Guangdong is not only the most populous province in China but also the richest province in the People's Republic, and the often mentioned "workshop of the world" is located in Guangdong. A large portion of all the products that are later exported from China to the rest of the world are manufactured here -- from plastic toys to precision machinery.
Around the Pearl River Delta, countless industrial areas and manufacturing companies have emerged in cities like Shenzhen, Shantou, and Zhuhai over the past 30 years. These three cities were part of Deng Xiaoping's economic reform program in the early 1980s and were among the first Special Economic Zones established in China.
In Guangdong, travelers now enjoy a 72-hour visa-free transit stay if they can present an international onward flight ticket. For more information, see: Visa
The city of Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province and one of the most important economic centers in China. Today, Guangzhou is one of the most significant and vibrant metropolises in China, located about 120 km northwest of Hong Kong on the banks of the Pearl River Delta.
The city is now one of the key economic hubs in China and a global trading center for goods of all kinds. Every year, Guangzhou hosts the Canton Fair, a comprehensive export exhibition where Chinese companies present their products and establish connections with foreign customers.
The weather in Guangzhou is subtropical and humid, with hot summers and relatively cool winters. The best time to visit is in the fall, from October to December, when temperatures are no longer very hot and winter has not yet begun.
Guangzhou has numerous parks, museums, and temples that are worth visiting. Tourism in Guangzhou is well-organized, and tourist information is available in almost every hotel as well as at various locations in the city center.
This major airport near the megacity of Guangzhou offers a wide range of domestic and international flights. With its good connections to the subway, bus network, and the availability of taxis and rental cars at the airport, it handles over 60 million passengers each year. Expansions and renovations are planned. Interestingly, during the pandemic year of 2020, the airport became the busiest in the world, surpassing its foreign competitors.
The major international airport near the metropolis of Shenzhen handles over 50 million passengers and more than 1 million tons of air freight annually and is continually expanding. In 2021, a futuristic new satellite terminal was opened. Connections to Hong Kong and other Chinese cities are available by train, shuttle bus, or ferry. With the new gigantic Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge over the Pearl River Delta, connectivity will be further improved, reducing the travel time across the delta from 2 hours to 20 minutes. The first international flight from Shenzhen on May 21, 2016, was an Air China flight to Frankfurt am Main.
