The 5th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival opened on September 16, and will be held in eleven GBA cities until October 16. Over 100 high-quality performances, 18 art exhibitions, 150 public welfare performances and a series of art lectures will be staged, which is expected to offer a cultural and artistic feast in the GBA.
Guangdong has blossomed into a vibrant cultural hub, seamlessly blending Lingnan characteristics with world-class standards. For your cultural journey, follow GO Guangdong to discover iconic landmarks and the festival's dynamic performance venues.
Bai'etan GBA Art Center 白鹅潭大湾区艺术中心
Located in the Liwan District of Guangzhou, the Bai'etan GBA Art Center officially opened to the public on April 28, 2024. Covering an area of about 145,000 square meters, it comprises the Guangdong Museum of Art, the Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, and the Guangdong Literary Museum.
The Art Center resembles a ship moored along the bank of the Pearl River, implying that this landmark will serve as a window for the world to explore the essence of Lingnan culture and experience its diverse parts, which boast enormous artistic and cultural treasures.
Guangdong Museum of Art (Bai'etan)
Located on the east side of the Art Center, Guangdong Museum of Art (Bai'etan) contains 21 exhibition halls and a large public art area, where it mainly displays contemporary artworks and promotes international exchange and cooperation.
On August 29, the "Contemporary Art Exhibition of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" opened in the area, marking a highlight of the 5th GBA Culture and Arts Festival. The exhibition is open to the public from August 29 to October 31, bringing together elaborate works by nearly 40 artists from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, exploring regional historical legacies, ecological consciousness, and spiritual dimensions of social interaction.
Exhibition Date: 2025.8.29(Fri.)-2025.10.31(Fri.)
Venue: Hall 9/10/11, 3rd Floor, Guangdong Museum of Art (Bai' etan)
Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum
Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum is situated in the western part of the Art Center, with permanent exhibits such as "Intangible Cultural Heritage" (非遗情缘), "Cuisine in Guangdong" (饮和食德), and "Lingnan Folk Arts" (南风传韵), displaying representative projects of national and provincial-level intangible cultural heritage as well as achievements of protection and inheritance practices.
Guangdong Literary Museum
Guangdong Literary Museum sits in the middle area of the Art Center, displaying the extraordinary history and achievements of the over two-thousand-year Guangdong literature history. It sets up various communication and interaction zones, creatively bringing visitors a multi-dimensional experience of literature. The "Lu Xun's Family" Exhibition Hall on the 4th floor features a time and space design, which classically illustrates Lu Xun's family memories, his revolutionary partnership with Xu Guangping, as well as his positive and far-reaching influence on Guangdong's left-wing literature and revolutionary literary youths.
"Lu Xun's Family" Exhibition Hall (Photo by Guangdong Provincial Writers Association)
Bai'etan GBA Art Center
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00, closed on Mondays (national holidays excluded)
Address: No. 19, Bai' etan South Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou City
(Photo by Bai'etan GBA Art Center)
Guangzhou Opera House 广州大剧院
Located in the CBD Tianhe District, the Guangzhou Opera House is one of the landmarks on the new central axis of Guangzhou, next to theGuangdong Museum and Guangzhou Library, looking to the Pearl River and Haixinsha Area. It contains an opera hall, an experimental theater, a modern gallery and 3 rehearsal halls.
Since it's open, more than 2,150 Chinese and overseas art troupes and 54,000 artists have presented 4,011 wonderful performances, and a total of more than 6.26 million people have visited for performances, activities, and cultural exchanges.
During the 5th GBA Culture and Arts Festival, over 10 activities and repertoire will be staged at the Guangzhou Opera House:
1. Opening Ceremony Performance "Themed Symphonic Concert" (湾区华章) of the 5th GBA Culture and Arts Festival
Time: September 16, 20:00
Venue: Guangzhou Opera House - Opera Hall
2. Pure Beethoven: Play the Complete Beethoven Sonatas for Piano & Violin
By Antje Weithaas & Dénes Várjon
Time: September 22-24, 19:30
Venue: Guangzhou Opera House - Experimental Theater
3. Dance Drama “Confucius”
China National Opera &Dance Drama Theater
Time: September 8-9, 19:30
Venue: Guangzhou Opera House - Opera Hall
4. Dance Drama Matthew Bourne's "Swan Lake"
New Adventures
Time: September 12, 19:30; September13-14, 14:30 & 19:30
Venue: Guangzhou Opera House - Opera Hall
5. Drama "二月廿九" (February 29 of the Lunar Calendar)
Macao Hiu Kok Drama Association
Time: August 29-31, 19:30
Venue: Guangzhou Opera House - Experimental Theater
6. Drama "The Yellow Storm"
National Theatre of China
Time: September 19-20, 19:30
Venue: Guangzhou Opera House - Opera Hall
7. Drama "Alley-oop"
The Nine (话剧九人)
Time: September 27, 14:30&19:30
Location: Guangzhou Opera House - Opera Hall
8. Musical "Molière"
(France) Musical "Molière" cast
Time: October 9-11, 19:30; October 12, 14:00&19:30
Location: Guangzhou Opera House - Opera Hall
9. Yue Opera "The Dream of Red Mansions"
Shanghai Yue Opera House
Time: October 14-15,19:30
Venue: Guangzhou Opera House - Opera Hall
10. Art Lecture 1: Art Ecology and Urban Development
Time: September 17, 9:30-11:30
Venue: Guangzhou Opera House - Experimental Theater
11. Art Lecture 4: Tian Qinxin's Drama
Time: September 18, 9:30-11:30
Venue: Guangzhou Opera House - Experimental Theater
Opening hours: 9:30-16:30 on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays, appointments one day in advance accepted, other days only for groups (at least 10 persons).
Address: No. 1, Zhujiang New Town West Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou City
(Photo by Guangzhou Opera House)
Foshan Grand Theater 佛山大剧院
Foshan Grand Theater comprises a 1,122-seat grand theater and small theaters with seats ranging from 294 to 500, hosting no less than 120 artistic performances every year, which cover drama, opera, and symphonic concerts. To better share resources, as a sister theater, Foshan Grand Theater also maintains a good interaction with Guangzhou Opera House.
Meanwhile, its modern and geometric architectural features also make it a popularspot in the city.
During the 5th GBA Culture and Arts Festival, three performances will be staged at Foshan Grand Theater:
1. "Heroic Era" (英雄时代) 2025 Havasi Piano Concert
HAVASI BALAZS
Time: October 7, 19:30
2. Peking Opera "Yi Yi Xiang Mei - Lingnan Tour"(依依向梅·岭南行) Shi Yihong 2025 Tour "Farewell My Concubine"
Shanghai Hong Yimei Peking Opera Troupe
Time: September 13, 19:30
3. Peking Opera "Yi Yi Xiang Mei - Lingnan Tour" (依依向梅·岭南行) Shi Yihong 2025 Tour "锁麟囊" (a pouch embroidered with silk thread)
Shanghai Hong Yimei Peking Opera Troupe
Time: September 14, 19:30
Opening time: 9:00-17:30 (performance days: 9:00 - performance over)
Address:No. 1 Huakang Avenue, Lecong Town, Shunde District, Foshan City
(Photo by Foshan Grand Theater)
Shenzhen Cultural Center (Shenzhen Library & Shenzhen Concert Hall) 深圳文化中心
Shenzhen Library and Shenzhen Concert Hall stand together on the central axis of Shenzhen, forming the Shenzhen Cultural Center. While the east side of the building is a harp-like wall made of glass and steel, the south side stands three black buildings resembling three open books.
The library opened in 2006, with a total collection of more than 10 million volumes (pieces), providing more than 2,000 reading seats for the public.
The concert hall opened in 2007. The outer wall is painted in five colors, including yellow, red, green, white, and black, which symbolize the five elements of Chinese tradition, such as the formation and interrelationships of all things. At the main entrance of the library and concert hall, respectively, stand a "Silver Tree" and a "Golden Tree", which symbolize the "cultural forest" and "city gate" of the city.
The interior is divided into a performance hall and a small theater, while the hall currently accounts for the largest purely natural acoustic performance hall in China, covering a total area of 2,323 square meters, accommodating 1,680 seats.
During the 5th GBA Culture and Arts Festival, there will be one performance staged in the Shenzhen Concert Hall:
1. "From Nordic Fjord to Xiangjiang River" Jue Yao and Hong Kong String Orchestra Concert
Hong Kong String Orchestra
Time: October 7, 19:30
(Photo by Shenzhen Library)
Shenzhen Library:
Opening hours: 9:00-21:00 (closed on Mondays)
Address: No. 2001, Fuzhongyi Road, Futian District, Shenzhen City
Shenzhen Concert Hall:
Opening hours: 9:00-18:30
Address: No. 2016, Fuzhongyi Road, Futian District, Shenzhen City
(Photo by Shenzhen Bureau of Habitat Construction and Conservation)
Jinwan Art Center 金湾艺术中心
Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, Jinwan Art Centre is located at the heart of Jinwan District's Aviation New Town, Zhuhai City. Surrounded by water, the structure looks like a butterfly spreading its wings, which is the first to be comprehensively constructed by Beidou navigation and 3D scanning reverse modeling technology in China.
Covering a total land area of about 66,700 square meters, Jinwan Art Center integrates four distinct cultural institutions for the public to enjoy art, namely, a 1,208-seat grand theater, a 470-seat multifunctional theater, an art gallery, and an X-space center, which are connected with each other through a central plaza that serves as a shared external foyer.
During the 5th GBA Culture and Arts Festival, a total of four performances will be staged at the Jinwan Arts Center:
1. Yefim Bronfman Piano Recital
Yefim Bronfman
Time: September 9, 20:00
2. Musical "I Like You"
Southern Song and Dance Troupe
Time: September29, 20:00
3. "Heroic Era" (英雄时代) 2025 Havasi Piano Concert
HAVASI BALAZS (Hungary)
Time: October 5, 20:00
4. Peking Opera "Yi Yi Xiang Mei - Lingnan Tour"(依依向梅·岭南行) Shi Yihong 2025 Tour "Farewell My Concubine"
Shanghai Hong Yimei Peking Opera Troupe
Time: September 20, 20:00
Opening hours: 9:00-17:30 (performance day: 9:00-shows over)
Address: Jinwan Art Center, Jinfan Road, Jinwan District, Zhuhai City
(Photo by Jinwan Art Center, photographer Luo Xiaotao)
Guangzhou Museum of Art 广州艺术博物院（广州美术馆）
The new Guangzhou Museum of Art was officially opened to the public in November 2023, serving as a national key art museum and a national-level museum. The museum overlooks the Chigang Pagoda and Guangzhou Tower, jointly forming a historical and modern scenery with the simple and ancient structures of the new Guangzhou Cultural and Arts Centre nearby.
Accordingly, its petal-like outer wall is artificially spliced together by 21,008 pieces of fish-scale solar photovoltaic glass, providing a 50 percent energy-saving rate for the building.
Despite different categories of artworks, the museum collection mainly focuses on Chinese calligraphy and painting works from the Stone Age to the contemporary era, especially those from theLingnan region.
Opening hours: 10:00-18:30, closed on Mondays (national holidays excluded)
Address: No. 198 Yiyuan Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou City
(Photo by Guangzhou Museum of Art)
Guangzhou Cultural and Arts Center 广州市文化馆（新馆）
Nestled at the heart of Guangzhou's axis, next to the Haizhu Lake, the Guangzhou Cultural and Arts Center covers a total land area of about 142,000 square meters, ranking as the largest cultural venue in China.
The picturesque space blends ancient Chinese architectural styles with Lingnan garden elements, such as waterscape and lush greenery. This national-level cultural and arts center serves as a center for the protection of Guangzhou's intangible cultural heritage, where you may enjoy calligraphy, quyi (曲艺, Chinese folk speaking and singing art forms), and Cantonese embroidery. Inspired by local landscapes and ancient poetry, it also integrates public performances, training, exhibitions, creation, research and exchanges, offering both aesthetic and social values.
Opening hours: 9:00 - 17:30 (closed on Mondays)
Activity time: 9:00 - 21:00
Address: No. 288 Xinjiao Middle Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou City
(Photo by 广州海珠发布)
Cantonese Opera Art Museum 粤剧艺术博物馆
Located at Enning Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou City, the Cantonese Opera Art Museum is built along the bank of Lai Chi Wan Chung (荔枝湾涌). While the south side houses the main museum pavilion and antique garden architecture, the north side is for the restoration of cultural relics, as well as Cantonese Opera art inheritance and preservation.
As one of the oldest areas in Guangzhou's urban development, Liwan District is a gathering base for the inheritance of Lingnan culture and itssubsidiary Xiguan culture. It not only preserves the complete spatial pattern of the old town of Guangzhou, but is also a significant birthplace of the art of Cantonese Opera, where many renowned artists of Cantonese Opera, such as Hong Xiannv and Bai Xuexian, once lived.
The museum is nestled in a beautiful Lingnan garden, collecting traditional Lingnan crafts including wood carving, stone carving, brick carving, lime sculpture and ceramic sculpture. Among them, the Guangfu Theatrical Stage is the only pure wooden carving structure in the garden. As one of the ten sceneries of the museum, the stage gives regular weekly performances of Cantonese Opera and Cantonese Operatic Songs.
To date, the Cantonese Opera Art Museum has over 5,000 pieces of various collections. Its permanent exhibition, "Southern Red Beans, Cantonese Rhythm", displays the thorough development history and artistic characteristics of Cantonese opera.
Opening hours: 9:00-21:00, temporary exhibition hall: 9:00-17:30; closed on Mondays (public holidays excluded)
Address: No. 127 Enning Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou City
(Photo by Cantonese Opera Art Museum)
Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning 深圳市当代艺术与城市规划馆
As one of the key cultural projects, Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning ("SZ MoCAUP") is located at the cultural center of Futian District. It integrates two separate functional institutions, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and the Museum of Urban Planning (MOUP), adopting an innovative mode of "Art+" to create an open and globalized platform for the public to engage in contemporary culture and art.
While MOCA presents global contemporary art scenes to the audience, displays the development of Chinese contemporary art to the world, and serves as a bridge to promote the interaction and exchange between Chinese and international contemporary art, MOUP serves as a window to display the history of Shenzhen's urban planning development and future of the city construction, also a platform for the academic exchanges of Shenzhen's urban planning and architectural design.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00
Address: No. 184 Fuzhong Road, Lianhua Street, Futian District, Shenzhen City
(Photo by Shenzhen Bureau of Habitat Construction and Conservation)
Zhanjiang Culture Center 湛江文化中心
Surrounded by sea, Zhanjiang Culture Center is located at the southern end of Tiaoshun Island in Chikan District, Zhanjiang City. Inspired by the national intangible cultural heritage "Tiaoshun Dragon Dance", its roof streamline was designed in a giant-dragon-leaping shape.
Covering a total construction area of about 92,000 square meters, the center integrates grand theater, multifunctional theater, thematic museum and art museum, of which the multifunctional theater provides 450 seats, and the grand theater provides 1,500 seats.
Accordingly, the Zhanjiang Cultural Center will be completed and put into operation in 2025. Hosting activities and shows, including international art performances and intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, it will soon become a landmark and "showroom" of the city to drive a diversified and integrated cultural ecosphere with surrounding commercial and tourism resources.
Address: South side of Tiaoshun Dongyi Road, Chikan District, Zhanjiang City
(Photo by 湛江发布, photographer Wu Dongjun)
Reported by Zhou Jiyin, Yin Juewen
Edited by Zhou Jiyin
Poster: Yang Chenyue