Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation, Guangzhou International Urban Innovation Conference and Metropolis Board of Directors Meeting converge to build a crucial platform where Guangzhou can fully showcase to the world its charm and appeal. To capitalize on this great opportunity, the organizing committee of the Guangzhou Award has arranged twelve tours around Guangzhou which involve a total of 557 participants. Several itineraries of distinct features have been well planned: most notably the itinerary of “Urban Development” with Guangzhou Tower as the centerpiece; the itinerary of “History and Culture” based on Liwan Stream and Chen Clan Academy; the itinerary of “Indemnificatory Housing” with Fanghe Garden Indemnificatory Housing Community as the main destination and the itinerary of “Fashion and Shopping” with Friendship Shopping Mall as the main destination. Through these tours, the participants can develop a close-up, multi-perspective and all-dimensional impression of Guangzhou’s achievements in socio-economic development and its unique Lingnan cultural appeal.

Haizhu Wetland is like a shining pearl with heavenly beauty. The sister cities of Guangzhou can learn a thing or two from the experience of Guangzhou in urban development.

---- Kadir Topbas, UCLG president and mayor of Istanbul of Turkey

Guangzhou is attracting worldwide attention with its exceptional performances in urban construction and economic development. It is a modern international metropolis teeming with endless vitality.

---- Syed Muhammad Pejman, mayor of Mashhad of Iran 

This is the most perfect conference that I have ever attended! Everything is perfect! The conference is organized professionally and the activities will become a lingering memory of the participants. As a modern metropolis of mind-numbing beauty, Guangzhou has proved that it lives up to an international reputation it enjoys.

---- Allan Marcos, a representative of a participating city

Guangzhou has demonstrated to the people of the world the progress of China and the hospitality for which the Chinese people are rightly famous!

---- Chrome Walker, a representative of a participating city 

It occurs to me that Guangzhou has undergone such a long process of indemnificatory housing development. What Guangzhou has achieved in this regard is truly captivating.

---- Philips, a Santiago representative

I have never seen a community service center with functions so complete as this one. It looks like the government has not only helped the people meet the basic need of housing, but also paid great attention to their daily needs in living.

---- A Brazilian representative

Guangzhou has done an excellent job in building security housing. Compared with Berlin, Guangzhou has larger security housing communities, with outstanding green space and facilities in sport and entertainment. When it comes to the design aspect, I think more artistic elements can be added. Here, houses look almost the same. In Berlin, a lot of interesting artistic design elements are added to our houses, making them look different in height and shape.

---- Michel Muller, deputy mayor of Berlin and director of the Department of Urban Development and Environment of Berlin

As far as I know, Guangzhou is large in size and can be called an international metropolis. I think we can learn emulate Guangzhou’s experience in how it can organize its manpower and material resources in a way that is so efficient and how it can blossom into such a beautiful city.

I will advise my friends to come to China, and I will suggest that when in China, they should visit Guangdong and when in Guangdong, they should come to see Guangzhou.

---- João da Costa, mayor of Recife of Brazil

I have never been to Guangzhou before. Through the 2010 Asian Games, I developed a deep impression of Guangzhou. This is a dynamic and open city.

I had a panoramic view of the city at the top of Guangzhou Tower. Guangzhou looked cleaner than I thought, with a very simple architectural style. The city boasts advanced APM lines. A city’s transportation system should be built around its metro. That is what it is supposed to be. Only with metro as the main means of transportation and with lanes designed especially for automobiles can a city effectively divert its massive flow of traffic.

---- Sang-Kook Lee, head of the ROK delegation