Construction of the stadium began on 4 July 1984 at the former site of Guangzhou Tianhe Airport. It was opened in August 1987 for the 1987 National Games of China. It hosted the final of the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991. The stadium has hosted the home matches of local football team Guangzhou since 2011. In February 2016, the club obtained the operating rights of the stadium from Guangzhou Sports Bureau for the next twenty years.