Ah, the Canton Fair – four weeks of malicious taxi drivers, elevated prices and frantic networking requests. If you’ve lived in Guangzhou for a while, you pretty much know the drill – stay home and bunker down until after May 5. If you’re new to the city, however, the following may prove useful:
1. The Canton Fair is invincible.
This is its 119th session, which means the fair has been going on biannually since 1957 despite considerable domestic upheaval (a euphemism, yes) and a period of limited contact with the outside world. How people managed to assemble and talk about the import and export business while there were revolutions taking place is beyond us, but we do know one thing – this fair stops at nothing, so don’t get your hopes up.
2. The Canton Fair has three phases.
This is crucial knowledge, because prices of hotels and attitudes of taxi drivers fluctuate in between phases. This year, Phase 1 will run from April 15-19, Phase 2 from April 23-27 and Phase 3 from May 1-5. That means, for example, that between April 19 and 23 it may be slightly easier to hail a cab or book visiting relatives a hotel room for less than RMB2,000 a night. Still, prices will most likely be at least 50 percent higher than usual, so it’s better to wait out the event. For a detailed list of what will be featured during each phase, skim to bottom of this article.
3. The Canton Fair serves alcohol – lots.
If you’re curious enough to register online as a ‘seller’ and sneak your way into the fair, keep in mind that beer stands may ease anxiety about sounding eloquent or remotely knowledgeable. Stay professional, of course – i.e. bring business cards – but don’t feel guilty if the furniture pavilion beckons you onto a hammock for a post-booze snooze.
4. The Canton Fair comes with a guide, from yours truly.
Want to learn more before attending the fair? Check out the That’s PRD Trade Fair Guide – a pamphlet with helpful business advice from local experts, useful Mandarin expressions and addresses of the best eats in town (if you’re visiting from abroad). This year’s guide also features maps of the prime dining districts in town, great excursion ideas, as well as brief descriptions of Cantonese dim sum favorites and ethnic minority restaurants in Guangzhou.
5. The Canton Fair is, at the end of the day, a source of pride.
“Oh, you live in Guangzhou… so, uh, the Canton Fair?” Our one claim to fame as Guangzhouers – other than perhaps our proximity to Hong Kong and that nifty Canton Tower – is our tradition of global trade. As China’s oldest and most distinguished port, the capital of Guangdong province has a history of exchanging goods, artwork and ideas with the outside world – the sociable side of an otherwise snooty Middle Kingdom.
But most importantly, while the Canton Fair brings plenty of frustrations, it also attracts innovative entrepreneurs from all over the world to our humble abode – and for that, we should feel honored.
Phases of the 119th Canton Fair Spring 2016:
Phase 1 (April 15-19):
Electronics and Household Electrical Appliances; Lighting Equipment; Vehicles and Spare Parts; Machinery; Hardware and Tools; Energy Resources; Chemical Products; Building Materials; International Pavilion.
Phase 2 (April 23-27):
Consumer Goods; Home Decorations; Gifts.
Phase 3 (May 1-5):
Office Supplies, Cases and Bags and Recreation Products; food; Medicines; Medical Devices and Health Products; Textiles and Garments; Shoes; International Pavilion.
[Cover image via Wikipedia]
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