GBA city guides
The Greater Bay Area, city by city
Eleven places, from Guangzhou's tea tables and Foshan's furniture towns to Jiangmen's migration heritage and Hong Kong's harbour. Explore the nine Guangdong cities, Hong Kong and Macao through local history, food, industries and everyday life.
Find your place in the region
Select a city for its guide. On smaller screens, scroll across the map.
How the cities sit around the estuary
Guangzhou sits at the northern end. Follow the eastern side through Dongguan and Shenzhen to Hong Kong; on the western side, Zhongshan and Zhuhai lead towards Macao. Foshan lies west of Guangzhou, Zhaoqing farther inland, Jiangmen to the southwest and Huizhou to the east.
When planning a trip, compare the actual rail, bridge or ferry route-not just the distance on the map. Journeys through Hong Kong or Macao also involve border formalities.
Travel
Choose the airport for your final address
Compare Shenzhen with Hong Kong plus a boundary transfer for an eastern-GBA visit. Guangzhou is a useful gateway for the Canton Fair and Foshan; Hong Kong's bridge connections offer a western-bay route to Zhuhai and Macao. Include the journey from the arrival stop to your hotel.
Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland China have separate entry arrangements. Check every jurisdiction on your itinerary.
Business
Find the right town for your business visit
- Technology and electronics
- For electronics, compare Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei markets with its product-development and manufacturing areas. Dongguan adds electronics, clothing and knitwear towns; Huizhou has batteries and automotive electronics. The city guides explain where to begin.
- Furniture, lighting and bathroom fittings
- A furniture trip might take you to Lecong's showrooms or Longjiang's factories in Foshan. Lighting buyers can look at Guzhen in Zhongshan; bathroom-fittings buyers at Shuikou in Jiangmen. The industry guide brings these towns and their sources together.
- Trade shows
- For trade shows, start with the event: Guangzhou's Canton Fair, Hong Kong's HKTDC fairs and Global Sources have different products, audiences and venues.
Find products and manufacturing towns · Plan a professional visit
Industry sources and city details
Cluster detail and municipal sources: Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan, Zhongshan. Longjiang's manufacturing role and Lecong's trading role are described by Shunde's public service centre.
Living
Start with your daily journey
Futian or Shekou in Shenzhen, Tianhe in Guangzhou and a Dongguan manufacturing town mean different commutes and surroundings. Each city guide combines neighbourhood character with practical services and known Kiwi connections.
NZGBA's gatherings and cultural activities began in Shenzhen. The Events page lists announced cities, venues and dates; the community guide explains how to ask for Kiwi or WeChat introductions.
Culture
Food, migration and craft beyond the business centres
Compare Foshan's Wing Chun history and Shunde food, Zhaoqing's lakes and inkstone heritage, and Jiangmen's migration history and Kaiping villages. For coastal and neighbourhood visits, look at Zhuhai and Macao's peninsula, Taipa and Coloane.
Hong Kong SAR: Chinese heritage and British-era buildings
Central's former police station compound brings British-era civic architecture into a walk through Cantonese neighbourhoods. Use the official heritage guide alongside the city guide for a cultural visit beyond the office districts.
Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office: former Central Police Station compound · Hong Kong SAR guide
Macao SAR: Chinese and Portuguese influences
A-Ma Temple, the Mandarin's House and Senado Square offer different perspectives on Chinese-Portuguese contact. The official World Heritage guide helps select the historic streets and sites for a peninsula visit.
Macao Government Tourism Office: World Heritage sites · Macao SAR guide
Compare all eleven places in more detail
Northern and inland cities
- Guangzhou
Canton Fair planning, city meeting locations and Cantonese food, alongside the Guangzhou roots of early Chinese New Zealanders.
At the northern end of the Pearl River estuary
- Foshan
Find furniture factories, showrooms and ceramics businesses, then explore Wing Chun history and Shunde food.
West of Guangzhou, inland from the estuary
- Zhaoqing
Duan inkstones, Seven Star Rock and Dinghushan, with an introduction to Dawang vehicles, Jinli hardware and Sihui jade.
Northwest of the estuary, beyond Foshan
Eastern side of the estuary
- Dongguan
Electronics, furniture and clothing towns, Humen's 1839 history and Songshan Lake-plus stations and local services.
On the eastern side of the estuary, between Guangzhou and Shenzhen
- Huizhou
West Lake and Su Dongpo's story, the Huidong coast, and where to find Huizhou's battery, electronics and materials industries.
East of Dongguan and Shenzhen
- Shenzhen
Electronics markets, product development and manufacturing, with Dafen art, Shekou's waterfront and local Kiwi connections.
On the eastern shore, immediately north of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong SAR
Trade-show venues, city neighbourhoods and Kiwi groups, with Sevens rugby and walks beyond the office districts.
At the southeastern entrance to the estuary, south of Shenzhen
Western side of the estuary
- Zhongshan
Guzhen lighting and appliance towns, Sun Yat-sen's Cuiheng home, and travel across the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link.
On the western side of the estuary, north of Zhuhai
- Jiangmen
Chinese New Zealand migration history, Kaiping's towers and Taishan's trading streets, plus bathroom fittings and appliance manufacturing.
West of Zhongshan, extending towards the southwestern coast
- Zhuhai
Printing supplies, medical devices and Airshow China, alongside coastal walks and Tangjia's overseas-study history.
On the southwestern shore of the estuary, beside Macao
- Macao SAR
Exhibitions and Macao products, Macanese food and old trading streets, with a New Zealand connection at Macau Tower.
At the southwestern entrance to the estuary, beside Zhuhai