Where it all started

1957. That’s the year the Canton Fair first kicked off in the Sino-Soviet Friendship Hall in Guangzhou, China. However, prior to this, the first ever trade fair was, in fact, the South China Local Products Expo - also in Guangzhou - in 1951.

The story behind the name

The official name of the fair is the China Import and Export Fair but the region where it’s held - Guangzhou - was formerly called Canton. Hence it’s colloquially known as the Canton Fair. And is the reason Canton has long been known as a foreign-trade city.

A big year for international trade

A significant year for the fair was 1972 - because it was the year that the first American businessmen were invited, after more than 20 years of Sino-US trade disruption. The fair was created for this reason - to break down barriers to trade and welcome international visitors who want to do business with China. At first, the fair largely centred around raw materials but over time there has been a huge shift towards manufactured goods from pretty much every industry you can imagine.

The impact on the local community

With foreign visitors came the need to cater for their needs. Translation services, taxis, food, foreign-orientated accommodation and gardens that blended Western and Chinese styles were created and exposed locals to foreign things that the rest of the country did not have. It also required some shrewd policy changing in order to allow for these things to happen.

The fair in 2023

The fair is a huge deal - it’s currently the biggest trade fair in China and attracts buyers from all over the world who come to source goods for their businesses. It’s held biannually, every April-May and October-November and covers a staggering 1.55 million square meters - that’s about the size of 210 Premier League pitches put together.

You can now find over 150,000 different types of products from textiles to medicine and machinery to decorations at the fair. And, to date, they have welcomed over 10 million visitors from across the world and helped to export over USD 1.5 trillion worth of goods.

To help make your visit a resounding success, here’s a few things that are good to know.

OUR TOP TIPS FOR THE CANTON FAIR:

The basics

Whether you’re arranging meetings across time zone or planning on what to pack, here’s what you need to know:

• Time Zone: GMT+8
• Weather: 22°C - 30°C average temperature, high humidity
• Dress code: Comfortable shoes and business-casual work wear

Visa

This is required for most nationalities. You can at your local China embassy. If you’re planning more than one trip to China in the near future, we recommend applying for a multiple entry visa.

Currency

The dual currency system can be a little confusing but the good news is that once in China, you only need to think about one - the renminbi currency which is used domestically.

Plugs and Electricity

China runs on 220 volts / 50Hz. Their electrical sockets mostly fit the flat three-pronged plug. Make sure you have an adapter packed.

VPN

As there are some internet restrictions in China, we advise you to download a VPN, like ExpressVPN, on your mobile devices and laptop before you leave home. This way, your apps can work in the same way they do at home.

Digital Wallets

These are often the default payment method throughout China, as opposed to cash or even cards in most cases. Downloading an app like AliPay and connecting it to your credit or debit cards before landing means you’ll be ready to pay on the go.

Local SIM cards

To avoid big roaming charges, you can buy local SIM cards with short-term data plans to keep costs down. You can get one when you land at Guangzhou airport and set it up immediately.

Getting from A to B

The city of Guangzhou is very well connected with multiple transport links, including the bullet train, metro, bus and taxis.

Train

Buying a train ticket requires facial recognition but the technology can have difficulties when it comes to foreign visitors. To overcome this, we recommend you only use the official website to buy tickets: 12306 China Railway. Then opt to upload a copy of your passport. Offline checks take around 1-2 days, so best to book in advance.

Taxis

Private taxis are only advised if you know the area very well and can confidently negotiate the price of the trip before you get in. Otherwise, always use taxis from the main taxi ranks.

For more tips on the Canton Fair, head over to [our guide ] that tells you more about travel, local knowledge and what to expect.

And, when you get to the fair, you can find our booth in the Pearl Promonade, opposite the conference centre or join us at our sub-forum at 2pm on Tuesday 17 October 2023, when we’ll be talking about Payment Innovation.