Sunday, October 12, 2008
Tianhe District
Tianhe District is one of the ten districts in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. In Chinese, the name Tianhe means ''a river in the sky''. It is bordered by Yuexiu District on the west, Baiyun District on the north and District on the east. Haizhu District is on its south, though they are separated by the Zhujiang River.
Tianhe became a district in the 1980s as the city expanded its size. Back then, it was east of another district called Dongshan and it was more suburban like if not rural like. Despite a majority of colleges and universities in the city are located in the district, the rest of the district were mostly composed of rice fields.
The first big project built in the district during the 1980s was the Tianhe Sports Center where the city landed as host of the Sixth National Games in 1986. The complex include a stadium of 65,000 seats, a gymnasium and an indoor swimming pool and it literally transformed the district. Soon other projects followed and rice fields gave away to residential complexes called "xiaoqu" . The construction of ''xiaoqu'' began in the mid and late eighties and most of them had residential buildings of no more than 10 stories. Each floor was kept to no more than four units due to the lack of elevators since they would increase the construction cost. Also, due to the sheer number of residential buildings — some ''xiaoqu'' had more than 20 residential buildings, therefore, a lot of land was needed and thus converted.
The building of Guangzhou East Railroad Station in 1990 further contributed to the growth of the district. The old Guangzhou Railroad Station is 10 km to the west and was the terminus for trains from and to Beijing and Hong Kong. To relieve the traffic, the East Railroad Station was built and it is now the terminus for trains from and to Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
As the district developed, the size of ''xiaoqu'' became smaller since land became more valuable and expensive. Most of the new ''xiaoqu'' now only consist of four to six residential buildings but each can contain 30 floors or more since the growth of district attracted big developers where the cost of construction was no longer the issue. Also, taller residential buildings gave rise to taller office buildings.
A part of the district that is south of the Sports Center and north of the Zhujian River, called "Zhu Jian Xin Cheng" which was desolate a decade ago but is now almost built-up with only high-rise buildings. A twin towers, said to be taller than CITIC Plaza were proposed.
Many of the city's colleges and universities are located in the district. They include:
* Guangzhou Sports College
* Guangzhou Military College
* Jinan University
* Guangdong Industrial University
* Huanan Agricultural University
* South China University of Technology
* South China Normal University
Besides the Guangzhou East Railroad Station , Tianhe is also the terminus several metro lines:
* Metro Line 1 connects Tianhe and Liwan via Yuexiu.
* Metro Line 2 connects Wanshengwei with Sanyuanli
* Metro Line 3 connects Tianhe with Panyu via Haizhu.
* Metro Line 4 connects Tianhe with Panyu, starts at Wanshengwei and stops at Jinzhou
* CITIC Plaza, is a complex completed in 1997 between Tianhe Sports Center and Gaungzhou East Railroad Station, that has a 80-story, 391 m skyscraper of the same name. It was briefly the tallest building in China and now the third tallest in the country and seventh in the world.
* Pearl River Tower, a skyscraper under construction at the junction of Jinsui Road/Zhujiang Avenue West. It is due for completion Autumn 2009 and will be occupied by the .
* The famous shopping mall, TeeMall, a very big shopping centre, the chinese from Guangzhou even call it the biggest shopping mall in Asia.
Tianhe became a district in the 1980s as the city expanded its size. Back then, it was east of another district called Dongshan and it was more suburban like if not rural like. Despite a majority of colleges and universities in the city are located in the district, the rest of the district were mostly composed of rice fields.
Projects
The first big project built in the district during the 1980s was the Tianhe Sports Center where the city landed as host of the Sixth National Games in 1986. The complex include a stadium of 65,000 seats, a gymnasium and an indoor swimming pool and it literally transformed the district. Soon other projects followed and rice fields gave away to residential complexes called "xiaoqu" . The construction of ''xiaoqu'' began in the mid and late eighties and most of them had residential buildings of no more than 10 stories. Each floor was kept to no more than four units due to the lack of elevators since they would increase the construction cost. Also, due to the sheer number of residential buildings — some ''xiaoqu'' had more than 20 residential buildings, therefore, a lot of land was needed and thus converted.
The building of Guangzhou East Railroad Station in 1990 further contributed to the growth of the district. The old Guangzhou Railroad Station is 10 km to the west and was the terminus for trains from and to Beijing and Hong Kong. To relieve the traffic, the East Railroad Station was built and it is now the terminus for trains from and to Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
As the district developed, the size of ''xiaoqu'' became smaller since land became more valuable and expensive. Most of the new ''xiaoqu'' now only consist of four to six residential buildings but each can contain 30 floors or more since the growth of district attracted big developers where the cost of construction was no longer the issue. Also, taller residential buildings gave rise to taller office buildings.
A part of the district that is south of the Sports Center and north of the Zhujian River, called "Zhu Jian Xin Cheng" which was desolate a decade ago but is now almost built-up with only high-rise buildings. A twin towers, said to be taller than CITIC Plaza were proposed.
Education
Many of the city's colleges and universities are located in the district. They include:
* Guangzhou Sports College
* Guangzhou Military College
* Jinan University
* Guangdong Industrial University
* Huanan Agricultural University
* South China University of Technology
* South China Normal University
Transportation
Besides the Guangzhou East Railroad Station , Tianhe is also the terminus several metro lines:
* Metro Line 1 connects Tianhe and Liwan via Yuexiu.
* Metro Line 2 connects Wanshengwei with Sanyuanli
* Metro Line 3 connects Tianhe with Panyu via Haizhu.
* Metro Line 4 connects Tianhe with Panyu, starts at Wanshengwei and stops at Jinzhou
Notable buildings
* CITIC Plaza, is a complex completed in 1997 between Tianhe Sports Center and Gaungzhou East Railroad Station, that has a 80-story, 391 m skyscraper of the same name. It was briefly the tallest building in China and now the third tallest in the country and seventh in the world.
* Pearl River Tower, a skyscraper under construction at the junction of Jinsui Road/Zhujiang Avenue West. It is due for completion Autumn 2009 and will be occupied by the .
* The famous shopping mall, TeeMall, a very big shopping centre, the chinese from Guangzhou even call it the biggest shopping mall in Asia.
Panyu District
Panyu District or Pun Yue District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It used to be a city before it was incorporated in the administration of Guangzhou. The name of Panyu dates back to the completion of the conquest of Guangdong by Qin Shi Huang. It was the old name of present-day Guangzhou. It covers an area of about 661.87 km?.
Panyu lies at the heart of the Pearl River Delta（珠江三角洲）, its boundary straddles from latitudes 22.26' to 23.05', and sprawls from longitudes 113.14' to 113.42'. Facing the Lion Sea in the east and the estuary of the Pearl River in the south, its eastern border is separated from the Dongguan by a strip of water, and the western border of Panyu is adjacent to the cities of Nanhai, Shunde and Zhongshan, while it abuts the downtown of Guangzhou in the north. The site of the People's government of Panyu is Shiqiao which is 17 kilometers from Guangzhou and 38 and from the cities of Hong Kong and Macao respectively.
Panyu, which is under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province in China, administratively rules 16 towns, which includes Shiji, Shawan, Zhongcun, Dashi, Nancun, Xinzhao, Huanong, Shiluo, Langhe, Lingshan, Dagan, Dongchong, Yuwotou, Huangge, Hengli and Wanqinsha, 4 Street Administration Committees, which includes Shiqiao, Shatou, Donghuan and Qiaonan, and also rules Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone. 305 administration villages are under the jurisdiction of the above-mentioned administrative districts.
Established in the Qin Dynasty in 214 BC, Panyu is one of the oldest cities in China. It became the capital of Nanyue in 204 BC.
As of April 28, 2005, the new district of was established out of parts of Panyu.
Statistics shows that in the year of 1998, the GDP in the district was 33.25 billion , an increase of 13% over the previous year, and the GDP per capita was 35.5 thousand Yuan, an increase of 11%, compared with the previous year.
* Panyu Public Transport
*Yuyin Mount Garden：One of the four famous gardens in Guangdong Province in the Qing Dynasty.
*Baomo Garden
*Lianhuashan Wonderland
*Changlong Night Zoo
*Xiangjiang Wildlife World
*Chime-Long Paradise
* Zhongyuan Middle School
People born or have family links to Panyu:
*Xian Xinghai
*Deng Shichang
*Wang Jingwei
*He Shanhe
*Henry Fok
*Wong Jim
*Patrick Tse
*Nicholas Tse
*Cass Pang
*Francis Ng
*Sandra Ng
*Lawrence Ng
*Nick Cheung Ka Fai
*Edmund Ho
*Frankie Lam
*Hu Hanmin
*Selina Chow
*Michael Hui
*Samuel Hui
*Ricky Hui
Geography
Panyu lies at the heart of the Pearl River Delta（珠江三角洲）, its boundary straddles from latitudes 22.26' to 23.05', and sprawls from longitudes 113.14' to 113.42'. Facing the Lion Sea in the east and the estuary of the Pearl River in the south, its eastern border is separated from the Dongguan by a strip of water, and the western border of Panyu is adjacent to the cities of Nanhai, Shunde and Zhongshan, while it abuts the downtown of Guangzhou in the north. The site of the People's government of Panyu is Shiqiao which is 17 kilometers from Guangzhou and 38 and from the cities of Hong Kong and Macao respectively.
Administrative divisions
Panyu, which is under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province in China, administratively rules 16 towns, which includes Shiji, Shawan, Zhongcun, Dashi, Nancun, Xinzhao, Huanong, Shiluo, Langhe, Lingshan, Dagan, Dongchong, Yuwotou, Huangge, Hengli and Wanqinsha, 4 Street Administration Committees, which includes Shiqiao, Shatou, Donghuan and Qiaonan, and also rules Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone. 305 administration villages are under the jurisdiction of the above-mentioned administrative districts.
History
Established in the Qin Dynasty in 214 BC, Panyu is one of the oldest cities in China. It became the capital of Nanyue in 204 BC.
As of April 28, 2005, the new district of was established out of parts of Panyu.
Economy
Statistics shows that in the year of 1998, the GDP in the district was 33.25 billion , an increase of 13% over the previous year, and the GDP per capita was 35.5 thousand Yuan, an increase of 11%, compared with the previous year.
Transportation
* Panyu Public Transport
Tourist attractions
*Yuyin Mount Garden：One of the four famous gardens in Guangdong Province in the Qing Dynasty.
*Baomo Garden
*Lianhuashan Wonderland
*Changlong Night Zoo
*Xiangjiang Wildlife World
*Chime-Long Paradise
Major educational institutions
* Zhongyuan Middle School
Celebrities
People born or have family links to Panyu:
*Xian Xinghai
*Deng Shichang
*Wang Jingwei
*He Shanhe
*Henry Fok
*Wong Jim
*Patrick Tse
*Nicholas Tse
*Cass Pang
*Francis Ng
*Sandra Ng
*Lawrence Ng
*Nick Cheung Ka Fai
*Edmund Ho
*Frankie Lam
*Hu Hanmin
*Selina Chow
*Michael Hui
*Samuel Hui
*Ricky Hui
Liwan District
Liwan District is a district of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay green water and red litche along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2km2 and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000. Liwan District is positioned in the flouring west part of Guangzhou, on the northeast bank of the Pearl River. There is a developed traffic network connecting with the railway station and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on the north; Renmin Bridge and Zhujiang Tunnel link the banks of the Pearl River in its south; Zhujiang Bridge connecting Nanhai and Foshan links the east and west together in its west; Guangzhou South Railway Cargo Station of Jing-Guang Railway and Xinfeng Terminal are in its southwest; No. 107 State Highway and Guang-Fo Highway connecting with Guang-Shen Highway are through to Hong Kong; Line 1 Guangzhou Metro and Inner overhead road pass through the District, thus forming a dimensional sea, land and air traffic network, enabling Liwan to enjoy a fine geographic location and becoming an important place for business.
Liwan District has lots of attractions and historical sites. The historically famous Lizhiwan has a 1000-year history. Shisanhang had a foreign trade privilege for hundred years. Haishan Xianguan had a leader of Lingnan horticulture, which made contribution to the development of Lingnan culture. Now, there are two national key protection units Chen Learning Academy and Shamian Ancient Buildings, out of which Chen Learning Academy was elected one of the 8 new scenic spots of Guangzhou. There are several municipality-level relic spots: Hualin Temple, one of Guangzhou’s Buddhist “five jungles”, Taoist Zhenwudi Renwei Temple, Jiang Guangding’s former residence, Li Wentian’s Taihua Building and Xiguan big house. In addition, there are historic sites where Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Zhan Tianyou, Chen Shaobai and Tang Tingguang lived or worked. There are Guangya School setup by Zhang Zhidong, a member of the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty and relic site of Xicun Industrial Zone developed by Chen Jitang when was in power during PC period. All those spots are like pearls dotted in this valuable land and show people its glorious and splendid past.
In order to integrate those typical spots organically for tourists’ convenience, Liwan District Administration divides them into 4 tourist areas, Xiguan Folk Custom Area, Chen Clan Temple Cultural and Leisure Area, Shamian Continental Tourist Area, and Shisanhang Commercial and Cultural Area. It is proposed to build large-scale “Lingnan Custom” tourist project at Xiguan Folk Custom Area so as to provide domestic and foreign tourists with all-directional services in tour, culture, leisure, foods and accommodation.
Liwan District’s developed commerce. National ethical commercial street Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street is arrayed with shops and gathers a lot of businessmen. in 1995, Shangxiajiu Lu was declared the first weekend commercial pedestrian street of Guangzhou. In 1996, it was elected one of the 10 tourist attractions of Guangzhou. There are many special streets such as blackwood and jade street, ceramic crafts street, and more than 100 wholesale markets engaged in traditional Chinese medicine, aquatic products, shoes, stationery, metal ware, textile , electric appliance and decoration materials, among which Qingping Traditional Chinese Herbs and Huangsha Aquatic Product Market are State-level markets; Yiyuan Stationery Market, Guangdong Electric Appliance City are province-level markets. Market is flourishing, which radiates the whole nation and the Southeast Asia as well as the world.
Liwan District is a gathering place of star-level restaurants of Guangzhou, including White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou Restaurant, Shengli Hotel, Qingping Restaurant, Taotaoju Restaurant, Lianxianglou Restaurant and Panxi Restaurant. Various special Liwan foods with long history and both famous at home and abroad are available, including Shunji coconut ice cream, Wuzhanji Jidi congee, Tingzai congee, Ouchengji dumpling and Nanxin double-condensed milk.
Overview
Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay green water and red litche along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2km2 and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000. Liwan District is positioned in the flouring west part of Guangzhou, on the northeast bank of the Pearl River. There is a developed traffic network connecting with the railway station and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on the north; Renmin Bridge and Zhujiang Tunnel link the banks of the Pearl River in its south; Zhujiang Bridge connecting Nanhai and Foshan links the east and west together in its west; Guangzhou South Railway Cargo Station of Jing-Guang Railway and Xinfeng Terminal are in its southwest; No. 107 State Highway and Guang-Fo Highway connecting with Guang-Shen Highway are through to Hong Kong; Line 1 Guangzhou Metro and Inner overhead road pass through the District, thus forming a dimensional sea, land and air traffic network, enabling Liwan to enjoy a fine geographic location and becoming an important place for business.
Tourism
Liwan District has lots of attractions and historical sites. The historically famous Lizhiwan has a 1000-year history. Shisanhang had a foreign trade privilege for hundred years. Haishan Xianguan had a leader of Lingnan horticulture, which made contribution to the development of Lingnan culture. Now, there are two national key protection units Chen Learning Academy and Shamian Ancient Buildings, out of which Chen Learning Academy was elected one of the 8 new scenic spots of Guangzhou. There are several municipality-level relic spots: Hualin Temple, one of Guangzhou’s Buddhist “five jungles”, Taoist Zhenwudi Renwei Temple, Jiang Guangding’s former residence, Li Wentian’s Taihua Building and Xiguan big house. In addition, there are historic sites where Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Zhan Tianyou, Chen Shaobai and Tang Tingguang lived or worked. There are Guangya School setup by Zhang Zhidong, a member of the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty and relic site of Xicun Industrial Zone developed by Chen Jitang when was in power during PC period. All those spots are like pearls dotted in this valuable land and show people its glorious and splendid past.
In order to integrate those typical spots organically for tourists’ convenience, Liwan District Administration divides them into 4 tourist areas, Xiguan Folk Custom Area, Chen Clan Temple Cultural and Leisure Area, Shamian Continental Tourist Area, and Shisanhang Commercial and Cultural Area. It is proposed to build large-scale “Lingnan Custom” tourist project at Xiguan Folk Custom Area so as to provide domestic and foreign tourists with all-directional services in tour, culture, leisure, foods and accommodation.
Liwan District’s developed commerce. National ethical commercial street Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street is arrayed with shops and gathers a lot of businessmen. in 1995, Shangxiajiu Lu was declared the first weekend commercial pedestrian street of Guangzhou. In 1996, it was elected one of the 10 tourist attractions of Guangzhou. There are many special streets such as blackwood and jade street, ceramic crafts street, and more than 100 wholesale markets engaged in traditional Chinese medicine, aquatic products, shoes, stationery, metal ware, textile , electric appliance and decoration materials, among which Qingping Traditional Chinese Herbs and Huangsha Aquatic Product Market are State-level markets; Yiyuan Stationery Market, Guangdong Electric Appliance City are province-level markets. Market is flourishing, which radiates the whole nation and the Southeast Asia as well as the world.
Liwan District is a gathering place of star-level restaurants of Guangzhou, including White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou Restaurant, Shengli Hotel, Qingping Restaurant, Taotaoju Restaurant, Lianxianglou Restaurant and Panxi Restaurant. Various special Liwan foods with long history and both famous at home and abroad are available, including Shunji coconut ice cream, Wuzhanji Jidi congee, Tingzai congee, Ouchengji dumpling and Nanxin double-condensed milk.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)