The China Import and Export Fair — universally known as the Canton Fair — has been held in Guangzhou twice a year since 1957. It takes place across three consecutive phases in April and October, each lasting five days, at the enormous Pazhou Exhibition Complex on Pazhou Island in the southeast of the city.
The fair is primarily a wholesale trade event, not a consumer market, but the Pazhou complex is worth visiting regardless — it is one of the largest exhibition spaces in the world, and outside of fair periods the facilities are used for consumer exhibitions, car shows, and cultural events. The complex is on metro Line 8 (Pazhou station). During the fair itself, hotel prices in Guangzhou double or triple and booking anything without advance planning is nearly impossible; time your visit accordingly.