Morning tea is breakfast, lunch and the local institution — go twice

Yum cha runs from about seven until early afternoon, and the city has moved on by three. Turning up at noon expecting the full trolley experience gets you the tail end of it.

Do it once in a grand old teahouse in Liwan for the room, and once in a neighbourhood place where the regulars have their own teapots. Order by ticking the paper card, ask for pu'er or shou mei for the pot, and say tim sui — top up the water — by lifting the lid. Two people can eat very well for the price of a hotel breakfast.