Pecial Itineraries Between Canton Fair Sessions: Medical Treatment Stories of Four Foreign Businessmen in Guangzhou

At the 140th Canton Fair, buyers from over 200 countries and regions gathered in Guangzhou to discuss orders, view new products, and seek partnerships. What many people don't know is that beyond the exhibition halls, a "hidden popular trend" is growing quietly — many foreign businesspeople take advantage of gaps in their schedules to seek medical treatment, get health checkups, and experience traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Guangzhou.

From groups of Southeast Asian businesspeople coming for acupuncture sessions, to European and American buyers booking high-end health checkups, to Middle Eastern patients traveling to China specifically to purchase medication... the number of international patients at major hospitals in Guangzhou has increased significantly during the Canton Fair period. Why are more and more foreign businesspeople choosing this "exhibition + medical treatment" combination model? We interviewed four foreign businesspeople with real medical treatment experiences to hear their stories.

1. Indonesian Businessman: Six Months of Chest Pain, Completely Impressed by One TCM Acupuncture Session

Mr. Lin, a 56-year-old building materials businessman from Indonesia, is a familiar face at the Canton Fair — he has attended almost every year since 2015. But in the past two years, worsening chest pain has been plaguing him: when he gets busy, he feels tight, aching pain in his chest, which radiates to his left shoulder and upper back, causing soreness and stiffness. Local hospitals in Indonesia ran ECGs and ultrasounds but found no organic issues, simply diagnosing it as "work fatigue and neurosis" and prescribing painkillers with instructions to rest.

His symptoms worsened again during the Autumn Canton Fair, and the painkillers he had brought with him were almost gone, During a break in business meetings, he asked the hotel front desk to help him register at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and took a taxi there for consultation. The doctor diagnosed it as chest impediment (qi stagnation and blood stasis pattern), and recommended a week of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal conditioning first.

After his first acupuncture + moxibustion session, Mr. Lin walked out of the consultation room and said: "It feels like a weight has been lifted from my chest." After five consecutive days of treatment, the recurring dull pain that had troubled him for over six months had decreased by 80%, and his sleep quality also improved significantly. Before leaving, he went to the pharmacy to pick up a month's supply of ready-to-drink Chinese herbal granules, saying he would continue taking them and come back for a follow-up visit at next spring's Canton Fair.

"I used to think TCM worked slowly. I didn't expect it to take effect so fast," said Mr. Lin. "From now on, every time I come to the Canton Fair, besides talking business, TCM conditioning will definitely be on my schedule too."

2. Malaysian Chinese: Admitted and Operated on the Same Day, Cataract Surgery Done in One Day

Mr. Tan, 62, comes from Penang, Malaysia, and trades in light industrial products. Cataracts in his right eye had been affecting his vision for over a year. The local hospital had a four-month waitlist for surgery, and private hospitals would charge the equivalent of over 30,000 RMB — he had been hesitating to get it done.

Before coming to the Canton Fair this year, he heard in Chinese community circles that eye surgery in Guangzhou is fast, high-quality, and affordable, so he asked relatives in China to help him book an appointment in advance. After getting off the plane, he went straight from the airport to the hospital for pre-operative examinations. The surgery was performed the next morning, and he was discharged that same afternoon.

From admission to discharge, it took less than 24 hours. The surgery went very smoothly. The day after, when the bandages were removed, the vision in his right eye had improved from 0.2 to 0.8. "I couldn't even dream of this speed in Malaysia," said Mr. Tan. "The total cost of flights plus surgery is still less than half of what it would cost locally."

Now he attends the Canton Fair twice a year, and always takes the opportunity to get eye checkups for both himself and his wife — if there are any issues, he gets them treated directly in Guangzhou.

3. German Pharmaceutical Purchasing Manager: Regular Flights to Guangzhou for Targeted Drugs, Savings Enough for Over Ten Round Trips

Thomas, 48, is a purchasing manager at a German biopharmaceutical company. He first came to the Canton Fair last autumn to inspect suppliers. What no one knew was that he is actually an advanced kidney cancer patient who had been on targeted therapy in Germany. The monthly medication cost was equivalent to nearly 30,000 RMB, all paid out of pocket — a heavy financial burden.

During his first trip to Guangzhou, he happened to mention this to his translator and asked about the price of targeted drugs in China. The translator accompanied him to a hospital pharmacy to inquire — the targeted drug he uses has domestic generic versions available in China, with the same quality and efficacy as the original brand-name drug, but at only 1/5 of the price in Germany.

Thomas was cautious and only prescribed one month's supply on his first visit. After returning to Germany and getting re-examined, all his indicators were normal. Since then, he flies to Guangzhou almost every two months — officially to meet suppliers and attend exhibitions, but in reality, mainly to get medication and follow-up checks. Calculating it out, he saves over 200,000 RMB a year just on medication costs, enough for over ten round trips between China and Germany.

"China's drug regulatory approval speed is getting faster and faster. Many innovative drugs are launched even earlier than in Europe," said Thomas. "For patients like us who need long-term medication, coming to China for treatment can truly be a lifesaver."

4. Bangladeshi Garment Merchant: Bringing His Son to Guangzhou for Scoliosis Correction

Rahman, 38, is a garment exporter from Bangladesh and a regular at the Canton Fair. His 14-year-old son has idiopathic scoliosis. Local doctors said surgery was necessary — not only was the cost high, but the risks were also significant, and he couldn't bring himself to make the decision. This year, he specifically brought his son along, planning to stay in Guangzhou after the Canton Fair to seek treatment.

Through a local Chinese businessman's introduction, Rahman researched information about a well-known orthopedic hospital in Guangzhou in advance, and took a taxi there directly after landing to register. After reviewing the X-rays, the spine surgery expert believed that the child's scoliosis angle could still first be managed with a conservative treatment plan of brace plus rehabilitation training, and surgery was not needed for the time being.

Rahman breathed a huge sigh of relief. He stayed in Guangzhou with his child for two weeks of professional rehabilitation training, learned the complete set of home rehabilitation exercises, and had a custom-made brace to take back home. "If we had stayed in Bangladesh, he probably would have already had the surgery," said Rahman.

These four stories are just a microcosm of the hundreds of thousands of international patients who come to China for medical treatment every year. Why are more and more overseas patients choosing to seek medical care in China? The answer is actually quite simple:

Outstanding technical expertise.‌ Chinese doctors have extremely rich clinical experience, especially in fields such as orthopedics, ophthalmology, cardiology, and oncology — the standards at top-tier hospitals are fully on par with international first-class levels.

Exceptional cost-effectiveness.‌ For the same surgery and same medications, the costs are often only 1/3 to 1/5 of those in Western countries. For patients from many countries, even with the added cost of flights and hotels, it is still more economical.

Amazing efficiency.‌ Surgeries that require months of waitlisting in many countries can be scheduled within a week in China — for patients, time is life.

But for foreign friends coming to China for medical treatment for the first time, language barriers, unfamiliar procedures, not knowing which hospital to choose, and worries about being scammed are all real concerns: most medical staff in hospitals have limited English proficiency, and communicating about conditions relies on guesswork with translation apps. Cases of registering for the wrong department, going to the wrong clinic, or failing to get an appointment with a specialist happen all the time. What was supposed to be a trip for medical treatment ends up wasting a lot of time and energy struggling with complicated procedures.

If you also want to experience medical services in China but are worried about issues like language, procedures, and translation, ‌DOVECURE‌ can provide a full range of one-stop services including medical tourism visa assistance, professional medical record translation, specialist appointments at top-tier public hospitals, private airport transfers, full-process bilingual patient accompaniment, high-end health checkups, and customized TCM wellness programs. From the moment you land to the day you leave, all medical-related trivial matters can be handed over to DOVECURE — you just need to focus on your treatment and recovery.

The Canton Fair brings business deals, and hospitals bring proven results. For many veteran businesspeople, the annual Canton Fair trip has long since become a double harvest of "business + health." If you are also planning to attend the fair in Guangzhou this year and want to take the opportunity to get a checkup, seek medical treatment, or condition your body, welcome to contact ‌DOVECURE‌ — let your trip to Guangzhou bring both successful business and good health.