Guangdong (Yue for short) is located in South China, with an area of 178,000 square kilometers, and a population of 65 million.
It adjoins the Wuling Mountains to the north and the South China Sea to the south, with a landscape sloping from north to south. Its 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 Guangdongs 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 Guangdongs mainstay of transport, while theres convenient highway communication. Its numerous seaports facilitate shipping.
As one of the locations of Chinas Special Economic Zones, and bordering on Hong Kong and Macu, 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. Guangdon stands in the forefront in the scale of both foreign fund utilized and export earnings in China.
Recommended Scenic Spots
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Guangzhou
As a famous commemorative structure of Chinese revolution built in 1931, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum was designed by the well-known architect of modern China Lu Yanzhi, who was also the designer of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing. The building complex is composed of the arch over the gateway, the auditorium and the stoteyed buildings on its east side and west side. The auditorium is octagonal in the shape of the palace hall.
Overseas Chinese Town
Located in the western part of the special economic zone, Overseas Chinese Town embraces the theme parks of Splendid China, the China Folk Culture Villages, Window of the World and Happy Valley. The parks feature a wide variety of replicas of natural scenery and historical architecture, reflecting the essence of traditional Chinese and international culture. The area serves as a model for the city in urban planning, construction and horticulture.
Foshan-- City of Handicrafts
Located only twenty-eight kilometers from Guangzhou, Foshan is one of the best-known handicraft centers in China. It is especially noted for its pottery, papercutting and lanterns. The intricate art of papercutting dates back in Foshan to the period between the Song and Yuan dynasties. The lanterns produced here come in many shapes and types-from elaborate palace lanterns to amusing fish-shaped designs.