Introduction of Canton

Bordering Hong Kong and Macao and within easy reach of Southeast Asian countries, Guangdong is China's southern gateway. Its geographical position makes the province a window, through which China views the outside world and the world views China.

Guangdong people have written many brilliant chapters in the history of China. By the 19th century, Guangdong had become a hotbed for reformist thinking and a cradle of the contemporary Chinese revolution. Many figures who had exerted tremendous impact on the contemporary history of China, such as Dr. Sun Yatsen, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Liao Zhongkai, once carried out their revolutionary career on this piece of land.

During the 1980s when China opened a new page in history, Guangdong, as a pioneer of reform and opening up, bravely explored new trails and tried new experiments, bringing in dramatic economic achievements. As a point where Western and Chinese cultures meet and merge, Guangdong eagerly embraces the outstanding parts of all cultures. Like a kaleidoscope, Guangdong reflects the dazzling changes of the Chinese society.

For those interested in history, Guangdong boasts many renowned historical sites, each with its own distinctive glow. There are ruins of the habitat of the Maba Man who lived more than 100,000 years ago, treasures of the ancient kingdom of Nanyue, traces of the Silk Road on the Sea and much more.

For visitors who wish to have a taste of the natural scenery, Guangdong is rewarding with the unique flavour of a southern country. The Seven Stars Crags in Zhaoqing combine the natural beauty of both Guilin and Hangzhou. The four famous mountains, the Danxia Mountain in the north, the Xiqiao Mountain in the South, the Luofu Mountain at Boluo and the Dinghu Mountain in Zhaoqing, all have their own unique charm.

Holiday makers can enjoy the subtropical climate year round. There is a long string of resorts including the hot springs in Zhongshan, Conghua, Jinshan and Qingxin. A number of golf courses provide golf enthusiasts with perfect facilities and services. The curving coastline offers many beautiful beaches to sea lovers.

New tourist attractions with a modern touch keep springing up, and constitute one of the most attractive features of tourism in Guangdong. Theme parks such as Splendid China, Window of the World, China Folk Culture Villages and Grand Views of the World give visitors the chance to travel to various parts of China and even the world, in a single day in one place. Guangzhou Ocean World,. Space Museum, and the Xiangjiang Wildlife Park combine to offer a whole range of interesting sites from the land to the sea and the heavens. The Film World 2000 of the Oriental Amusement Park, the Water World at Nanhu Lake and the Happy Valley in Shenzhen are places that visitors are always reluctant to leave. Tourist sites featuring ecological environmental protection such as the Green World, the Yannanfei Tea Garden and the Farm on the Sea in Zhongshan take visitors back to nature.

The lifestyles of the people is another point of interest. Visitors to Guangdong always like to stroll along Guangzhou's Upper-Lower-Nine (Shangxiajiu) Commercial Street, to taste Guangdong-style cooking, and to linger in the small towns known for their "small bridges, flowing water and country-style houses" on the Pearl River Delta that is criss-crossed by rivers and canals. Festival occasions such as the Flower Fair in Guangzhou, Dragon B-oat races in the countryside and the Litchi Festival in the heat of summer will all leave visitors with unforgettable memories of what life in Guangdong means.