Geography
Guangdong is bounded by the South
China Sea and is the southern gateway of China. Situated 3'28"-25'31" north
latitude and 108'13"-119'59" east longitude, it has an area of more than 180,000
square kilometers, more than 170,000 square meters of which is land. Guangdong
neighbors Jiangxi and Hunan provinces in the north, Fujian Province in the east
and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the west. It has a long zigzag
coastal line of 3,368.1 kilometers, and 651 islands with a total coastal line of
1,649.5 kilometers.
Climate
Crossed by the Tropic of Cancer in the
central part of its continental portion, tropical and sub-tropical Guangdong has
a climate marked by high temperature and plentiful rainfall. It has the highest
mean temperature of 28oC in July (the hottest month in a year) and 13oC in
January (the coldest month in a year). The greater part of the province has a
mean annual precipitation of about 1,500-2,000 mm. and 140-160 rainy days. The
coastal regions are frequently visited by typhoons between July and
August.
Administrative Division and
Population
It
is divided into 21 prefecture-level cities,
33 county-level cities, 43 counties and 3 autonomous counties, with a population
of 86.42 million as of 2000, mainly including ethnic groups of Han,
Yao, Zhuang, Manchu, etc.
Food
Guangdong cuisine, one of the Eight Great
Cuisines, emphasizes seafood, and unique, mixed flavorings. It is divided into
three branches: Guangdong food is traditional Guangdong cuisine; Chaozhou food
is similar to Fujian cuisine because Chaozhou neighbors Fujian Province; and
Dongjiang food, which is represented by Huizhou food, emphasizes domestic
animals and poultry. The dietetic culture of Guangdong has retained many eating
habits and customs of the ancient people, such as eating snakes. In short, to
the people of Guangdong, everything that walks, crawls, flies, or swims is
edible.
Culture
Yueju (Guangdong Opera), Chaoju (Chaozhou
Opera), and Nanyin (a kind of local music)
Brief Introduction
Guangdong, Yue for short, is located in
south China, with Guangzhou as its capital city. Thousands of years ago, the Yue
people resided here. That is why Guangdong is also called Yue. In the 8th year
(887BC) during the reign of King Yi of the Zhou Dynasty (11th century
-- 256BC), the capital of the Chu State was in Guangzhou. After the First Emperor
of the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) unified the whole China, Nanhai Prefecture was
founded in Guangdong. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Guangdong Province was
established, and this name has been in use ever since.
It adjoins 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, the North River and the East River, known as "the Peal River
System", as well as Han River are Guangdong's main waterways. Its coastal line
is long and zigzag with numerous offshore islands.
Its main industrial products cover cane
sugar, garments, leather, paper, stationery, arts and crafts, pharmaceuticals,
plastics, pottery, electric machinery, electronics, and communication equipment,
the output value of which all stands in the forefront in China. Guangdong also
holds an important place in China in the production of rice, silk, tea, jute and
tropical crops. It has well-developed sea and ocean fishing as well as
freshwater and seawater aquiculture.
The capital city of Guangzhou is the largest
city in South China and the political, economic, cultural, transportation and
travel center of the province. Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou of Guangdong
Province have been listed as special economic zones.
As one of the locations of China's Special
Economic Zones, and bordering Hong Kong and Macao, Guangdong has marked
advantages in utilizing overseas capital and technology and carrying out foreign
economic and technical cooperation. It is also one of the home provinces of
oversea Chinese.
Guangdong boasts abundant natural and
historical sites and sceneries, including Yuexiu Hill in Guangzhou, botanical
garden of South China, Xiqiao Mountain, Conghua Hot Springs, the Window of the
World, the Yuexiu Park, the Seven Star Crags, and Dinghu Mountain. Guangzhou and
Chaozhou are the renowned historical and cultural cities and Foshan is one of
the Four Great Towns nationwide.