Visitor's Information for Guangzhou

Guangzhou, the South Gate of China, is a prosperous metropolis full of vigor.

Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong, and the center of its political, economic, scientific, educational and cultural life. Sui (Ears of Rice) is short for Guangzhou and the City of Ram (Yang Cheng) is also an alias of Guangzhou. The kapok is the city flower and the kapok tree is the city tree of Guangzhou.

Guangzhou is located in the middle south of Guangdong Province, north of the Pearl River Delta. It lies close to the South China Sea, Hong Kong, and Macau. Zhujiang (The Pearl River), the third largest river of China, runs through Guangzhou and is navigable to the South China Sea. Situated in such an excellent geographical region, Guangzhou is called China's South Gate.

Covering an area of 7434.4 square kilometers (2870 square miles), Guangzhou is home to more than 11 million people, including a 3.7 million transitory population. With the opening of China to the outside world, a large number of people from other regions of China swarmed into Guangzhou, one of the first 'open' cities in China. This has accelerated its economic development.

Guangzhou is a famous historical city. In ancient days, Guangzhou was the capital city for three Chinese dynasties: the Nan Yue (South Yue), the Nan Han (South Han) and the Nanming (South Ming). Thus it was put in the list of the 24 most famous historical cultural cities and became a tourist destination. You can not understand most Chinese cities deeply until you know their history. This is true of Guangzhou. Many historic sights: the Western Han Nanyue King's Tomb Museum, the Zhenhai Tower and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall tell us the 2,000-year history of Guangzhou.

Today, Guangzhou retains its ancient customs, but is also a large city full of vigor and current fashions. You can find something worth taking home in Shangxia Jiu Lu, Beijing Lu and Di Shi Fu Lu.

Trying Yue Cai (Cantonese Cuisine), one of eight Chinese famous cuisines, is definitely a must in Guangzhou! Eat delicious food with ingredients you have never heard of.

Hotel facilities and service in Guangzhou are fine. A word of warning: Do make a reservation beforehand if you decide to visit Guangzhou during the Canton Fair. For visitors, especially those plan to attend the Canton Fair, transportation in Guangzhou is more and more convenient. You can choose plane, train, ship or bus.

Guangzhou is famous as a hometown for overseas Chinese. It boasts the largest population of overseas Chinese people. These overseas Chinese do a great deal of good for Guangzhou: opening international markets, bridging Guangzhou and the rest of the world, and establishing many schools, hospitals, nurseries, kindergartens and rest homes in Guangzhou.

Top Attractions

Bright Filial Piety Temple (Guangxiao Si) located at Guangxiao Lu, is the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in the Lingnan Area. The Bright Filial Piety Temple plays an important role in Chinese Buddhism history because many famous Buddhist monks came here to preach religious doctrines, bringing glory to this temple.

Yuexiu Park, the largest park in Guangzhou, gets its name from Yuexiu Mountain, which is located in the park. Yuexiu Park is famous for its beautiful scenery and its large number of historical relics such as the Five-Ram Sculpture, Zhenhai Tower, the site of the Ming Dynasty City Wall, and the Square Cannon Site. You can get to the park by taking bus No. 2, 5, 6, 10, 58, or 101.

The Pearl River flows through Guangzhou City. At evening, taking a boat tour on the river to admire the breathtaking night view of the city is a great enjoyment.

White Cloud Mountain (Baiyun Shan) is easy to reach. Take the public bus, No. 199, 233, 24, 36, 285, or 540. Tourists can take a cable car to reach the top of the mountain. The entrance fee is CNY 5.


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