About the city

The city of Foshan [Photo provided to China Daily]

Foshan, a prefecture-level municipality under the direct jurisdiction of Guangdong province, currently governs five districts - Chancheng district, Nanhai district, Shunde district, Gaoming district and Sanshui district.

Located in the mid-south of Guangdong province, Foshan is at the heart of the Pearl River Delta. It connects to Guangzhou in the east and is adjacent to Zhongshan and Macao to the south.

The city covers a total area of 3,798 square kilometers and houses a population of 7.66 million people. The mild climate, adequate rainfall, and lush seasons have made it a renowned place of abundance. It has humid a subtropical monsoon climate with an average annual temperature of 22 C.

Foshan is referred to as a hometown of overseas Chinese. Over 1.48 million Foshan origins are now living overseas, of which over 800,000 are residing in Hong Kong and Macao SARs.

Foshan has a solid industrial foundation, and has formed an industrial development complex composed from ten powerful industries, including household appliances, equipment manufacturing, electronic and information technology, ceramic materials, metal processing and metallic products. Foshan is also involved in the emerging industries of auto parts, biomedical and advanced display units.

Known as the hometown of martial arts, the city regularly ranks among the four most ancient in all China. Rising in acclaim from the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), martial arts grew alongside Foshan, with many of its most famous sons being masters of the art form, such as Wong Fei-Hung, Yip Man and Bruce Lee.

Foshan is also an important place for the promotion of Lingnan and Guangfu culture. Unique customs such as Dragon and Lion Dancing and Crossing the Tongji Bridge are still carried out in Foshan today to celebrate bumper harvests or pray for blessings.

Foshan has many famous and unique attractions, including Foshan Ancestral Temple, Qinghui Garden and Ancient Nanfeng Kiln.