The early 20th century saw the emergence of different styles of restaurants in Guangzhou. Some of them still stand today, such as the Taotaoju, Guangzhou, Lianxiang Lou, and Panxi restaurants.
Founded in 1880, Taotaoju has a long history of 121 years. Kang You Wei, a famous scholar of the lateQing Dynasty(1644-1911), inscribed the gold-lettered signboard of Taotaoju. Other famous scholars, such asLu Xun, Ba Jin and Liu Haisu, were all frequent guests of Taotaoju. Even the wedding ceremony of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yinchao was held here.
The Guangzhou Restaurant, as a representative of traditional Cantonese food, is famous for its Cantonese food and considered as the "Best Restaurant of Guangzhou."
Panxi, the biggest garden restaurant in China, is located in the west of Guangzhou City, beside Li Wan Lake. In 1947, a Cantonese named Li Wen Lun founded the restaurant, and in 1960, designed by famous architect Mo Bo Zhi, Panxi became the biggest garden restaurant of the country. Panxi Restaurant is also famous for its varieties of dim sum dishes.