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Probably not the first place most foreigners think of when they mull visiting China, but Foshan is very well known within China proper. This city is associated with a remarkable list of important Chinese historical figures including Sun Yatsen, founder of the modern Chinese state, Huang Fei Hong, the legendary martial arts who inspired legions of kung fu flicks (a good one to watch is Once Upon A Time In China starring Jet Li), both Bruce Lee and his teacher, Wing Chung master Yip Man, and a host of others.
Just 19 km southwest of Guangzhou, Foshan is now a prosperous modern city, the third largest in teeming Guangdong, complete with five-star hotels, rotating restaurants, electronics factories and direct trains to Hong Kong. Its record as an economically successful town goes back a long way, with renowned pottery and ceramics industries that date back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). In fact, during both the Song and Tang dynasties (618-907), for some 650 years, Foshan was considered one of the top four cities in China.
Though it no longer carries that title, and no longer has much to attract foreign tourists, Foshan still draws its fair share of Chinese and Hong Kongese tourists, who flock to the town to take in the enormous ancestral Foshan Zu Miao (Foshan Ancestral Temple), dedicated to Beidi, Taoist god of water and guardian of the city. Visitors also come to stroll through Sun Yat Sen Park and Qinghui Yuan (Qinghui garden), a leafy, well-manicured, Ming-era garden replete with flower gardens, bridges and pavilions. Other attractions include the still-functioning monument to Foshan's eldest industry, the Ancient Nanfeng Kiln as well as the extinct volcanic peaks of Xiqiao Mountain, a pearl of Guangdong landscape comprising 28 waterfalls, caves and a host of peaks and trails to explore. |
| History |
Foshan got its name back in the days of Emperor Zhen Guan of the Tang Dynasty, when three statues of Lord Gautama were unearthed on a nearby hill, transforming Foshan into an important religious center. Since that time, Foshan has been a center of trade and commerce specializing especially in ceramics, and in the production of notable historical figures.
Huang Fei Hong, the legendary martial arts master and physician, and probably the most portrayed character in all of movie history, was based here. He founded the Po Chi Lam Clinic and Martial Arts School, gaining fame and praise for never refusing patients, especially the poor. Later, with his medical knowledge and martial arts prowess, he became the military medical officer and martial arts general drillmaster under Provincial Commander-in-Chief , Wu Quanmei. Through Po Chi Lam, Huang Fei Hong would mentor a generation of martial artists, but the knowledge and skill he passed on would be mostly wiped out first in the Sino-Japanese wars, and then finally in the cultural revolution.
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| Climate |
Foshan has a humid, subtropical monsoon climate with temperate weather and heavy rainfall. Summer is extremely hot and humid and quite uncomfortable for those accustomed to drier climates. The best time to visit is spring and late fall, when temperatures cool and the air dries. |
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Nov 22 2008 |
| Foshan |
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| Sunny / Cloudy |
| 24℃～15℃ |
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