Guangdong province in southern China boasts the longest coastline on the Chinese mainland. With the second-largest sea area and the third-highest number of islands, it enjoys significant natural advantages for marine development.
As Chinas top province in marine economy, Guangdong has held the leading position in total marine output for 30 consecutive years. According to the Guangdong Marine Economy Development Report (2025) released this June, the provinces gross marine product reached 2 trillion yuan (approximately 278.1 billion dollars) in 2024, a nominal year-on-year increase of 5.4%, accounting for 14.1% of Guangdongs regional GDP and 19.0% of Chinas marine GDP.
How to best leverage its marine resources has become a vital question for Guangdong as the country’s leading economic province.
Marine farming: cultivating food from the ocean
Guangdong has a long history of offshore fishing, the most traditional form of marine economic activity.
In contrast to traditional fishing, high-tech aquaculture facilities in marine ranches have emerged in recent years, boosting seafood production and enriching diets with high-quality protein.
In the waters off Donghai Island in Zhanjiang in Guangdong province, the deep-sea mariculture platform Hengyi No.1, painted in striking red and yellow, stands like a fortress at sea. It is the provinces largest and smartest mariculture platform, with a total volume of 60,000 cubic meters, designed for species like golden pompano and mangrove red snapper. Each cubic meter of water can yield 10 to 20 kilograms of fish, allowing the platform to cultivate 600,000 to 1.2 million kilograms at a time.
In May, the natural waterbody exchange aquaculture vessel, Bay Area Lingding, was launched in Jiangmenin Guangdong province. It will operate mainly in the Wanshan Archipelago in Zhuhaicity, cultivating high-quality species such as golden pompano, mangrove red snapper, and leopard coral grouper, with an expected annual output of 5,000 tons.
This model of offshore farming is referred to in China as the vivid expression "plowing the sea and herding fish". In 2024, Guangdongs marine ranching industry generated a total output of 472 billion yuan (approximately 65.5 billiondollars).
Marine manufacturing sees rapid growth
In the waters off Yangjiang in Guangdong province, hundreds of white wind turbines rise from the sea, providing green energy for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). In recent years, Yangjiang has accelerated the development of offshore wind power and is building a wind power base, with a planned capacity of over 10 gigawatts. The combined capacity of completed and under-construction projects has reached 13 gigawatts, the highest in China.
The booming offshore wind power sector reflects Guangdongs broader push to grow its marine manufacturing industry.
In Huizhou, a coastal industrial cluster integrating petrochemicals and new materials is booming. The Daya Bay of Huizhou, Guangdong province, has attracted 13 Global Fortune 500 chemical companies. ExxonMobils 1.6-million-ton ethylene project is operational, and the 47.96-billion-yuan third-phase project of CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals (CSPC) is under construction, pushing the region into the global top tier of port-based petrochemical manufacturingsector.
Other marine-related manufacturing sectors are also thriving. Zhuhai Yunzhou Intelligence Technology Ltd (Yunzhou-Tech) has developed unmanned surface vessels that have already saved over a dozen lives. According to Zhang Yunfei, President of Yunzhou-Tech, the company was the first in China to industrialize key technologies in the USV sector. Their 40-ton unmanned vessel "Xingzhe" is capable of continuous navigation for thousands of kilometers.
Chinas first domestically designed and built deep-ocean drilling vessel, named Mengxiang, or Dream, was commissioned in Guangzhou. Meanwhile, the Zhanjiang Bay Laboratory, home to more than 20 elite research teams, has successfully launched Zhanjiang Bay No.1, the worlds first floating aquaculture platform with dynamic positioning.
Guangdong sets new trend in coastal tourism
While expanding its marine economy, Guangdong also prioritizes the protection of marine ecosystems to ensure sustainable and sound development.
In the Zhelang Peninsula at the Red Bay in Shanwei, a stylish street lined with cafés has become a local attraction. Many visitors relax in lounge chairs with coffee in hand, gazing at the vast blue sea while enjoying their vacation.
According to Liu Dejiang, owner of the café "Looking Singing", the area used to be an oyster farm that polluted the nearshore waters. In recent years, the local government has improved supporting infrastructure and restored the coastal environment. Abandoned oyster farm shacks have been turned into trendy cafés, attracting a steady stream of visitors. Through such ecological restoration efforts, Guangdong has revitalized its coastal bays and islands.
Developing cruise and yacht tourism has become a key part of Guangdongs strategy to expand marine tourism and spur new consumer trends. Cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai have developed clusters of yacht clubs and new business models of yacht tourism. Over the past three years, the number of registered yachts in the province has grown by more than 130%. The Nansha International Cruise Homeport is emerging as a new landmark for cruise tourism in the GBA.
Whether its surfing on Nanao Island in Shantou, savoring fresh seafood on Hailing Island in Yangjiang, or enjoying low-altitude sightseeing in Shuangyue Bay, Huizhou, Guangdong continues to innovate its coastal tourism offerings.
In 2024, Guangdongs 14 coastal cities received a combined total of 730 million visitors, up 12.8% year-on-year, generating 950 billion yuan (approximately 132 billiondollars) in total tourism revenue.
广东：中国海洋经济第一大省
广东是中国大陆海岸线最长的省份，海域面积居全国第二，海岛数量位于全国第三，海洋优势得天独厚。
作为全国海洋经济第一大省，广东海洋经济总量已连续30年居全国首位。今年6月发布的《广东海洋经济发展报告（2025）》显示：据初步核算，2024年广东全省海洋生产总值为20022.5亿元（约合2781亿美元），同比名义增长5.4%，占地区生产总值的14.1%，占全国海洋生产总值的19.0%。
如何用好海洋，是广东作为中国经济第一大省的重要课题。
耕海牧渔向海洋要食物
在广东，出海捕鱼历史悠久，这也是最直观的海洋经济。
与传统捕鱼不同，近年来，一座座海洋牧场养殖装备“拔海而起”，用高科技方式获取海产品，为中国人的餐桌提供更多优质蛋白。
在广东湛江的东海岛海域，深海养殖平台“恒燚一号”如一座红黄相间的“海上堡垒”，矗立在蓝海上。这是目前广东省规模最大的智能养殖平台，总养殖水体达到6万立方米，可用于金鲳鱼、章红鱼等养殖。按每立方米水体可养殖10至20千克金鲳鱼计算，“恒燚一号”大约可同时养殖60万至120万千克金鲳鱼。
今年5月，自航式水体自然交换型养殖工船“湾区伶仃”号在广东江门成功下水。未来“湾区伶仃”号将主要在珠海万山群岛海域开展作业，养殖金鲳鱼、章红鱼、红瓜子斑鱼等高品质海产，预计可年产5000吨鱼。
这种海上养殖被形象地称为“耕海牧渔”。数据显示，2024年广东海洋渔业经济总产值达4718.25亿元（约合655亿美元）。
海洋制造业快速成长
在广东阳江海域，数百台白色的风机矗立在海上，为粤港澳大湾区经济发展注入绿色动力。近年来，阳江加强海上风电开发，加快打造千万千瓦级海上风电基地，建成和在建项目装机1300万千瓦，居全国首位。
海上风电蓬勃发展是广东大力发展海洋制造的一个缩影。
惠州大力发展临海石化新材料产业，大亚湾石化区引进13家世界500强化工企业，埃克森美孚160万吨乙烯项目已投产，总投资479.6亿元的中海壳牌三期项目抓紧建设，临港石化产业实力迈入全球第一方阵。
与海洋相关的制造业也在广东快速成长。一款由珠海云洲智能科技股份有限公司自主研发的无人船艇已救起十余人。公司董事长张云飞说，公司坚持自主创新，在全国率先突破无人艇关键技术并实现产业化，目前已研制出40吨级“行者”无人艇实现上万公里连续航行。
中国自主设计建造的首艘大洋钻探船“梦想”号在广州入列；湛江湾实验室集聚20多个高水平科研团队，自主研制首艘漂浮式动力定位全域化网箱型工船“湛江湾1号”成功下水。
滨海旅游成为新风尚
在开发海洋的同时，广东也重视海洋生态环境的保护，确保海洋经济可持续健康发展。
在汕尾市红海湾遮浪街道，有一条装修时尚雅致的咖啡馆一条街。很多游客坐在露营椅上，手捧咖啡，眺望远蔚蓝的大海，享受舒适假期。
“浮日隐地”咖啡店老板刘德江说，过去，这里是一片生蚝养殖区，养殖尾水污染海域。近几年，当地大力整治近岸环境，把配套基础设施搞好。废弃的生蚝养殖间，被改造为咖啡馆，吸引不少游客前来打卡。通过环境整治恢复，广东让更多美丽海湾与美丽海岛重现生机。
大力发展邮轮游艇旅游业，成为广东拓展海洋旅游的新消费。目前，广东初步形成广州、深圳、珠海等市为代表的游艇俱乐部群和游艇消费新业态，近三年游艇登记数量累计新增超130%。位于南沙的国际邮轮母港正成为粤港澳大湾区邮轮消费新标杆。
来汕头南澳岛体验酷炫冲浪、到阳江海陵岛品尝鲜美海味，去惠州双月湾体验低空观光……广东滨海旅游的形态、模式不断推陈出新。
数据显示，2024年，广东全省14个沿海城市共接待游客7.3亿人次，同比增长12.8%，实现旅游总收入9500亿元（约合1320亿美元）。
文｜赵鹏 部分文字来源于新华社
