Bai E Tan is strategically located on the southwest of Guangzhou City on the bank of the Pearl River. The area was an industrial area and a decade ago the government had already planned to redevelop the district into a residential and commercial centre. The rapid growth of Foshan has sped up the redevelopment of Bai E Tan which is ideally situated to provide much needed financial and commercial facilities in the area.

     The recently approved zoning plan of Bai E Tan covers an area of 35.11 sq km and is planned for commercial and residential development. The entire redevelopment will be developed by phases and upon full completion, the new district could accommodate 592,000 people. The first phase development will be mainly along the river bank.

     The recently approved zoning plan has increased the green area from 35 per cent to 40 per cent of the total land area, which is approximately 8.94 sq m per inhabitant.

     According to plan, there will be 26 secondary schools, 47 primary schools, 62 kindergartens, 13 clinics and district hospitals, 8 health centers, 32 markets, 1 refuse collection depot, 147 public lavatories and 11 petrol stations.

     Area along the river bank, the height limit for building is restricted at 80 meters and each building block will be 40 meters apart. There will be 15 parks scattered in the district with a total park area of 693.12 hectares, including a large-scale central park.

    The central business district (CBD) is located at Fang Cun and the area surrounding the Pearl River Tunnel. The district will be served by a total of 12 rail links, including the Guangzhou-Foshan rail link and the Guangzhou Metro, buses and ferries.

    The Guangzhou Municipal Government stressed that redevelopment of Bai E Tan will further enhance the 'merging' of Foshan and Guangzhou economically, which is beneficial to both cities.