Nestled in the heart of the city, the Guangzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Center offers a glimpse into the city’s fascinating history, sustainable development, and dynamic future, while the iconic Canton Tower lights up the skyline with its breathtaking display of innovation and design. These landmarks highlight why this city is a must-visit for architecture enthusiasts and casual tourists alike. Gateway to Yesterday and Tomorrow: Guangzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Center The Guangzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Center isn't just another museum. Encased in a shimmering glass veneer, this center captivates from the first step inside, where a sprawling scale model of Guangzhou commands attention, portraying the intricate dance between the city’s historical layers and its leaps towards tomorrow. Navigating through the center, each floor unfolds like chapters in a sci-fi novel, from Guangzhou’s humble beginnings to its thrust into the megacity league. Augmented reality setups bring a zest of magic, transforming static urban models into dynamic landscapes bustling with potential life. Here, technology meets urban planning, creating immersive narratives that celebrate both the city's heritage and its high-tech horizon. Read more: Bangladesh and Qatar to sign 6 deals, 5 MoUs during Qatar Emir’s state visit, says foreign minister One can't help but be inspired by the city's ambitious vision to blend sustainability with urban growth. The center not only educates about urban planning but also ignites imaginations about the cities of the future.

Each year, Guangzhou becomes the focal point of international trade through the China Import and Export Fair, famously known as the Canton Fair. The 135th session of Canton Fair officially opened its doors on April 15, 2024. This mega event serves as a vital platform for both established and emerging markets, promoting a diverse range of products from basic raw materials to advanced electronics and machinery. Strategic Importance and Government Support Zhou Shanqing, Director General of the Canton Fair Press Center and Deputy Director General of China Foreign Trade Center, detailed the extensive preparations that underscore the significance the Chinese government places on this event. Praised by Chinese President Xi Jinping through congratulatory letters and emphasized in the 2024 Government Work Report, the Canton Fair is crucial for stabilizing and expanding foreign trade. It serves as a strategic node for showcasing China's commitment to open economic policies and supporting global cooperation.

As the sun dips below the horizon, Guangzhou transforms into a city of lights. The Pearl River, or Zhujiang, which slices through this sprawling metropolis, offers the best seat in the house for an unforgettable nighttime spectacle: a river cruise that showcases the illuminated beauty of the city, with the iconic Canton Tower aglow in the backdrop. Embarking on the Journey The journey began at the bustling wharf in the city center, where our team of Bangladeshi journalists gathered to board one of the many boats decked out in vibrant lights. As the cool evening breeze wafted over the river, the boat slipped away from the dock, and the city's bustling sounds faded into a serene silence punctuated only by the gentle lapping of water against the hull. Canton Tower: A Beacon of Light The highlight of the cruise is undoubtedly the passage beside the Canton Tower. This 600-meter-tall architectural marvel is not just a feat of engineering but also a canvas for a dazzling light show. As the boat glided along, the tower emitted radiant light sequences that painted the sky in a kaleidoscope of colors. The reflection of these lights on the water's surface created a mesmerizing double spectacle. Read more: Spain Travel Guide: Top 10 Must-Visit Places A River Lined with Illuminations But the Canton Tower isn't the only highlight lighting up the night. The cruise offers panoramic views of Guangzhou’s skyline, lit by the glow from numerous buildings and bridges. Each structure along the riverbank contributes its own unique burst of color, from the traditional reds and golds to the modern neon blues and greens that outline the sleek, contemporary facades of newer constructions. The Liede Bridge dazzles with its dynamic light show synchronized to music, making it a floating dance of luminescence. This, combined with the shimmering outlines of other bridges like the Jiangwan and Haiyin, forms a continuous visual symphony that reflects Guangzhou's blend of tradition and modernity. For those keen on photography, the cruise is a treasure trove of opportunities. The play of light and shadow, along with the city's reflection on the calm waters, makes for stunning compositions. Whether it's capturing the sweeping arc of a brightly lit bridge or the Canton Tower's ever-changing colors, each moment is a photographic masterpiece waiting to happen. Read more: Solo Trip: Tips for Travelling Alone for the First Time

The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou closed itself to most arrivals Monday as China battles a major COVID-19 surge in its big eastern cities. Shanghai has taken the brunt of the surge, with another 26,087 cases announced on Monday, only 914 of which showed symptoms. The city of 26 million is under a tight lockdown, with many residents confined to their homes for up to three weeks. No such lockdown has yet been announced for Guangzhou, a metropolis of 18 million northwest of Hong Kong that is home to many top companies and China's busiest airport. Just 27 cases were reported in the city on Monday. Also read:COVID outbreak 'extremely grim' as Shanghai extends lockdown However, primary and middle schools have been switched to online after an initial 23 local infections were detected last week. An exhibition center was being converted into a makeshift hospital after authorities said earlier they would begin citywide mass testing. Only citizens with a “definite need" to leave Guangzhou can do so, and only if they test negative for the virus within 48 hours of departure, city spokesperson Chen Bin said in a social media announcement. China has stuck to its “zero-COVID” strategy of handling outbreaks with strict isolation and mass testing, despite complaints in Shanghai over shortages of food and medical services. China's government and the entirely state-controlled media are growing increasingly defensive about complaints over the COVID-19 prevention measures, censoring content online and rebuking foreign critics. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Sunday said China had “lodged solemn representations with the U.S." after the State Department advised Americans to reconsider traveling to China due to “arbitrary enforcement” of local laws and COVID-19 restrictions, particularly in Hong Kong, Jilin province and Shanghai. U.S. officials cited a risk of “parents and children being separated.” China was “strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the U.S. side’s groundless accusation against China’s epidemic response,” Zhao said. Despite that, and indications the hardline policy is being dictated by head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping, China has rejected any notion that its response is political in nature. Xi has demanded social stability above all else in the runup to a key party congress later this year at which he is expected to bestow on himself an unprecedented third-term as party leader. The English-language China Daily acknowledged that Shanghai's measures are “far from perfect," and pointed to the firing last week of three local officials for failing in their duties. But it said that shouldn't become an “excuse to politicize the event and blame China.” Despite the large number of cases, no new deaths have been reported in the Shanghai wave, possibly because the omicron variant is less deadly than older variants. Also read: China urges int'l community to do more for Mali's peace, stability City authorities also say they have secured daily supplies for residents, following complaints about deliveries of food and other necessities. Residents have resorted to group buying of groceries because they are not allowed to leave their buildings, with only partial success in obtaining needed items. The capital Beijing has seen relatively few restrictions, although the Erjiefang neighborhood including the famed 798 art district has been cordoned off and classified as high risk after eight infections were reported there over the past two weeks. China is facing one of its worst local outbreaks since the pandemic began. China is still mostly closed to international travel, even as most of the world has sought ways to live with the virus.

The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou shut down a neighborhood and ordered its residents to stay home Saturday for door-to-door coronavirus testing following an upsurge in infections that has rattled authorities. Guangzhou, a business and industrial center of 15 million people north of Hong Kong, has reported 20 new infections over the past week. The number is small compared with India’s thousands of daily cases but has alarmed Chinese authorities who believed they had the disease under control. The spread of infections was “fast and strong,” the official Global Times newspaper cited health authorities as saying. Saturday’s order to stay home applied to residents of five streets in Liwan District in the city center. Outdoor markets, child care centers and entertainment venues were closed. Indoor restaurant dining was prohibited. Grade schools were told to stop in-person classes. People in parts of four nearby districts were ordered to limit outdoor activity. Read:Vietnam finds new virus variant, hybrid of India, UK strains The city government earlier ordered testing of hundreds of thousands of residents following the initial infections. The government said some 700,000 people had been tested by Wednesday. China reports a handful of new cases every day but says almost all are believed to be people who were infected abroad. The mainland’s official death toll stands at 4,636 out of 91,061 confirmed cases. On Saturday, the National Health Commission reported two new locally transmitted cases in Guangzhou and 14 in other parts of the country that it said came from abroad. Most of the latest infections in Guangzhou are believed to be linked to a 75-year-old woman who was found May 21 to have the variant first identified in India, state media say. Most of the others attended a dinner with her or live together. That infection spread to the nearby city of Nanshan, where one new confirmed case and two asymptomatic cases were reported Saturday after people from Guangzhou were tested, according to The Global Times.

US-Bangla Airlines is going to start a weekly special flight on Dhaka-Guangzhou route from Saturday. Civil Aviation Authority has permitted the airline to run this flight maintaining special health protocols. Also read: US-Bangla to operate international flights on four routes from Saturday Every Saturday the 164-seat Dhaka-Guangzhou-Dhaka flight will leave Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:10 pm for China’s Guangzhou. On Sundays the flight will leave Guangzhou for Dhaka at 5 am. Read: Bangladesh to operate special flights to carry overseas workers As directed by government, all passengers must have Covid-19 negative certificates at least 72 hours before flying. In addition, returning passengers have to stay at institutionalized quarantine or hotels for 14 days at their own cost. Read US-Bangla to operate international flights on four routes from Saturday

The outbreak of a new virus linked to a wildlife market in central China is prompting renewed calls for enforcement of laws against the trade in and consumption of exotic species.

Flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport resumed on Thursday morning after seven hours of suspension after the fog lifted.