or you'll never find it. About 35 minutes drive from downtown (under US$25 for the round-trip fair and waiting time). Ask your taxi driver to wait and take you back!

Zhonshan Qi Lu and Zhongshan Ba Lu. Full of hot guys looking for fun, morning, afternoons and evenings. Be discreet, the locker room attendants are watchful. Zhongsan Lu Total Fitness at Ximenkou (Line 1) Metro Exit A is large and plenty of room to cruise. Zhongshan Ba Total Fitness is cramped and overcrowded, however it has a closed floor plan of showers/sauna/steam-room/showers hidden for fun.

2/F Junfeng Plaza, 12 Xingguo Rd, Zhujiang Newtown, Utopia Map, 3802-9041, email. Gay-owned café and bar featuring award winning bartender and chef. Located in the heart of Zhujiang Newtown CBD yet hidden away from the bustling noise of the city. Enjoy their specially concocted cocktails and devilishly devised desserts fresh from the oven. Wide selection of pizzas and pasta to choose from. 㑺峰商务中心 Utopia Member Discount

110 Bao Lin Yuan, Hua Jiu Rd, Zhujiang New Town, 3804-9767, email. G&L-friendly French restaurant serving authentic French food in the heart of Guangzhou's economic area (Zhujiang Xin Cheng). 地址：广州市珠江新城华就路保林苑110号 Utopia Member Discount

Tang Lee Food Art (Cantonese cuisine) Huasha Da Dao, Ru Yi Fang, Li Wan Hu Park, 8170-2228, 8181-8002. This charming lake restaurant inside a city park serves good local food. You can just point at pictures and prices are clearly listed. Sit indoors, on the terrace or balcony, or in one of their charming floating boats with your special someone. Lots of veggie dishes and the usual mystery meats. The pigeon was actually excellent (like mini, crispy duck).

62 Zhusi Gang Rd, , +86-20-37611101, FAX , email. A renovated house turned into a brasserie with three floors of roomy dining and a barbeque terrace. The service is welcoming. They offer an eclectic menu of European cuisine. Great wine list and fabulous Martinis and Margaritas. A destination for gays and their friends. Open 5-11pm for dinner and until 3am at the bar. Gay-owned. 62 号 竹丝岗二马路

Near Guangzhou East Railway Station. As you exit the subway at Guangzhou East(Line 1), a large hotel should be on the opposite side of the street (same side as Ikea). Stay on the station side and walk past the station. To your left, just after the station, you will see a large tower with one of those huge, coldly glamorous lobbies the Chinese are fond of. The door staff will direct you to Number 9 Club on floors 4 to 7. One of the more interesting venues on the local gay social circuit although its a straight spa club and only about 5% of the patrons could be described as gay. Use a lot of discretion here (uniformed spa security patrol the corriders), but if you want to look at naked men swimming around in a large luxurious pool this could be your kind of scenery. It's a luxurious place and cheaper than most hotels. Entry fee includes buffet meals, free tea and coffee, basic sauna services and your overnight stay (massages are extra). Fairly standard massage and beauty treatments in a male-only spa area. On another floor there are sleeping cabins. Gay guys here indulge in a little shower play. All showers have closing doors for privacy. Several of the masseurs and attendants are definitely Utopians and are eager to offer their services. Staff are helpful and the place is extraordinarily clean. This place may be buttoned down, but you can get an unforgettable glimpse into how today's upscale Chinese spend their leisure money.

Comments from Utopians:

"Number 9 Club has given some acknowledgment that it has gay patrons in the form of a separate massage 'code' designated for PLU. Of course, it's all about making money and the coy Chinese customs around this seem quaint, even slightly ridiculous. When you go to the men-only spa area you will be offered a choice of pyjamas. You'll never guess it but the beige pyjamas with the fake Louis Vuitton logo are your signal to locals that you prefer your own gender. The pale blue pyjamas - infinitely smarter in my opinion (damn) - are for the straight guys. Look carefully and you will see a small number of Chinese trotting around in beige. They may flirt with you in the shower area. These pajamas also give you access to a selection of friendly, if greedy, gay masseurs. Some of them are advertised in photos on the wall near the restuarant area on the top floor. But some will also approach you and flirt. Some are cute, but they all assume you have bags of cash to distribute to needy young men. Another clue: Fri and Sat late nights are when piles of drunk heterosexuals crowd into the spa with their buddies hoping to get laid with the female hookers upstairs. If they are very drunk they can get aggressive when a gay mistakenly makes eye contact. Beware. But the whole place is much more gay in the afternoons and earlier part of the evening mid-week. The sleeping area is also much less patroled at these times. Occasionally a tasty young Arab or Russian guy pops in to add heat to the mix." -- JayCool, Apr 26, 2013

GZ Dynasty Mall. Sells sexy underwear for men.

Fuquianlu 11 (northwest of Peoples Park). A small shop selling a good selection of intriguing underwear.