Guangzhou Overview

Guangzhou Travel Overview introduces Guangzhou fast facts including the Basic Information, Population, Climate, Geography, Culture History, Economy, Natural Resources, Landmarks, Administrative Diversions.

Basic Information

Geography

Located at the northern edge of the Pearl River Delta and adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, Guangzhou is the core city in Greater Pearl River Delta and has been called “China’s Southern Gateway”. Behind mountains and facing the sea in front, Guangzhou belongs to the hilly areas with an average elevation of 11 meters, higher in northeast and lower in southwest. This city covers an area of 7434.4 square kilometers of which 10% is water. Therefore, its well-developed river system and large water coverage constitutes the strong flavor of Lingnan water features. Besides, various different kinds of biological and mineral resources all contributes to this livable and rich land.

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Climate

Guangzhou is located in semi-tropical, across the Tropic of Cancer, annual average temperature 20-22℃, the minimum temperature of 0℃, the highest temperature of 38℃, so the average temperature difference is the smallest around the country. Facing the sea and leaning back against the mountains, Guangzhou belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate with the feature of warm and rainy summer, adequate light and heat and short frost-free period. The heat and rainfall, suitable for plant growth, provide excellent conditions for this evergreen "Flower City". Besides, the annual average rainfall is 1982.7mm and the average relative humidity is 77%, which is a comparatively pleasant climate. From April to June, rainy season dominates with hot weather and many typhoons, while from October to December, the temperature becomes moderate so that it is the best season for traveling.

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Best Time to Visit Guangzhou

When is the best time to visit Guangzhou? In general, spring and autumn from March to early May and September to December is the best season to travel Guangzhou because of the moderate temperature and good climate suitable for going hiking. While in summer, the temperature is so high but you can taste the juicy and sweet litchis and longans there. January is also recommended for the flower lovers, because Guangzhou city will become a world full of blossoms by then.

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Administrative Divisions

At present, Guangzhou has jurisdiction over 11 districts, namely, Yuexiu District(越秀区), Liwan District(荔湾区), Haizhu District(海珠区), Tianhe District(天河区), Baiyun District(白云区), Huangpu District(黄埔区), Panyu District(番禺区), Huadu District(花都区), Nansha District(南沙区), Zengcheng District(增城区), Conghua District(从化区).

History

It is believed that the first city built at the site of Guangzhou was Panyu (蕃禺) founded in 214 B.C.E. 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 B.C.E.. The recent discovery of the remains of a Qin dynasty shipyard under the site of the Nanyue Kingdom Palace, and archeological findings in the palace suggest that the city might have traded frequently with foreigners by the sea routes. Foreign trade continued through every following dynasty, and the city remains a major international trading port to this day.

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Culture

China's third largest city, Guangzhou, is a cultural center having been influenced by the many dynasties that ruled it and the civilizations that interacted in its port for centuries. The old Lingnan culture of Guangzhou has certain elements of South East Asian lifestyle and is based on many folk practices and beliefs. Chinese New year is the biggest festival of the region, and like the rest of the Han Chinese dominated regions, it is characterized by large crowds migrating back to their homes to spend time with their families for the occasion. The Polo Birth Festival is an old folk festival that dates back to 1000 years, and there are other season specific festivals in autumn and spring that focus on the highlights of those parts of the year. Cantonese is widely spoken here because of the Cantonese origins of the region and Guangzhou's contemporary and very cosmopolitan culture ranks this economic powerhouse among the top Asian cities for foreigners to live in. Its successful hosting of the 2010 Asian games has also bolstered its international city reputation.

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Transportation

Guangzhou Transportation, to some extent, is strongly linked to Guangzhou Tours. As the most developed city in China, Guangzhou has the best transport network compared with other cities in China. At present, the main transportation modes in Guangzhou are airplanes, trains, buses, ships and so on. As a seaside city, Guangzhou waterway passenger transport has multiple passenger ports, including Nansha Port, Panyu Lianhuashan Port, Zhoutouzui Port, Zengcheng Xintang Port and other passenger ports. Guangzhou has an extensive public transport system, largely based on buses, taxis, trolleybus, tram and a rapidly expanding metro system. It is very convenient to get to Guangzhou and get around Guangzhou.

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Things to Do

Guangzhou is an old land with a young beating heart where lots of sights are waiting to meet you, such as the Chen Clan Academy, Temple of Six Banyan Trees, Yue Xiu Park, Baiyun Mountain, Canton Tower, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Shamian Island, Changlong Safari Parks, etc. So no matter what you want to meet, take your time, this wonderful city will tell you his own stories.

Guangzhou in southern China is a huge metropolis that combines old and new, offering sights and attractions for everyone, no matter if you are a history buff or looking for a family-friendly holiday destination. Here are the top attractions in the City of Five Rams.

Economy

Since the Warring States Period, as an important port, Guangzhou has began to trade with neighboring countries. Later, China's reform and opening up brought this city the steady development of industry and agriculture which fosters it to be the No.3 in comprehensive economic strength in China. In short, Guangzhou has already become a core city with solid industrial bases, developed tertiary industry and coordinated development of national economy.

The 9 Pearl River Delta cities headed by Guangzhou join hands with Hong Kong and Macau to build the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and become one of the four major bay areas in the world. Guangzhou is ranked by the United Nations as the fastest growing megacity in the world. In 2016 and 2017, Guangzhou ranked third in the China's new classification list. What's more, Guangzhou was ranked No. 1 Most Popular Investment City in China in 2018 by American Chamber of Commerce. In the 2016 and 2017 "City of Opportunity" reports, Guangzhou ranked first in China's cities.

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Natural Resources

Biological Resources

Guangzhou is one of the areas with the richest fruit tree resources across the country, where over 500 kinds of fruit trees involving 174 species and varieties, 82 genera, 41 families, 3 categories (tropical, subtropical, and temperate) are available. It is the heartland where leechee, longan, canarium pimela (Chinese white olive) originate and form types. The vegetables have more than 300 species of 14 categories and the flowers have over 2000 species of 6 categories. Zengcheng Simiao rice is the first product protected by geographical indication in Guangzhou.

Mineral Resources

The geologic structure is complex and there are favorable conditions for mineralization. 47 minerals and 820 ore fields, including 18 large and medium-sized oil deposits, have been found. The main minerals are building granite, cement limestone, ceramic clay, potassium, albite, salt mine, mirabilite, nepheline syenite, fluorite, marble, mineral water and geothermal mineral water.

Land Resources

Guangzhou's land resources are of varied types and present a wide adaptability; the arable land area is 85,700 hectares and the forest land area is 253,000 hectares. Based on soil vertical zonality, the land is divided into medium and low-altitude mountain land (in northeast), hilly land (among mountain land, valleys and basins, and plains), tableland (mainly in Zengcheng City, Conghua City, Baiyun District, and Huangpu District), alluvial plain (mainly including Pearl River Delta Plain, Guanghua Plain resulted from alleviation of the Liuxi River, and coastal zones in Panyu and Nansha, which are main production bases of grains, sugarcanes and vegetables of Guangzhou), and mud flat (mainly in Nansha), etc.

Water Resources

Guangzhou, located in the water-rich area of southern China, has a vast water area, with lots of rivers and water systems. The total water area across Guangzhou is 74,400 hectares, accounting for 10 percent of the total land area. There are 22 rivers respectively having a rainwater catchment area of more than 100 square kilometers, and the old 8 districts have 231 rivers and streams with a total length of 913 kilometers, forming unique cultural characteristics of Lingnan water villages, and playing an active role in improving the landscape and keeping a stable ecological environment of the city.

Guangzhou Overview by Region

Guangdong Overview by Region