Guangzhou

Guangzhou (广州) is the capital and most populous city of the province of Guangdong in southern China.

Administratively, the city holds sub-provincial status and is one of China's nine National Central Cities. At the end of 2018, the population of the city's expansive administrative area was estimated at 14,904,400 by city authorities.

On the Pearl River about 120 km (75 mi) north-northwest of Hong Kong and 145 km (90 mi) north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the maritime Silk Road, and continues to serve as a major port and transportation hub, as well as one of China's three largest cities.

Guangzhou is at the heart of the most-populous built-up metropolitan area in mainland China, which extends into the neighboring cities of Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan and Shenzhen, forming one of the largest urban agglomerations on Earth, the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Currently the metro network is made up of thirteen lines, covering a total length of 476.26 km (295.93 mi).

The Guangzhou Bus Rapid Transit (GBRT) system which was introduced in 2010 along Zhongshan Road. It has several connections to the metro and is the world's 2nd-largest bus rapid transit system with 1,000,000 passenger trips daily.

AIRPORTS

Guangzhou's main airport is the Baiyun International Airport in Baiyun District; it opened on August 5, 2004. This airport is the second busiest airport in terms of traffic movements in China.

Guangzhou is served by Hong Kong International Airport; ticketed passengers can take ferries from the Lianhuashan Ferry Terminal and Nansha Ferry Port in Nansha District to the HKIA Skypier. There are also coach bus services connecting Guangzhou with HKIA.

RAILWAYS

Guangzhou is the terminus of the Beijing–Guangzhou, Guangzhou–Shenzhen, Guangzhou–Maoming and Guangzhou–Meizhou–Shantou conventional speed railways. In late 2009, the Wuhan–Guangzhou high-speed railway started service, with multiple unit trains covering 980 km (608.94 mi) at a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph).

In December 2014, the Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railway and Nanning-Guangzhou railway began service with trains running at top speeds of 250 km/h (155 mph) and 200 km/h (124 mph), respectively.

The Guangdong Through Train departs from the Guangzhou East railway station and arrives at the Hung Hom Station in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The route is approximately 182 km (113 mi) in length and the ride takes less than two hours. Frequent coach services are also provided with coaches departing every day from different locations (mostly major hotels) around the city.

FERRIES

There are daily high-speed catamaran services between Nansha Ferry Terminal and Lianhua Shan Ferry Terminal in Guangzhou and the Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal, as well as between Nansha Ferry Terminal and Macau Ferry Pier in Hong Kong.

ATTRACTIONS

There are many tourist attractions, including:

Canton Tower
Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, housing Guangzhou's folk art museum
Chime-Long Paradise
Chime-Long Waterpark (长隆水上乐园)
Guangdong Provincial Museum
Guangzhou Zoo
Huaisheng Mosque, site of the Plain Pagoda
Mulberry Park, public center demonstrating mulberry growing and silk making
Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King
Peasant Movement Training Institute, an important Maoist site
Sacred Heart Cathedral or Stone House
Temple of Bright Filial Piety (Guangxiao)
Temple of the Six Banyan Trees (Liurong), site of the Flowery Pagoda
Shamian or Shameen Island, the old trading compound
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, site of Guangzhou's former presidential palace
Xiguan, the western suburbs of the old city

PARKS & RECREATION

Baiyun Mountain
Nansha Wetland Park
People's Park
South China Botanical Garden
Yuexiu Park
Dongshanhu Park (东山湖公园)
Liuhuahu Park (流花湖公园)
Liwanhu Park (荔湾湖公园)
Luhu Park (麓湖公园)
Martyrs' Park (广州起义烈士陵园)
Pearl River Park (珠江公园)
Yuntai Garden (云台花园)
Shimen National Forest Park(石门国家森林公园)
Haizhu Lake Park(海珠湖公园)