Guangzhou Chimelong International Circus is located at No. 299, Hanxi Avenue East, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. It is part of the Guangzhou Chimelong Tourism Resort, a National 5A-level tourist attraction, and is a world-leading professional permanent circus performance venue. On June 11, 2014, it was certified by Guinness World Records as the largest permanent circus building by area, with a total floor area of 11,435 square meters, including a 960-square-meter performance stage area and a 4,989-square-meter auditorium area. Its standard capacity is 7,100 spectators, while its daily promotional description is that it can accommodate nearly 7,000 spectators at the same time. The venue has a forest-themed three-dimensional stage more than 100 meters wide and 50 meters deep, with 11 levels of layered sets, more than 2,000 professional computer-controlled lights, and a full set of laser and surround sound systems, creating a 270-degree immersive viewing space. The core feature of the scenic area is that it gathers circus performance resources from many countries around the world. Adhering to the operating philosophy of “Chinese creativity, global integration,” it year-round brings together more than 300 circus elite performers from more than 20 countries across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. It focuses on a nighttime immersive circus extravaganza. The full production lasts 90 minutes with no intermission. It is an iconic cultural tourism performance name card of Guangzhou. By 2024, it had received more than 50 million cumulative audience members, with an average annual visitor count of more than 2 million. The entire venue features a unique semi-spherical dome architectural design. It is supported by ancillary spaces such as a circus-themed leisure photo area, a pet interaction area, dining shops, and a visitor service center. It is a comprehensive circus cultural tourism venue integrating performance viewing, leisure photo-taking, and parent-child interaction.
History and Culture
In 1999, Su Zhigang, Chairman of Chimelong Group, proposed an integrated cultural tourism route of visiting animal-themed parks during the day and watching circus performances at night. He officially launched the planning and construction of the Chimelong International Circus venue, established the core creative approach of “Chinese creativity, global procurement, and world production,” and planned to build an international circus performance IP with independent intellectual property rights. The venue was completed in 2000. On December 28 of the same year, the first-generation production, World Circus Highlights, officially premiered. It became China’s first regular circus theater to introduce multinational circus performers on a large scale, filling the gap in high-end circus performance in China and forming a stable nighttime cultural tourism consumption scene from the early days of opening.
From 2003 to 2012, the scenic area continuously iterated original themed circus productions and invited internationally renowned circus, film, and television directors to create Apocalypse, Moon Jurassic, Forest Code, and the Magic Legend series, integrating science fiction, nature, Eastern aesthetics, and other diverse elements, gradually forming a local performance system distinct from overseas circus. In 2016, the World Circus Federation presented Su Zhigang with the Circus Art Master Award. This was the first time the award was given to a professional in the cultural tourism industry, representing the international circus industry’s recognition of Chimelong’s achievements in circus cultural dissemination. In 2014, the venue set the Guinness record for the largest permanent circus building, establishing its status as a global circus landmark. On April 15, 2023, the venue completed its 10,000th public performance. In the same year, it launched the 25th-anniversary fully upgraded production Magic Legend III, innovating original performance forms such as crystal chandelier aerial ballet and rocker stunts, enriching the program content.
Over the years, Guangzhou Chimelong International Circus has served as a bridge for circus cultural exchange between China and other countries. It continues to introduce world-class circus skills while exporting localized original circus choreography ideas, promoting the popularization and family-oriented development of circus art. It has also established a comprehensive animal welfare management system. Animal performers in the venue are trained entirely through positive reinforcement, with no corporal punishment. It has passed verification by international animal welfare organizations many times, balancing performance entertainment with animal protection concepts. It has now become one of the core platforms for domestic circus culture display and international circus art exchange.
Main Attractions
Guinness Circus Main Theater
As the core building of the scenic area, it is the main permanent circus venue certified by Guinness. Its white semi-spherical dome exterior is highly recognizable. It is internally divided into four major areas: circular seating, a central live-action stage, a high-altitude wire performance area, and a circular water pool special effects area. The stage contains movable multi-level forest live-action sets, combined with practical effects such as water mist, fire breathing, fireworks, and water flows. It is equipped with a full set of high-altitude suspension equipment and can simultaneously support multiple aerial acts such as flying trapeze, crystal chandelier aerial ballet, and Magic Fire Wheel. The auditorium is divided into multi-level circular areas, with three types of viewing areas: ordinary seats, first-class seats, and VIP exclusive seats. The unobstructed circular layout throughout allows any seat to fully view all stage performances. The venue is equipped with professional noise-reducing surround sound and a full-area lighting control system. It is the core viewing space for the entire circus show.
Circus Carnival Themed Photo Street
Located in the open leisure area outside the main theater entrance, the entire street has a unified retro circus theme. It features multiple photo spots such as vintage circus carriages, knight motorcycles, giant costume sculptures, and clown cartoon installations. The street has roving clown interaction points. Before the show begins, clown performers parade at irregular times, interact with arriving visitors, and give away balloons and small gifts. The street is equipped with dining shops and cultural and creative souvenir shops, selling circus-themed plush toys, commemorative badges, themed drinks, and light meals. Visitors can relax and wait here after the park opens and before the show begins. It is suitable for parents and children and for visitors taking themed atmosphere photos.
Parade Interaction Passage
A dedicated circular passage around the middle of the main theater auditorium, it is the exclusive route for performer and clown parades. During the mid-show carnival segment, all performers, clowns, and animal stars travel around the entire venue along this passage, waving and interacting with visitors on both sides up close and handing out small gifts. The passage is wide enough, and seats on both sides have the highest chance of interaction. It is the facility area with the strongest atmosphere in the venue.
Suggested Route：
Scenic area entrance ticket check → Take photos and buy cultural creative products and food at the Circus Carnival Themed Photo Street → Main theater ticket entrance, security check, and deposit of large personal belongings → Enter the main theater, choose your seat, and wait for the warm-up performance → Watch the full 90-minute Magic Legend III circus performance → After the show, exit along the parade passage → Buy commemorative merchandise at the cultural creative shop at the exit
Visit Tips：
For regular shows, ticket check and park opening officially begin at 17:00. It is recommended to arrive 60 to 90 minutes early. Ordinary seats are first-come, first-served; entering early allows you to choose middle-area seats with an unobstructed view. On weekends, statutory holidays, and during summer vacation, an afternoon session with 15:00 entry is added. Choosing the afternoon session can help avoid crowds.
For close interaction, choose seats on both sides of the middle aisle in the auditorium. The first three rows may be exposed to water spray and fire effects; visitors who mind water mist or pyrotechnic stimulation should avoid the front rows. Families with infants and young children should preferably choose first-class seats or middle-to-rear rows, where the impact of sound and light effects is lower.
Children under 1 meter are admitted free but must be accompanied by an adult, with one seat per person. Children under 3 years old are not recommended to enter, as strong lights and high-decibel sound effects in the venue may cause discomfort. Children 1 to 1.4 meters tall, seniors aged 65 and above, and people with disabilities can purchase concession tickets at a lower price than standard adult tickets.
It is best to buy tickets in advance through official online channels. Buying at the on-site window during holidays not only involves long queues; multi-park packages for Chimelong Resort offer better value.
Wear comfortable flat shoes when entering, as there is a large area to walk around the street and parade before and after the show. You may bring a small amount of sealed, odorless snacks. Self-heating food, durian, and other strong-smelling foods are prohibited.
Turn off your phone flash when photographing the performance. Flash can interfere with the sight of high-altitude stunt performers and poses a safety hazard. Normal no-flash photography is allowed in the venue. Selfie sticks, tripods, and other equipment that blocks the view of the row behind are prohibited.
There are large queues for shuttle buses after the show. You may slowly move toward the exit 5 minutes before the 21:00 show ends to reduce waiting time when leaving. Self-driving visitors can park in Parking Lot P12, only a 3-minute walk from the ticket entrance.
Notes：
Security check prohibits selfie sticks, tripods, large suitcases, and strollers wider than 50 cm. Large luggage and oversized strollers can be stored free of charge at the visitor center at the entrance and retrieved before leaving.
Flammable and explosive items, glass-bottled drinks, strong-smelling food, and large amounts of loose snacks are strictly prohibited. The venue has official dining shops where light meals and drinks can be purchased on site.
During the performance, do not stand at will, climb over railings, or cross the parade passage. During high-altitude stunts, do not suddenly stand up or walk around, so as to avoid blocking visitors behind and ensure performer safety.
During animal performances, do not feed the animals your own food. The animals have special feed. Feeding them without permission can easily cause gastrointestinal discomfort, and staff will stop violators.
The venue uses lighting, laser, flame, and water mist effects frequently. Visitors with heart disease, high blood pressure, photophobia, or asthma are advised to sit in the gentler rear area.
There is no exit passage during the performance, and the full 90-minute show has no intermission. If elderly people or young children need to use the restroom, they can use the emergency passages on both sides of the auditorium. Going back and forth will cause them to miss part of the show.
The resort’s free shuttle bus operates until 22:30, and the metro connecting shuttle stops at the same time. After the show, try to complete your return trip before service stops. If you miss the shuttle, you will need to take a taxi.
Once the ticket is validated for entry, re-entry is not allowed. After leaving midway, you cannot enter the theater again. It is recommended to complete all shopping, restroom use, and leisure activities before entering.
Transportation：
By metro: Take Guangzhou Metro Line 3 or Line 7 to Hanxi Changlong Station. From Exit E, transfer to the resort’s free shuttle bus directly to the circus ticket entrance. From Exit D, walk 10 to 15 minutes to the venue. The last connecting shuttle is at 22:30.
By car: Search for Guangzhou Chimelong International Circus in navigation. The resort has several dedicated parking lots, including P8, P9, and P12. Parking Lot P12 is recommended, a 3-minute walk to the ticket entrance. Parking is capped at RMB 36 per day.
By bus: Take Bus No. 129, 303A, Panyu 109, Panyu 163, or other routes to Hanxi Changlong Bus Station, then transfer to the resort’s free shuttle bus.
Resort inter-park transport: Free all-day shuttle buses run between Chimelong Safari Park, Chimelong Paradise, and Chimelong Bird Park. After visiting other parks during the day, you can take the shuttle directly to the Circus at no extra charge.
High-speed rail transfer: Visitors arriving at Guangzhou South Railway Station can take Metro Line 7 one stop directly to Hanxi Changlong Station, or take the free direct shuttle to Chimelong Resort.
Opening Hours：
The scenic area has two sets of operating hours: regular night sessions and holiday additional sessions. On regular off-season nights, ticket check and entry begin at 17:00, the circus show officially starts at 19:30, the full performance lasts 90 minutes, and the show ends at 21:00. The themed photo street and pet park remain open until 21:30.
Every year during summer vacation, May Day, National Day, Spring Festival, and other statutory holidays, afternoon sessions are added. Afternoon sessions begin ticket check and entry at 15:00, start at 16:30, and end at 18:00. A few special dates adjust the start time; for example, some winter days are adjusted to start at 20:00. Before traveling, visitors can check the Chimelong official WeChat account’s same-day notice to confirm the exact performance time.
There is no fixed annual closing date. The show is temporarily suspended only under special circumstances such as extreme rainstorms or equipment maintenance. Suspension information is released online in advance, and rescheduling and refund services are provided.
Tickets：
Tickets start at RMB 280 per person.