History

Guangzhou is a civilized ancient city with a history of more than 2,200 years. It was the earliest trade port in China that opening to the world, and was the starting port of the ' Silk Road on the Sea' since the Han and Tang Dynasties.

As early as in Chou Period, 9th century BC, there were exchanges between 'Baiyue' people at Guangzhou and people of Chu State , the name ' Chu Ting' originated, which was the earliest name of Guangzhou . In the thirty-third year of Emperor Qin Shihuang (214 BC), Qin unified Lingnan, Nanhai prefecture (capital was set up at 'Panyu' where it is today) was set up. In the year of 226, in order to strengthen the rule, Sun Quan decided to divide original Jiaozhou into two parts- Jiaozhou and Guangzhou , name of Guangzhou became known since then. In 1925, four years later when the municipal council was set up in 1921, Guangzhou really means the city today.

Geo-location and Population

Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong Province, located in the southeast of the province and in the north of the Pearl River Delta, facing the South China Sea, adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau. Its center is at east longitude 112' and north latitude 22' . Guangzhou has a total land area of 7,355.40 square kilometers.

Guangzhou is composed of 10 districts and 2 satellite cities. The 10 districts are Yuexiu District, Dongshan District, Haizhu District, Liwan District, Tianhe District, Baiyun District, Huangpu District, Fangcun District, Panyu District and Huadu District(the last two districts are suburban districts) . And the 2 satellite cities are: Zengcheng City and Conghua City .

At the end of 2003, Guangzhou has a total population of 7.25 million, including 1.82 million of full-employed staff and workers.

Climate

Guangzhou has a subtropical monsoon climate with an annual average temperature of about 22.9 ℃ ( 22.9 ℃ ). Usually, January is the coldest month of the whole year with a monthly average temperature of about 13.6 ℃ ( 13.6 ℃ ) while the warmest month is July, whose average temperature is about 30.3 ℃ ( 30.3 ℃ ). The average annual rainfall is 1338.2mm ; the average relative humidity is about 72 per cent, and the annual sunshine time is about 1,742 hours (based on data offered by China Statistics Year Book).

City Infrastructure

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport lies 6 kilometers away from Guangzhou Downtown. It has the largest passengers traffic except Beijing Airport . It has 16 International lines to Los Angeles of American, Amsterdam of Holland, Sydney and Melbourne of Australia, Osaka of Japan, and almost all areas of Southeast Asia . In addition, Guangzhou New Airport around Huadu District is in construction now.

uangzhou Train Station lies by Xihuan Road in the Northwest of Guangzhou. Jing-Guang Railway joins to many other railways: Jing-Shen, Jing-Cheng, Jing-Bao, Jing-Hu, Jing-Yuan, Shi-Tai, Shi-De, Long-Hai, Zhe-Gan, Xiang-Qin, Xiang-Gui and Guang-Jiu Railway. As a result, railways connects Guangdong directly with many main cities in China .

Economy

In 2003, Guangzhou got a GDP of RMB 349.69 billion yuan, and GDP per Capita was RMB 5944 yuan according to China Statistics Yearbook 2004.

Main Attractions

There are many attractions for visitors to Guangzhou , such as Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family, Shamian Island , South China Botanic Garden , The Six Banyan Temple and Flower Pagoda, Temple of Southern Sea God , Western Han Nanyue King Tomb Museum , and the Great Mosque of Guangzhou.

hamian is 'sand surface', which is not a true island, and it is now connected to the rest of the city by a series of bridges. From the 18th to the mid 19th century, it is the only place where foreign traders were permitted to set up their warehouses and factories. The land has been increased to 27,000 sq metres, 900m from east to west, and 300m from north to south.