Canton Fair 2011
The Canton Fair is world-renowned and takes place twice yearly in Pazhou. We had the opportunity to attend the May 2011 edition with our bosses, giving us an insider's view of this extraordinary event.
The Canton Fair is world-renowned and takes place twice yearly in Pazhou. We had the opportunity to attend the May 2011 edition with our bosses, giving us an insider's view of this extraordinary event!
Canton Fair
As we mentioned in our article about the beginning of our internship in Chine, we were tasked with optimizing the Canton Fair website to enhance its search engine visibility. After weeks of working on both editorial and technical aspects, we became thoroughly immersed in the subject, and it felt natural to experience the event firsthand to truly grasp its magnitude.
To put things in perspective, the Canton Fair has been running for over 50 years and is currently the world's largest import-export salon, welcoming more than 20,000 exhibiting companies and over 200,000 visitors per session. It is organized twice yearly (spring and autumn) in the sprawling Pazhou complex, southeast of Guangzhou. This exhibition park, spanning 13 halls across 2 levels, provides ample space and comfort for international business exchanges.
The Pazhou exhibition park
Each Canton Fair session is divided into 3 distinct phases:
Phase 1: Industrial products, Vehicles, Building materials, Technology, Home appliances...
Phase 2: Decoration, Furniture, Toys, Personal care, Accessories...
Phase 3: Textiles, Sports, Food and beverages...
The spring session perfectly aligned with our internship schedule, running from April 15 to May 5 this year. Since our bosses chose the final week of the Fair to take us, we would be experiencing phase 3!
On Our Way to Pazhou
For this day, we were accompanied by our employers and Mélanie, a new English-speaking intern who had recently arrived in Guangzhou and with whom we bonded immediately. When you don't have professional status, the priority is obtaining invitations to enter free of charge. Our bosses simply provided us with their business cards, assuring us it would work without issue.
Reception desks at the Canton Fair
To view our Canton Fair photos, feel free to visit our gallery.
Frequently asked questions
The Canton Fair is held twice yearly: a spring session (April-May) and an autumn session. It takes place at the Pazhou exhibition complex, located southeast of Guangzhou, Chine.
The Canton Fair welcomes more than 20,000 exhibiting companies and over 200,000 visitors per session, making it the world's largest import-export salon.
The Canton Fair is divided into 3 phases: phase 1 covers industrial products, vehicles, building materials, technology and home appliances; phase 2 focuses on decoration, furniture, toys, personal care and accessories; phase 3 features textiles, sports and food and beverages.
It is possible to visit the Canton Fair without professional status, but you need to obtain invitations. Professionals or partners can provide their business cards to facilitate free access to the event.
The Pazhou exhibition park, where the Canton Fair is held, is located southeast of Guangzhou, Chine. It spans 13 halls across 2 levels, providing considerable space dedicated to international business exchanges.
