Foshan, Guangdong province

The city of Foshan [Photo/VCG]

Major social and economic indicators (2018)

Area: 3,798 sq km
Population: 7,905,700
Gross domestic product (GDP): 993.6 billion yuan ($148.23 billion)
GDP per capita: 128,000 yuan
Value of total merchandise trade: 459.93 billion yuan
Value of export: 352.74 billion yuan
Value of import: 107.19 billion yuan
Industrial structure (% of GDP):
Primary industry (agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery): 1.5% of GDP
Secondary Industry (industrial and construction): 56.5 % of GDP
Tertiary industry (service industry): 42% of GDP
Port cargo throughput: 89.73 million tons
Passenger throughput:
Visitors received: 54.24 million passenger trips
Foshan Shadi Airport: 109,000 passenger trips

Note: the above figures are provided by relevant Guangdong provincial and municipal government departments. 

Industries

Foshan is located at the hinterland of the Pearl River Delta in the south-central part of Guangdong province, adjoining Guangzhou on the east. The travel time between Foshan and Hong Kong or Macao is about two hours.

Foshan's economy is manufacturing-based, including industries in which Foshan enjoys strengths, such as machine equipment, household appliances, ceramic building materials, metal processing and metal products, textiles and garments, electronic information, food and beverages, fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and household goods, as well as emerging industries including optoelectronics, environmental protection, new materials, new medicine, and new energy vehicles.

Dubbed as the "land of fish and rice," Foshan is well-known for its fish pond systems with mulberry, banana, and sugarcane on the dyke. Development of modern agriculture has accelerated, focusing on horticulture, aquaculture, and animal husbandry. Foshan has the largest plantation base of phalaenopsis in the country and the largest plantation base of high-quality lilies in the province. It is also known as "home of eels in China," "home of freshwater fish fry in China," and "home of flowers and trees in China." Foshan has been one of the cities in the first batch of national demonstration bases for agricultural industrialization.

Transport

Foshan has a good transport network, with modern air, rail, highways, river, and public transportation. There are flights connecting Foshan Airport to cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shijiazhuang, and there are four lounges in Foshan seamlessly connected with Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. A new airport in Gaoming district of Foshan, as one of the backbone airports of Guangdong province, is being planned. Its design annual passenger throughput is 50 million passenger trips. The construction of this new airport is expected to commence within two years.

In addition, the first section of the Guangzhou-Foshan Line is the first intercity railway of the country. The Guangzhou-Zhuhai intercity railway closely connects Foshan with Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Major development areas

National level:
Foshan National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone

Provincial level:
Foshan Nanhai Economic Development Zone
Foshan Chancheng Economic Development Zone
Foshan Nanhai Industrial Zone
Foshan Gaoming Cangjiang Industrial Zone
Foshan Sanshui Industrial Zone
Foshan Shunde Industrial Zone

Role in the Greater Bay Area

According to the development plan of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Foshan is positioned as one of the seven key node cities of the area. It is expected to: fully leverage its strength; deepen reform and innovation; enhance its composite strength, and develop itself into a city with distinct characteristics, complementary positioning and strong competitiveness; to enhance coordination in development, strengthen interaction and cooperation with the core cities; drive the development of towns nearby with distinct characteristics; and jointly raise the development quality of the city cluster.

Key words for Foshan in the Greater Bay Area

Cooperation platform:

Support Nanhai of Foshan in promoting cooperation in high-end services among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, and build a bridge fostering market connectivity and the flow of economic factors including talents, information, and technologies among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Leading role of growth poles:

Leverage the leading roles of the powerful combination of Guangzhou-Foshan, expedite the integrated development of Guangzhou and Foshan, enhance their overall strength and global influence, and lead the Greater Bay Area in participating in international cooperation with great intensity.

Industry layout:

Develop an industrial belt for advanced equipment manufacturing on the west bank of the Pearl River spearheaded by Zhuhai and Foshan.

Support Dongguan in transforming and upgrading traditional industries.

International market:

Support Hong Kong and Foshan in offshore trade cooperation.

Information about transport and industry is courtesy of bayarea.gov.hk.