Overview: A beautiful, thriving Foshan

A glittering pearl in South China

Foshan is seen as a glittering pearl in South China. Standing in the hinterland of the river-woven Pearl River Delta, it has a glorious past, great ambition for the future and numerous ongoing success stories to tell.

Foshan boasts a long history of industrial and commercial activities. Humans started to appear as early as more than 6,000 years ago. Foshan had come into a sizable fishing village more than 200 years BC. Around the 11th century, it has grown into a town with industrial and commercial importance, highly developed in ceramic manufacturing and silk weaving. As an important port for foreign trade, it witnessed the flow of Chinese silk, medicines and arts and handicrafts out to the rest of Asian and the world. Around the 17th century, Foshan reached a peak in its development, becoming one of the four commercial centres alongside with Beijing, Suzhou and Hankou, as well as one of the four best known towns together with Hankou, Jingdezhen and Zhuxianzhen.
Foshan has rich historic and cultural heritage. In the 15th century, the Cantonese Yueju Opera, an opera with great passion and subtle feelings, started to spread far beyond. The historic sites in Foshan, led by Ancestral Temple, all tell the ups and downs of the ancient city and glitters with the wisdom of local people. The ever burning fire at the 500-year-old Nanfeng Ancient Kiln embodies the miracle of passing-on of the pottery art. The silent alleys at Donghuali ancient residential buildings stages the beautiful ancient dreams. The Liangs' Garden and Qinghui Garden stand side by side to show the unique architectural beauty. And the numerous historic celebrities, including Kang Youwei, Zhan Tianyou, Huang Feihong, Bruce Lee, Lun Wenxu and Chen Qiyuan, have made their respective legends with their martial arts or virtue.

Foshan has become a city with great economic strength. Brilliant for its cultural heritage, its economy also draws the attention of the world. On the 3,800-square kilometers land, its 5.6 million people have achieved outstanding annual gross domestic product of 160 billion yuan (US$20 billion). As a first mover in the reform and opening-up of China, Foshan has rapidly emerged with a complete industrial structure. This land, with the fames of "the world's household electric appliances manufacturing base," "furniture capital of China" and "ceramics capital of China," have bred 30 famous brands in China.

Foshan is full of vitality and hope. With a tradition of honesty and wisdom, it has the cultural characteristics of openness. In 1994, Foshan was designated as a "Historical and Cultural City of China." In 1997, it was awarded by the United Nations for "Best Practice on Human Settlements." The awards as nationally designated model city for hygiene and the beauty of landscape shows only part of the charm of Foshan. Under the hefty goal of modernization and grand blueprints for development of the river banks and functional districts, people of Foshan are taking firmer steps with fuller confidence. Always with grand visions and openness, people of Foshan are set to write a new chapter of greater glory in the trend of sustainable development.

  Natural Environment: Picturesque Mountains and Bountiful Rivers

Foshan is located in central south of Guangdong Province and the hinterland of the Pearl River Delta, adjacent to Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao. Under its jurisdiction are administrative districts of Chancheng, Nanhai, Shunde, Sanshui and Gaoming. Foshan and Guangzhou, a central city in South China, form jointly the "Guangzhou-Foshan Economic Ring."
Mainly formed of alluvial plain, Foshan has a hot and rainy climate. With rivers encompassing it, Foshan has an evergreen landscape and beautiful sceneries. The ecological mode featuring farming of a combination of fish ponds and mulberry fields has been in place since the 17th century.

  Culture: Outstanding history and culture

Cultural heritage has been handed down generation after generation in this ancient city, embedded in the cultural celebrities, historic sites, folk customs and colourful modern life.
Foshan exhibits its unique charm in the Lingnan culture in South China. The Hedang culture dating 6,000 years ago explains the long-standing civilization and history of "Pottery Capital in South China." Nanfeng Ancient Kiln tells the compelling story of Shiwan tiles, considered to be some of the finest ceramics in the world.
Cantonese Yueju Opera, martial arts and pottery art have laid the cultural foundation of the historic city. Historic sites and ancient buildings, grand and intricate, reflect the great era. Paper cutting, lantern making and other folk handicraft embody the skills and intelligence of the local people. The Qiuse parade, proceeds over the Tongji Bridge during the Lantern Festival, dragon and lion dancing, and dragon boat racing and other folk cultural events mirror the harmony and happiness of generations. And Huang Feihong, Bruce Lee, Kang Youwei and other historic celebrities made the glories and dreams of the ancestors.

 1. A long history

The Beiqiu Ruins, covering an area of nearly 10,000 square metres, were unearthed in Damai Village, Lanshi Town, Foshan in 1977. Back in the Neolithic Age, 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, the area's inhabitants were already making and using exquisite stone and pottery wares and ornaments.
Foshan is a city of glory and great people. In contemporary times, many well-known local figures, who upheld empirically oriented disciplines, were closely tied to the progress of the Chinese society. They either pushed forward the movement with their thoughts ideas, drove the development of the national industry through their businesses, or promoted the country's artistic sensibilities with their cultural accomplishments.

2. Renowned ancient buildings

Splendid temples, elegant gardens and graceful residential buildings. The ancient buildings in Foshan, built according to lofty principles emphasizing exquisite structural motifs and superlative craftsmanship, are preserved precious historic treasures of Guangdong. Four historic sites in Foshan have been granted State-level protection.

3. Folk customs and culture

Throughout Foshan's lengthy history, colourful, unique and deeply rooted folk customs and culture thrived. Local people pray for the well-being of their families, celebrate harvest and express their hopes for a beautiful life on occasions commemorating the birthdays of different gods, a variety of festivals or during the slack times of the farming season.

4. Cantonese Yueju Opera

Cantonese Yueju Opera originated in Foshan. The opera speaks for the unique culture of Lingnan, with its evocative songs, glamorous costumes and makeup and exquisite stage sets. With 11,360 different storylines, the art form stands out among other forms of opera worldwide. First popular in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, it is now appreciated all over the world, with many overseas Chinese tracing their roots back to the home of Yueju Opera.

5. Martial arts

Foshan has always enjoyed economic prosperity. Its geographical location in the Pearl River Delta has made it crucial to trade and transportation in western Guangdong as well as a place of military significance. Martial arts have long played an important role in both defense and personal physical prowess and discipline. Since the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the martial arts, their sects and masters have increased. The martial arts culture of Foshan, widely supported by the local people and promoted by masters through movies and TV programmes, have earned worldwide respect.

6. Ceramic art

The ceramics industry of Shiwan, Foshan started to boom during the Han Dynasty(206 BC-AD 220) and became revered as "Shiwan tiles, the finest under the heaven" in the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911). Made by skilled and knowledgeable local artisans, the pottery of Foshan, especially figurines depicting humans and animals, almost excels nature. With the development of industry and commerce in Foshan, ceramics have extended to practical fields, making the city one of the major ceramic building materials production bases in China.

7. Modern cultural life

Modern cultural life in Foshan thrives on innovation in both its cultural heritage and fashions from home and abroad. The city successfully combines its rich cultural heritage with a readiness to adapt and incorporate contemporary ideas.

8.Folk craft

Foshan enjoys a long history of folk craft, having made great achievements in this field. Exquisite, artistic paper cutting, New Year paintings on block and lantern making are just as vivid and beautiful as the world they portray.

9. Culture industry

The industrial sector has incorporated more cultural aspects to give its products greater aesthetic appeal, adding value to Foshan's economic success.

  Economic Strength: Famous brands and a booming economy

Foshan has made great economic strides from the very beginning of the reform and opening-up policy of the 1980s, ranking third in the main economic indices in Guangdong Province. In 2004, Foshan's GDP was 165.3 billion yuan (US$20 billion), with a per capita GDP of 47,500 yuan (US$5,800).
The city's ten pillar industries include household electric appliances, information technology, ceramics and building materials, textiles and garments, metal materials, plastics and chemicals. Thirty nationally famous brands, such as Midea-brand air conditioners, Haitian-brand seasonings and Eagle-brand ceramic products, bear made-in-Foshan labels. An ideal place for entrepreneur-led development, Foshan's industrial park continues to attract professionals from home and abroad.

1. Modern agriculture

Foshan's modern agriculture sector is well developed, supported by specialized, high-efficiency farming techniques and equipment and with a high degree of industrialization. The city has one national-level key agriculture industrialization enterprise and three provincial-level key agriculture industrialization enterprises.

2. A solid industrial foundation

A solid industrial foundation and economic strength have boosted the overall competitiveness of Foshan. In 2004, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the city reached 165.3 billion yuan (US$20 billion), an increase of 16.3 per cent over 2003 that accounted for one-tenth of the total for Guangdong and one-ninetieth of that of the entire country. Per capita GDP rose by 14.5 per cent to 47,500 yuan (US$5,739).

3. Ten pillar industries of Foshan

The industrial sector has become the mainstay of the economy of Foshan, with the ten pillar industries accounting for more than 80 per cent of the total industrial output of the city. Strong both financially and technologically, the major products of the ten pillar industries continue to retain the top positions in their respective fields nationwide. Foshan has seven well-known national trademarks and 30 famous national brands, leading the nation in instantly recognizable brandnames.

4. Building of modern industrial parks and industrial bases

The development of Foshan's industrial sector has focused on industrial parks. With their well-developed infrastructures, complete product lines and efficient government services, these parks' industrial activities, environmental protection programmes, employment of rural labour and the development of the city run smoothly.

5. The service sector

The service sector, driven mainly by modern logistics, has advanced rapidly in Foshan. Advanced logistics bases have been built at key industrial parks, transportation hubs and the port. A number of international retail giant and domestic retail chains have entered Foshan, including Wal-Mart and Jusco.

  A Modern Metropolis: Opening-up and a promising outlook

A superior geographical location, rich historic and cultural heritage, pleasant living environment, thoughtful city planning, well-developed transportation network, strong industrial base, and outstanding research and development facilities all combine to empower the people of Foshan to lead their city into an even more successful future.

Foshan is implementing a "2+5" urban development plan, which follows a principle of overall co-ordinated development while highlighting the distinctive features of various districts. The aim is to become a modern metropolis that successfully combines Lingnan culture with a highly-developed manufacturing base.

Foshan boasts an extensive transportation network, composed of road, railway, air and waterway transport facilities. With its close proximity to the new Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Nansha Port of Guangzhou and Guangzhou's new railway station, Foshan has ready access to convenient means of distribution of goods.

Foshan provides quality education, cutting edge science and technology, a talented pool of employees, the best in health care, top sports facilities, extensive information services and a pleasant living environment, attracting people from all over to settle here.

While enjoying material prosperity, Foshan also appreciates the importance of sustainable development. Sewage and garbage treatment works keep pace with economic development. Thanks to these efforts and an abundance of lush plant life, the city is an agreeable place to live, visit and conduct business.

On any corner of Foshan, the city's prosperity, rich cultural heritage, green environment and contentment visible on the faces of its residents are apparent.

  New top eight scenic spots in Foshan

Qinghui Garden in Shunde District
Foshan Ancestral Temple
Xiqiao Mountain in Nanhai District
The World of Flowers in Shunde District
The World of Lotus in Sanshui District
Nanfeng Ancient Kiln in Chancheng District
Nanguo Peach Garden in Nanhai District
Zaomu Mountain in Gaoming District