Guangzhou Zhenhai Tower is a cultural city with a history of more than 2000 years. As early as the 9th century BC in the Zhou Dynasty, the "Hundred Yue" people here and the Chu people in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River had exchanges, and built the "Chu Ting", which was Guangzhou's earliest name. In the 33rd year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (214 BC), after unifying the Lingnan region, the Nanhai Commandery was established (the commandery seat was set in "Panyu", today's Guangzhou). In 226 AD, Sun Quan divided the Jiaozhou into Jiaozhou and Guangzhou for easier governance, and "Guangzhou" thus got its name. It specifically referred to the city of Guangzhou until the establishment of the municipal council in 1921.
Guangzhou was a prosperous metropolis during the Qin and Han dynasties, and since the Han and Tang dynasties, it has been the starting port of the maritime "Silk Road." During the Qing dynasty's policy of seclusion, Guangzhou was China's only open port for foreign trade and also one of China's earliest treaty ports.
Guangzhou is the birthplace of modern and contemporary revolutionary movements in China. The famous Sanyuanli People's Resistance against the British, the Huanghuagang Uprising, and the Guangzhou Uprising all took place in Guangzhou. Sun Yat-sen founded the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou and established a provisional government three times. Mao Zedong founded the Peasant Movement Training Institute here, cultivating a large number of revolutionary backbone forces. Zhang Tailai, Ye Ting, and Ye Jianying led the dramatic Guangzhou Uprising here and established the Guangzhou Soviet regime, the "Guangzhou Commune." Lu Xun, Guo Moruo, Yu Dafu, Peng Pai, Ma Sicong, Zou Xiaoyang, Gu Xiyun, Yu Dexiao, Zhong Jiewu, and others also came to Guangzhou to spread advanced culture.
In 1982, the State Council announced that the ancient city of Guangzhou was designated as a national historical and cultural city.
Legend of Guangzhou
Guangzhou is also known as "Five Goats City" or "Sui City." There is a beautiful story behind Guangzhou's nickname. It is said that during the Zhou Dynasty, Guangzhou suffered from consecutive years of famine, leaving the people struggling to survive. One day, five colorful auspicious clouds floated over the South Sea, carrying five immortals riding on goats, each goat holding a bundle of five-colored rice ears. The immortals bestowed the rice ears on the people and blessed this place to be free from famine forever. After the immortals left, the five goats stayed due to their attachment to the human world, blessing the area with favorable weather conditions. To thank the five immortals, the locals built the "Wuxian Temple" where they stayed, with statues of the five immortals accompanied by stone sculptures of the five goats. Inside the Yuexiu Park, there is the "Five Goats Sculpture," and this legend was applied to the mascots of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.
Cultural Relics and Historical Sites
Guangzhou has numerous cultural relics and historical sites. Currently, there are a total of 219 protected cultural relics units at the national, provincial, and municipal levels, including 19 national key cultural relics protection units, 41 provincial-level protection units, and 159 municipal-level protection units. The shipbuilding site of the Qin and Han Dynasties and the palace site of the Nanyue Kingdom were discovered in the area around Zhongshan Fourth Road. The Nanyue Palace Site was twice rated as one of the "Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in the Country." Currently, the three historical sites of the Nanyue Kingdom—the Nanyue Palace Site, the Nanyue King's Tomb, and the Nanyue Water Gate—are jointly applying for UNESCO World Heritage status.
With the launch of smart in China, test-drive events have been held successively in various cities. At the Guangzhou smart test drive event, we randomly interviewed several consumers who came for the test drive. Mr. Sun Liwei shared his feelings after driving the smart car. During the Guangzhou station smart test drive, three game segments were designed: moving the car between garages, driving on a Y-shaped track, and accelerating and dodging, allowing the Guangzhou test drivers to fully experience the excellent performance of the smart car.
Mr. Sun Liwei said: This small car's gearshift is very special, with only three gears—forward, stop, and reverse—making the operation surprisingly simple. The first contact with such a small car and such a gearshift might make you feel a bit lost. However, once the car starts and moves out, the convenience it brings will quickly make you fall in love with it. The straight-line acceleration experience was really surprising; stepping hard on the gas pedal, the engine immediately responds positively, and the smart car accelerates very quickly. Mr. Sun Liwei also told us that he fell in love with Benz smart because this car has broken through the traditional concept of a commuting tool. It symbolizes more fashion and individuality. The four-star safety rating makes everyone feel secure while driving this agile little car.