History         

   Guangdong Province has a time-honored history. As early as 130,000 years ago, humans lived in Maba, Qujiang County of Guangdong. So comes the name "Qujiang Maba Human". In history Guangdong Province was known as the place of "Baiyue" - Hundreds of Ethnic Yue People. That is why the province is nowadays addressed "Yue" in short form. When he brought about unification of China, Emperor Qinshihuang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221- 206 BC), established Nanhai Prefecture with capital in Panyu (now Guangzhou) in the 33rd year of his reign (214 BC).. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), Nanhai Prefecture was within the jurisdiction of Jiaozhou District. In the time of the Three Kingdoms (220-280), it was governed by the State of Wu with Sun Quan as its king. Formed in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Lingnan Dao - (Dao was an administration region in ancient China) was composed of today's Guangdong Province and Guangxi Autonomous Region of the Ethnic Zhuang People. In the year 993, the 4th Year of Chunhua in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the name of Lingnan Dao was changed to Guangnan Dao. By the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), it was renamed as Guangdong Dao. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Guangdong Dao office of Xuan Wei Shi (the imperial pacification commissioner) was set up, and later changed to the Guangdong office of Bu Zheng Shi (imperial administration commissioner). In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), modern Guangdong Province was founded, and this name has been in use ever since. 

     Although Guangdong started to develop relatively late, its productivity level had already caught up with that of the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), making it one of the economically developed regions in ancient China. In modern times, commodity production and foreign trade were quite booming in Guangdong - one of the cradles of Chinese modern industry and national industry. In the year 1866 also titled as the 5th year of Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the construction of a firearm factory was prepared in Guangzhou. In 1873, Nanhai Jichang Reeling Mill was built, which was the first factory of China national industry.

     In the modern and contemporary history of China, Guangdong was at the center of historical revolution and a multitude of heroes, such as Hong Xiuquan (1814 - 1864), Kang Youwei (1858 -1927), Liang Qichao (1873 - 1929), Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866 -1925), Ye Jianying (1897-1986), emerged right here in parallel with the happenings of the historical events like Opium Wars (1840-1842 and 1856-1860), Taiping Rebellion (1851-1868), Reform Movement of 1898, the Northern Expedition War (1926-1927), the Grand Strike of Guangzhou & Hong Kong (1925-1926) and Guangzhou Uprising (1927), leaving with us a number of places of historic interest.

     Since China adopted the policy of reform and opening up in 1979, considerable changes have taken place in Guangdong. In terms of its gross economy, Guangdong has been the bellwether province for years in China. Meanwhile, remarkable achievements have been scored in its cultural and ideological progress and various social services.

Geography and Resources