As an important node city in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, Foshan has a profound cultural heritage in Lingnan, with its industrial center, culinary capital, martial arts hometown and other city business cards shining brightly. These cultural traditions not only enrich Foshan's cultural landscape, but also provide unique cultural advantages for economic development. The development of Foshan's tourism industry is riding on the east wind of reform and opening up. Before 1979, tourist attractions in Foshan were limited to "one mountain, one temple", namely Xiqiao Mountain and Foshan Ancestral Temple, and the development level of the attractions was relatively low with simple facilities. After 1979, the modern tourism industry in Foshan began to take off. By the end of the 1980s, Foshan had received over one million tourists annually, and the tourism industry had taken shape. In the 1990s, the construction of tourist attractions in Foshan accelerated. The construction of tourist resorts and scenic areas has begun to take shape, with strong development in areas such as Xiqiao Mountain Resort, West Coast Scenic Area, and Nanguo Taoyuan. Major projects such as Huang Feihong Lion Art Martial Arts Museum and Nanhai Cultural Film and Television City have been put into construction successively. In 1997, the tourism industry in Foshan gradually became an important industry in the city. In 1999, the Foshan Municipal Government decided to apply to participate in the second batch of national activities to create excellent tourist cities. In the 1990s, the number of foreign tourists received in Foshan increased from 2.8682 million in 1990 to 3.9882 million in 1997, with an average annual increase of 4.82%. The number of outbound tourists increased from 58200 in 1990 to 139200 in 1995. In November 2000, after inspection and acceptance by the National Tourism Administration, Foshan became an excellent tourist city in China. On December 20, 2003, the Foshan Municipal Government named Foshan New Eight Scenic Spots and four Foshan characteristic scenic spots. In 2004, Foshan was awarded the title of "City of Martial Arts", becoming the first "City of Martial Arts" in China. In December 2014, Shunde, Foshan was awarded the title of "World Food Capital", becoming the second Chinese city to receive this honor after Chengdu became the "World Food Capital" in 2010. In 2005, the total tourism revenue of Foshan city reached 10.867 billion yuan, breaking through the 10 billion yuan mark for the first time. Since then, it has been increasing year by year, and in 2019, the total tourism revenue of Foshan city reached 89.186 billion yuan. In 2020, affected by the COVID-19, Foshan's tourism industry suffered a setback, and only gradually recovered after the end of the epidemic.
Foshan is located in Lingnan, with dense river networks and beautiful ecological environment, making it a unique water town in Lingnan. The subtropical geographical environment and scenery, as well as the distinctive social and cultural landscapes, constitute its rich and colorful tourism attractions. In 2003, the Foshan Municipal Government integrated its tourism resources and launched the Foshan New Eight Scenic Spots and four Foshan characteristic attractions, becoming one of the main tourist attractions in Foshan. The New Eight Scenic Spots of Foshan include Xiqiao Diecui (South China Sea Xiqiao Mountain), Ancestral Temple Holy Land (Foshan Ancestral Temple), Qinghui Yuxiu (Shunde Qinghui Garden), Ancient Stove Legacy (Chancheng Nanfeng Ancient Stove), Flower Sea Wonders (Shunde Flower World), Yunshui Lotus Fragrance (Three Water Lotus World), Zaomu Lingyun (Gaoming Zaomu Mountain), and Nanguo Taoyuan (South China Sea Nanguo Taoyuan). Among them, Foshan Ancestral Temple integrates ancient ceramics, wood carving, casting, and architectural art, and is known as the "Palace of Eastern Art"; Xiqiao Mountain is a national scenic spot, known as the "Two Famous Mountains in Southern Guangdong"; Shunde Qinghui Garden and Foshan Liangyuan were the four famous gardens in Guangdong during the Qing Dynasty; Gaoming Zaomu Mountain is the highest peak in Foshan; Chencun Flower World is the largest flower production and trading base and flower culture theme park in southern China. The four characteristic scenic spots in Foshan are Denghu Yicai (Nanhai Qiandeng Lake), Liangyuan Qiuyue (Foshan Liangyuan), Qingyun Quanyun (Qingyun Cave on the west coast of Nanhai), and Daqiwu Formation (Sanshui Daqitou Ancient Village). In addition, Foshan also has multiple intangible cultural heritages, such as Cantonese opera, martial arts (such as Wing Chun), ceramic making techniques, etc., attracting a large number of tourists to experience Lingnan culture. In 2014, Shunde, Foshan was hailed as the "Capital of World Cuisine", and Shunde cuisine became another major tourist attraction in Foshan.
The development strategy of establishing Foshan as a manufacturing city has relatively weakened the development of cultural and tourism industries, resulting in a slight lack of guarantee for cultural and tourism consumption and leisure in Foshan. However, there are many important turning points in the process of Foshan's tourism development that are driving the further development of Foshan's tourism industry. Among them, the opening of ancestral temples to the outside world is one of the major events in the development of tourism. Foshan Ancestral Temple represents the beliefs and traditional culture of the people of Foshan, and is the foremost temple in Foshan. It is also a witness and recorder of Foshan's history. The jurisdiction of the Ancestral Temple Museum includes the Ancestral Temple Ancient Architecture Complex, Foshan Ancestral Temple Historical and Cultural Exhibition Hall, Confucian Temple, Huang Feihong Memorial Hall, Ye Wenxue, etc. The ancestral temple enshrines the Taoist god Xuantian, who is known for his martial prowess, and was officially opened to the public in 1958; The Confucian Temple was officially opened to the public in 1981; The Foshan Ancestral Temple Historical and Cultural Exhibition Hall is the first basic exhibition in history to systematically introduce the history and culture of Foshan Ancestral Temple. It was completed and opened to the public in 2016; The Huang Feihong Memorial Hall and Ye Wenxue were built and opened to the public in 2001 to commemorate the famous Foshan martial artists Huang Feihong and Ye Wen. As a cultural symbol of Foshan, the opening of ancestral temples to the outside world is a significant turning point in the development of tourism in Foshan, attracting a large number of tourists. In 2009, Guangzhou and Foshan signed the "Guangzhou Foshan Integration Construction Cooperation Agreement" and four docking agreements on urban planning, transportation infrastructure, industrial cooperation, and environmental protection, marking the official launch of Guangzhou Foshan integration. The promotion of urbanization between Guangzhou and Foshan has made Foshan a popular short distance tourist destination for Guangzhou tourists, which is another major event in the development of Foshan's tourism industry.