China Travel - China Provinces - Province Guangdong

It adjoins the Wuling Mountains to the north and the South China Sea to the south, with a landscape sloping from north to south. It's mountainous in north, and in the south there are coastal plains, hills and tablelands. The deltas of the Pearl River and Han River are its chief plains. The West River, North River and East River known as "The Peal River System" as well as Han River are Guangdong's main waterways. Its coastline is long and zigzag with numerous offshore islands. With the Tropic of Cancer running across its central land, Guangdong is, in the main, subject to south sub-tropical humid climate. Its abundant mineral resources include tungsten, tin, antimony, molybdenum, copper, zinc and lead, which all hold an important position in China.

Its main industrial products cover cane-sugar, garments, leather, paper, stationery, arts & crafts, pharmaceuticals, plastics, cement, ceramics for daily use, consumer electronics, watches, cameras, electric machinery, electronics, and communication equipments. The output value of which all stand in the forefront in China. Guangdong also holds an important place in China in the production of meat, jute and tropical crops. It has well-developed sea and ocean fishing as well as freshwater and seawater aquiculture.

Railway and shipping are Guangdong's mainstay of transport, while there's convenient highway communication. Its numerous seaports facilitate shipping.

As one of the locations of China's Special Economic Zones, and bordering on Hong Kong and Macau, Guangdong has marked advantage in utilizing overseas capital and technology and carrying out foreign economic and technical cooperation. Foreign-oriented economic structure has taken shape. Guangdong stands in the forefront in the scale of both foreign fund utilized and export earnings in China.

Due to its excellent natural and human sites and sceneries, Guangdong has advanced tourism. Among the main scenic spots and historical sites are Yuexiu Hill in Guangzhou, botanical garden of South China, Star Lake in Zhaoqin, Seven Stars Crags and Dinghu Mountain.

History

Guangdong was originally occupied by non-Han ethnic groups, and was first incorporated into the Chinese Empire in 222 BC, when Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, conquered the area along the Xijiang River and Beijiang River valleys down to the Zhujiang River Delta. In 111 BC Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty extended rule as far as to Hainan Island. During the five centuries of the Sui, Tang, and Northern Song dynasties from AD 581 to 1126, the military and agricultural settlement of Guangdong, coupled with increasing overseas trade through Guangzhou port, led to an increase in migration into Guangdong, and to the rise of Guangzhou as a metropolis with a population of hundreds of thousands. Two major southward thrust of the Han Chinese took place, one in 1126, when Jurchens captured the Song capital, the other in 1279, when Mongols subdued Song dynasty. These migrations marked the beginning of the rapid cultural development of Guangdong. The population grew so fast that by the late 17 century, Guangdong had already become an area from which emigration took place. Migrants from Guangdong moved first to Guangxi, Sichuan and Taiwan and then in mid-19th century began to pour into Southeast Asia and North America.

Climate

Guangdong features tropical and sub-tropical climates. The average July temperature is little different from temperature on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the Yellow River, but the average January temperature is considerably higher, ranging from 13¡ãto 16¡ãC. The whole province almost lies within the area where two crops of rice can be grown a year.

Population

Ethnic composition and distribution: Guangdong is largely dominated by the Han people, with only a very small proportion of other ethnic minorities. The Yaos are concentrated principally near Guangdong's northwestern border in areas. The Shes live in the northeast.

Guangzhou (Canton)

Guangzhou, located at the north of the Pearl River delta, is an important trading center as well as a busy port and the capital city of the province of Guangdong . The city has an area of over 16,000 square kilometers and a population of 6.7 million.

The climate of Guangzhou is sub-tropical. The average year-round temperature is 22C. August is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 28C. January is the coldest month, with an average of 13C. The rainy season falls between April and August. Average annual rainfall is 1,720 mm.

Like Athens of Greece and Rome of Italy, Guangzhou also has a history of more than 2,800 years.

There are a lot of interesting legends concerning its past. One of the beautiful stories which gives the city its name Goat Town says that five gods riding on five goats brought the first grain to the city. So, it is also known as the City of Five Goats. Besides tales and stories, here and there stand monuments of the city's democratic and revolutionary past. The monument to the Anti British struggle at San Yuan Li is in remembrance of the 1841 uprising against a British invading force. The Huang Hua Gang Park keeps alive the spirit of the 72 martyrs killed in an 1911 uprising against the Manchu dynasty. The National Peasant Movement Institute is the former cadre-training school founded and run by Mao Zedong and Zhou En Lai in 1925-1926. The Guangzhou Memorial Garden is in memory of those who lost their lives during the Communist Uprising in 1927.

Guangzhou is also one of the most important centers of foreign commerce in South China. The Chinese Export Commodities Fair has been held twice a year in the city since 1957. It is also a cultural center. There are several universities, the Zhongshan University, the South China University of Technology, the Ji-nan University and so on. There are also higher educational establishments. The city is renowned for its arts and crafts, namely the Guang Dong embroidery, ivory-carving and ceramics.

Guangzhou is a beautiful city with an ever-green scenery and flowers blooming all the year round. The city boasts many tourist attractions, among which highlights are White Cloud Hill Scenic Spot. Yuexiu Park, Guangzhou Zoo, Six Banyan Temple and Flowery Pagoda, Dr. Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall, etc. In the Suburbs, there are such scenic spot on Conghua Hot Springs, Xiqiao Hill Scenic spot, Seven Star Crags, and Foshan City. Lots of tourists to Guangzhou like to cover one or two of them for out-of-city pleasure.

"Eating in Guangzhou" has become a popular saying both at home and abroad. Guangzhou ranks first in the number of restaurants and tea-houses in the country. Cantonese cuisine is good in color, fragrance, taste and presentation. In addition, the delicate Cantonese pastry is also well-known for its wide range of varieties, delicious flavor and beautiful color. Cantonese cuisine is among the most famous four in the country.

Hotels Guangzhou - Last Minute Hotels Guangzhou

The Garden Hotel Guangzhou  Hotel "Garden" is ideally located at the commercial and financial district of Huanshi Dong Road. It is only 3 km away from the railway station and the China Export Commodities Fair (Liuhua Complex). Nearby the hotel, there are also many shopping, eating and entertainment centers. The rooms are large in size, well furnished and very comfortable. Bathrooms are at good conditions with full amenities. The hotel has 12 different styled restaurants and bars with wide variety of choice including Chinese, Japanese, Italian and French. The revolving restaurant serves buffet daily where guests can enjoy panoramic view of Guangzhou. This is a very well-known 5 star deluxe property. With its superb location together with the good service standard made this hotel be a very popular and welcoming hotel in Guangzhou.

Shenzhen

Shenzhen is usually unfairly overlooked as a new city in travel guidebooks. It is in fact a new city and, consequently, has an impressive array of awards for its urban design and greenery. Nature lovers will not be disappointed with the several gorgeous parks and scenic areas in and around Shenzhen. However, the city also has a history. There has been some form of urban settlement in the area since the 4th Century and the evidence remains in the form of temples, forts, and other types of architecture. These historical relics may not be immediately obvious on arrival but this makes their discovery all the more pleasurable.

Tourist Attractions Shenzhen

Nantou Ancient City

Located in the far west of Shenzhen, close to the east bank of the mouth of the Pearl River, is the ancient city of Nantou (a.k.a. Xin'an city). Nantou is one of the earliest urban areas in what is now Shenzhen and was a busy commercial port in the Ming Dynasty. Excavations in this area have revealed evidence of civilization as far back as the Shang Dynasty (1700 –1100BC), contradicting the traditional believe that, until relatively recent times, Guangdong was a forlorn wilderness to which errant officials were exiled.

Meisha Beach Parks

Da Meisha and Xiao Meisha are the two beaches, which make up this coastal scenic area. Both of them have been shaped into parks, with restaurants and shops serving day-trippers from Shenzhen. There is an aquarium zoo, jet skiing, boating, bungee jumping, and other resort type activities. Da Meisha is a public area, while Xiao Meisha has a RMB20 entry fee. The only real difference is that the ticket price ensures no hassle from beggars.

Chiwan Tianhou Palace Temple

is dedicated to the worship of Tianhou, or Matsu, as the coastal people of south Asia more commonly know her. Matsu is the Chinese goddess of the sea. She protects fishermen and others whose lives are dependent on the capriciousness of the ocean. She is worshipped in Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau as well as in the Chinese communities of South East Asia.

The Chiwan Tianhou Palace Temple sits at the foot of Xiaonan Hill facing the sea (and surrounded by ship-container yards) in the western part of Shenzhen. There has been a temple here since the late Southern Song dynasty (AD1127-1279), which developed and expanded over the course of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Window on the World

Theme parks feature high on the official list of Shenzhen's tourist attractions and Window on the World is the most famous. The foreign visitor will be less interested in this attraction. A notice at the gateway boldly declares, “See the world's landmarks in one day.” What it neglects to mention is that you will be seeing tasteless miniature replicas of them. The park also has some rides and “cultural” performances. Unless you have kids, are fantastically bored, or have some peculiar fascination with the tacky side of tourism, you can give Window on the World (and Shenzhen’s other theme parks) a wide berth.

Hotels Shenzhen - Last Minute Hotels Shenzhen

Swiss-bel Hotel Suites & Residences Shenzhen   The Swiss-bel Hotel Suites and Residences are conveniently located in the central business district of Futian, Shenzhen. The hotel is just a 15-minute drive from the Luohu Railway Station and 20 minutes from Shenzhen International Airport. Swiss-bel Hotel offers all the luxury and comforts you would expect from a stylish contemporary residence. Well equipped with modern amenities, the beautifully decorated guest rooms and suites offer magnificent sea views. Located on the lobby floor, the cafe and lounge serve a wide selection of international as well as a la carte dishes. You can relax with your friends and indulge over the excellent selection of fine wines and cigars in the cosy environment of executive lounge. The multi-functional meeting rooms, equipped with state-of-the-art conference facilities are ideal for organizing small and large business meetings and other events. The hotel also provides various recreational facilities such as swimming pool, sauna and tennis court. Click here for more information and Booking Details »