Guangzhou, also known as the Five-Ram City, Sui City or Flower City, is the capital of Guangdong Province. It serves as the political, economic, scientific, educational and cultural center of southern China, and is hailed as the "Pearl of the South China Sea". In the 2022 Urban Commercial Charm Ranking, Guangzhou was rated as a first-tier city in China.
Basic Information
- Chinese Name: 广州市
- English Name: Guangzhou City
- Aliases: Yangcheng (Sheep City), Wuyangcheng (Five-Ram City), Suicheng, Xiancheng, Huacheng (Flower City)
- Area: 7,434.4 square kilometers
- Administrative Division: As of December 2021, it administers 11 districts, 34 towns and 142 subdistricts
- Permanent Population (late 2021): 18.8106 million
The Origin of "Five-Ram City"
The name "Five-Ram City" comes from an ancient legend about five immortals bringing blessings. As early as the 9th century BC, the State of Chu built a city called Chuting in today's Guangzhou area. One year, Chuting suffered from years of disasters, leading to barren fields, poor harvests and famine among the people.
One day, five auspicious clouds appeared in the sky over the South China Sea. Five immortals, dressed in red, orange, yellow, green and purple robes, rode five immortal rams respectively. Each ram held a six-ear rice ear in its mouth and landed slowly in the city. The immortals gave the rice ears to the people, left the five rams and wished that the place would never suffer from famine again, then rose into the sky and left.
Since then, Guangzhou has become the most prosperous place in Lingnan, and has been known as Yangcheng, Five-Ram City and Sui City. To commemorate the five immortals who brought benefits, the local people built the Wuxian Temple on Huifu West Road. There is also a huge concave hole like a footprint on red sandstone on the east side of the temple, known as the "Immortal's Thumb Print". At the foot of Yuexiu Mountain, there is a stone tablet inscribed with "Ancient Chuting", which tells us that the oldest name of Guangzhou was Chuting.
This legend reflects the fact that at the end of the Western Zhou Dynasty, due to the rise of vassals and the people's destitution, people from the Central Plains migrated south with livestock and crops, expressing the ancient Guangzhou ancestors' yearning for a better life.
Geographical Environment
Located in southern China, central and southern Guangdong Province, and the north-central edge of the Pearl River Delta, Guangzhou is the confluence of the Xijiang, Beijiang and Dongjiang Rivers, bordering the South China Sea. It is adjacent to Boluo and Longmen counties in the east, Sanshui, Nanhai and Shunde in the west, Qingyuan urban area, Fogang County and Xinfeng County in the north, and Dongguan and Zhongshan cities in the south. It faces Hong Kong and Macao across the sea.
As one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road and the "Southern Gateway" of China, Guangzhou is the core city of the Guangzhou-Foshan metropolitan area, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao metropolitan area and the Pearl River Delta metropolitan area. Its geographic coordinates range from 112°57′ to 114°03′ E longitude and 22°26′ to 23°56′ N latitude, with the city center at 23°06′32″ N latitude and 113°15′53″ E longitude.
The landform of Guangzhou is complex with diverse land types and wide adaptability. The terrain decreases from northeast to southwest. It has complex geological structure and relatively rich mineral resources, as well as a large number of biological species with fast growth rate.
Climate Characteristics
Located on the subtropical coast, Guangzhou has the Tropic of Cancer passing through its central and southern parts, and belongs to the maritime subtropical monsoon climate. It is characterized by warm and rainy weather, abundant light and heat, long summer and short frost period.
- Annual Average Temperature: 20-22℃, one of the large cities with the smallest annual average temperature difference in China
- Hottest Month: July, with an average temperature of 28.7℃
- Coldest Month: January, with an average temperature of 9-16℃
- Average Relative Humidity: 77%
- Annual Rainfall in Urban Area: About 1720 mm
The rainy season in Guangzhou is from April to June. From July to September, the weather is hot with frequent typhoons. The temperature is moderate in March, October and November. December to February is the cool winter. The annual synchronization of water and heat and abundant rainfall are conducive to plant growth, making Guangzhou a evergreen "Flower City" with blooming flowers all year round.
Reference Sources: Sogou Encyclopedia (citation dates: 2023-02-25, 2023-02-28)