Capitail of the Guangdong Province, Guangzhou is the center
of the province in terms of politics, economy, science, education and culture.
Ranging from 112กใ57' to 114กใ3' of the east longitude and 22กใ26' to 23กใ56' of the
northern latitude, Guangzhou lies in the southeast of Guangzhou Province and the
north of the Pearl Delta. Facing the South China Sea and adjoining to Hong Kong
and Macao, Guangzhou is the transportation pivot as well as the south gateway of
China. In June 2000, Guangzhou became a city with seashore in south China after
Fanyu and Huadu cities were rearranged as its districts. Being the biggest city
in South China, Guangzhou has other titles such as the City of Five Ram and the
City of Spike.
Under the direct jurisdiction of Guangzhou City there are ten
districts and two county-level cities, with altogether 82 sub-district offices
and 78 towns. Guangzhou has a total land area of 7,434.4 square kilometers and a
population of more than 6,850,000 with a daily average floating population of
more than 1,820,000.
The physical feature of Guangdong is that, the land is higher
in the northeast and lower in the southwest. Guangzhou leans against Jiulian
Mountains in the north, Luofu Mountain in the west, Qingyun Mountain in the
east, and the Jiulian-Nankun Mountain range in the middle, and faces the
Lingding Sea in the south. The Conghua Spring, Baiyun Mountain and the Pearl
Delta make the city a most beautiful municipality in south China.
Qu Dajun, a famous poet in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), once
wrote a poem to show the beauty of this city: the five mountains in the north
and the sea in the south make the city a heaven on the earth. Indeed, with a
mild temperature and a variety of flowers all over the year, Guangzhou can
really match its name as a City of Flower.
With a civilization of over 2,800 years, Guangzhou has a
splendid culture. Ever since the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties period (581-960),
Guangzhou had been a famous port. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it was ranked
as the top port of the whole country. Guangzhou has become a comprehensive
modern municipality through 2,000 years of development and
evolution.