- Guangzhou, China -

(1) General Situation

Guangzhou (Canton), a prosperous metropolis full of vigor, is the capital city of Guangdong Province located along the south coastline of China.

Being an excellent port on the Pearl River navigable to the South China Sea, and with fast accessibility to Hong Kong and Macau, the city serves as the political, economic, scientific, educational and cultural center in Guangdong area. Being the first cities benefited from the Reform and Opening Up policy since 1978, the city acts as the pioneer of the economic development of the country, with numerous enterprises, which offer many job opportunities and make the city a heavily populated area. Guangzhou is especially prosperous in commerce, tourism, dining, finance and real estate. For travelers, the city shows much attraction through its famous sights such as the Five Ram Statue in Yuexiu Park, Pearl River and White Cloud Mountain.

(2) History

When was Guangzhou established? The Qin Dynasty (221BC - 206BC) conquered Lingnan Region and established three shires. Nanhai Shire included most of Guangdong Province with Fanyu, with the present Guangzhou as the capital. The site of the small city is located around Jiucang Xiang of Cangbian Lu in the present Guangzhou. Zhaolun took over Nanhai Shire in the early Han  dynasty, which absorbed the surrounding area. Then Nanyue Kingdom was established and expanded into the city.

The city walls of Guangzhou were restored a dozen of times in the Song Dynasty (960 -1279). Middle, east and west cities were built in succession. The Ming Court (1368-1644) brought the three cities together and called them the Old City, and constructed a new one in the south, through the second expansion project in late Ming.

Is Guangzhou and Guangdong the same? The answer is No. Nowadays, Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong Province, located in south-central Guangdong.