The Guangzhou Award symposium was held in Guangzhou on August 28. Yu Keping, deputy director general of the Central Compilation & Translation Bureau, chairman of the Technical Committee for the 1st Guangzhou Award, Liu Baochun, director general of Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office; Ye Min, deputy director general of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee; Tang Guocai, deputy director general of Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office, representatives from eighteen mainstream media, and experts in urban studies attended the symposium.

Liu reviewed the 1st Guangzhou Award and shared the work plan for the following cycles of the Guangzhou Award with all participants at the symposium. The experts and media representatives presented their comments and suggestions for organization of the Guangzhou Award.