As the capital and business centre of the wealthy Guangdong Province, Guangzhou expats will experience a city at the adrenalin-fuelled heart of Chinese industry. Guangzhou is well poised to become as well known as its towering skyscrapers, expat communities, and many international cultural centres would already suggest.
In the shadows of Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, Guangzhou is less known but among the most economically significant. As South China's largest seaport and one of the first economic free zones in China, Guangzhou has quietly developed a solid and growing manufacturing and commercial industry. Helping publicise its economic reforms and status as one of China’s business centres, is its huge annual Chinese Export Commodities Fair.
Adding to its international prominence is a large number of overseas Chinese expats that maintain homes and business ties in the city.
Roughly 10 million people make Guangzhou the third largest metropolitan area in mainland China but an expat community of nearly 30,000 (2009) has etched some international flare into downtown districts.
Shipping and removals
Guangzhou is a large port city and airport hub making shipping and relocation of household goods fairly easy with competing businesses offering price quotes. It is a good idea to get several price quotes from companies as prices and options for services range quite a bit. Some services can completely pack up a house in one country and unload the contents in another. Others offer only part of the moving process.
Much of the accommodation in Guangzhou popular with expats comes already furnished to varying degrees. It is often more expensive to ship furniture from overseas than to buy completely new pieces in Guangzhou. The city is also the site of a lot of manufacturing so expats can sometimes also find great deals on electronics. Air freight is more expensive and quicker that longer sea shipping routes but can be preferable for smaller shipped items.
Bringing pets to Guangzhou
In order to bring pets to Guangzhou, expats need an international health certificate just prior to relocation, and a vaccination certificate is needed. Pets are quarantined for 30 days, most of which can be inside the owners home.