The 2026 Guangzhou Gourmet Week (GGW) kicked off on October 10 at Haixinsha Island, a landmark venue adjacent to the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou.
GGW offers a view of the Canton Tower (Photo: GGW official)
Running through October 19, the event overlaps with the 140th Canton Fair, which opens on October 15 and runs until November 4, offering global buyers a taste of Guangdong's local culinary and cultural scene beyond the exhibition halls.
GGW is not a traditional food market. It brings a curated fine-dining experience from across Guangdong to one location, with no need to travel from city to city.
Over 200 certified popular and trending food and beverage brands are participating, including nearly 20 Black Pearl (a prestigious Chinese restaurant guide) restaurants, over 20 time-honored Chinese and Cantonese establishments, and more than 30 international brands that are making their Guangzhou debut.
Four themed zones and three crossover areas cater to a range of tastes, from high-end and classic to trendy.
In the four themed zones, visitors can enjoy signature dishes from Black Pearl restaurants at accessible prices, including Howard's Gourmet's high-end Teochew private cuisine and modern Cantonese food by Yue Creative Cantonese Cuisine. There are also intangible cultural heritage snacks, such as crispy fish skin salad and eight-treasure pan-fried dumplings, offered by inheritors.
International flavors include Thai, French and Japanese cuisines, while time-honored Cantonese names such as Guangzhou Restaurant present innovative Cantonese dim sum, offering a rich blend of international gourmet fare and authentic Lingnan tastes.
Thai food products on sale
The three crossover zones bring together over 200 craft beers from China and abroad—including local Guangdong specialties infused with wampee and dried tangerine peel—cooking classes led by star chefs, interactive food workshops and more than 25 brands offering creative light bites, coffee, tea and photo-friendly setups.
During the Week, visitors can taste signature dishes by eight chefs from Michelin and Black Pearl restaurants and star-rated hotels, such as "drunken sunflower chicken" and "salted kumquat double-boiled fish maw." Debut dishes include soft-core dried abalone croissant egg waffle, steamed seafood dim sum, and Peking duck pizza.
GGW also offers a full program of interactive experiences, including a fine wine festival, a specialty coffee and bakery festival, jazz and film-themed concerts and consumer vouchers.
Admission is free, with advance booking via the official GGW WeChat mini-program or on-site registration.
Dedicated services rolled out for Canton Fair buyers include multilingual volunteer teams and bilingual signage. Vendor stalls are equipped with foreign-currency POS terminals accepting Visa, Mastercard and other international cards.
Related news: Eating in Guangzhou during Canton Fair: Beer, bites and food festivals
Reporter | Huang Xinyi
Photos | Huang Xinyi, GGW official
