Everything about Guangzhou totally explained
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Guangzhou (;
jyutping :
Gwong²zau¹) is the
capital and a
sub-provincial city of
Guangdong Province in the
southern part of the
People's Republic of China. The city is also known by an older English-language name,
Canton. It is a port on the
Pearl River,
navigable to the
South China Sea, and is located about 120 km (75 miles) northwest of
Hong Kong. As of the
2000 census, the city has a population of 6 million, and a metropolitan population of roughly 8.5 million (though some estimates are as high as 12.6 million) making it the most populous city in the province and the
third most populous metropolitan area in mainland
China. The official estimate of the metro's population at end 2006 by the Provincial Government was 9,754,600.
Geography
Guangzhou is located at 112°57'E to 114°3'E and 22°26'N to 23°56'N. The city is part of the
Pearl River Delta.
Population
Population（2006）：
Metro - 9,754,600, Urban - 6,253,300, and City - 7,607,200
| Districts/Cities |
Population |
| Yuexiu |
1,151,481 |
| Liwan |
705,262 |
| Haizhu |
890,512 |
| Tianhe |
645,453 |
| Baiyun |
767,688 |
| Huangpu |
193,641 |
| Huadu |
636,706 |
| Panyu |
947,607 |
| Nansha |
147,579 |
| Luogang |
167,360 |
| Zengcheng City |
810,554 |
| Conghua City |
543,377 |
As of
April 28,
2005, the districts of Dongshan and Fangcun have been abolished and merged into Yuexiu and Liwan respectively; at the same time the district of Nansha is established out of parts of Panyu, and the district of Luogang is established out of parts of Baiyun, Tianhe, and Zengcheng also a part of Huangpu making an exclave next to Huangpu.
Road names
History
The first known city built at the site of Guangzhou was Panyu (蕃禺, later simplified to 番禺;
Poon Yu in Cantonese) founded in
214 BC. The city has been continuously occupied since that time. Panyu was expanded when it became the capital of the
Nanyue Kingdom (南越) in
206 BC.
Recent archaeological founding of her palace suggests that the city might have traded frequently with by foreigners by the sea routes. The foreign trade continued through every following dynasty and the city remains a major international trading port to this day.
The
Han Dynasty annexed Nanyue in
111 BC, and Panyu became a provincial capital and remains so until this day. In
226 AD, the city however became the seat of the Guang Prefecture (廣州; Guangzhou). Therefore, "Guangzhou" was the name of the prefecture, not of the city. However, people grew accustomed to calling the city Guangzhou, instead of Panyu.
Although the Chinese name of Guangzhou replaced Panyu as the name of the walled city, Panyu was still the name of the area surrounding the walled city until the end of
Qing era.
Arab and
Persian pirates sacked Guangzhou (known to them as
Sin-Kalan) in AD 758, ² according to a local Guangzhou government report on
October 30 758, which corresponded to the day of
Guisi (癸巳) of the ninth
lunar month in the first year of the
Qianyuan era of
Emperor Suzong of the
Tang Dynasty.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, a celebrated poet called Su Shi (Shisu) visited Guangzhou's
Baozhuangyan Temple and wrote the inscription "Liu Rong" (Six Banyan Trees) because of the six banyan trees he saw there. It has since been called the Temple of the 6 Banyan Trees.
The
Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive to the city by sea, establishing a monopoly on the external trade out of its harbor by
1511. They were later expelled from their settlements in Guangzhou (in Portuguese Cantão), but instead granted use of
Macau (first occupied in
1511) as a trade base with the city in
1557. They would keep a near monopoly of foreign trade in the region until the arrival of the Dutch in the early
seventeenth century.
After China claimed control of
Taiwan in 1683, the Qing government became open to encouraging foreign trade. Guangzhou quickly emerged as one of the most adaptable ports for negotiating commerce and before long, many foreign ships were going there to procure cargos. Portuguese in Macau, Spanish in Manila, and Armenians and Muslims from India were already actively trading in the port by the 1690s, when the French and English
British East India Company's ships began frequenting the port through the
Canton System. Other companies were soon to follow: the
Ostend General India company in 1717;
Dutch East India Company in 1729; the first Danish ship in 1731, which was followed by a Danish Asiatic Company ship in 1734; the Swedish East India Company in 1732; followed by an occasional Prussian and Trieste Company ship; the Americans in 1784; and the first ships from Australia in 1788. By the middle of the 18th century, Guangzhou had emerged as one of the world's great trading ports under the
Thirteen Factories, which was a distinction it maintained until the outbreak of the
Opium Wars in 1839 and the opening of other ports in China in 1842. The privilege during this period made Guangzhou one of the top 3 cities in the world.
Guangzhou's monopoly on English trade ended with the
Treaty of Nanking, signed in 1842 to end the
First Opium War between
Britain and
China. The treaty opened four new
treaty ports, allowing British merchants to trade in
Fuzhou,
Xiamen,
Ningbo, and
Shanghai in addition to Guangzhou.
In 1918, the city's urban council was established and "Guangzhou" became the official name of the city. Panyu became a county's name to the southern side of Guangzhou. In both 1930 and 1953, Guangzhou was promoted to the status of a Municipality, but each time promotion was cancelled within the year.
Japanese troops occupied Guangzhou from
October 12, 1938 to
September 16, 1945, after
violent bombings. In the city, the
Imperial Japanese Army conducted bacteriological research
unit 8604, a section of
unit 731, where Japanese doctors experimented on human prisoners.
Communist forces entered the city on October 14, 1949. Their urban renewal projects improved the lives of some residents. New housing on the shores of the Pearl River provided homes for the poor
boat people. Reforms by
Deng Xiaoping, who came to power in the late 1970s, led to rapid economic growth due to the city's close proximity to
Hong Kong and access to the Pearl River.
As labor costs increased in Hong Kong,
manufacturers opened new plants in the cities of
Guangdong including Guangzhou. As the largest city in one of China's wealthiest provinces, Guangzhou attracts farmers from the countryside looking for factory work. Cantonese links to overseas Chinese and beneficial tax reforms of the 1990s have aided the city's rapid growth.
In 2000,
Huadu and
Panyu were merged into Guangzhou as districts, and
Conghua and
Zengcheng became county-level cities of Guangzhou.
Economy
Guangzhou is the economic centre of the
Pearl River Delta and is the heart of one of
mainland China's leading commercial and manufacturing regions. In 2007, the GDP reached ¥705 billion (about US $100 billion), per capita was ¥85,000 (about US $12,000),
ranking 6th among the other 659 Chinese cities.
The
Chinese Export Commodities Fair, also called "Canton Fair", is held each
spring and
autumn by Bo Liu. Inaugurated in the spring of 1957, the Fair is a major event for the city.
Transportation
With the
Guangzhou Metro, opened in 1999, Guangzhou is the fourth city in China to build an underground railway system. Currently there are four lines in operation with an ambitious plan to expand rapidly with three lines under construction and four lines that are being planned.
- The First Line of Dōngzhàn}}) and arrive in Hong Kong at the Hung Hom KCR station. They cover the 182 km route in approximately two hours.
Daily ferry sailings include an overnight steamer, which takes eight hours, and high-speed catamarans and hydrofoils which take three hours to reach the
China Ferry Terminal or
Macau Ferry Pier in Hong Kong. The new Nansha Pier (新南沙客运港) is now open with 6 lines daily traveling between Hong Kong and Guangzhou. The trip takes 75 minutes (¥116-230). However, Nansha is very far from the city center, although there's a bus route available from White Swan Hotel, running three times a day. Location Nansha Port: 1.6km South from
Humen Bridge, Nansha District, Guangzhou. Passengers can take buses at White Swan Hotel to the Dock, 3 runs per day.
Schedule: Nansha to Hongkong: 09:30 11:00 12:00 15:00 16:00 17:30 Hongkong to Nansha: 08:00 08:20 09:00 13:00 14:00 15:30 Tickets: Economic ¥116.00, Business ¥170.00, VIP ¥230.00
Since Monday,
1 January 2007, the city government has banned motorcycles from the urban area. From Tuesday,
16 January 2007, motorcycles found violating the ban will be confiscated. The Guangzhou traffic bureau has reported reduced traffic problems and accidents since the motorcycle ban in downtown area.
According to the newspaper China Daily of
6 July 2007, all buses and taxis in Guangzhou will be
LPG-fueled by 2010 to promote clean energy for transportation and improve the environment .
Tourist attractions
Chen Family Confucian Academy
Guangdong Museum of Folk Handcraft
Shamian Island (; literally, "Sand Face Island")
Guangdong Provincial Museum
Museum of the Tomb of the King of Southern Yue in Western Han Dynasty
Temple of the Six Banyan Trees
Shishi Sacred Heart Cathedral
Huaisheng Mosque
Bright Filial Piety Temple
Chime-Long Paradise
Chime-Long WaterPark
Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King南越王墓
Guangzhou Peasant Movement Institute广州市农民运动讲习所
Local products
Canton Sculpture includes Canton Ivory Carvings, Jade Sculpture, Wood Sculpture and Olive Sculpture.
Canton Enamel is short for Guangzhou Colorful Pottery. It has a history of over 300 years.
Canton Embroidery, namely Yue Embroidery, is one of the Four Famous Chinese Embroideries together with Su Embroidery, Xiang Embroidery and Shu Embroidery.
Canton Bacon is the general designation of cured meat in the Guangzhou Area.
Parks
Baiyun Mountain (; literally "White Cloud Mountain")
Lie Shi Ling Yuan (）
Yue Xiu Park (）
Significant buildings
Guangdong Olympic Stadium (）
CITIC Plaza (）
Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower (）
Guangzhou TV Tower (）
Pearl River Tower (）
Guangzhou Zhujiang Brewery Group (）
Plans are also underway to build what will become the world's tallest free-standing 610m tall Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower for the 2010 Asian Games.
Hotels
The Garden Hotel
China Hotel
White Swan Hotel
DongFang Hotel
Holiday Inn City Centre Guangzhou
Grand International Hotel
Ramada Pearl Hotel Guangzhou
Guangzhou Westin hotel
Guangzhou Chimelong Hotel
Media
Guangdong and the greater metropolitan area is served by several Guangdong Radio stations and Guangdong TV. There is an international station Radio Guangdong which broadcasts information about this region to the entire world through the World Radio Network.
Culture
Cantonese (linguistics)
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese opera
Guangdong music (genre)
Education
Major educational institutions
International Schools
American International School of Guangzhou
National
Sun Yat-sen University (中山大学) (founded 1924)
South China University of Technology (华南理工大学)
Jinan University (暨南大学) (founded 1906)
Public
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (广东外语外贸大学)
South China Agricultural University (华南农业大学) (founded 1909)
Zhongkai Agrotechnical College (仲恺农业技术学院) (founded 1927)
South China Normal University (华南师范大学)
Shantou University (汕头大学)
Guangzhou Medical College (广州医学院)
Guangzhou University of TCM (广州中医药大学) (English-language site)
Guangdong College of Pharmacy (广东药学院)
Guangdong University of Technology (广东工业大学)
Guangzhou University (广州大学)
Guangdong Institute of Science and Technology (广东省科技干部学院)
Guangdong Business College (广东商学院)
Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (广州美术学院)
Xinghai Conservatory of Music (星海音乐学院)
GuangDong Polytechnic Normal University (广东技术师范学院)
Guangzhou Physical Education Institute (广州体育学院)
Guangzhou Higher Education Mega
Guangzhou Higher Education Mega is home to 10 of the province's universities' campuses, many of whom also have campuses located elsewhere.
They are listed as below:
Sun Yat-sen University (中山大学)
South China University of Technology(华南理工大学)
South China Normal University(华南师范大学)
Guangdong University of Technology(广东工业大学)
Guangdong University of Forign Studies(广东外语外贸大学)
Guangdong College of Pharmacy (广东药学院)
Guangzhou University(广州大学)
Guangzhou Acmdemy of Fime Arts
Xinghai Conservatory of Music(星海音乐学院)
Guangzhou Higher Education Mega can accommodate up to 200,000 students, 20,000 teachers and 50,000 staff. .
High School
The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University
Guangzhou No.6 High School
Guangdong Guangya Middle School
Guangzhou Zhi Xin Secondary School
GuangDong Experimental High School
Guangzhou No.8 High School
Guangzhou 109 Secondary School
Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.
Sister cities
Canton is twinned with the following cities:
Fukuoka, Japan (May 1979)
Los Angeles, United States (March 2, 1982)
Manila, Philippines (November 1982)
Vancouver, Canada (March 1985)
Sydney, Australia (May 1986)
Viña Del Mar, Chile (November 1986)
Frankfurt am Main, Germany (April 11, 1988)
Lyon, France (November 1988)
Auckland, New Zealand, (February 1989)
Gwangju, South Korea (October 1996)
Linköping, Sweden (November 1997)
Durban, South Africa (July 2000)
Bristol, United Kingdom (May 2001)
Yekaterinburg, Russia (July 10, 2002)
Arequipa, Peru (October 27, 2004)
Birmingham, United Kingdom (Dec 2006)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Recife, Brazil
Surabaya, Indonesia (Dec 2005)Further Information
Get more info on 'Guangzhou'.
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