Guangdong

Shenzhen

Situated in the southern coastal area of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen is situated 160 kilometers away from Guangzhou, 35 kilometers from Hongkong and Jiulong. To its east is the Dapeng Gulf, to its west, the influx of the Pearl River, with Hongkong in the south, and Dongguan and Huizhou in the north.

With a population of about 1.09 million, the city faces the sea and is surrounded by mountains that are higher in the southeast, lower in the northwest, and mainly covered by hills and plains in the west.

Shenzhen has a history of 6,000 years. It used to be a stationed place when the Baiyue Tribe was going to sea in ancient times. An important hub of water and land trades in southern China, Shenzhen was also where salt originated, and it was famous for its perfume.

Its annual average temperature is about 22.4C, the highest reaching 36.6 C and the lowest, 1.4C.

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.]

Chaozhou

Lying in the middle and lower reaches of the Hanjiang River of Guangdong Province, Chaozhou is a famous national historical and cultural city in South China. It is higher in the north and lower in the south with hills and mountains covering 65% of the whole city, mostly in the north of Raoping and Chao’an counties. North of the city are mainly mountains, while the middle are hills and the Hanjiang alluvial plain. Starting from Fengshun County, the Hanjiang River runs to the sea via Chao’an County. The Huanggang River runs through the whole county of Raoping from north to south.

Hills here are not tall but marvelous; rivers are not surging, but with beautiful scenery. With Jinshan Mountain in the north, the Penholder Mountain in the east, the Calabash Mountain in the west and the Hanjiang River in the south, Chaozhou is a city surrounded by three mountains and a river. The well known historic sites are the Xiangzi Bridge, which is a key cultural relics site under the state protection and one of the top four ancient bridges, the other three are the Zhaozhou Bridge, the Luoyang Bridge and the Lugou Bridge; the Xu’s mansion of the princess’s husband, which is a rarely seen mansion architecture of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and one of the Three Treasures of the ancient architecture of Chaozhou; the Kaiyuan Temple in Chaozhou, which is one of the only four extant Kaiyuan temples in China and one of the big four temples of Chaozhou; the Hanwengong Memorial Temple which is the oldest and best preserved one in China; the Thai-style Buddhist temple with the largest land area of the like in China; the Beige Buddhist Lantern which is originated in the Song Dynasty and being one of the eight major scenic spots of Chaozhou; The relics of the imperial kiln of the Song Dynasty, which is called the Village with Hundreds of Kilns; the Huanggong Memorial Temple, which is famous for its wooden carvings; the Jinsha Congxi Memorial Temple, which is claimed as the Number One in the south of the Qingling Mountain area; the Guangji city tower, which is as famous as the Yuexiushan Building of the Five Ram City; the Ganlu Temple with a stone carving the Smiling Buddhist carved 16 meters deep the granite rock; the group of stones eroded by the ancient sea with a lot of stones like eagles, dogs, dragons and phoenixes; others like the Phoenix Pagoda, the Confucius Temple, the Wangda Tomb and the Lindaqin Tomb, etc.

With a coastal line of 136 kilometers, Chaozhou is located in the subtropical zone with a subtropical oceanic climate. With an average annual temperature of 21.4oC, Chaozhou has a long summer and a short winter. No snow can be found here throughout the whole year. Chaozhou is a city with mild climate and abundant rain.

Foshan

Foshan, called "Chan" for short, is located in the hinterland of the Pearl River Delta, and in the central part by south of Guangdong Province. It is connected to Guangzhou to the east, neighbors Jiangmen and Zhougshan to the south, borders Zhaoqing to the west and Qingyuan to the north, and is within 100 km from Hong Kong and Macao. Under the administration of Foshan are the Shiwan District and four county-level cities, namely Nanhai, Shunde, Sanshui and Gaoming. With a total area of 3,813.64 square kilometers, Foshan is a famous cultural city with a long history.

Foshan is rich in tourist resources and boasts many places of interest. First built in the Yuanfeng reign (1078-1085) of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1279), the Foshan Ancestor Temple is a palace hall that integrates ancient clay sculpture, woodcarving, foundry and architectural arts into a whole. It is said that the temple was built to enshrine the North Xuantian God worshipped by Taoists and was called the North God Temple at that time. The original buildings were burnt down at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and were rebuilt in the fifth year (1372) of the Hongwu reign in the Ming Dynasty (1338-16440). Records said that the temple was renamed "the Foshan Ancestor Temple" due to its long history and leading position among the temples in Foshan. Other scenic spots include the Qinghui Garden in Shunde, one of the four famous gardens of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Guangdong, Xijiao Mountain in Nanhai, a national level scenic area, and historic sites such as the Confucius Temple, the Renshou Temple, the former residence of Kang Youwei, and so on, attracting numerous tourists.

Foshan is the birthplace of the Yueju Opera, and the famous hometowns of martial arts, arts, potteries and cate.

The climate in Foshan is characterized by the monsoons in the subtropical zone with an average temperature between 21.2 - 22.2℃.

Meizhou

Meizhou City is located in the northeast of Guangdong Province, adjoins to Wuping, Shanghang, Yongding and Pinghe counties in Fujian Province to the northeast, connects with Xunwu County in Jiangxi Province to the northwest, borders Longchuan County and Zijin County in Heyuan City of Guangdong Province to the west, and neighbors Luhe County of Shanwei City and Longcheng District and Jiexi County of Jiexi City in Guangdong Province to the south, and borders Chao’an County and Raoping County of Chaozhou City to the southeast. Under its jurisdiction there are Meijiang District, Meixian County, Jiaoling County, Dapu County, Fengshun County, Wuhua County and Pingyuan County.

Meizhou has a long history. It was established as a prefecture named Jingzhou in the Nanhan (911-971), changed into Meizhou in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) and Jiaying Prefecture in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). After several subsequent shift of jurisdiction and change of popedom, it was turned into Meizhou City in 1988. Now Meizhou is a famous historical and cultural city.

Meizhou has quite some scenic spots and human culture and historic sites, attracting numerous tourists. Guo Moruo described cultural relics in Meizhou as top-notch in his poem on his inspection tour to the city in 1965.

Meizhou has been reputed as the Town of Overseas Chinese, the Town of Soccer and the Tower of Culture. Currently, it has a population of about 4 million overseas Chinese sojourning in over 70 countries and regions worldwide. Meizhou has attached much importance to culture and education since ancient times, and enjoys advanced education now. The city is the hometown of Huang Zunxian, a diplomat and reformist, modern poet Li Jinhua, painter Lin Fengmian and marshal Ye Jianying.

Zhaoqing

Lying in the midwest of Guangdong Province, Zhaoqing City is one of the birthplaces of aboriginal culture south of the Five Ridges in remote ancient. Archeological findings prove that human beings moved about Zhaoqing as early as about 140,000 years ago. About 100,000 years ago, the place was in the transition to the Neolithic Age. About 5,000 years ago, the ancestors of Zhaoqing had been engaged in farming, livestock breezing, weaving and pottery making. Bronze wares unearthed in tombs of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC) and the Warring States Period (475-221BC) in Zhaoqing keeps the trace of Shang (17th – 11th century BC) and Zhou (11th century –771BC) cultures of the Central Plains and the Chu and Yue cultures at the Yangtze River Valley, as well as the distinct features of the culture south of the Five Ridges.

Zhaoqing is a national historical and cultural city, and the converging place of the cultures of the Central Plains and south of the Five Ridges. It boasts more than 300 historic sites of scientific research value, including the Mei Nunnery, the Chongxi Tower, the Song Dynasty City Wall, the Yuejiang Pavilion, the Lijiao Pavilion, the Wenming Tower, the Huangyan Cave, and the Taixin Bridge, etc. Textual research shows that Zhaoqing is also the birthplace of the Guangdong dialect.

The Star Lake Scenic Area is one of the key national scenic spots proclaimed by the State Council in the first batch. Recently, it was ranked as one of the first batch ten major national civilized scenic area models. The Seven-Star Lake is characterized by enchanting landscape of lakes and mountains, with seven rock peaks standing imposingly in the lake of 6.5 square meters, and is reputed as the No.1 Wonder South of the Five Ridges and the Earthly Fairy Land. In recent years, the causeway of eight kilometers long and the seven rock peaks in the Star Lake Scenic Area were decorated with colorful neon lights, creating a Night Star Lake. Dinghu Mountain tops the four famous mountains in Guangdong, and is reputed as a Green Gem on the North Tropic, and Life Natural Museum.

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