Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (IATA code: CAN) is the main air gateway to southern China, located on the border between Huadu and Baiyun districts north of the city, about 28 kilometers from downtown Guangzhou. Named after the nearby Baiyun Mountain, it is the successor to the old Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, whose history dates back to the 1930s, before the current new airport officially opened on August 5, 2004, becoming one of the largest and most important airports in China and Asia. The airport has expanded through major phases since opening to keep pace with rapidly growing passenger traffic. Terminal 2 opened on April 26, 2018, spanning over 808,000 square meters, making it one of the largest airport terminal buildings in the world with capacity for more than 45 million passengers a year. These expansions culminated in the opening of Terminal 3 on October 30, 2025, making Baiyun the first airport in China to operate three passenger terminals and five commercial runways simultaneously — an unprecedented achievement nationwide. Terminal 3 took about five years to build, at an investment of roughly 53.77 billion yuan (around US$7.5 billion), and its building was designed around a flower motif in tribute to Guangzhou's famous nickname "the Flower City," with architectural touches inspired by nearby Baiyun Mountain and the Pearl River. The new terminal features modern smart-airport technology including biometric (fingerprint and facial) check-in and boarding and automated baggage-handling systems, along with China's first-ever open-air airport observation deck, plus 199 check-in counters, 59 bag-drop points, and 60 self-service kiosks — making it one of the most technologically advanced terminals in Asia. Passenger traffic figures reflect the airport's scale and importance: in 2024 it handled more than 76.3 million passengers, up over 20% from the previous year, and it then recorded more than 80 million passengers in a single year for the first time in its history, of whom over 16.6 million were international travelers — more than a fifth of total traffic, up over 19% year on year. These figures consistently place Baiyun among China's three busiest airports, alongside Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong, and it serves as the main hub for China Southern Airlines, the country's largest carrier and a member of the SkyTeam alliance. For travelers from the Gulf or the wider Arab world, Baiyun offers direct routes connecting Guangzhou to a number of cities in the region, and many transit passengers benefit from China's visa-free transit policy for eligible nationalities, which allows a stay in Guangzhou and the broader Guangdong province of up to 144 hours (six days) before continuing to a third destination. This opens up a real opportunity to see the city's sights, or even take a trip to nearby destinations such as Guangzhou Sunac Culture and Tourism City or Baiyun Mountain during a long layover, rather than waiting inside the terminal. Key practical tips for travelers passing through this vast airport: allow extra time to move between gates given the sheer size of the terminals, which may require a long walk or use of the internal train linking the terminals; confirm in advance which terminal your flight uses (Terminal 1 handles mainly domestic flights, while Terminals 2 and 3 handle most international flights and China Southern services); and arrive at least three hours before international departures given the huge passenger volumes. The airport offers a wide network of restaurants, duty-free shops, and comfortable lounges, along with free Wi-Fi and currency exchange services, plus nearby hotels for those needing rest between long flights. The airport connects to downtown Guangzhou via Metro Line 3 (Airport South and Airport North stations), which reaches the city center in under an hour, along with intercity rail lines and direct shuttle buses linking it to various Guangzhou districts and neighboring cities such as Shenzhen and Dongguan, making it one of the most easily connected airports to the public transport network across all of southern China.