广州Guangzhou

广州是广东省省会，广东省政治、经济、科技、教育和文化中心。广州地处广东省东南部，珠江三角洲北缘，范围为东经112度57分—114度3分，北纬22度26分—23度56分，濒临南海，毗邻香港和澳门，是华南地区的交通通讯枢纽和贸易口岸，是中国的“南大门”。2000年6月，番禺、花都两县级市撤市设区后，广州成为中国南方的海滨城市。广州又叫“五羊城”、“穗城”，是中国华南地区最大的城市。
 
广州市辖十区和两个县级市，总面积7434.4 平方公里，人口685多万人，共设82个街道办事处、78个镇。市区平均每天有流动人口182多万人。

由于北依九连山脉，南向伶仃洋，左有罗浮山，右有青云山，中有九连山-南昆山为龙脉，整个地势东北高，西南低，再加上从化温泉，白云山风光和珠江三角洲田园风光，广州成为一个山秀、水清、人杰、地灵、最美的祖国南方大城市。清代南粤诗人屈大均曾以“五岭北来峰在地，九州南尽水浮天”的诗名来形容它的美丽。确实，它一年四季如春，繁花似锦，除夕迎春花市闻名海内外，又有“花城”之美誉。

广州是一座历史古城，已有2800多年的文化历史。隋唐五代时期，广州就是世界著名的港口，一直到宋朝，都保持着全国第一大港的地位。经过2000多年的变迁，广州已发展成为一个多功能的综合性的现代型大都市。

Capitail of the Guangdong Province, Guangzhou is the center of the province in terms of politics, economy, science, education and culture. Ranging from 112°57' to 114°3' of the east longitude and 22°26' to 23°56' of the northern latitude, Guangzhou lies in the southeast of Guangzhou Province and the north of the Pearl Delta. Facing the South China Sea and adjoining to Hong Kong and Macao, Guangzhou is the transportation pivot as well as the south gateway of China. In June 2000, Guangzhou became a city with seashore in south China after Fanyu and Huadu cities were rearranged as its districts. Being the biggest city in South China, Guangzhou has other titles such as the City of Five Ram and the City of Spike.

Under the direct jurisdiction of Guangzhou City there are ten districts and two county-level cities, with altogether 82 sub-district offices and 78 towns. Guangzhou has a total land area of 7,434.4 square kilometers and a population of more than 6,850,000 with a daily average floating population of more than 1,820,000.

The physical feature of Guangdong is that, the land is higher in the northeast and lower in the southwest. Guangzhou leans against Jiulian Mountains in the north, Luofu Mountain in the west, Qingyun Mountain in the east, and the Jiulian-Nankun Mountain range in the middle, and faces the Lingding Sea in the south. The Conghua Spring, Baiyun Mountain and the Pearl Delta make the city a most beautiful municipality in south China.

Qu Dajun, a famous poet in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), once wrote a poem to show the beauty of this city: the five mountains in the north and the sea in the south make the city a heaven on the earth. Indeed, with a mild temperature and a variety of flowers all over the year, Guangzhou can really match its name as a City of Flower.

With a civilization of over 2,800 years, Guangzhou has a splendid culture. Ever since the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties period (581-960), Guangzhou had been a famous port. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it was ranked as the top port of the whole country. Guangzhou has become a comprehensive modern municipality through 2,000 years of development and evolution.