Canton Fair (China Import and Export Fair) - the Biggest Trade Fair in China

Canton Fair, also known as China Import and Export Fair (Chinese: 中国进出口商品交易会, or 广交会), is world famous trade fair held in the spring and autumn seasons every year since the spring of 1957 in Guangzhou. This fair is co-hosted by Ministry of Commerce of China and the government of Guangdong Province, and organized by China Foreign Trade Center. The event is held at China Import and Export Complex located at the south bank of the Pearl River and close to Canton Tower.

Reputed as “the First & Biggest Exhibition of China”, Canton Fair is the largest trade fair with the largest scale, the most complete exhibit variety, the broadest distribution of overseas buyers and the greatest business turnover. More than 25000 exhibitors, about 200,000 buyers will attend the fair at the China Import and Export Complex. During or after the short trade fair, you are suggested to pay a simple visit to explore Guangzhou City to enrich your business trip.

Phase 1 (April 15th - 19th / October 15th - 19th)

Consumer Electronics and Information Products, Electronic and Electrical Products, New Energy Resources, Household Electrical Appliances, Lighting Equipment, Bicycles, Vehicle Spare Parts, Vehicles, Power and Electrical Equipment, Construction and Agricultural Machinery, Hardware, Tools, Building and Decoration Materials, Sanitary and Bathroom Equipment, Chemical Products, International Pavilion, Construction and Agricultural Machinery (Outdoor), General Machinery, Small Processing Machinery and Industrial Accessories.

Phase 2 (April 23rd - 27th / October 23rd - 27th)

Kitchenware & Tableware, General Ceramics, Household Items, Personal Care Products, Toiletries, Clocks, Watches & Optical Instruments, Toys, Gifts and Premiums, Festival Products, Art Ceramics, Glass Artware, Weaving, Rattan and Iron Arts, Home Decorations, Gardening Products, Stone/Iron Decoration & Outdoor Spa Equipment, Furniture, Pet Products & Foods.

Phase 3 (May 1st - 5th / October 31st - November 4th)

Men and Women’s Clothes, Kid’s Wear, Underwear, Sports and Casual Wear, Sports and Casual Wear, Furs, Leather, Down & Related Products, Fashion Accessories and Fittings, Home Textiles, Textile Raw Materials & Fabrics, Carpets & Tapestries, Shoes, Office Supplies, Cases and Bags, Sports, Travel and Recreation Products, Medicines, Health Products and Medical Devices, Food, International Pavilion, Traditional Chinese Specialties.

Canton Fair Complex (广交会展馆) is short for China Import and Export Complex, also name Guangzhou International Convention & Exhibition Center, is located on Pazhou Island in Guangzhou. Canton Fair Complex is the largest modernized exhibition center in Asia, covering a total construction area of 1,100,000 square meters with the indoor exhibition area of 338,000 square meters and the outdoor exhibition area of 43600 square meters. To give you an idea of the magnitude of the fair, a football field is 6400 sq yards which means that the Canton Fair is the equivalent of almost 218 football fields in area. Huge, right?

Canton Fair Complex is divided into three exhibition areas right now. Area A / B are located in the north of Xingang Dong Road, while the Area C is located in the South of Xingang Dong Road. Area A has 8 exhibition halls from Hall 1 to Hall 8, Area B has 5 exhibition halls from Hall 9 to Hall 13, and Area C has 3 exhibition halls from Hall 14 to Hall 16.

Get from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to Canton Fair

The distance between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Canton Fair Complex is 45 km / 28 mi. People can reach the complex by metro, taxi, shuttle bus or use our private car service.

• By metro: Metro line 3 (North Extension) & line 8 can take you to Canton Fair Complex. First take metro Line 3 (North Extension) and transfer at Tiyu Xilu (体育西站), hop on Line 3 and transfer at Kecun (客村站), and then take line 8 and you may come out at Exit A of Xingangdong Station (新港东站) for quick access to the Area A of the Fair Venue; come out at Exit A or B of Pazhou Station (琶洲站) for quick access to the Area B of the Fair Venue and come out Exit C of Pazhou Station for quick access to the Area C of the Fair Venue. It needs 1 hour for the whole journey.
• By taxi: Travelers can take a taxi directly heading to the event spot. It takes about CNY 150~160 for 1 hour.
• By shuttle bus: It is time costing by taking shuttle bus, which needs around 2~2.5 hours. Shuttle line 10 can send you to New Zhujiang Hotel and here you should change to bus no.229 and make a stop at Pazhou (琶洲站).

Get from Hong Kong to Canton Fair

There are several ways to travel from Hong Kong to Guangzhou and you can choose by flight, high speed train, through train, distance coaches, ferries, etc. It means when you get from Hong Kong to attend the Canton Fair, you should arrive in Guangzhou first and then transfer to the Canton Fair Complex. There are 7 most-used ways from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, and you can check it on our page How to Travel from Hong Kong to Guangzhou 2024.

No.1: Canton Tower

Canton Tower is about 4~5 kilometers from Canton Fair Complex with about 10 minutes’ driving. Canton Tower, with nicknames “Slim Waist”, “Twisted Firewood”, and “Peak of the Ram City”, is the TV Astronomical and Sightseeing Tower in Guangzhou, standing at 600 meters. Till 2019, it has been the third tallest tower in the world. You can visit it both during daytime and at night. Getting atop of the Canton Tower, you can have a panoramic view of Guangzhou City, Pearl River and Canton Fair Complex.

No.2: Pearl River Cruise

Pearl River cruise is available at night during 18:30 - 23:00. After the busy trade fair at daytime, you can take the night cruise to relax yourselves with amazing view passing through the beautiful river. Come to Dashatou Pier (大沙头码头) to board the 70-minute cruise and start a nice trip to witness the flourishing “City of Business” and learn more about Guangzhou’s profound culture. Moreover, you won’t miss the landmark of Guangzhou - Canton Tower during the cruise.

No.3: Guangdong Museum

Guangdong Museum, located at the north bank of Pearl River, is about 6 kilometers from Canton Fair Complex. This museum is a modernized large-scale comprehensive museum with a collection of over 160,000 pieces. It displays Guangdong’s history & culture, Guangdong’s natural resource and arts (such as the Duan inkstone, Chaozhou Woodcarving and Pottery and Porcelain) as well as temporary exhibitions. The opening hours are from 09:00 to 17:00 (closed on Monday). If you have extra time after the trade fair, you can pay a visit to Guangdong Museum.

Besides the above three things to do near Canton Fair Complex, you can see more and explore more about Guangzhou. Feel free to select your likes on our page Top 16 Attractions in Guangzhou / Top 6 Things to Do in Guangzhou at Night.

To attend the Canton Fair no matter in April / May or in October, it will be the best time to visit Guangzhou with very comfortable weather. If you are not in a hurry, you are strongly suggested to spend one or two extra days to explore the downtown Guangzhou with profound history, rich culture and delicious Cantonese food. The must-visited attractions include Canton Tower, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Yuexiu Park, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and so on. To travel out of Guangzhou city, you can extend to Kaiping Diaolou and Villages, about 130 kilometers southwest of Guangzhou with 2.5 hours’ driving.

Many businessmen or travelers extend their trip longer, some of them transfer to Guilin, Yangshuo & Longji Rice Terraces for 4 days, or travel to Hong Kong for in-depth exploration. No matter where you want to visit, you can feel free to customize your trip with China Discovery and what you need to do is focus on the sightseeing and business travel, and we’ll do the rest for you! Design your Guangzhou China trip now!