Introduction to the People's Republic of China

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The newly built Riverside Blvd. of Zhenjiang, linking up Jinshan Mountain, Beigu Mountain, Jiaoshan Mountain and other scenic spots

The southern section of the Grand Canal winding through Changzhou

Ganjiang Rd. of Suzhou. River and streets go side by side, making the road a "Double-chessboard Format", a most distinctive feature of the city till this day

Suzhou High-Tech Industry Development Zone, the "New Suzhou" beside the Grand Canal. Although occupying an area less than 40 square kilometers, it has achieved an annual import and export volume accounting for one percent of China's total.

Suzhou Industrial Park, the "Western-styled Suzhou" beside the Jinji Lake. A cooperation project by China and Singapore, it initiates a new form of Sino-foreign economic and technological cooperation that is mutually beneficial. Nowadays the park is not only the first choice of domestic and overseas investors but also the dreamy land of countless people.


Suzhou locals are now quite used to such a saying that the city of nowadays is composed of "Old Suzhou, New Suzhou and ExoticSuzhou". This picture shows the so-called "Old Suzhou"-old districts of the city

The beauty of Suzhou City is not represented by skyscrapers only.

City Proper of Yixing in Wuxi Municipality

Yixing Ceramics Museum in Wuxi, the only museum of this kind at local level in China

Commercial Center in Downtown Wuxi

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The Huishan Mountain beside the Grand Canal has witnessed the thousand-year prosperity of Wuxi City

Nan Tong city

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6 Guangdong province
Guangdong is located in the southern part of the south China Sea, encompassing a total 179,766 square kilometres. From north to south, the altitudes of landforms decreases. The highest mountain is the Shikengkong peak with a height of 1902 m above sea level. The mountain and hill areas cover most of Guangdong without many plains. There are many rivers such as the Zhujiang River (Pearl River), which is composed of the Xijiang River, the Beijiang River, the Dongjiang River, the Hanjiang River, the Rongjiang River and the Moyangjiang River. Guangdong has a curved coastal line of 3368.1 km and many estuaries and more than 651 offshore islets. The Tropic of Cancer runs through Guangdong, the southwest part of which and the Leizhou Peninsula are in the tropical zone , and other parts in the subtropical zone. It is warm and rainy all the year round, the average temperature ranges from 19 to 26 centigrade degree, the average annual rainfall is more than 1500 mm, the rainy season is from April to September. Abort 130,000 years ago, the Home sapiens, the Beijing River "Mabaren", evolved into the Xijiang River "Fengkairen"about 12,000 years ago, and then to Baiyueren about 4,000 years ago. In 214 B.C. the first emperor in Qing Dynasty brought the Linnan under his control, and divided it into three parts: the Han People moved into these regions and the County. Since that time, the Han People moved into these regions and the Baiyue People became the members of Chinese nation. By now there are also many ethnic minorities such as the Miao, the Yao ,the Hui, the Man and the She in the Guangdong Province. In 1989 the population was estimated at 60,240,000. Besides, there are a large number of Guangdong people who have emigrated abroad. Guangdong Province was first set up in 1370 A.D. with Guangzhou as its capital. People in Guangdong Province have revolutionary traditions . The first page of Chinese modern history began in Guangdong (the Anti-imperialism's Opium War), which is also the starting point of Chinese Democratic Revolution. As the South Gate of China, Guangdong has been opining to the outside world for a long time. Since the adoption of opening and reforming policy in 1978, three special economic zones, Shen Zhen, Zhuhai and Shantou, have been established, Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, the Zhujiang (Pearl River) Delta areas and the whole coastal regions have been opened. More than 100 ports have also been opened. So Guangdong's transportation is convenient. Its industry is devoloping and agricultural products (rice, fruits, fishing, etc)are abundant. Its economy is developing rapidly.

The transport conditions in Guangdong Province are fairly good. So far, the water transportation has been playing a very important role. The ocean shops go from Guangzhou or Zhanjiang to South East Asia, Africa, Europe and America, and more than 40 ports in Shanghai , Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, Nantong, Ningbo, Yantai, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Wenzhou, Beihai and etc. Guangdong is also one of the provinces in China where the highways have been developed into the networks all over the province. And there are four railways: Beijiang to Guangzhou, Guangzhou to Jiulong, Guangzhou to Maoming and Litang to Zhanjiang. The air transport services are developing rapidly. Besides an airport in Guangzhou, there are some other airports in Zhanjing, Shantou, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Foshan, Huizhou, Wuhua, Meixian, Yangjiang etc. which connect with all the large cities in China. There are more than 10 international airlines.

The handicraft industry in Guangdong is in the lead in the whole country with a long history and unique features. As early as 1870s, the handicraft industry in Ganging had become well known as "guanghuo". Hardware(such as keys, knives, flashlights), umbrella, leather products, furniture (especial the carved mahogany furniture) are all well-known in the world. Among the artware, the ivory carving, gem carving, iron carving, porcelain carving and golden-wood carving are well known for their excellent design. The Guangdong embroidery and the Chaozhou embroidery, one of the four kinds of best embroideries in China , are known for their beautiful patterns and exquisite craft. Besides, there are also Zhaoqing's inkstone, Dongguan's fireworks, Shiwan's porcelain and Xingning's folding fan.

The local culture in Guangdong is also well developed. The main dialects are Guangzhou dialects , Hakka dialects and Chao zhou dialects. There are Guangdong local music, Yue opera, Chaozhou opera and Guangdong Han opera. The Lingnan architecture, Guangdong cooking and folk custom are all fascinating. Guangdong is a place with beautiful mountains and rivers, moderate climate and many scenic spots. The Luofu Mountain, the Danxia mountain, the Dinghu Mountain and the Xiqiao Mountain are the four famous mountains in Guangdong Province. There are also many wonderful attractions for tourism and holidays all over the province.

guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province
Guangzhou, located at the north of the Pearl River delta, is an important trading center as well as a busy port and the capital city of the province of Guandong . The city has an area of over 16,000 square kilometers and a population of 6.7 million.

The climate of Guangzhou is sub-tropical. The average year-round temperature is 22C. August is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 28C. January is the coldest month, with an average of 13C. The rainy season falls between April and August. Average annual rainfall is 1,720 mm.

Like Athens of Greece and Rome of Italy, Guangzhou also has a history of more than 2,800 years.

There are a lot of interesting legends concerning its past. One of the beautiful stories which gives the city its name Goat Town says that five gods riding on five goats brought the first grain to the city. So, it is also known as the City of Five Goats. Besides tales and stories, here and there stand monuments of the city's democratic and revolutionary past. The monument to the Anti British struggle at San Yuan Li is in remembrance of the 1841 uprising against a British invading force. The Huang Hua Gang Park keeps alive the spirit of the 72 martyrs killed in an 1911 uprising against the Manchu dynasty. The National Peasant Movement Institute is the former cadre-training school founded and run by Mao Zedong and Zhou En Lai in 1925-1926. The Guangzhou Memorial Garden is in memory of those who lost their lives during the Communist Uprising in 1927.

Guangzhou is also one of the most important centers of foreign commerce in South China. The Chinese Export Commodities Fair has been held twice a year in the city since 1957. It is also a cultural center. There are several universities, the Zhongshan University, the South China University of Technology, the Ji-nan University and so on. There are also higher educational establishments. The city is renowned for its arts and crafts, namely the Guang Dong embroidery, ivory-carving and ceramics.

Guangzhou is a beautiful city with an ever-green scenery and flowers blooming all the year round. The city boasts many tourist attractions, among which highlights are White Cloud Hill Scenic Spot. Yuexiu Park, Guangzhou Zoo, Six Banyan Temple and Flowery Pagoda, Dr. Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall, etc. In the Suburbs, there are such scenic spot on Conghua Hot Springs, Xiqiao Hill Scenic spot, Seven Star Crags, and Foshan City. Lots of tourists to Guangzhou like to cover one or two of them for out-of-city pleasure.

"Eating in Guangzhou" has become a popular saying both at home and abroad. Guangzhou ranks first in the number of restaurants and tea-houses in the country. Cantonese cuisine is good in color, fragrance, taste and presentation. In addition, the delicate Cantonese pastry is also well-known for its wide range of varieties, delicious flavor and beautiful color. Cantonese cuisine is among the most famous four in the country.

As for hotel accommodations, there are Garden Hotel, China Hotel, White Swan Hotel, Dongfang Hotel, Nanhu Hotel, the Overseas Mansion, the Overseas Chinese Mansion, the Overseas Hotel and others.

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shantou
Shantou, one of the important seaport cities, a famous hometown of overseas Chinese and one of the five special economic zones (SEZ) in China, is the center of politics, economy and culture in East Guangdong.

Shantou,situated on the Chao-Shan Plainand with its terrain downward from northwest to southeast,is the outlet of Hanjiang River,which is the second longest river im Guangdong Province. Shantou has a semitropical maritime climate,with annual average temperature of 21°C to 22°C,average sunshine time of over 2000 hours and the annual precipitation of 1300-1,800mm.

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Zhuhai City[/SIZE]


Zhuhai City is situated on the west bank of the Pearl River, looking on to Hong Kong and Shenzhen across the outlet of the Pearl River, bordering on the South China Sea and joining Macao on the land in the south, on the west with Xinhui and Taishan, to its north is Zhongshan. It is an important port for import and export that connects the inland with Hong Kong and Macao. In March 1979 it became a city at the prefecture level under the jurisdiction of the Province. In August 1980 Zhuhai Special Economic Zone was established with the Municipal Government seated in Xiangzhou District of Zhuhai, with Doumen District and Xiangzhou District under its jurisdiction. The five functional districts set up with the approval by the State and the Province, namely, the bonded area, new hi-tech development area, Wanshan Sea Development Experimental Area, Hengqin Economic Development area, Lingang Industrial Area, have become key areas of development in Zhuhai.


The total area is 7,649 sq, km., of which the land area is 1,630 sq. km with rich land resources. The sea area is very vast with coastal and island lines of 690 km, with 146 isles dotting in the sea area, winning the nickname of "Hundred Isles City ". Therefore, Zhuhai is endowed with rich tourist resource with prominent features: New Yuanming Palace, Dreamy Water Town, the former residence of Chen Fang, Meixi Memorial Gateway, the Imperial Hot Spring, Crocodiles Pond, Pearl Amusement Park and the Agricultural & Scientific Center. The myriad of isles and islands and the beautiful beaches of specially unique styles, attract 10 million tourists from home and abroad every year.

There are in Zhuhai perfect facilities of information, energy, city water and urban utilities. There has been established an all enveloping transmission network of broad-band information with big-capacity optic fiber, digital micro-wave, cable and broadcast TV. Long distance telephone calls can reach 1,800 cities in the country and practically all places in the world. A batch of power and water supply facilities have been set up to provide for the need of water and power. There are easy communicational facilities: a network of land, sea and air transportation has taken shape. The modern Zhuhai Airport can handle the taking off and landing of hundred thousand flights of planes annually, with flights to major cities in the country. Zhuhai Port is one of the major pivot ports in China, with potential for building over 100 berths for 10,000 -25,000 ton cargo ships, and a handling capacity of 150 million tons. The Zhuhai Section of Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway has been completed and opened to traffic. It takes only 1.5 hours from Zhuhai to Guangzhou, or to Shenzhen.

Zhuhai City is one of the areas that are of high economic potential in South China. It has won for four times the title of "Model City for Double Support", and commended as "Model City of Environmental Protection" ,"hygienic city" and "Fine Tourist City" at the state level, and has been granted the prize by Human Inhabitation Center of the U.N. for "The Internationally Best Model of Improving the Inhabitation Environment", and it was entitled as "Demonstration Area of Ecology" at the state level.
zhuhai map

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Heyuan City

Heyuan City exercises jurisdiction over Yuancheng District, Dongyuan County, Heping County, Longchuan County, Zijin County and Lianping County. The total area is 15,800 square kilometers, with a population of 3.2194 million. The Municipality is seated in Yuancheng District.

Heyuan City is situated in north-east of Guangdong, upper middle reach of Dongjiang (the East River), 114°13'- 115°35' longitude east, and 23°10'-24°50' latitude north. Heyuan neighbors on Huizhou to the south, Ganzhou of Jiangxi Province to the north, Meizhou to the east and Shaoguan to the west. It is the juncture of the coastal areas of Guangdong between the inner land. Beijing-Kowloon Railway, Guangzhou-Meizhou-Shantou Railway cross in the city, with a marshalling station at Longchuan, which is the biggest one in South China; State Highway 105 and 205 run through the city; on the waterway of Dongjiang can sail hundred-ton cargo ships to Huizhou, Dongguan, and Guangzhou. The city is favorably located with convenient communications; so it may draw in economic radiation from all directions, exploring markets and resources of all kinds.

Heyuan has fertile land and rich resources. There are 0.11 million hectares of cultivated land, 1.36 million of hilly land, and 0.064 million hectares of water area. The mineral reserves are of great quantity and high grades. There are over 40 proven species of minerals. The reserves of iron ore, tungsten, tin, fluorite and rare earth rank first in Guangdong. The potential hydraulic power is 1.27 million KW. Xingfengjiang Hydro-power Station, the greatest in the Province, is in the urban area of Heyuan. The forest coverage amounts to 70%. The voulume of timber growth is 1.765 million cubic meters. The area is one of the key forest production bases of Guangdong.

The beautiful scenes in Heyuan bring about many spots of tourist interest. There is a Fountain, which is the tallest in Asia, State Forest Park on Xinfengjiang; Scenic Area on Dagui Mountain and the first big artificial lake-Wanlu Lake; there are newly set up scenic spots like Sujiawei Round House and scenes from Jinghuayuan (a novel of the Qing Dynasty); historical relics like fossil eggs of dinosaurs, fossil skeletons of dinosaurs and fossil chrysanthemums; Tuo Cheng, a historical city of Guangdong, Huoshan and Shuikeng scenic area in Longchuan; in Zijin there the residences of the ancestors of Dr. Sun Yat-sen; Neiguan Mountains and rivers in Lianping, and there are scenic spots at Huanglong Crag at Zhangxi of Dongyuan County. Prominent local products are Chinese kiwi fruit, dried mushrooms of Jiulian, garlic of Heyuan, Hakka home-brewed liquor, natural pure water of Xinfengjiang and mineral water, bamboo mats, sweet tangerines, green tea, and pot culture.


Foshan
Located in the central part of the Zhujiang River Delta, Foshan has a favorable geographic location and excellent natural conditions, and long been called"a land of fish and rice " for its plentiful products. It has a total area of 4, 736 square kilometers (the city proper, 77 square kilometers) and a population of 2.63 million in 1987 (municipal population, 0.33 million). During the Qin and Han Dynasty, Foshan became an agricultural and fishery village of a considerable size, and the present urban seat was called "Jihua Village" in the Sui Dynasty. In 628 (AD), three bronze statues of Buddha were excavated in Tapo Hill within the town, thus changing its name to Foshan which is called "Chan" for short. Ceramic industry rose in the Tang Dynasty and brought the name "Ceramic Capital in South China" for the city whose products sold well at home and abroad. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Foshan had enjoyed equal popularity with Zhuxian Town in Henan Province, Jingde Town in Jiangxi Province, Hankou Town in Hubei Province, thus identified as one of the four famous towns in China. Ceramics, casting, textile, pharmacy and folk handicrafts were extremely flourishing in the early Qin Dynasty when the population reached 0.9 million. Foshan was a town of Nanhai county after the Xinghai Revolution, and became a city in 1951. Being a well-known industrial city of medium size in Guangdong Province, Foshan has four pillar industries of textile, electronics, ceramics and plastics, and also a rather string foundation in food-processing, pharmacy, printing, crafts, hardware, electric appliance, machinery and casting, acting as a comprehensive commodity base in Guangdong Province. 24 external ports opened by Foshan Airport. Keeping abreast with large cities such as Shenyang and Wuhan, Foshan got a total output value of industry and agriculture of 16.8 billion Yuan in 1988, three times what was in 1980. Purchasing value for foreign export was 2.3 billion Yuan in 1988. Since 1960's, Foshan has been a national Red-Flag (model) City in public hygiene, and also renowned for track and field sports. Zumiao (ancestral) Temple and Lianyuan Garden are the main ancient buildings. Traditional handicrafts include papercuttings, decorative lamps, Shiwan figures, and colorful costumes worn by local people who parade in the streets in the autumn.




zhanjiang city

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Chaozhou[B]
Located in the north of the Delta of the Hanjiang River, Chaozhou city is one of the famous historic cities. It had been the location of Lu Administration, prefecture and capital of dynasties of past ages. It was named Chaozhou originally in the Sui Dynasty (591 AD). Chaozhou City now governs 1 district, 20 towns and 3 small towns and has 1,411 square kilometers in area, and 1.24 million in population. Chaozhou City is surrounded by the Golden Mountain, the Silver Mountain and Hanshan Mountain. The Hanjiang River flows through the city and eight scenes distributed along its both banks. There are many valuable historic relics in Chaozhou city, totally about 600 units and among them 42 are classified as the state, provincial and city's key preservation units of cultural relics, The city's feature is known as "Classic Tourist City" which receives numerous tourists both from abroad and home.

Chaozhou has a long history of handicrafts. It is famous in the world for its traditional drawnwork, Chaozhou embroidery, pottery, porcelain, and woodcut which sell well both on foreign and domestic markets. In recent years a lot of new industries have emerged. Chaozhou is also one of well-known agricultural high production zones in China, with its fine tradition of intensive cultivation and attacking great importance to agricultural science and technology. Many of agricultural and sideline productions gain a great reputation in world markets. With unique styles, the Chaozhou Drama, Chaozhou Music and Chaozhou handicrafts are not only well received by local people, but also loved by overseas Chinese in South-east Asia. As its characteristics of sweet-smelling , thickness, freshness and sweetness, the Chaozhou cooking is enjoying more popularity.

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Meizhou
Under the jurisdiction of Jieyang County, Nanhai Prefecture in Qin and Han Dynasties, Meizhou was originally called Meizhou in the Song Dynasty (971 AD) from its Mei Brook and plum blossom (Mei Blossom ) in ancient times, it was Jiaying Zhou in Qing Dynasty and it was changed into Meixian in 1911. Meizhou has jurisdiction over seven counties and one district. Its area is 16, 197 square kilometers and population is 4,190,000 , an area of 321 square kilometers and a population of 21,000 in the city proper.

　　Meizhou is an important city on the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River. It is a hub of communication on the borders of Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi and also the material collecting and distributing center. Meizhou is also a well-known overseas Chinese hometown with about 500,000 overseas Chinese scattered in about 70 countries and regions. It also has the name of " cultural hometown". Its culture can be traced to the same origin from central China to ancient times and is the center of the kejia culture with a galaxy of talent.

　　There locate many scenic spots and historical sites in Meizhou City. The Tower with One Thousand Buddhists "situated in the summit of Eastern Mountain was built in Han Dynasty, same as the East and the West iron Towers in Guangxiao Temple of Guangzhou. The "Renjinglu" Cottage in the brook lip of eastern district was former residence of Mr. Huang Zunxian, the late patriotic poet, outstanding statesman and diplomat. It is now the key preservation unit of cultural relic.