Foshan

Foshan
佛山市
Prefecture-level city

Clockwise from top right: Zumiao of Foshan, Qingyun Tower in Shunfengshan Park, Statue of Guanyin on top of Xiqiaoshan, & Downtown Foshan in Chancheng District
Nickname(s): 禅 (Chan)

Location of Foshan in Guangdong
Coordinates: 23°01′0″N 113°07′0″E / 23.01667°N 113.11667°E / 23.01667; 113.11667Coordinates: 23°01′0″N 113°07′0″E / 23.01667°N 113.11667°E / 23.01667; 113.11667
Country China
Province Guangdong
Municipal seat Chancheng District
Government
 • CPC Committee Secretary Li Yiwei (李贻伟)
 • Mayor Liu Yuelun (刘悦伦)
Area
 • Prefecture-level city 3,848.49 km2 (1,485.91 sq mi)
 • Water 690 km2 (270 sq mi)
 • Urban 3,848.49 km2 (1,485.91 sq mi)
 • Metro 17,572.9 km2 (6,784.9 sq mi)
Elevation 16 m (52 ft)
Population (2012)
 • Prefecture-level city 7,197,394
 • Density 1,900/km2 (4,800/sq mi)
  [1]
Time zone China Standard Time (UTC+8)
Postal code 528000
Area code(s) 0757
License plate prefixes 粤E（for motor vehicles registered in Chancheng, Sanshui and Gaoming District）,
粤Y(for motor vehicles registered in Nanhai District),
粤X(for motor vehicles registered in Shunde District)
GDP ¥ 701.0 billion (2013)
GDP per capita ¥ 96,535 (2011)
Website foshan.gov.cn
Foshan

"Foshan" in Chinese
Chinese 佛山
Postal Fatshan
Literal meaning "Buddha Mountain"

Foshan (Chinese: 佛山) is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong province, China. The area under the city's jurisdiction is about 3,848.49 km2 (1,485.91 sq mi) and has an urban population of over 7.2 million. It is part of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone with 44.78 million inhabitants at the 2010 census spread over nine municipalities (including Macao) and 17,573 km².

The native dialect is the Foshan variant of Cantonese, but many areas of Foshan are now occupied by Mandarin-speaking migrants from other parts of China.

History

In ancient times, Foshan was known as Lihua Township. In 398, during the Jin Dynasty, a monk from present-day India founded a Buddhist temple on Tapo Hill. The temple fell into disrepair, but in 628, during the Tang Dynasty, county residents saw light radiating from the hill, where they excavated three bronze statues of the Buddha. They built a temple to house the three statues. From that time, the place was known as Foshan (Buddha Hill). Foshan became a religious center for the Pearl River Delta and was also known as Chancheng (Zen City - Zen being the art of meditation). This name survives today as the name of Foshan's central administrative district.

In 1925, Foshan became a city, but this status was revoked in 1927. Foshan regained the status of a city in 1951, and gained the status of a prefecture-level city in 1974. During the 1980s and 1990s, the present-day territory of Foshan underwent a number of administrative reorganizations. The city attained its present boundaries and administrative divisions in 2003.

Administration

The prefecture-level city of Foshan administers five county-level divisions, all of which are districts.

Administrative divisions of Foshan
Division code[2] English name Chinese Pinyin Area in km2[3] Population 2010[4] Seat Postal code Divisions[5]
Subdistricts Towns Residential communities Administrative villages
440600 Foshan City 佛山市 Fóshān Shì 3848.49 7197394 Chancheng District 528000 11 21 408 328
440604 Chancheng District 禅城区 Chánchéng Qū 154.15 1,101,077 Zumiao Subdistrict 528000 3 1 89 54
440605 Nanhai District 南海区 Nánhǎi Qū 1073.94 2,588,844 Guicheng Subdistrict 528200 1 6 183 67
440606 Shunde District 顺德区 Shùndé Qū 806.55 2,464,784 Daliang Subdistrict 528300 4 6 93 108
440607 Sanshui District 三水区 Sānshuǐ Qū 874.22 622,645 Xinan Subdistrict 528100 2 5 22 48
440608 Gaoming District 高明区 Gāomíng Qū 939.64 420,044 Hecheng Subdistrict 528500 1 3 21 51

These are further divided into 64 township-level divisions, including 37 towns and 27 subdistricts.

Foshan is close to Guangzhou and considers its link with Guangzhou very important. A Guangzhou-Foshan metropolitan region is being formed.

Geography and climate

Foshan lies in the Pearl River Delta. Guangzhou lies to the east, Zhongshan to the southeast, Jiangmen to the southeast, Yunfu to the west, and Zhaoqing to the northwest.

Foshan experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).

Climate data for Guangzhou (normals 1971–2000, extremes 1961–2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 27.2
(81)		 28.6
(83.5)		 32.1
(89.8)		 32.4
(90.3)		 36.2
(97.2)		 36.6
(97.9)		 39.1
(102.4)		 38.0
(100.4)		 37.6
(99.7)		 34.8
(94.6)		 32.5
(90.5)		 29.6
(85.3)		 39.1
(102.4)
Average high °C (°F) 18.3
(64.9)		 18.5
(65.3)		 21.6
(70.9)		 25.7
(78.3)		 29.3
(84.7)		 31.5
(88.7)		 32.8
(91)		 32.7
(90.9)		 31.5
(88.7)		 28.8
(83.8)		 24.5
(76.1)		 20.6
(69.1)		 26.3
(79.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 13.9
(57)		 15.2
(59.4)		 18.1
(64.6)		 22.4
(72.3)		 25.8
(78.4)		 27.8
(82)		 28.9
(84)		 28.8
(83.8)		 27.5
(81.5)		 24.7
(76.5)		 20.1
(68.2)		 15.5
(59.9)		 22.39
(72.3)
Average low °C (°F) 10.3
(50.5)		 11.7
(53.1)		 15.2
(59.4)		 19.5
(67.1)		 22.7
(72.9)		 24.8
(76.6)		 25.5
(77.9)		 25.4
(77.7)		 24.0
(75.2)		 20.8
(69.4)		 15.9
(60.6)		 11.5
(52.7)		 18.9
(66.1)
Record low °C (°F) 0.1
(32.2)		 1.3
(34.3)		 3.2
(37.8)		 7.7
(45.9)		 14.6
(58.3)		 18.8
(65.8)		 21.6
(70.9)		 20.9
(69.6)		 15.5
(59.9)		 9.5
(49.1)		 4.9
(40.8)		 0.0
(32)		 0.0
(32)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 40.9
(1.61)		 69.4
(2.732)		 84.7
(3.335)		 201.2
(7.921)		 283.7
(11.169)		 276.2
(10.874)		 232.5
(9.154)		 227.0
(8.937)		 166.2
(6.543)		 87.3
(3.437)		 35.4
(1.394)		 31.6
(1.244)		 1,736.1
(68.35)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 7.5 11.2 15.0 16.3 18.3 18.2 15.9 16.8 12.5 7.1 5.5 4.9 149.2
Average relative humidity (%) 72 78 82 84 84 84 82 82 78 72 66 66 77.5
Mean monthly sunshine hours 118.5 71.6 62.4 65.1 104.0 140.2 202.0 173.5 170.2 181.8 172.7 166.0 1,628
Percent possible sunshine 35 22 17 17 26 35 49 43 46 51 52 50 36.9
Source: China Meteorological Administration,[6] all-time extreme temperature[7]

Transportation

In 2013 to 2014, Foshan planned to improve public transportation by putting forward 6 measures.[8]

FMetro

Main article: FMetro

The first line of FMetro opened in 2010, and another two lines are under construction and due to be completed in 2015 and 2020.

The existing line of FMetro network:

Air

Foshan Shadi Airport was once a regional airport. In 1987 it became a base of China United Airlines (CUA) in Guangdong Province. When CUA ceased domestic flights on November 1, 2002, Foshan Airport remained military service only. The airport resumed its regional airport status in 2005.

Rail

Foshan railway station

Foshan is a main interchange for railway routes linking Guangzhou, Hong Kong and the western Guangdong Province. It is connected with Hong Kong via the KCRC Guangdong Through Train service from Foshan Railway Station. The inter-city train service was extended from Guangzhou to Foshan since the 1990s.

Motor Vehicle

The Foshan motor vehicle plate begin with the abbreviation of Guangdong, "粤":

Economy

Statue of Guan Yin on Mount Xiqiao, in Nanhai

Manufacture and Industry

Following Shenzhen and Guangzhou, Foshan is the third largest manufacturing base in the Pearl River Delta. Once home to a strong State-Owned Enterprises sector, its current economic strength lies in private firms and Township and Village Enterprises in Shunde and Nanhai. In 2002, private firms contributed 56.12% of the industrial output and firms from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan contributed 63.44% in exports.

Key industries in Foshan include:

Some well-known brands to come out of these pillar industries include Midea, Kelon, and Jianlibao. Foshan's furniture and lighting industry is known as the world's largest furniture wholesale market and the world's largest lighting wholesale market.

Industrial Zone

Foshan Hi-Tech Development Zone was founded in 1992. Its total planned area is 7.55 km2 (2.92 sq mi). The zone is very close to the national highway G325 as well as Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. The major industries in the zone including automobile assembly, biotechnology and chemicals processing.[9]

Foshan University's front gate

Sports

In October 2014 the city hosted The Foshan Open golf event on the European Challenge Tour.[10]

Foshan Ancestral

Sister cities

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ http://www.citypopulation.de/php/china-guangdong-admin.php
  2. ↑ "中华人民共和国县以上行政区划代码". 中华人民共和国民政部.
  3. ↑ 佛山市国土资源局. 《佛山市土地利用总体规划（2006-2020年）》.
  4. ↑ shi, Guo wu yuan ren kou pu cha ban gong; council, Guo jia tong ji ju ren kou he jiu ye tong ji si bian = Tabulation on the 2010 population census of the people's republic of China by township / compiled by Population census office under the state; population, Department of; statistics, employment statistics national bureau of (2012). Zhongguo 2010 nian ren kou pu cha fen xiang, zhen, jie dao zi liao (Di 1 ban. ed.). Beijing Shi: Zhongguo tong ji chu ban she. ISBN 978-7-5037-6660-2.
  5. ↑ 中华人民共和国民政部 (2014.08). 《中国民政统计年鉴2014》. 中国统计出版社. ISBN 978-7-5037-7130-9. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ↑ 中国地面国际交换站气候标准值月值数据集（1971－2000年) (in Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved March 2009.
  7. ↑ "Extreme Temperatures Around the World". Retrieved 2010-12-01.
  8. ↑ Foshan City Transportation Bureau home page Foshan City Transportation Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2014
  9. ↑ RightSite.asia | Foshan Hi-Tech Development Zone
  10. ↑ "The Foshan Tour". European Challenge Tour. PGA European Tour. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  11. ↑ Ville de la Possession - Jumelages
  12. ↑ http://www2.ingolstadt.de/index.phtml?object=tx|1842.55.1&NavID=1842.86&Aktuell_ID=13449
  13. ↑ http://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/neuburg/Ingolstadt-und-Foshan-id27503787.html

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Foshan.
 
Rank Name Province Pop. Rank Name Province Pop.

Shanghai

Beijing		 1 Shanghai Shanghai 20,217,700 11 Foshan Guangdong 6,771,900
Chongqing

Guangzhou
2 Beijing Beijing 16,858,700 12 Nanjing Jiangsu 6,238,200
3 Chongqing Chongqing 12,389,500 13 Shenyang Liaoning 5,890,700
4 Guangzhou Guangdong 10,641,400 14 Hangzhou Zhejiang 5,578,300
5 Shenzhen Guangdong 10,358,400 15 Xi'an Shaanxi 5,399,300
6 Tianjin Tianjin 10,007,700 16 Harbin Heilongjiang 5,178,000
7 Wuhan Hubei 7,541,500 17 Dalian Liaoning 4,222,400
8 Dongguan Guangdong 7,271,300 18 Suzhou Jiangsu 4,083,900
9 Chengdu Sichuan 7,112,000 19 Qingdao Shandong 3,990,900
10 Hong Kong Hong Kong 7,055,071 20 Zhengzhou Henan 3,677,000
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