IT HAD BEEN ALMOST 20 YEARS since my last visit to Guangzhou, China. I remembered it as a laid-back city off the tourist track with hordes of bicycles; streets with single-story, family-owned restaurants and shops; and few English-speaking residents. Have things changed! On my recent drive from the airport into the city, I didn’t recognize a thing.

For starters, the city doubled in population from 7 million in 2000 to 14 million in 2017. Today you’d take your life in your hands riding a bicycle in downtown Guangzhou, where the number of automobiles causes major congestion and air quality issues. High-rises clog the skyline, and the small-city feel of the late 1990s is but a memory. But one thing hasn’t changed: Guangzhou’s focus on business.

Two masks at the Foshan Opera Museum © ELLEN CLARK

Hundreds of years before China peeked from beneath the veil of communism and segued into the capitalist market, and before Hong Kong abandoned British rule, Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, was dedicated to commerce. Perhaps partly due to its proximity to the sea, it has always been an outward-looking city but never known for its beauty. Guangzhou’s charms don’t lie in beautiful buildings and pristine, tree-lined boulevards. Rather, this working city buzzes with energy and verve, and lovely parks, noteworthy museums, picture-perfect temples, fascinating markets and wonderful food relieve urban sprawl.

There’s something quirky about this city, starting with its mythical origins. According to legend, five celestial beings, each riding on a flying goat, landed in southeastern China and founded Guangzhou. The legend is fitting. While goats may not be the most glamorous of beasts, they are resilient and independent, much like the city itself.

Guangzhou traded steadily with foreign markets since 1685, when the imperial government opened Guangzhou to foreign trade. British East India Company ships came from bases on the Indian coast, and traders established warehouses near the city from which they shipped tea and silk. Though the city declined in commercial importance when China was forced open in the 1840s, it regained its stature as China’s business link to the West after the Communist victory in 1949.

Canton Tower © ELLEN CLARK

And where is it now? The Guangzhou of 2017 was voted by China Forbes as second only to Shanghai as the best city for business. The city experienced a particularly strong year in 2017, with the gross domestic product exceeding 2 trillion yuan, further elevating its position as an international hub of commerce. Guangzhou works at the forefront of reducing restrictions on access to foreign investment and to creating an increasingly pro-business environment that enables startups and multinational companies to prosper. Total investment in scientific and technological R&D increased more than 20 percent over the course of 2017.

And the future? The city anticipates a 7.5 percent increase in economic growth for 2018. As part of its comprehensive 2018 plans, the city committed to taking a lead in further strengthening the reform of China’s business environment. This involves the continued implementation of strategic tax and fee reductions, enhancing the market-oriented legal ecosystem for international businesses.

You don’t have to be in Guangzhou long to see the air quality is an issue. While the city’s rapid population growth and increase in industry is partly to blame, the increase in the number of cars on the road remains a major factor. With an estimated 1.5 cars per family, air quality takes a big hit. In an effort to improve the situation, the city now limits how many new vehicles can be sold each month. And while there is a waiting list for those buying petrol-fueled cars, those buying electric cars can receive them immediately.

Modern-day Guangzhou offers a multitude of business-friendly places to stay. The number of international 5-star hotel chains in the city mushroomed in the last 10 years. As one of the first, the Shangri-La Hotel raised the Guangzhou hotel scene to another level. Now almost all the well-known luxury chains are represented, as well as plenty of Chinese hotels.

As for getting around, the Guangzhou Metro not only connects the city center to outer suburbs but also goes to the airport. A bus offers the least expensive way to get around, but few bus drivers speak English, and the bus stop signs are usually in Chinese. Taxis are affordable for short distances, but drivers may not speak English, so it’s a good idea to have a business card or an address of where you want to go written in Chinese.

CHECKING IN WITH JASMINE MIAO
Marketing Specialist, China Southern Airlines, North America Regional Office

What are the most significant changes and improvements China Southern Airlines made in the last three years?
WiFi on board, forbidden for years on all Chinese carriers. In 2017 American Airlines bought 2.76 percent of China Southern’s shares through the Hong Kong stock exchange. American and China Southern expect to expand commercial cooperation in sales, airport facilities and codesharing. China Southern and Guangzhou Tourism Office established 20 overseas promotion centers to provide more information and services to tourism guests and transit passengers.

Has Guangzhou seen an increase in business travelers over the last few years?
Definitely. Thanks to the policies and environment for investment becoming more and more friendly, China Southern’s main hub Guangzhou and the surrounding area attracted more business travelers. Also, transit from America to Southeast Asia via Guangzhou means fewer stops and less travel time, and its 72-hour visa-free policy helps business travelers transit smoothly.

Have you seen changes in your customer base in the last few years?
Passengers now know exactly what they want; we clearly see this from the ticketing channel. Passengers’ requirements have become more individual. More competitors joined the market, and we’ve seen an increase in the number of international transit passengers.

How does China Southern keep up with the competition?
Services are always our roots. We never stop improving our call center, multilanguage service, in-flight dining, entertainment and transit experience. China Southern has a huge cooperation list in China, so passengers can easily find out everything related to a trip from our E-solution app. And in 2017 our North America regional office started cooperating with local tourism offices, shops, hotels and restaurants to provide special discounts and other benefits to our local members and customers in North America.

What are the company’s plans for the future?
Better service, better connections and better business solutions for medium- and small-business owners will be our long-term goal.

Things to Do in Guangzhou

While not known for its tourist attractions, Guangzhou does offer those taking a break from business meetings some interesting venues.

You can’t miss Guangzhou’s most iconic landmark, the Canton Tower. If the sky is relatively clear, you can’t beat the view from the glass-walled lookout point at a height of almost 1,500 feet. Thrilling, though not advised for the acrophobic, the Bubble Tram circles the top of the tower as a sort of horizontal Ferris wheel. Its 16 sightseeing spherical cabins rotate smoothly along the track at a 15-degree slant to the main structure.

Guangdong Museum proves a first-rate provincial museum. Covering an area of 721,182 square feet, it includes five permanent exhibitions and a section dedicated to the history of the city of Guangzhou from prehistoric times to the modern day. For those interested in traditional artwork, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and Guangzhou Folk Art Museum are worth a visit. Particularly outstanding are the detailed and colorful wood carvings perched on the roofs of the halls.

Chen Clan Academy © ELLEN CLARK

Guangzhou Lingnan Impression Park offers a peaceful place to escape the chaos of downtown. It resembles an old town with beautiful traditional buildings, a lake with a shadow puppet pavilion and a main street full of attractions including an openair opera house.

Opened in 2009, Redtory, a collection of artists’ studios and small shops, resides in old renovated buildings once part of a canned food factory. There is no admission charge, and a few casual restaurants offer the perfect opportunity to enjoy a quick meal or cup of tea in a peaceful setting

At night, cruise on the Pearl River for a dazzling treat. Once the sun goes down, bridges decorated by colorful neon lights seem like fantastic rainbows spanning the river. On both banks the nightlife of the city awakens, and 7,000 LED light fixtures give the Canton Tower a glow of color that changes from pink to emerald green to royal purple.

Guangzhou Info to Go

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is the main airport of Guangzhou, the capital of the province of Guangdong, People’s Republic of China. The airport serves as the main hub of China Southern Airlines and a focus city for Shenzhen Airlines. It lies about 17 miles from downtown Guangzhou and boasts a convenient ground transportation system mainly consisting of Metro Line 3 and shuttle buses, intercity buses and taxis, available within the terminal hall 24 hours a day.

Guangzhou: Just the Facts

Time zone: GMT +8
Phone code: Country Code: 86 City Code: 20
Currency: Chinese yuan
Key industries: Automotive; electronics; petrochemicals; electrical and thermal energy; electrical appliances and machinery; rail, ship and aviation/aerospace equipment; and pharmaceuticals

COMING AND GOING
U.S. citizens need a visa as well as six months’ validity remaining on their passport.

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
Mandarin

Where to Stay in Guangzhou

FOUR SEASONS GUANGZHOU While most of the 5-star brands are represented, the Four Seasons stands out. Occupying the top 30 floors of one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, it offers a 24-hour business center. 5 Zhujiang W. Road, Pearl River New City, Tianhe District $$$$$

VANBURGH HOTEL Located in the heart of Guangzhou’s business district, this 5-star Chinese business hotel provides advanced multimedia meeting amenities and offers bespoke conference planning upon request. 126 Huangpu Dadao W., Tianhe District $$$

WHITE SWAN HOTEL The newly renovated White Swan Hotel, located on Shamian Island overlooking the Pearl River, offers more than 26,000 square feet of well-appointed meeting and conference space. 1 Shamian S. St., Liwan District $$$

Restaurants in Guangzhou

LE LUTECE In this revolving restaurant on Canton Tower’s 105th floor, Chef Phillippe experiments with local flavors and ingredients to create unique dishes such as snails in soy sauce, along with French standards. Canton Tower, 222 Yuejiang Xi Lu $$$$$

PANXI RESTAURANT Situated by Liwan Lake, the old-fashioned garden-style restaurant serves award-winning, affordable Cantonese cuisine. Weeping willows surround the exterior, while inside diners enjoy rock gardens and water features. 151 Long Jin Xi Lu, Liwan District $$

TAOTAO JU RESTAURANT In business since 1880, the four-story restaurant is one the oldest Chinese restaurants in the city. Best known for its dim sum, it also serves more than 200 dishes of authentic Cantonese fare. 20 Di Shi Fu Lu, ShangXiaJiu, Liwan District $$$