so i went to guangzhou and it was... something else
starting off in guangzhou, which is this big city in china. it's the capital of some province called guangdong. honestly, it's a bit overwhelming at first. the city is huge, like 7,343 square kilometers or something. they say it's the third-largest city in china, after beijing and shanghai.
i just checked and it's... there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the weather seems to be around 15 degrees celsius, feels like about 15.26 if you care about that kind of detail. it's not too bad, but i've heard summers get crazy hot, like over 30 degrees from may to october.
here's a map of where i am. the city is positioned in the south-central part of guangdong province, about 120 kilometers northwest of hong kong and 145 kilometers north of macau. it's near the head of the pearl river delta, more than 90 miles inland from the south china sea.
the city has been around for over 2,200 years, established in 214 bc. there's this old city dating back to the ming dynasty that's still pretty intact in the yuexiu district. since china's economic reform in 1978, guangzhou became a major beneficiary of economic liberalization.
if you get bored, qingyuan, shaoguan, huizhou, dongguan, zhongshan, and foshan are just a short drive away. guangzhou is at the center of the guangdong-hong kong-macau greater bay area, which is apparently the most populated built-up metropolitan area in the world. that's a mouthful.
there are some touristy places here, like the western han nanyue king's tomb museum and bright filial piety temple. someone told me that the chimelong amusement/wildlife park is china's number 1 theme park. i haven't gone yet, but maybe i will. they also have baiyunshan scenic area and yuexiu park, which apparently show natural scenery in an urban setting. whatever that means.
guangzhou is worldly renowned for cantonese cuisine. it's supposed to be a culinary tradition celebrated for its diverse range of surprising and delightful delicacies. haven't tried much yet, but i'm definitely looking forward to it.
the city has sub-provincial administrative status and is one of china's five national central cities. as of 2019, the population was about 15.3 million people. that's a lot of people. they also have like 47 different types of minerals with 820 ore fields. who even counts that stuff?
guangzhou is supposed to be the nerve center of the pearl river delta economic zone and one of china's most economically developed cities. it's the top transportation hub of southern china with well-developed railway, highway, water, and air transportation systems. guangzhou baiyun international airport serves over 40 countries and all parts of china.
someone told me that the city was a major terminus of the maritime silk road and continues this legacy as a significant international trading port. sounds fancy, but i'm still trying to figure out where to get decent coffee around here.
i guess that's it for now. more updates later when i figure this place out a bit more.
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