Panyu, Guangzhou City, China
Guangzhou is one of China's most dynamic and historic cities, with more than 2200 years of history, and today is the nationally impactful megacity, with a permanent population of 18.978 million and a GDP of 435.3 billion USD in 2024. It is one of the central cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), which serves as a vital economic hub in southern China, the region integrates global finance high-tech innovation and manufacturing prowess. As the largest and most thriving trade center in southern China, Guangzhou also serves as the region's premier transportation hub, supported by a highly efficient and interconnected transport infrastructure.
Guangzhou boasts the modern Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, one of the three largest international aviation hubs and one of the national hub airports in China. In October 2025, Baiyun Airport has been upgraded to become a "five runways and three terminals" operation. The expansion enables the airport to handle 120 million passengers and 3.8 million tons of cargo annually, with an ultimate capacity of 140 million passengers and six million tons of cargo.
Guangzhou Port is the starting port of the Maritime Silk Road. As a major coastal port and container trunk port in China, Guangzhou Port is a comprehensive hub port with the most complete functions, the largest scale and the widest coverage along the coast of South China.
The China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) is held twice annually in April/May and October/November in Guangzhou. As a comprehensive international trading event with the longest history, the largest scale, the most complete exhibit variety, the largest buyer attendance, the most diverse buyer origin and the greatest business turnover in China, the Canton Fair is hailed as China’s No.1 Fair and the barometer of China’s foreign trade.
Guangzhou is also one of the top food paradises in China and famous for "eating in Guangzhou" as a slogan. Its Cantonese cuisine is one of the eight major cuisines in China, internationally, Cantonese cuisine is the mainstream cuisine of overseas Chinese restaurants, widely spread to Southeast Asia, Europe and America, and has become an international business card of Chinese culinary culture.
As the core city of Lingnan culture, Guangzhou's dragon boat culture is not only a microcosm of historical accumulation but also a symbol of modern vitality. Dragon boat racing (similar to Boat Races between Oxford and Cambridge) is a traditional activity that has been popular in China for around 2000 years. Since the establishment of the "Guangzhou Dragon Boat Festival" in 1994, the Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament has continued for 40 years, attracting teams from all over the world and becoming a cultural exchange platform. Dragon boat racing is not only a thrilling and exciting sport but is also an important cultural activity that involves the whole community.
