Tianhe District is located at the centre of Guangzhou Municipality of Guangdong Province. The GDP of Tianhe reached RMB531.28bn in 2020, which ranked first for 14 consecutive years among all districts in Guangzhou. The four leading industries in Tianhe — namely the financial industry, modern commerce, next-generation information and communication technology and professional services — have a high degree of aggregation and strong growth potential. Tianhe has become a preferred choice for investment and business ventures in southern China.

Economy

Tianhe boasts a strong economy, large population, great consumption capacity and high capital-market openness. More than 440,000 businesses are based in Tianhe, including a host of Global 500 companies and Top 500 Chinese companies. With a solid industrial foundation, advanced commerce capacity, a concentration of resources for development, as well as a substantial user base and strong social factors, Tianhe offers great market prospects and many business opportunities.

The GDP of Tianhe reached RMB531.28bn in 2020, which accounted for 21.2 per cent of the total GDP of Guangzhou and ranked first for 14 consecutive years among all districts in Guangzhou.

Human resources

Tianhe has 30 higher education institutions, 53 national- and provincial-level research institutes, 122 key laboratories and 74 corporate tech centres. Reputed universities and colleges located in Tianhe include South China University of Technology, Jinan University and South China Normal University. Research institutes such as the Institute of Chemistry and the Institute of Energy of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are also based in Tianhe. Additionally, the district has 34 innovative companies and 95 engineering tech research centres that are at the municipal level and above.

More than 200 human resources agencies operate in Tianhe, which approximately account for three quarters of the city’s total. They include South China Market of Human Resources, the largest human resources services agency in southern China, and global firms such as Manpower Group and Korn Ferry.

Guangzhou Tianhe Talent Port has already begun operations. It offers comprehensive services for innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as a conducive environment for professional development via one-stop services and a streamlined pathway for high-level talent. Tianhe is dedicated to offering better human resources and becoming a talented, innovative and high-end district that is ready for global competition.

Pillar industries

Tianhe has formed a modern industrial system driven by technological innovation and modern services. The four leading industries in Tianhe — namely the financial industry, modern commerce, next-generation information and communication technology and professional services — have a high level of aggregation and strong growth potential.

The financial industry, being the largest among the four leading industries in the district, brings together 70 per cent of the city’s licensed financial institutions, 44 per cent of its corporate financial institutions and 48 per cent of its foreign-funded financial institutions. Both the southern headquarters of CMDM and the South Center of the Shanghai Stock Exchange are in Tianhe, comprehensively enhancing the district’s strength of financial infrastructure. The region is also rich in resources for scientific and technological innovation. It has gathered more than 300,000 innovative talents, as well as nearly 500 venture capital investment institutions. It has 60 per cent of the province’s “Double First-Class” universities, 70 per cent of its high-level universities and 60 per cent of the city’s key laboratories above the provincial and ministerial level. There are more than 90,000 scientific and technological enterprises, including 2,996 national hi-tech enterprises.

With the continuous integration of the financial industry, modern commerce industry, professional service industry with artificial intelligence and digital economy, Tianhe is becoming a booming new hub for digital economy. There are nearly 20,000 digital service companies and 18 artificial intelligence companies with an output value of about RMB2.95bn.

Transportation network

The Guangzhou–Kowloon Through Train takes just 90 minutes from the Guangzhou East Railway Station to Hong Kong. In addition, multiple through bus lines to Hong Kong and Macao are available. Tianhe is only 30 minutes of drive time from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and 15 minutes from the Guangzhou South Railway Station.

The district is equipped with seven metro lines, including four transfer stations and 32 regular stations. The first automated people mover system (APM line) in the city and the BRT line sit in the central area of Tianhe, along with approximately 400 bus lines.

Business areas

Tianhe Central Business District
With an area of 12 square kilometres, Tianhe Central Business District is located at the crossroads of Guangzhou’s new central axis and the Pearl River. It is a major part of Guangzhou’s plans to develop into a national central city and is one of the key central business districts within the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. There are 120 commercial office buildings including Guangzhou International Financial Center and Guangzhou Chow Tai Fook Financial Center. Tianhe CBD is home to over 200 investment projects funded by Fortune Global 500 corporations, headquarters of over 100 firms, 53 foreign consulates, 11 overseas business associations and regional headquarters of 32 foreign banks.

Investment is welcomed in key sectors such as corporate headquarters, modern business and trade, professional services and financial services.

Guangzhou International Financial Town
Guangzhou International Financial Town is a core part of Guangzhou’s plans to build a regional financial centre and is also its second central business district. With a planning area of eight square kilometres, Guangzhou International Financial Town aims to become a domestically leading and first-class international cluster of financial headquarters, financial trading platforms and emerging financial development zones, promoting the integrated development of the Pearl River Delta region and further strengthening co-operation with Southeast Asian countries.

Investment is welcomed in key sectors such as financial institutes, financial conglomerates, financial trading platforms, financial supervisory authorities, corporate headquarters, high-end commerce and investors and developers.

Tianhe Intelligence Business District
Tianhe Intelligence Business District (IBD) covers an area of 63 square kilometres, with a core zone of about 20.7 square kilometres. Tianhe IBD is one of the key links in the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Macao Science and Technology Innovation Corridor and is the first major strategic development platform to see administrative approval and actual implementation in Guangzhou. On 25 February 2020, Tianhe IBD was formally recognised as a provincial hi-tech industrial development zone and named as the Guangzhou Tianhe Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone. The zone is home to about 1,950 software and information services firms and 969 hi-tech companies. There are 99 research centres working on engineering technologies and 39 incubators and co-working spaces. The core zone occupies an area of 2.3 million square metres.

Investment is welcomed in key sectors such as geographical information, e-commerce, mobile internet, digital innovation, big data, cloud computing and biomedicine.

Tianhe Intelligence Valley
With an area of 15.2 square kilometres, Tianhe Intelligence Valley is located in the east of Tianhe. As an important part of Guangzhou Tianhe Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, Tianhe Intelligence Valley is one of the key links in the Guangzhou–Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Corridor.

Investment is welcomed in key sectors such as scientific and technological innovation enterprises and cultural and creative enterprises.

Tianhe Road Business Circle
Tianhe Road Business Circle covers an area of 4.5 square kilometres, 2.4 million square metres of which belong to its commercial area. It is home to 13 large-scale malls, six centres for electronic products, three underground malls, two cultural and sports activity venues, nearly 300 international brands and 10,000 vendors. Its daily visitor flow surpasses 1.5 million.

Investment is welcomed in key sectors such as high-end commerce, commercial services, international speciality stores, fast fashion flagship stores, domestically and internationally renowned department stores, international boutique business operators and high-end cafes and restaurants.

“Thero” platform

“Thero: gathering talents from all over the world” is a 5A-level international service platform for innovation and entrepreneurship, which integrates events, funds, talents, carriers and services. It aims to bring the competitive advantages of Tianhe’s technology and innovation into full play and consolidate global resources for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Thero Global Startup Competition, Guangzhou International Innovation Festival, Guangzhou (International) Tianhe Base for Technology Transfer and Guangzhou Investment Incubation System “Tianhe Youchuang” are the flagship activities and services from the Thero innovative platform. With its one-stop service of “1 start-up competition + 1 festival + 1 base”, the platform is a rainforest innovation ecosystem that helps entrepreneurs with talent recruitment, fundraising, R&D and industrial support.


China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Guangzhou Tianhe Committee
Address: 4/F, 100 Long Kou Xi Rd, Tianhe District, Guangzhou Guangdong Province, China
Tel: 86-20-8754-2955

The Bureau of Science Technology, Informatization and Industry, Tianhe District, Guangzhou Municipality
Address: 1 Tianfu Rd, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Tel: 86-20-3862-2894, 86-20-3862-2893