Tianhe district of Guangzhou – capital of South China's Guangdong province – was named on Oct 25 as one of the "Happiest Cities/Districts for Entrepreneurs in 2024" in China.

Following the accolade, received an event in Taicang in East China's Jiangsu province, Tianhe became the only district so honored in Guangdong province.

Tianhe is a hub of innovation – with 26 universities, 43 research institutions at or above the provincial level, 10 national key labs and 47 academicians. Its number of invention patents and trademark registrations both ranks first in Guangzhou city.

Racing ahead: Happy, vibrant times for entrepreneurs in Tianhe district. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]

Hosting 61 incubators and maker spaces at the national or provincial level, the district has formed a tech business incubation system of "maker spaces, incubators, accelerators and industrial parks".

It is currently home to more than 143,000 tech companies, over 4,000 national small and medium-sized technology-based enterprises and over 2,000 high-tech businesses.

The district's business environment is said to be just exceptional – with one-third of Guangzhou's law firms, 22 foreign business associations and 15 internationally renowned hotels.

The settlement of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Business and Digital Economy Arbitration Center has also added to the district's support of enterprises going global.

In 2023, Tianhe's GDP hit 655.13 billion yuan ($91.24 billion), ranking top six nationwide and second in CCID Consulting's 2024 list of national top 100 economic quality development areas.