Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and most populous city of the province of Guangdong in southern China. The city has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the maritime Silk Road. Guangzhou is classified as a Large-Port Megacity, the largest type of port-city in the world.
About Guangzhou, China in brief
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and most populous city of the province of Guangdong in southern China. The city has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the maritime Silk Road. Guangzhou is classified as a Large-Port Megacity, the largest type of port-city in the world. For three consecutive years, Forbes ranked Guangzhou as the best commercial city in mainland China. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, nationals of sub-Saharan Africa who had initially settled in the Middle East and Southeast Asia moved in unprecedented numbers to Guangzhou in response to the Asian financial crisis. The domestic migrant population from other provinces of China in Guangzhou was 40% of the city’s total population in 2008. Together with Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, Guangzhou has one of the most expensive real estate markets in China. Guangzhou ranks 21st globally and 8th in the whole Asia and the Pacific in the 2020 Global Financial Centers Index. It ranks 15th globally and fifth in China and is home to many of China’s most prestigious universities, including Sun Yat-sen University, South China University of Technology and South China Normal University. The name of theCity is taken from the ancient \”Guang Province\” after it had become the prefecture’s seat of government, which is how some other Chinese cities, including Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Fuzhou got their names.
The origin of Guangzhou’s name is still uncertain, with various explanations being offered by one source. The Chinese name is abbreviation for Guangzhou Rice City or Five Rams City of Five Temple of the Five Rams. Under the Southern Han, the city was renamed Xwang Fu. The city was known as Xwangfu or Guangfu City or Guangzhou City of five stones at the five old Temple of Five Rams at the Five Temple. Before acquiring its current name, the town wasknown as Panyu, name still borne by its districts not far from the main city. It has long been known as Guangzhou after its status as a prefecture of the Guangzhou prefecture. It is also known for its annual Canton Fair, the oldest and largest trade fair in China, which takes place every year in June. It was once the only Chinese port accessible to most foreign traders, but was captured by the British during the First Opium War. It lost trade to other ports such as Hong Kong and Shanghai, but continued to serve as a major transshipment port. It now ranks 10th in world and 5th in China in terms of the number of billionaires according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2020. The city is highly ranked as an Alpha- city together with San Francisco and Stockholm. It also ranks 15 fourth globally and 15th worldwide in scientific research outputs as tracked by the Nature Index and it ranks 15 fifth globally andFifth China in China.
You want to know more about Guangzhou, China?
This page is based on the article Guangzhou, China published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 29, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
