NZGBA - New Zealand Greater Bay Area Network - 新西兰大湾区网络

GBA city guide

Foshan 佛山

Foshan rewards a trip beyond Guangzhou: Wing Chun history at the Ancestral Temple, a Ming-era pottery kiln in Shiwan and Shunde's Cantonese cooking. For New Zealand business visitors, its towns also explain how the region works: furniture in Longjiang and Lecong, appliances in Beijiao, and ceramics in Chancheng.

Foshan in the Greater Bay Area

Foshan lies west of Guangzhou. Chancheng contains the historic centre; Nanhai and Shunde have centres of their own, while Sanshui and Gaoming extend farther west. A weekend around the Ancestral Temple and a round of furniture meetings in Shunde take you to different parts of this five-district city.

Compare the main areas · 9 cities and 2 SARs

The eleven GBA cities and SARs around the Pearl River estuary North-up orientation map. Guangzhou and Foshan are inland to the north. Dongguan, Shenzhen and Hong Kong are on the eastern side of the Pearl River estuary, with Huizhou farther east. Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao are on the western side; Jiangmen and Zhaoqing are farther inland. Markers indicate central locations, not municipal boundaries. Select a city for its guide. Zhaoqing Guangzhou Foshan Dongguan Huizhou Shenzhen Hong Kong SAR Zhongshan Jiangmen Zhuhai Macao SAR
City-centre locations, not municipal boundaries. On smaller screens, swipe or scroll across the map. Coastline: Natural Earth, public domain.

Living & visiting

Three starting points in Foshan

Chancheng: heritage and the central city

Chancheng brings together the Ancestral Temple and Shiwan's pottery heritage. It is the starting point for the city's martial-arts museums and ceramic craft.

Shunde: gardens, food and manufacturing towns

Daliang is home to Qinghui Garden, with ponds, halls and intimate courtyards. Elsewhere in Shunde, Beijiao, Longjiang and Lecong have distinct business roles. Shunde's food is a reason to visit in its own right: UNESCO recognised it as a Creative City of Gastronomy in 2014.

Nanhai: Xiqiao Mountain

Xiqiao Mountain is Nanhai's landscape outing, beyond the central streets of Chancheng and the gardens of Daliang.

Arriving and getting around

Foshan and Guangzhou are closely connected, but Foshan West railway station, central Chancheng and Shunde serve different destinations. Use Foshan Metro and China Railway for the relevant part of your journey.

Foshan Metro passenger informationChina Railway timetables and tickets
Foshan government: official services
Local services and official contacts

Practical guides

Arriving in mainland ChinaWorking in mainland ChinaMainland company setup: Shenzhen example

Places and local culture

The Ancestral Temple and Ip Man

Ip Man was a Foshan martial artist associated with Wing Chun. Inside the Ancestral Temple complex, Ip Man Hall traces his branch of the martial art.

Ip Man Hall and Foshan Wing Chun history

Qinghui Garden: make time for the details

Qinghui Garden in Daliang grew through generations of additions. Ponds, halls and smaller enclosed gardens break up the walk, with carved blue-brick moon gates framing the route.

Shunde on a plate

Shunde cooking is known for bringing out the flavour of the ingredients. Two local dishes to look for are double-skin milk, a silky, lightly sweet milk dessert, and Jun'an steamed pork, associated with village banquets.

Shiwan and the Nanfeng Ancient Kiln

Nanfeng Ancient Kiln is a Ming-era pottery kiln with more than 500 years of ceramic-making history. Alongside the city's building-products industry, Shiwan preserves the craft of making pottery by hand.

Business & industry

Industries and professional opportunities

Longjiang makes furniture; Lecong trades it

Longjiang's furniture manufacturers and materials businesses sit alongside Lecong's separate trading and showroom economy. Lunjiao specialises in woodworking and glass machinery. For a New Zealand furniture business, the distinction matters: finished ranges, production and the equipment used to make them lead to different towns.

Explore Foshan's industry locations

Beijiao and Midea

Midea's global headquarters is in Beijiao, Shunde. In 2024, the group completed the complex with 08 Space.

Ceramics: products and production technology

Nanzhuang and Shiwan in Chancheng combine architectural ceramics with brand headquarters, research and industry services. Uniceramics Expo brings ceramic products and production technology together; the organiser lists its next Foshan edition for 19-22 April 2027. A New Zealand tile importer and an equipment buyer can therefore use different parts of the same show.

Uniceramics Expo: dates and exhibitor catalogue

Further industry detail

Industries and business clusters

Compare industries across the GBA
City facts and local background

Population: 9.792 million

Land area: 3,798 km²

2025 GDP: RMB 1,316 billion (approx. NZ$315.3 billion)

NZD conversion uses the same-year SAFE annual average.

Districts and local areas

Five administrative districts

  • Chancheng · 禅城区
  • Nanhai · 南海区
  • Shunde · 顺德区
  • Sanshui · 三水区
  • Gaoming · 高明区

Bringing a group to Foshan?

If your New Zealand group is visiting Foshan for furniture, ceramics or food, tell NZGBA your dates and interests. We can discuss the community side of your visit and opportunities to meet other Kiwis in the GBA.

Discuss a Foshan visit
References