Where in China are we going?

When we go to China we are going to spend most of our time in south-west China (Nanning city in the autonomous region of Guangxi) and south-east China (Guangzhou city in the province of Guangdong). For those who are interested, here is some information about China and the areas where we will be going.

The People’s Republic of China
Population = 1,321,851,888 (in comparison to the U.S. with a population of 301,139,947)

Area = 9,596,960 km2 (in comparison to the U.S. with an area of 9,631,418 km2)
Ancient China was one of the earliest centers of human civilization. Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest humans in China date from 2.24 million to 250,000 years ago. It has the world's longest continuously used written language system, and ancient China is the source of such major inventions as paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing.

The People's Republic of China has administrative control over twenty-two provinces (and considers Taiwan to be its twenty-third province). There are also five autonomous regions (Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang and Tibet); four municipalities (Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin); and two Special Administrative Regions (Hong Kong and Macau).

Guangxi Autonomous Region – Population 49,250,000
Guangxi borders with Vietnam, has a short coastline on the Gulf of Tonkin, and has a mountainous terrain. It was given provincial level status during the Yuan Dynasty and in 1949 was designated as one of China's four minority autonomous regions. The capital city is Nanning. Another famous city in Guangxi is Guilin which is located along the banks of the Li River and has long been renowned for its unique scenery

Nanning City – Population 6,480,000
[This is where we will meet our daughter for the first time.] Nanning is located 100 miles from the border with Vietnam and is a very green city because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage. It sits on the north bank of the Yong River which is the main southern tributary of the Xi River and is situated in a hilly basin with elevations between 70 and 500 m above sea-level. Qingxiu Mountain dominates the southern part of town.

Nanning's climate is sub-tropical and monsoonal with more the 51 inches of annual precipitation. The average annual temperature is 71°F. It is also frost-free for all but 3 or 4 days a year and it never snows in Nanning.

Guangdong Province – Population 113,040,000
Guangdong Province is on the southern coast of China. As of 2005, it is the most populous province in China with 83 million permanent residents and 30 million migrants who lived in the province for at least six months. The provincial capital is Guangzhou is one of the most important cities in China.

Guangdong is the country's richest province with the highest total GDP among all provinces. Its nominal GDP for 2007 3.06 trillion yuan (US $422 billion). Guangdong contributes approximately 12.5% of national economic output.

Guangzhou City – Population (Metro) 9,754,600+
[Guangzhou is where we will get Chloe’s U.S. visa.] Guangzhou city is also known by an older English-language name, Canton. It is a port on the Pearl River, navigable to the South China Sea, and is located about 75 miles northwest of Hong Kong. Guangzhou has a humid climate, and flowers bloom there all year round; hence its name as the City of Flowers. It is the largest and most flourishing industrial and foreign trade center in south China.

Guangzhou is a famous historical city. As recorded in historical documents, in the year 214 B.C. a wall was constructed at Panyu. Panyu Town is regarded as the starting point where Guangzhou developed into a big city. In 226 A.D. Panyu was made the capital city of Guangzhou.