On the morning of August 21, the 34th Guangzhou Exposition officially kicked off at the Canton Fair Complex. As a comprehensive trade fair for Sino-foreign economic and trade cooperation hosted by the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government, the Guangzhou Exposition has been successfully held for 33 consecutive sessions since its inception in 1993, becoming a vital platform for promoting regional economic development and international trade cooperation. Themed "Integrating Manufacturing and Services to Enhance Quality and Efficiency, Smoothing Circulation towards a Better Future," this year's exposition covers a total exhibition area of approximately 200,000 square meters. It brings together over 5,000 high-quality enterprises and more than 10,000 professional buyers. The event is accompanied by multiple industry promotion sessions, supply-demand matchmaking activities, project signing ceremonies, and public cultural and sports events, and will run until August 23.
To further elevate the exhibition's caliber and influence, this year's Guangzhou Exposition has innovatively introduced a four-dimensional integrated exhibition model—"Guest City + International, On-site + Off-site, Daytime + Nighttime, Online + Offline"—and launched the "Four Firsts" initiatives. For the first time, the exposition has established a Guest City mechanism, inviting Haikou as the Guest City to comprehensively showcase its urban charm and industrial advantages. Meanwhile, it continues to be held concurrently with the International Invention Exhibition, extensively inviting business delegates from Belt and Road partner countries to deepen international economic and trade exchanges. In terms of scenario expansion, the exposition has expanded off-site supporting scenarios for the first time, integrating special formats such as the nighttime drone show at Haixinsha to create a city-wide exhibition atmosphere. It has also pioneered a nighttime exhibition mode, extending special performances until 9 p.m., effectively lengthening visiting hours and boosting public participation. Furthermore, it has achieved full-spectrum online and offline integration for the first time by launching the new "Digital Guangzhou Expo" online service platform, breaking the constraints of physical space and significantly expanding the exhibition's coverage and reach.
A major highlight of the exhibition zones is the premier check-in hotspot—the Robotics Performance Zone. This zone gathers over 100 cutting-edge robots from renowned brands such as Unitree, Zhongqing, and Zhiyuan, covering various forms including humanoid robots, bionic robots, and industrial intelligent equipment. The zone features a daily rotating schedule of more than 30 special performances, cleverly integrating highly entertaining content such as the Lingnan lion dance robot show, human-robot dance, robot boxing, and human-robot football matches. Visitors can not only closely observe the outstanding demonstrations of high-precision and advanced intelligent equipment but also take photos and interact with humanoid robots, and experience special services such as robot-made coffee, ice cream, and fried chicken, feeling the infinite possibilities of technology empowering a better life. Notably, the exposition has innovatively set up evening exhibition sessions. On August 21 and 22, the robot performances will be extended until 9 p.m., and children aged 12 and under can enter for free with valid identification, fully reflecting the public-benefit nature of the event.
Focusing on the industrial frontier, the 2026 New Quality Productive Forces New Enterprises and New Products Promotion Conference was held concurrently on the morning of August 21. It is dedicated to being the core professional event of this exposition focusing on advanced manufacturing and cutting-edge sci-tech innovation. The conference boasts a strong and highly professional lineup of guests. Heavyweight guests such as Gao Zhikai, Deputy Director of the Center for China and Globalization; Zhang Li, Co-President of Asia Data Group; and Hu Xiaoyong, Vice President of JD Industrial, gathered to deliver in-depth keynote speeches on core topics including artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, digital and intelligent supply chains, and the cultivation of sci-tech innovation talent. Meanwhile, three industry benchmark enterprises—GAC Group, iFLYTEK, and Zhejiang Rouling Technology—brilliantly promoted their cutting-edge sci-tech achievements on-site, showcasing China's latest breakthroughs in future industries such as new energy vehicles, intelligent voice and large language models, and brain-computer interfaces.
In addition, this year's exposition is heavily complemented by the 2nd Guangzhou Consumption Assistance Exhibition and the 2026 National Agricultural and Commercial Interconnection (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area) Event. The supporting exhibition zone covers a planned area of 30,000 square meters and is scientifically divided into four core sections: Premium and Specialty Products, Agriculture, Culture, Tourism, and Intangible Cultural Heritage, Smart Agriculture, and Innovative Channels. The event has attracted nearly 1,000 market entities from across the country to participate actively, covering 22 provinces and over 20 key assisted production areas nationwide. It not only provides a broad platform for the display and trade of local specialty agricultural products but also injects strong new momentum into deepening agricultural industry cooperation between the Greater Bay Area and the rest of the country, and boosting rural revitalization.