The most populous and prosperous province in all of China (2007 GDP 3.06 trillion Yuan - US$422 billion), Guangdong has long been a bastion of trade with the outside world, remaining so even as the rest of China was closed to foreign nations. Now, it is one of China's main economic engines, and one of the main corporate gateways into China.
Bisected by the tropic of cancer and endowed with thousands of kilometers of shoreline on the South China Sea, Guangdong stays hot almost all year long, but its dearth of beaches or tourist attractions make it an unlikely destination for travelers, except, of course, Hong Kong shoppers looking for big discounts in Shenzhen’s malls and markets.
Guangdong is distinct from the rest of China because of its predominant language of Cantonese, and was long considered one of the empire's backwaters. Mostly seeing Guangdong as a repository for disgraced officials, the majority Han Chinese long viewed their "Cantonese" brethren with suspicion for their longstanding habit of trading with "foreign barbarians."
Indeed, the Cantonese spearheaded Chinese emigration to the USA, Canada, South Africa and Australia in the mid-19th century, lured by the promise of the then occurring gold-rushes in those countries. Thus it is that most "Chinatowns" worldwide represent Cantonese culture, rather than Han Chinese culture. Today, those 20 million foreign Chinese target their former home province for investment.
Today, a large proportion of Guangdong's population is made up from migrant workers. With the main focus being business and little to bind people together culturally, it's often the case that visitors feel that major cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou are devoid of spirit. Nonetheless, there are still a few points of interest worth visiting if you find yourself traveling in the area.
Those looking to take in some of Guangdong's history will definitely want to check out the Opium War Museum as well as the Humen Naval Battle Museum both of which are located in or around the city of Dongguan. Also of historical interest is the Dr Sun Yatsen Residence Memorial Museum in Cuiheng. The Shenzhen Museum combines history with art and features over 20,000 jade, bronze and porcelain artifacts. The Guangdong Museum of Art is housed in a strikingly modern building and puts on special exhibitions periodically.
If you're into nature, you won't want to miss Liang's Garden, one of the most beautiful in Guangdong. The city of Zhaoqing has Seven Star Crags Park, an island bounded by lakes where you can explore grottoes and caves. Dinghu Shan provides excellent walks which will take you by a butterfly reserve, waterfalls and the enormous Qingyun Temple.
Going way back, we can trace Guangdong's history back to the Qujiang Maba people who inhabited this lush, hilly land 130,000 years ago. Though the Chinese nation came into being around 221 BC, Guangdong remained far outside the main sphere of Chinese influence in the north and only became a part of China in 214 BC, when it fell under the rule of
the Qin. Later, in 226, it became a proper province, named "Guang".
Later,
the Tang decided that Guang would be made part of the Lingnan (Mountain South) Circuit in 627 along with the region of Guangxi. It was renamed Guangnan East Circuit
gu菐ng nán
d艒ng lù in 971 during the
Song Dynasty (960-1279) and "Guangnan East" eventually gave rise to "Guangdong".
The 13
th Century saw the
Southern Song Dynasty retreating from
Mongol conquest. Their retreat took them all the way into Guangdong where they were finally defeated at The
Battle of Yamen in 1279, the largest naval battle in all of history.
Since 1979, when Guangdong finally re-opened to the outside world, dramatic changes have taken place. What was once an economically under-developed province has now vaulted ahead of all others to become the richest province in all of China.
Guangdong has a steamy, subtropical climate. Summers can be sweltering - hot and wet, humidity indexes often hitting the 90 mark and above. Typhoons hit this province frequently in summer and autumn. Annual rainfall averages nearly 1500-2000 millimeters, with about 140-160 days of precipitation per year.
The hottest month is in July, the mean highs being in the 28º Celsius zone, and the mean coolest temperatures in January hover around 13º Celsius. The best time for travel to Guangdong is in spring and autumn.