Guangzhou is planning a new business district of up to 36 square kilometers (about six times the size of Zhujiang New Town) in Bai'e Tan (White Swan Pond 白鹅潭), or Ngo Tam, in Liwan district. The district will be connected by 13 metro lines and intercity railways and is intended to enliven western Guangzhou and forge a new growth pole amid wide efforts to drive the development of the Greater Bay Area.  

Plans call for the new business district to sprawl north to Datansha, west to the boundary of the Liwan district and the Fa Ti River (花地河), east to the Pearl River and south to Panyu district. Located in the center of Liwan district, the project's 36 square kilometers will include 6 square kilometers of waterways. The whole business center will be divided into two areas by Hualei Lu (花蕾路), including a core zone and 11 different function zones.

Area One will be split into five zones, highlighting culture and history, health care, and Guangzhou-Foshan business and trade, while the second area will feature 7 commercial zones transformed from a batch of old factories in the district's less-developed Julong (聚龙), Xilang (西塱) and Huadiwan (花地湾) areas. 

Planned layout of the Bai'e Tan business district. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

With exceptional views of the Pearl River and a coastline of 19 kilometers, the first area is expected to become a central business district (CBD) in the west sector of central Guangzhou that rivals other CBDs in cities like New York, Chicago, and Tokyo. As a pivotal dot that connects Guangzhou and Foshan, it is also planned as the hub for industries such as industrial finance, digital economy, high-end health care, and cultural creativity and fashion.

Allocating 20-25 million square meters for business development, officials hope to attract a number of world-class enterprises in the finance, technology, and commerce sectors to enhance the overall value of the area.

A CBD with 13 railways and 4 cross-river channels

The project proposes to build an integrated metro system to improve the traffic capacity of the business district. A total of 13 metro lines are planned to cover about 90% of the business block within 800 meters around metro stations, including one intercity railway (Guangzhou-Foshan-Jiangmen-Zhuhai Intercity Rail) and 12 urban rail lines (Guangzhou Metro lines 1, 5, 6, 10, 11, 22, 25, 28, 43, Guang-Fo line and Foshan Metro line 8 and 11). A new metro station— Saiba — for Foshan Metro line 8 is also planned to improve transportation connectivity in the area.

Metros and railways planned in Bai'e Tan. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

The dense rail network will enable citizens to travel to major cities on the west bank of the Pearl River through the Guangzhou-Foshan Jiangmen-Zhuhai Intercity Railway; to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Baiyun railway station, Guangzhou South Railway Station, Dongguan, and Shenzhen through the high-speed Metro line 22; to Zhujiang New Town and Guangzhou International Finance City through Metro line 25; and to Guangzhou Railway Station and East Railway Station through Metro line 1 and Loop line 11.

Four new cross-river channels and five footbridges are also proposed to facilitate traffic over the river.

15-kilometer-long greenway planned

Public facilities, covering education, health care, culture, and sports, will be created in the district. Also, a 15-kilometer greenway, linking some 20 parks and attractions, will be constructed to forge a complex park system that not only serves recreational purposes but also helps to preserve and display the industrial and cultural heritage of the area, the development plan said.

The 15-kilometer-long greenway planned for Bai'e Tan. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

Source: Guangzhou Daily

Editor: Charlotte, Silk Road Post