Guangzhou

Capitail of the Guangdong Province, Guangzhou is the center of the province in terms of politics, economy, science, education and culture. Ranging from 112°57' to 114°3' of the east longitude and 22°26' to 23°56' of the northern latitude, Guangzhou lies in the southeast of Guangzhou Province and the north of the Pearl Delta. Facing the South China Sea and adjoining to Hong Kong and Macao, Guangzhou is the transportation pivot as well as the south gateway of China. In June 2000, Guangzhou became a city with seashore in south China after Fanyu and Huadu cities were rearranged as its districts. Being the biggest city in South China, Guangzhou has other titles such as the City of Five Ram and the City of Spike.

Under the direct jurisdiction of Guangzhou City there are ten districts and two county-level cities, with altogether 82 sub-district offices and 78 towns. Guangzhou has a total land area of 7,434.4 square kilometers and a population of more than 6,850,000 with a daily average floating population of more than 1,820,000.

The physical feature of Guangdong is that, the land is higher in the northeast and lower in the southwest. Guangzhou leans against Jiulian Mountains in the north, Luofu Mountain in the west, Qingyun Mountain in the east, and the Jiulian-Nankun Mountain range in the middle, and faces the Lingding Sea in the south. The Conghua Spring, Baiyun Mountain and the Pearl Delta make the city a most beautiful municipality in south China.

Qu Dajun, a famous poet in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), once wrote a poem to show the beauty of this city: the five mountains in the north and the sea in the south make the city a heaven on the earth. Indeed, with a mild temperature and a variety of flowers all over the year, Guangzhou can really match its name as a City of Flower.

With a civilization of over 2,800 years, Guangzhou has a splendid culture. Ever since the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties period (581-960), Guangzhou had been a famous port. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it was ranked as the top port of the whole country. Guangzhou has become a comprehensive modern municipality through 2,000 years of development and evolution.