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Qujiang Maba Men were found living here as early as 129 000 years ago, who
turned over the first page of the Guangdong social history as the earliest human
beings ever found her? As the legend goes, the ethnic Yue people resided here in
ancient times. That is why Guangdong is also called Yue for short in Chines?
Far early back, it was called Nanyuedi in the Period of Spring-Autumn (770-476
BC) and long back in the Period of Warring States (475-221 BC). In the 8th year
of Emperor Yi of the Zhou Dynasty (887 BC), the capital of the Chu State was in
the present location of Guangzho? After Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first emperor
of China, unified the whole land of China, Nanhaijun was founded (214-206 BC) in
the present Guangdong territory with Panyu (now Guangzhou) as its capital.
During the Han Dynasty, Guangdong belonged to Jiaozho?
In the period of the Three Kingdoms, it was part of the Wu State ruled over by
Sun Quan. In the year 226 AD in the Tang Dynasty, Guangdong and Guangxi were
combined into one administrative region called Lingnanda? In the first year of
the Zhenghe Reign in the Song Dynasty, it was changed into Guangnandonglu
(960-1127 AD). In the Yuan Dynasty, Guangdongdao came into being; Guangdong
Buzhengsi (Guangdong Pacification Commissioner's Office) in the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644), and finally in the Qing Dynasty was Guangdong Province set up with
fixed administrative territory up to the present.
Guangdong Province has a 2200-year-long history with a long-established
administrative status in Chin? But social advancement had been much slower than
Eastern and Northern China until the Song Dynasty, and then in the Ming Dynasty,
Guangdong kept up with the Yangtze and the Yellow River valleys. Guangdong began
stepping into the rank of advanced provinces afterwards. Although Guangdong
embarked on the road of development a bit late, its commodity production started
rather earl? According to the historical records found, in the 6th century
during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, sugarcane in Guangdong had been
distinguished into two categories for the market: fruit sugarcane and grain
sugarcan? Sugar can be extracted from the latter and be sold at the market.
As the southern gateway to China, Guangdong has always been open-minded to both
Central China and the outside world. It has not only inherited the traditional
Chinese culture, but also kept intermingling with the Western civilization.
Those exchanges can be traced far back into histor? From merely the Cantonese
borrowings in English, one can figure out the close contact between Guangdong
and the West. For example, there are over 20 in Oxford Advanced Learner's
Dictionary of Current English (London 1974)): chopsuey, chow mien, litchi,
kaolin, wampee, sampan, taipan, toss, soy, tea and pailo? In
Webster's New World Dictionary of the American English (New York 1972), there
are more than 30, such as yen, catchup (ketchup), chopsticks, typhoon, tong and
chopsue?
Under the influence of the Western culture and with the help of the Western
capital and technology after the Opium Wars, a Western-style munitions factory
was built in Guangzhou in the 5th year of the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty
(1886). This was the predecessor of the Hanyang Munitions Factory in Wuhan City
in Central Chin? In 1872, the Nanhai Jichanglong (Steel) Rolling Mill was built,
which was one of the first modern factories of Chinese national industry at that
tim? Thus Guangdong became one of the national modern industrial bases in Chin?¡¡
Guangdong has also taken up an important position in Chinás modern histor? Many
important historic events took place in Guangdong, such as the Opium Wars
(1840s), Taiping Rebellion, the 100Day Reform Movement (1898), the Xinhai (1911)
Revolution, the Northern Expedition, Neo-Nationalist Movement, Sanyuanli
Struggle against the British Invaders (1941), the Guangzhou Uprising, and the
Great Strike in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. History has witnessed in this
remarkable place generations of prominent figures and momentous events. In the
past century, Guangdong has been well-known for its revolutionary tradition, its
national celebrities and heroes like Lin Zexu (1785-1850), Hong Xiuquan
(1814-1864), Deng Shichang, Guan Tianpei (1781-1840), Huang Zunxian (1848-1905),
Kang Youwei (1858-1927), Liang Qichao (1873-1929), Zhan Tianyou (1861-1919), Qiu
Fengjia (an educator, 1864-1912), Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), Feng Ru (the first
aircraft designer in China, 1883-1912), Xian Xinghai (a nationally famous
musician, 1905-1945) and Ye Jianying. They have left behind much memorable
heroic legac?
Major activities of the first cooperation between the Chinese Communist Party
and the Chinese Nationalists (KMT) were also carried out here and have also left
behind many memorable historical sites and stories of tim? Today is no longer
yesterday with yesterdaưs suffering and humiliation gone forever. What is most
attractive is Guangdong toda? Since China adopted the policy of reform and
opening up in 1978, Guangdong has transformed itself amazingly, creating a
prosperous society in only two decades and leading the way right to the four
modernizations and to globalization in Chin? The following
are the great historical events in Guangdong administrative history 214 BC (the
33rd Year in the Reign of Qin Shihuang in the Qin Dynasty,) Unification of
Lingnan (South China). Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China, sent his loyal
army led by General Tu Sui to conquer Lingnan Region. Three shires were set up:
Nanhai, Guilin and Xiang. Later, Ren Xiao, the first prefectural commissioner of
Naihai
Shire, constructed a walled city at Panyu, which was also called Renxiao Town or
Qincheng Town. Panyu Town in history is regarded as the starting point where
Guangzhou developed into a big cit? 206 BC (the First Year of the First Emperor
of the Han Dynasty) Establishment of Nanyue Kingdom. When Zhao Tuo became the
successor of the prefectural commissioner of Nanhai, he made himself king of
Nanyue Kingdom entitled King Wuwang with Panyu the capital for the first time in
histor? He expanded the city of Panyu and renamed it Zhaotuo Town. It was also
called Nanyue Town in histor?
226 AD (the 5th Year in the Huangwu Reign in the Wu State) Guangzhou was
separated from Jiaozhou and Guangzhou got its name then. Guangzhou was in the
north, under its administration there were four shires: Nanhai, Cangwu, Yulin
and Hep? Panyu was made the capital of Guangzho? 917 AD (the 3rd Year of the
Zhengming Reign in the Late Liang State) General Liu Yan, taking the advantage
of the wars between the local lords in Central China, declared independenc?
Dayue Kingdom was set up with Guangzhou the capital, and then changed to the
Southern Han Dynasty the next year.
1646 AD (the 3rd Year in the Reign of Emperor Sunzi in the Qing Dynasty) The
Southern Ming Dynasty was restored in Guangzhou with Zhu Yúe the Emperor. This
was the third time that Guangzhou was selected in history the capital. But this
short¨Clived dynasty survived only for 40 days, soon destroyed by the Qing royal
arm? 1839 AD (the 19th Year in the Reign of Emperor Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty)
Lin Zexu (1785-1850), the envoy of the Qing Government to Guangzhou, carried out
the embargo on the British opium trad? He ordered to confiscate 20 000 boxes of
British opium and burned them all up on the beach of Humen Port. So the first
opium war broke out then.
1841 AD (the 21st Year in the Reign of Emperor Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty)
Sanyuanli Struggle against the British invaders took place and this is the first
time that the Chinese people organized themselves on a large scale to fight
against foreign invasions.
1856 AD (the 6th Year in the Reign of Emperor Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty)
British Navy launched a second opium war upon the Qing Government on the excuse
of the incident of the British ship Arrow. Guangzhou fell into the control of
the British invaders for a whil? Guangzhou urbanites soon stood up and defeated
the invaders.
1917 AD The Law Enforcement Military Government of the Republic of China was
founded with Dr Sun Yat-sen as Generalissimo of the Arm?
1921 AD The Establishment of the Government of the Republic of China in Guangzho?
Dr Sun Yat-sen was appointed the first president of the countr? The Republic of
China is the first republic in Asia ever set up in histor?
1925 AD Improved by Generalissimo Sun Yat-sen, the planned administrative
territory of Guangzhou was ratified, covering an area of 537 sq km from Chebei
(in Dongpu) in the east to the two islands of the Pearl River in the west and
from Mt.Baiyunshan in the north to Huangpu in the south. Sun Ke was the first
mayor of Guangzho?1949 AD The founding of the Peoplés Republic of Chin?
Guangzhou was liberated from the control of KMT(the Nationalists).
1980 AD Guangzhou was elected one of the five pilot cities opened first to the
outside world. Since then, great changes have taken plac? Guangzhoús per capita
disposal income reached 13 967 yuan in the year 2000, sixty times as much as
that of 1978.
2000 AD The 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05) of Guangdong was ratified, and
according to it, Guangdong plans to realize its four modernizations ahead of
schedule in 2005. Its GDP will reach the same amount as that of Hong Kong at
that time, with over US $ 7 000 per capita GDP.
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