| Geographic Location
Guangzhou is the capital and a political, economic, scientific
and technological, educational and cultural center of Guangdong
Province and the largest city in South China. It is in the south
of the Province and the north of the Pearl River Delta, adjacent
to Hong Kong and Macao. It borders on the South China Sea, hence
a "south gateway" to China.
Administrative Districts & Population
Guangzhou governs ten districts and two county-level cities.
By the end of 1998, the total area of Guangzhou was 7434.6 square
kilometers with a population of 6.3 million. Its downtown area
is about 1444 square kilometers with a population of 3.95 million
and a floating population of 1 million.
Weather
As a semitropical city, Guangzhou is characterized by mild climate,
abundant rainfall, evergreen vegetation and various flowers. Its
average temperature of the whole year is between 20＜C
and 22 ＜C,
with an average temperature of 13.2＜C
in winter and 28.7 ＜C
in summer. It is pluvial and humid mostly from April to June,
windy from July to September. The golden season for tourism is
from October to December, when it is sunny, mild, not hot, nor
cold. Horticulture is Guangzhou residents' favor. They enjoy gardening,
ikebana and looking at flowers. There are many flower shows in
Guangzhou's parks. The most attractive one is held on the eve
of Chinese New Year, when most people in Guangzhou go to visit
it with their family. Thus Guangzhou earns the name of "Flower
City".
Tradition of an Ancient Port
Guangzhou is a civilized ancient city whose history dates back
to the 9th century B.C. That history not only endows Guangzhou
with abundant culture fruits, but helps to establish its position
as one of most important foreign ports in China. It was a commodity
distributing center in South China even more than two thousand
years ago. Ever since then, it has gone through many dynasties
but still remained its position as a port for international economic
and cultural exchange. It was an well-known port of the Silk Road
of the Sea from the 7th century to the 13th century, when it has
already set up a custom office and a special district for foreign
merchants' stay. In a certain period of history, Guangzhou was
even designated as the only foreign port of China. After 1957,
Canton Fair, the largest Chinese Export Commodities Fair, which
is organized by China Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economy Cooperation,
is held in Guangzhou every spring and autumn. The Fair is considered
a bridge linking China and other countries of the world.
Production
Up to now, 52 varieties of mineral deposits, several thousands
of plant species, and about 210 kinds of wild animals are discovered
in Guangdong. Here are main grain crop is rice and the economic
crops are sugar canes, peanuts, vegetables and fruits. Guangzhou
is called a "Land of Fruits", producing more than 500 varieties
of fruits, among which litchi, banana, papaya and pineapple are
its best specialties.
Guangzhou is a main industrial city in South China, with relatively
complete categories including metallurgy, machine building, ship
building, petroleum industry, chemical industry, food industry,
sugar refinement, paper making, electronic industry, and other
light and heavy industries. The total industrial output per year
in Guangzhou is only less than that in Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin.
Cultural Specialties
The long history of the city and the tradition of the center
for economic and cultural exchange endue Guangzhou with luxuriant
fruits of culture. They are Cantonese Opera, Guangdong folk art
including music, acrobatics, ivory and jade carving, colorful
ceramic, embroidery, etc. Cantonese Opera is popular in Guangdong
Province, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asian countries. Guangdong
music originated from Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta. It
has absorbed and combined with ancient music from Kun opera, local
ballads and rhymes and other forms of Chinese music.
Guangzhou Food
"Eating in Guangzhou" is well known throughout the world. Cantonese
cuisine is one of the four major cuisines in China. Its general
principles are variable food materials used, original taste of
the materials maintained, different flavors for different cuisines,
varing cuisines for changing seasons. Therefore, the material,
color, scent, flavor of each cuisine is specially chosen and designed.
Most restaurants in Guangzhou open from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.,
serving six meals including three tea-times, two dinners and a
night snack.
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