Guangzhou

Author: Editorial Committee of "China Travel Guide"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-12-01
Features: Guangzhou, also known as Yangcheng and abbreviated as Sui, is the capital of Guangdong Province. It is the political, economic, cultural, technological, and transportation center of South China, a renowned coastal open city, and a national comprehensive reform experimental zone. Guangzhou is evergreen year-round, with picturesque scenery, and is famously called the "City of Flowers." It is also a historic and cultural city. Legend has it that in ancient times, five immortals dressed in colorful robes and riding five-colored sheep with rice ears in their mouths descended here, giving rice to the people and blessing the land to be free from famine forever. Since then, Guangzhou has been known as the "City of Sheep" and "City of Rice Ears," and the "Five Rams" have become a symbol of the city. Historical records show that as early as 214 BC, a city wall was built here, and the city has a history of 2,210 years since its founding, leaving behind many cultural relics that vividly reflect Guangzhou's development in various historical periods. Guangzhou was also the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, leaving behind numerous historical sites such as the Town Wall Tower, the Five Immortals Temple, the Nanyue King's Tomb, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, the Six Banyan Temple, the Guangxiao Temple, the Huaijing Temple, and the Stone Chamber. In modern history, Guangzhou was renowned for its prominence. The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Huanghuagang, Martyrs' Cemetery, Lu Xun Memorial Hall, Peasant Movement Institute, Yuanliuanti Anti-British Site, and the former site of the Whampoa Military Academy are witnesses to Guangzhou's modern history. These historical landmarks, along with the Baiyun Scenic Area, Yuexiu Park, Liuhua Park, Luhu Lake, South China Botanical Garden, Dongfang Amusement Park, Nanhu Amusement Park, and World View Park, form a rich and diverse landscape of Guangzhou's urban area.