Global buyers queue to experience AI glasses with translation functions at the 140th Canton Fair in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province, on October 16, 2026. Photo: Chi Jingyi/Global Times

Standing at the entrance to Hall A on the opening day of the 140th Canton Fair, I opened the fair’s official app and typed “Service Robots zone.” Instantly, an AR navigation route appeared on my screen, complete with walking distance and estimated time. Following the blue arrows on the screen through the crowd, I reached the target exhibition area within five minutes.  

In a complex spanning 1.55 million square meters and housing more than 25,000 booths at phase I (October 15-19) of this session, finding a specific stand has become almost effortless. The 140th Canton Fair opened on Thursday and lasts until November 4 in three phases in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province.

How big is 1.55 million square meters? It’s about 217 standard football fields.

The distance from Hall A to Hall D is nearly two metro stops, and you can easily walk 20,000 steps a day during the Canton Fair.

Half a year ago, at the 139th session of the Canton Fair in April, booth-level smart navigation covered only 25 halls and public areas. It could not accurately pinpoint which floor – six floors in some areas – a visitor was on as I tried. Locating an exhibitor was still a challenge. The progress is visible and rapid in just six months.  

A screenshot of AR navigation guide of Canton Fair app Photo: Chi Jingyi/Global Times

Organizers said that the 140th edition has rolled out 22 smart application scenarios and 16 AI-powered features. It is the first time a major Chinese trade fair has delivered full-venue, booth-level navigation and AR information display, with accuracy down to one meter across more than 75,000 booths in all three phases.  

During business talks, buyers and exhibitors simply scan a code in the Canton Fair’s app to exchange digital business cards. AI automatically generates negotiation summaries and files client information.  

A Mexican buyer who has attended almost every session since 2008 recalled the early days: “When I first came, there were no smartphones. We relied on paper cards and calculators. Now AI and translation tools make communication far more efficient.” Like many others, he tried real-time AI translators and AI glasses in the Service Robots zone.  

A Russian purchaser tested an AI-powered translation machine capable of simultaneous interpretation for 50-person meetings and placed an order on the spot. “The translation earphones will help us a lot. Next we will head to Shenzhen for four meetings with local factories and trading companies and such translation machine would help.”  

The smart experience extends beyond the exhibition halls. Seventy registration points with 628 windows have been set up at airports, high-speed rail stations, the fairgrounds and designated hotels. Overseas buyers can collect their badges in 30 seconds after identity verification. 

Meanwhile, the city of Guangzhou has opened dedicated channels at ports, and deployed AI service robots to welcome global buyers and exhibitors. At Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport’s foreign visitor center, AI smart glasses in service left many first-time arrivals impressed.  

Green practices are equally tangible. Green and low-carbon products account for a record 26 percent of exhibits. The venue itself runs on 100 percent green electricity – 15 million kilowatt-hours of clean power from wind and solar. 

Building on the modular setup piloted at the 138th session in October last year, organizers have expanded reusable exhibition materials to further cut carbon emissions.  

From one-meter navigation to 30-second badge collection, from fully green power to modular stands, the Canton Fair’s push toward innovation, sustainability and intelligence is no longer a slogan. It is something every visitor can feel underfoot, in hand and in their ears.  

As a Colombian buyer put it: “The Canton Fair always offers something new. Everyone should come here and see China for themselves.”