History of the Canton Fair
Canton Fair Through the Years: A Legacy of Trade
The History of the Canton Fair
The History of the Canton Fair
China's oldest fair, known as the Canton Fair, boasts the largest exhibition space, the widest variety, the highest quality of suppliers, and the highest trade volume in China. It has been continually held since its inception and serves as a microcosm of China's economy.
Regarded as the barometer for the Chinese economy, the Canton Fair has played a pivotal role in China's international trade and economic development. In its first year, the fair accounted for one-fifth of China's total foreign exchange currency received.
The Canton Fair, held twice a year in Guangzhou, is China's premier trade fair. Since its inception, there has consistently been a high demand for stalls, necessitating increasingly larger complexes.
At the forefront of China's opening and reform, the Canton Fair has been instrumental in promoting China's economic output and developing international relations.
Serving as a bridge to commerce in China, the Canton Fair attracts diverse participants worldwide to explore a wide range of products in a comprehensive exhibition.
Birth of the Fair: Historical Era (Origins - 1978)
Birth of the Fair: Historical Era (Origins - 1978)
In April 1957, the first Canton Fair, then known as the Chinese Export Commodities Fair, took place in the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building.
Initially, the fair's attendees were limited to a select number of countries (by invitation only), primarily from Asia. The fair predominantly showcased agricultural goods before the rise of China's industrial production.
The first session welcomed just 1,223 attendees from 19 countries. The majority of buyers at the first session hailed from Hong Kong and Macau (1,021 buyers).
In 1958 the fair was held at the Qiaoguang Road Exhibition Hall.
Then in 1959, the Canton Fair relocated to the Qiyi Road Exhibition Hall, which was 2.5 times larger than the Qiaoguang Exhibition Hall.
In 1973, the Canton Fair accounted for an astonishing fifty per cent of China's national foreign trade exchange that year.
The third relocation of the Canton Fair was to the purpose-built Chinese Export Commodities Fair Complex, known as the Liuhua Exhibition Centre, making it the fair's longest-serving venue.
With the opening up of the Chinese economy, the Canton Fair's monopoly on foreign trade came to an end, ushering in the boom of the Chinese economy.
Opening & Reform: Rise of the Fair (1979-2000)
Opening & Reform: Rise of the Fair (1979-2000)
The Chinese economic dragon awoke with private companies exhibiting at the Canton Fair, as the organization of the fair was delegated to a State-sponsored corporation, which has seen steady growth for the next three decades.
From 1979 on-wards, the Canton Fair charted a course through waves of modernizing the exhibition by reforming the exhibition administration and optimizing the organization of the exhibition structure and facilities.
In 1999, the Canton Fair launched its website. Also, a complaints station for dealing with IPR issues was established, and regulations on handling complaints were established.
Internationalisation: Post-WTO Era (2001-19)
Internationalisation: Post-WTO Era (2001-19)
With the globalization of trade, the Canton Fair has been opened to foreign companies, and the fair has been radically rebuilt from the ground up with a vast new exhibition space.
In 2003, the only aberration (at that point) in the steady rise of foreign buyers to the Canton Fair was the Spring 2003 session. Foreign visitor numbers crashed to 23,128 due to the outbreak of SARS in Asia.
As the Chinese mainland’s only authorized international comprehensive trade fair that year, the Canton Fair introduced the ‘Canton Fair Online’ as a web portal.
The Spring 2004 Session of the Canton Fair was staged as ‘two complexes, two phases,' with simultaneous phases in the Pazhou Complex and Liuhua Complex.
In 2006, it was announced it would be renamed the China Export Commodities Fair to the ‘China Import and Export Fair’.
From the 104th session, the Canton Fair was split into three phases with two intervals, as Areas A, B, and C of the Pazhou Complex had been completed.
The Liuhua Exhibition Centre ceased to be used for the fair, and the fair was reorganized with 50 industry sectors, up from 32, to allow expansion and specialization of the fair.
The fair attendance peaked at 210,000 visitors in 2012.
The Show Goes (On)line: Post-Covid Era (2020– beyond)
The Show Goes (On)line: Post-Covid Era (2020– beyond)
The show must go on, though Fair went on a three-year hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic represented the biggest challenge in the fair’s history. Going online was the answer with mixed results).
However, during COVID the Pazhou complex was expanded with the ‘fourth’ phase, with the addition of Area D—representing a 40% increase in the complex’s size.
The bifurcation of trade in the Trump era has led to a relative decline of Western buyers as a proportion of overall fairgoers. This has been counter-balance with the increase in the proportion of buyers from Asia, Africa, Russia and the Middle East.
Canton Fair Museum
Canton Fair Museum
The Canton Fair Museum is on the bottom floor of the administration building within the Pazhou Complex.
