Canton Fair buyers enjoy travel programs in China's Greater Bay Area

The international buyers and visitors attending the just-concluded Canton Fair also enjoyed attending a series of colorful tourist activities in the host city, Guangzhou, and the broader Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The 20-day-long Canton Fair, officially known as the 137th China Import and Export Fair, partly coincided with the Chinese five-day May Day holiday, which ran from Thursday to Monday. After attending the fair, many international buyers and visitors went on to join in nearly 100 travel activities in Guangzhou and experienced the local culture and lifestyle.

Among their popular programs were the tour of Guangzhou's iconic Canton Tower and the Chinese tea ceremony during a one-day trip.

The tourists' destinations were not limited to Guangzhou, and they also traveled to nearby Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Zhuhai to buy electronic products, lie on the beach, and taste specialty foods like roast goose.

"I've been in Zhuhai. There are multiple islands, so I've been there. It's beautiful. Also, I love to go to the beach," said a foreign tourist as he boarded a high-speed train in Guangzhou and headed to other cities in the Greater Bay Area.

Border inspection officers said they have also streamlined customs clearance so foreign tourists can enjoy more convenient travel.

"We have been improving our entry policies, streamlining customs clearance, providing diversified consumption scenarios to foreign tourists, so that they will have more time to tour around Guangzhou and have in-depth travel in a wide range of cities in the greater bay area. Besides, the increased inbound travelers will also help boost local economic growth," said Chen Hanwen, the deputy director at the border inspection division of Guangzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station.

The 137th Canton Fair concluded on Monday with the participation of over 288,000 overseas buyers, a 17.3 percent increase from the previous session and hit a new high, according to the fair's organizers.

China Media Group (CMG), the country's flagship broadcaster, unveiled its 2026 flagship drama lineup in Beijing on Friday.

CMG will broadcast 55 major TV series and three short dramas ranging from historical epics to contemporary storylines that reflect everyday life, social change, and the spirit of the times.

The new lineup will align natural narrative and creative innovation with the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), continuously amplify the voice of mainstream values, and continue promoting the deep integration of film and television with cultural tourism, according to CMG.