Guangzhou

Guangzhou Fast Facts

Covering an area of 7434.4 square kilometers (2870 square miles), Guangzhou has a population of more than 11 million. It has a subtropical monsoon climate with hot summer, warm winter, and plenty of rainfall. The annual average temperature is 22.8 degrees Celsius, with an average relative humidity of 68% and average urban annual rainfall of 1600 mm.

Guangzhou has a long history of 2200 years of cultural relics. As early as the ninth century BC in the Zhou Dynasty, “Baiyue” people here have reached out to the people in “Chu” state in the middle region of the Yangtze River to build “Chuting” – the earliest name of Guangzhou. Emperor Qin (214 BC) built “Panyu” after reunification of Lingnan County – “Panyu”is today’s Guangzhou. It was divided into two parts in 226AD – “Jiaozhou” and “Guangzhou”. “Gunazhou” hence the name. People refer to “Guangzhou City” after the city hall setup in 1921.

Though Guangzhou is not necessary always on the top 5 lists of China tourist destinations, it is amazing how much the city actually has to offer. Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain Eight Scenery, Pearl River, Yuexiu Hill, Station Square, Chen Clan Temple, the Huanghuagang 72 Martyrs Tomb, Guangdong Olympic Sports Centre, as well as Lotus Hill Zhongshan Memorial Hall, the Whampoa Military Academy and the South Vietnamese Wang Museum are just some of the places to name.

Guangzhou is the center of the Lingnan culture. Guangzhou Cantonese Opera is the most representative of the local show, popular in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia, and other regions. Cantonese cuisine is one of the four major streams of Chinese cuisine. As the famous saying goes, "Eating in Guangzhou", Cantonese cuisine is well known for its delicates in color, fragrance, taste and presentation. The Canton Fair Twice a year, in Spring and Fall, Guangzhou hosts the China Export Commodities Fair, also known as the Canton Fair. It is an important event for foreign business to make contacts in China. If you plan to visit Guangzhou during the fair, book a hotel well in advance. Hotels tend to be full and expensive during the Fair.