Canton: Life Along the Coastal Countryside

Scenery in Guangdong has its own special southern charm.

The vast expanse of the rippling waters of the South China Sea wash the several thousand-kilometre-long coastline. Many features combine to form a vivid picture of coastal Guangdong: the blue sea waters and the white-sand beaches; the rugged rocks and surging waves; the islands that dot the sea; and the harbours and new cities nestled on the coast.

The undulating Nanling Mountains render Guangdong with a landform of rises and falls.

There is the unique Danxia landform, the wonder of karst caves, the ancient volcanos and cascading waterfalls. The mild and damp subtropical climate allows the province to bloom with flowers throughout the year. The Pearl River, first fed by the Xijiang, Beijiang and Dongjiang rivers, splits into a network of rivers and streams of varying width and length on the Pearl River Delta before it empties into the South China Sea. People on the delta have turned their homeland into a garden-like countryside by planting mulberry trees around fishponds so as to create an ecologically friendly environment.

This garden-like land has nurtured a unique southern way of life. A trip to Guangdong means an enjoyable experience of the warmth and fragrance that the land offers. The people who live by the sea get their wealth from the sea. Following a schedule determined by the rise and fall of the tide, they have a temperament similar to that of the ocean. The circular walled houses of the Hakkas living on the banks of the Dongjiang River crystallise the ancient civilisation brought in from the north. Native residents on the Pearl River Delta are specially gifted. While in the past, they demonstrated otheir wisdom in meticulous farming and working on the boats, today they have directed their attention to all-round development. 1 hey have thus turnea the aena into the most active place in Chinas economic map. The Yao people inhabiting the mountainous northern part of Guangdong have maintained some of the unique ethnic minoriry folklore. The offering of sacrifices to the legendary King Pangu with ancient songs and dances is one example.

Guangdong has many colourful and interesting festivals and tourist festivities such as the Flower Fair during the Spring Festival and the New Year floral parade in Guangzhou, the Guangdong Carnival and Gourmet Festival, the Litchi Festival, the Folk Song Contest Festival in Meizhou, the Rafting Festival in Shaoguan, and the Kite Festival in Yangjiang.