HQ Guangzhou Apply
Private WeChat group · Guangzhou

Your business circle in Guangzhou, in English.

A free, private WeChat group for founders, traders, freelancers and professionals who live and work in Guangzhou. Members join on application.

  • Introductions, referrals and practical answers between members
  • Business coffees, morning teas and coworking sessions, organised by members
  • No pitches, no spam, no unsolicited selling: every application is read

Founders, business owners, traders, freelancers and remote workers. Whether you’ve been here for years or just arrived, if you work in English, you’re welcome.

Apply to join

Free · about a minute

Question 1 of 5

Are you in Guangzhou?

Pick the option that fits best.

What do you do? Pick all that apply

Pick at least one.

What are you looking for? Pick all that apply

Pick at least one.

How old are you?

Pick an age bracket.

What you do or what you’re building, and what brings you to Guangzhou.
At least 40 characters0 / 300

A few more words please (40 characters minimum), so we get to know you.

Add a few more words, or leave it empty.

This link doesn’t look right: start with https:// or leave it empty.

How can we reach you?

The group runs on WeChat. We add new members ourselves.

Tell us your first name.

WeChat ID or WhatsApp number · at least one, both is fine

This WeChat ID doesn’t look right: 6–20 letters, numbers, _ or -, or the phone number linked to your WeChat.

Check this number: pick your country code, or type the number starting with +. Or leave it empty if you gave a WeChat ID.

Add your WeChat ID or a WhatsApp number (at least one), so we can add you.

By sending, you accept the group rules: no pitches, no spam, no unsolicited selling, be kind. We only use your details to review your application and add you to the group. Privacy

  • Free
  • Members approved
  • No pitches, no spam
  • The group runs on WeChat
From Tianhe to the old riverside lanes
  • Tianhe
  • Zhujiang New Town
  • Yuexiu
  • Haizhu
  • Liwan
  • Panyu
  • Baiyun
  • Huangpu
  • Foshan, next door
The HQ

Guangzhou moves fast. Better with the right people around you.

HQ Guangzhou brings together founders, traders, freelancers and professionals who live here and work in English. Swap introductions, get practical answers and meet people who are building things too.

Introductions & referrals

Looking for a designer, a partner, a supplier or a second opinion? Members introduce each other to people they know and trust.

Answers from people who’ve done it

Sourcing, quality checks, pricing, hiring, working with clients in other time zones: ask people who’ve been there, and share what worked for you.

Trusted professional addresses

Coworkings, translators, an accountant or a lawyer who works in English: members recommend the contacts they actually use.

Members share their own experience: it’s shared experience, not legal advice. The group doesn’t replace a lawyer, an accountant or the authorities, and rules change, so always check with a professional.

Inside the groupFictional example
A man and a woman talking business across a laptop at an outdoor table

A group chat that turns into business.

Questions get answered by people who work a few metro stops away. Then someone suggests a coffee, a morning tea or a coworking afternoon, and the group becomes a network you can rely on.

Guangzhou, for work

The questions everyone asks when they start working here.

Members share what they learned on the ground: shared experience, not legal advice, from people who live and work here.

Coworkings & cafés

Reliable wifi, quiet corners for calls and coffee worth the metro ride, tested by members.

Suppliers & sourcing

Markets, samples, factory visits, quality checks, trade fairs: what members learned, and who they’d work with again.

Clients & partners

Who’s looking for what, who could use your skills, who you should meet: introductions on request, never cold pitches.

Trusted professionals

Accountants, lawyers, translators, designers and developers who work in English: contacts members have used themselves.

Getting set up

Neighbourhoods, flats near a metro line, getting around, paying with your phone and the apps everyone uses day to day.

Outdoors & weekends

Morning tea, Baiyun Mountain trails, evening walks along the Pearl River, slow afternoons on Shamian Island.

Where members live and work

Guangzhou is big: from the towers of Tianhe to the riverside lanes of Liwan. HQ Guangzhou connects people across the city, and meetups move around so everyone is close to one now and then.

Haiyin Bridge over the Pearl River, with Canton Tower and the skyline in the haze
An old building with verandas on a quiet, tree-lined street on Shamian Island
Shamian Island, by the river in Liwan: quiet streets for a walk between meetings.
  • Tianhe · Zhujiang New TownThe business district: offices, coworkings and the riverside towers.
  • YuexiuThe historic centre: busy streets, parks and cafés tucked into older buildings.
  • HaizhuAcross the river: residential neighbourhoods, riverside paths and the Pazhou exhibition area.
  • Liwan · ShamianOld Guangzhou: Shamian Island, the river and classic morning-tea houses.
  • PanyuSouth of the centre: more space and newer residential areas.
  • BaiyunNorth: Baiyun Mountain, the airport and good-value neighbourhoods.
  • HuangpuEast: technology parks and manufacturing.
  • Foshan, next doorLinked to Guangzhou by metro: workshops, factories and a quieter pace.
Meetups

Messages are good. Meeting up is better.

Formats are suggested and organised by members in the group, and move around the city.

A morning tea table with bamboo steamers of dim sum, a teapot and a cup of tea

Morning tea & coffees

Small groups over dim sum or coffee, to meet, talk about what you’re building and swap introductions.

People working on laptops and chatting in a bright shared workspace

Coworking sessions

A few focused hours together in a coworking or a café, with a break to swap ideas.

A small group talking around a table on a rooftop terrace by the river at dusk

Afterworks

Relaxed evenings by the river, to meet members outside work hours.

Forested slopes of Baiyun Mountain with the city skyline in the haze

Weekends out

Baiyun Mountain trails, riverside walks, Shamian Island: easy plans with members.

Each plan is announced in the group with the place, the time and any cost.

Joining the group is free. At meetups, everyone pays their own way.

Who it’s for

Different paths. Same city, same language.

You might have run a business here for years or be landing next month. What matters is wanting to connect, and to give as much as you get.

  • Founders
  • Business owners
  • Traders & sourcing
  • Freelancers
  • Remote employees
  • Corporate professionals
  • Educators
  • New in Guangzhou
  • Long-time Guangzhou residents
  • You live in Guangzhou, are moving here soon, or come back often for business.
  • You’re comfortable working and chatting in English.
  • You’d like to give as much as you get: introductions, feedback, good addresses.
  • You respect people’s time and inboxes.

Simple rules

No pitches, no spam, no unsolicited selling, no get-rich-quick schemes. Offers and collaborations are welcome when someone asks for them.

Small on purpose

Every application is read before anyone joins. That keeps the conversation useful and the trust real when you meet in person.

Colleagues sketching a plan on paper between two laptops
Why HQ Guangzhou

Built on a simple idea.

Guangzhou is a great base to build from: suppliers, markets, the river, the energy. Finding the right people is harder. Good contacts get lost in crowded group chats, and meeting peers outside work takes luck. HQ Guangzhou brings people who live here and work in English into one well-run space, so you find answers faster and meet people for real.

The HQ Guangzhou team

FAQ

Good questions.

Anything else? Ask us once you’re in the group.

Who is HQ Guangzhou for?

Founders, business owners, traders, freelancers and professionals who live in Guangzhou or are about to, and who work in English, whether you’ve been here for years or just arrived.

Is it free?

Yes. Joining the group is free. At meetups everyone pays for their own coffee, tea or ticket, and any cost is announced up front.

Which app does the group use?

The group runs on WeChat. When you apply, give us your WeChat ID, a WhatsApp number, or both.

Why do I need to apply?

So the group stays useful: people who live and work in Guangzhou and want to connect, not sellers looking for leads. Every application is read by a person.

How do I join after applying?

We review your application. If it’s a fit, we add you on WeChat (or message you on WhatsApp) and then add you to the group, within a few days.

Where do I find my WeChat ID?

In WeChat, tap Me: your WeChat ID is shown under your name. If you’d rather, give us the phone number linked to your WeChat account instead.

Is the group already up and running?

HQ Guangzhou is welcoming its first members. Conversations and meetups are shaped by the people who join now.

I’m not in Guangzhou yet. Can I apply?

Yes, if your move is concrete: pick “Moving to Guangzhou soon”. It’s a good time to ask about neighbourhoods and coworkings before you arrive.

I come for business trips or trade fairs. Is there a place for me?

The group is built around people who live here, so residents and people moving soon come first. Pick “Here for business trips or trade fairs” and tell us a bit more: if you come back often, we’ll see what makes sense.

Can I talk about my business?

Of course: knowing what everyone does is part of getting to know each other, and introductions are what the group is for. Pitches, spam, unsolicited selling and cold messages are not OK. Offers are welcome when someone asks.

Can the group give legal or accounting advice?

No. Members share their own experience and the contacts they’ve used: it’s shared experience, not legal advice. The group doesn’t replace a lawyer, an accountant or the authorities, and rules change, so always check with a professional.

Which language does the group use?

English. Conversations, introductions and meetups all happen in English.

Building something in Guangzhou? Come and say hello.

About a minute to apply. If it’s a fit, we add you to the WeChat group within a few days.

Apply free →

Free · Members approved · No pitches, no spam