 |
| Guangzhou Maps |
Guangzhou Facts
Phone Code: 020
Postal Code: 510000
Area: 7,434.4 Sq km (2,870.4 Sq miles)
Population: 12.7008 million (in 2010)
Nationalities: Han, Li, Yao, Zhuang, Miao, Hui, Manchu and She
Neighboring Areas: Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Hainan Provinces; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hong Kong and Macao
Location: Located in the south part of China and at the mouth of the Pearl River, Guangzhou faces the China South Sea, and borders Hong Kong and Macau.
Physical Features: Guangzhou’s surface slopes down from the northeast to the southwest. The northern and eastern part are mountainous areas, the middle part is composed of hills and plateaus, while the southern part is flat alluvial plain. The Pearl River flows through the city.
History: Established in 241 BC, Guangzhou has been a prosperous metropolis since the Qin (221BC - 207BC) and Han (206BC - 220) dynasties. Then, it became the departure port of the maritime silk route in the Han and Tang (618 - 907) dynasties. Italian traveler Odoric said Guangzhou was three-times larger than the world-famous trade city Venice in the Song (960 - 1279) and Yuan (1271 - 1368) dynasties. Furthermore, Guangzhou was the only port open to the outside world under the closed-door policy of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), dominating the foreign trade of the whole country.
Guangzhou Attractions: Being a city with a history of over 2,200 years, Guangzhou boasts a total of 219 historical and cultural sites under the city, province and state, including Yuexiu Park, Western Han Nanyue King's Tomb Museum, Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Guangdong Provincial Museum. Guangzhou is also endowed with various beautiful landscapes thanks to the varied terrains and landforms, for instance, White Cloud Mountain, the Pearl River and Lotus Hill. In recent years, some man-made scenic spots have added additional modern elements such as are Chimelong Paradise, Guangzhou Zoo, South China Botanical Garden and Guangzhou Ocean World. The annual Canton Fair helps Guangzhou enjoy a high prestige in the world.
Guangzhou Transportation: Known as the ‘South Gate of China’, Guangzhou is the transportation hub of eastern China, with developed transportation facilities.
Air: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is one of the three largest aviation hubs in China, with a passenger throughput of 4,000 person-trips per day.
Ship: Guangzhou port, the fourth largest port of China, is the largest international trade hub port in the Pearl River Delta and South China, having ferries to Hong Kong, Haikou and suburban Guangzhou and sea routes to more than 500 ports of over 170 countries in the world.
Train: There are now four railway stations in Guangzhou now, which are Guangzhou Railway Station, Guangzhou East Railway Station, Guangzhou South Railway Station and Guangzhou North Railway Station.
Guangzhou Subway: At present, Guangzhou subway line 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, Guangfo line and APM line have been put in use; line 6, 7, 9, 13 are being built.
Bus: Buses from the 15 major long-distance bus stations in Guangzhou can take you to over 98% towns, counties and cities within Guangdong Province as well as cities of other provinces. In the city, there are 567 bus lines and over 9000 buses now, covering much of the city.
Taxi: Guangzhou taxis are colorful in yellow, blue, light green, green or red in the upper part and silver-grey in the lower part. The taxi fare is CNY7 for the first 2.3 km (1.4 miles), and CNY2.6 per km for the rest of the journey. Additional CNY1 is claimed as the fuel surcharge.
Guangzhou Weather: Guangzhou has pleasant weather all year round, without hot summer or cold winter. October to December is the optimum travel time to Guangzhou.
Dining and Shopping
Guangzhou, a paradise of gourmets, is famed for its Ji Di Zhou (congee with pig's liver and kidneys), Chang Fen (steamed vermicelli roll), Yun Tun Mian (wonton noodles), Shuang Pi Nai (double-skin milk), Gui Ling Gao (a kind of black jelly), Luo Bo Niu Nan (braised beef brisket with carrot), Bao Zai Fan (Clay Pot Rice) and some seafood. You can find these delicacies in the busy Beijing Road, Shangxiajiu Road, Xihua Road and People’s Road. Guangzhou people also like drinking tea especially morning tea. The time-honored tea houses are Taotaoju, Luyuju, Nanyuan, Beiyuan and Fulaiju.
Guangzhou is not only the world of wholesale markets for all kinds of products, but it also possesses numerous large-sized luxurious shopping malls and department stores. Shangxiajiu, Shifu Road and Beijing Road are pedestrian streets for food, time-honored brands and tea houses; Yide Road is a good place for New Year products; Hualin Temple Jade Sreet and Wende Road are mainly for jade objects and antiques; Tianhe Plaza maybe the gathering place of world brands.
