Men work in a market in Yuexiu, Guanghzou, China, September 7, 2019. China's southern city of Guangzhou is at the heart of plans to link a cluster of cities in the Pearl River Delta, including Hong Kong and Macau, into a Greater Bay Area rivalling Silicon Valley and Greater Tokyo as an economic hub by 2035.

Sprawling over 21,600 sq miles (56,000 sq km) with a population of more than 70 million, the Greater Bay Area is the centrepiece of a drive by China's ruling Communist Party to establish a hub of advanced manufacturing and technology. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

The area of Xiancun, which is in the process of redevelopment, is seen from a new apartment block in Guangzhou, China, September 7, 2019. Guangzhou, a city of 14 million, is no stranger to the disruption brought about by breakneck economic change and retains a strong sense of traditional identity.

Once China's only port open to foreign trade, Guangzhou prides itself on being a bastion of southern Chinese culture and thought. It has thrived since China opened itself to the outside world in the late 1970s, cementing its position as one of the country’s most important manufacturing hubs. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

Newlywed couples pose for wedding pictures on top of the Canton Tower in the Haizhu district in Guangzhou, China, September 3, 2019. Wealth has transformed the city's downtown, where skyscrapers dominate the skyline. The most prominent is the 1,980-ft (604-metre) -tall Canton Tower, where newlyweds flock to shoot wedding photographs, as tourists look on.

But the city also encapsulates the disparities of modern China. Within sight of the gleaming central business district lie the remains of Guangzhou's "urban villages", such as Xiancun. REUTERS/Jorge Silva . 

A woman pushes a bike in the city's old district of Liwan in Guanghzou, China, September 6, 2019. While Xiancun's cramped streets once offered affordable homes for migrants drawn to Guangzhou's prosperity and opportunities, it is now being swept away by redevelopment.

Life on the city's fringes can be hard, with house prices among China's highest and poorer elderly residents forced to sort rubbish to earn a living.

Still, much of traditional life remains. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

Women practise tai-chi in the early morning at a park in the city's old district of Liwan in Guanghzou, China, September 6, 2019. Older citizens practise 'tai chi' and dance together for exercise and companionship in the public spaces.

By evening, hawker stalls and small massage parlours light up dim alleys that come alive with chatter and beer drinking as friends try to beat the sultry summer heat. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A man sleeps in a cart near a market in the traditional neighbourhood of Yuexiu in Guanghzou, China, September 8, 2019. Labourers lounge in pushcarts while young professionals zip by on the colourful shared bikes that crowd China's cities.

But Guangzhou's economic growth has started to slow, along with the rest of the country. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A woman holds an umbrella as she walks outside the Opera House in Guanghzou, China, September 5, 2019. As rising labour costs and competition across Asia chip away at south China's manufacturing advantage, the ruling Communist Party hopes its drive for more advanced production and research will push the Greater Bay Area towards new wealth.

The area has a combined gross domestic product of about $1.5trillion, roughly equivalent to that of Australia or South Korea. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A woman dressed in traditional clothes stands in front of Sun Yat-sen Memorial hall in Xinji district in Guanghzou, China, September 7, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

People play ping-pong on the street in the city's old district of Liwan in Guanghzou, China, September 6, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A woman stands with an umbrella outside the Opera House in Guanghzou, China, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

Cats sit on top of a bicycle in Tianhe district in Guanghzou, China, September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A man rides a hoverboard in the business district of Guanghzou, China, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A man walks past with a folding fan in the traditional neighbourhood of Yuexiu in Guanghzou, China, September 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A woman sits inside a traditional Chinese massage shop in Yuexiu in Guanghzou, China, September 7, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

Portraits, including one of the Chinese chairman Mao Zedong, are displayed in a shop in Liwan district in Guanghzou, China, September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A man sits inside a barbershop in the city's old district of Liwan in Guanghzou China, September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A girl runs next to stuffed hunting machines inside a shopping mall in Guangzhou, China, September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A family sits for dinner in a local restaurant in Liwan district in Guanghzou, China, September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A woman cleans a street in a market in the city's old district of Liwan in Guanghzou, China, September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

Men drink and chat outside of a shop in the traditional neighborhood of Yuexiu in Guanghzou, China, September 7, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A woman walks in a neon lit street in the city's old district of Liwan in Guanghzou, China, September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva 

A man stands inside a tea shop in the city's old district of Liwan in Guanghzou, China, September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva