Guangzhou Tianhe Checkpoint Trains Student Volunteers for 140th Canton Fair

What changed

Guangzhou’s Tianhe border checkpoint has trained university student volunteers ahead of the 140th Canton Fair, which opens on October 15, 2026.

The updated programme includes:

• A larger library of passport, visa and residence-permit samples.
• New procedures for handling common problems, based on incidents reviewed from the 139th fair.
• Training on the AI-enabled “Xinghe” identification mini-program, which the checkpoint says can reduce document-assistance feedback from the next day to minutes while keeping work orders traceable.
• Guidance on entry-exit rules and China’s 12367 immigration service platform.

The checkpoint has supported the fair for 23 years.

Why it matters

This puts student volunteers at the first point of contact for overseas buyers whose documents or questions need quick handling. Their role is not simply to offer directions. They are being trained to recognise documents, anticipate common snags and pass difficult cases to professional channels.

The timing matters. The checkpoint says buyer origins are more diverse this session, so a wider document sample library gives volunteers more material to work from. The new troubleshooting course also shifts some preparation from the border desk to the people guiding visitors before problems become bottlenecks.

The bigger change is the move from a paper-and-people service model toward one supported by a traceable digital workflow. If the mini-program performs as described during the fair, staff should have a faster way to check document-related queries and follow each request through to resolution. The training itself, however, does not establish how much processing time will actually fall once the fair begins, or how many volunteers took part.