General Introduction

Foshan City

{General Introduction]

Situated in the midsouth of Guangdong and the middle of the Pearl River Delta and bordering Guangzhou eastward and Hong Kong and Macao southward, Foshan is the joint linking the central and western part of the Pearl River Delta. It administers 5 districts, covering an area of 3,848.49 square kilometers with 5,858,300 residents.

[History]

Foshan is a well-famed historical and cultural city. As three Buddha statues were unearthed in its Tapo Hill in 628, a stone monument was erected reading “Foshan” (Literally, Fo means “Buddha”, and Shan means “hill”), hence the name of the city. During the Tang (618-907) and Song Dynasty (960-1279), Foshan highly prospered in handicraft, commerce and culture. Amidst the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Foshan developed into a vital industrial and commercial town in Lingnan and was recognized as one of the “Four Famous Towns in China”, together with Hankou (in Hubei Province), Jingde (in Jiangxi Province) and Zhuxian (in Jiangsu Province). It led the country in becoming one of the seedbeds of China’s modern national industry.

[Economy]

Foshan, as one of the most important domestic and international manufacturing bases worldwide, has been awarded as “China’s Top 50 City Regarding Overall Economic Capacity”, “China’s Top 10 City Regarding Social and Economic Development”, and “China’s Ninth Ranking City Regarding Overall Competitiveness” respectively. Products made in Foshan boast a big market share home and abroad. Its home appliances production accounts for 15 percent of China’s total output, its world-leading microwave oven production takes up 48.6 percent of domestic total, camera production and aluminum alloy & stainless steel building material cluster consisting of electronic information, digital optical, environment-friendly home appliances, bioengineering and new material industry is under way in Foshan.

[Transportation]

As the linkage between the Pearl River Delta and west Guangdong as well as the gateway between the Pearl River Delta and southwest China, Foshan is 231 kilometers away from Hong Kong by land and 96 nautical miles by waterway as well as 143 kilometers away from Macao by land and 92 nautical miles by waterway respectively, both within 2 hours’ ride. Foshan is also within 1 hour’s drive from Guangzhou’s three major transport hubs including Guangzhou Airport, Nansha Port and New Guangzhou Railway Station. The Guangzhou-Foshan Subway in work, China’s first express intercity rail transport project, is expected to be completed in 2012, shortening the distance between Guangzhou to downtown Foshan to only 40-minute drive.

[Local Specialty]

Manggong (Blind Men) Cake, Yunzha (Braised and Binded) Trotters, Scallop Sauce Chicken, Xiangyun Gauze (Gambiered Canton Gauze), Embroidery, Colored Lantern, Wood Engraving Picture, Shiwan Ceramic, Shiwan Rice Wine, Nanhai Jiujiang Jiandui (Pastry), Pingzhou Shixia Longan, Shunde Fish Meat Dumpling, Daliang Double Skin Milk, Daliang Bengsha (Fried Pastry), Gaoming Rice Noodle, Heshui Watermelon, Sanshui Aquatic Product.

[Jiangmen City General Introduction]

Located in the west of the Pearl River Delta, facing South China Sea and adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, Jiangmen borders Foshan northward, and Yangjiang southward. Covering an area of 9,541 square kilometers with 420 kilometers’ coastline, Jiangmen administers three districts and four county-level cities, namely Taishan, Kaiping, Heshan and Enping, with a total of 4.1 million residents. It is historically known as “Wuyi” (five counties).

[History]

Jiangmen used to be a stopover of China’s ancient Maritime Silk Road. Jiangmen is also where the Sea Battle between the Song (960-1297) and Yuan Dynastry (1271-1368) occurred, which officially signified the ending of the Song Dynasty. Jiangmen Customs, one of the eight main customs in Guangdong, was founded in its Beijie Street in 1904. Jiangmen was proclaimed as a provincially administered municipality in 1951. Later on Jiangmen passed to the jurisdiction of Yuezhong Prefecture, Zhaoqing Prefecture and Foshan Prefecture respectively. The prefecture-level Jiangmen Municipality, a regional central municipality, was officially established in 1983, featuring a new mechanism with municipality administrating counties.

[Economy]

Jiangmen’s overall economic capacity has been remarkably expanded as a result of rapid economic development in recent years. Jiangmen was awarded as “China’s Top 100 City Regarding Economic Capacity” in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Newly developed industries, such as electronic information, auto part and fine chemical, are experiencing rapid growth while port-related industries, such as power generation, papermaking, iron & steel and building material, are in place. Jiangmen boasts 12 products as China Top Brand, 13 as National Inspection-Free Product, and 3 as China Famous Brand.

[Transportation]

As one of the three main road transport centers in Guangodng, transport network in Jiangmen is highly developed. Boasting a total of 7 expressways including Foshan-Kaiping Expressway, Kaiping-Yangjiang Expressway, Jiangmen-Heshan Expressway, Xinhui-Taishan Expressway, Western Coastal Expressway, Jiangmen-Zhongshan Expressway and Jiangmen-Zhuhai Expressway, Jiangmen tops the province and ranks second nationwide regarding total expressway mileage among all prefecture-level municipalities. Jiangmen is only 1 hour’s drive away from Guangzhou with a distance of 100 kilometers. Its is also easily accessible by sea with only 2 or 1 hour’s drive away from Hong Kong and Macao.

[Local Specialty]

Xinhui Palm Fan, Jiangmen Cloisonne, Porcelain Ostrich Egg, Sanhengwa Kitchen Knife, Enzhou Strange Stone Tea Set, Heshan Meiya Raschel.

Line for journalists

Midea Group

Incorporated in 1968, Midea Group (Midea) is the largest whte goods manufacture

and export base in China. Headquartered in Shunde District, Foshan, Midea is well-positioned regarding marketing network nationwide with a total of 13 overseas branches. Its product portfolio includes air conditioner, refrigerator, washing machine, rice cooker, water dispenser, microwave oven, dishwasher, induction cooker, electric fan, electric heather, water heater, cooking stove, kitchen ventilator, sterilizer, electric chafing pot, electric oven, vacuum cleaner, among others. Midea boasts the largest and most complete industrial chain for air-conditioner and microwave oven production along with the biggest product portfolio regarding small household and kitchen appliances in China.

Address: Midea Industrial Park, Shunde District, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 26338981

Fax: (0757) 26654011

Website: www.midea.com.cn

Guangdong Fenglu Aluminum Company Limited

As an aluminum product supplier for China's aerospace industry, Guangdong Fenglu Aluminum Company Limited (Fenglu) is the second largest aluminum maker nationwide and the earliest Chinese aluminum maker to foray into international market, covering over 80 countries and regions worldwide as export destinations.

Address: Fengchi Industrial Zone, Dali Town, Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 85571612 85571613 Fax: (0757) 85571616

Website: www.fenglu-alu.com

Guangdong Chigo Air Conditioner Co., Ltd.

Incorporated in 1993 and headquartered in Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong Chigo Air Conditioner Co., Ltd (Chigo) specializes in R&D, production and marketing of commercial and household air-conditioners with its products exported to over 100 countries and regions worldwide out of its 10-million production capacity.

Address: Fenggang Road, Chigo Industrial Park, Lishui Town, Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 85632703 Fax: (0757) 85631581

Website: www.china-chigo.com

Foshan New Shiwan Artistic Ceramis Co., Ltd.

Tracing back to the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-279) Dynasty with a history of over 1,000 years, Ceramic manufacturing in Shiwan, Foshan, thrived in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasty, an extraordinary masterpiece in Chinese art history. Engaged in the production of artistic ceramic products for display, decoration, building material, and daily use, Foshan New Shiwan Artistic Ceramic Co., Ltd. (New Shiwan) has been recognized as one of the "National Top 10 Arts and Crafts Manufacture Enterprise" for five consecutive years. New Shiwan not only has passed the ISO9001 for its Quality Management System but also has been awarded "China's Top Brand in Ceramics Industry", "Guangdong Famous Brand" and "Guangdong Geographic Indication".

Address: Shiwan Town, Chancheng District, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 82272902 Fax: (0757) 82710216

Website: www.new-meitao.com

Shunde Chencun Flower World

Located in Chencun Town, Shunde District, Foshan, Shunde Chencun Flower World is a company specialized in the growing, marketing and research of flowers as well as information and tourism, covering an area of 10,000 mus (equal to 1/15 hector). It is the largest flower growing company and trading market nationwide.

Address: Shunde Chencun Flower World, Foshan-Chencun Highway, Shunde District, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 23322718 Fax: (0757) 23832895

Website: www.flowerworld.com.cn

Jiangmen Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone

Located in Jianghai District, the provincial-level Jiangmen Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone consists of hi-tech industrial park and Taiwan businessmen industrial park, covering a total planned area of 47.1 square kilometers. Characterized with pillar industries such as electronic information, motorcycle and component manufacturing, biopharmaceutical and light source industry, it has achieved 10.53 billion yuan industrial output in 2006.

Address: 288, Jinou Road, Jiangmen, Guangdong

Tel: (0750) 3866618 3866660 3866681 Fax: (0750) 3866000

Grand River Group

Grand River Group, consisting of the assembly factory, the motor factory and the main parts factory, is specialized in R&D, manufacturing and marketing of motorcycles and is one of the leading motorcycle manufacturers in China.

Address: 5 Jianda Road North, Jiangmen, Guangdong

Tel: (0750) 3221511 Fax: (0750) 3221690

Website: www.dachangjiang.com, www.haojue.com

China (Shuikou) Faucet & Sanitary ware Exhibition and Trade Center

Located in Kaiping City's Shuikou Town, which is regarded as "Capital of China's Faucet and Sanitary Ware", China (Shuikou) Faucet & Sanitary Ware Exhibition and Trade Center covers an overall planned area of 80,000 square meters including a 20,000-squre meter central plaza and passenger terminal. Accounting for 45 percent of national market share, 60 percent of faucet and sanitary ware products made in Shuikou are exported to overseas market.

Address: 108-118, Xinshi Road South, Shuikou Town,

Kaiping City, Guangdong Tel: (0750) 2727272

Wuyi Overseas Chinese Museum

Covering an area of 9,000 square meters, Jiangmen's Wuyi Overseas Chinese Museum was open to public in November 2005 aimed to exhibit the history regarding overseas Chinese in Wuyi. It tops all the museums of its kind nationwide respecting contents, quantity and value of cultural relics related to overseas Chinese.

Address: Wuyi Overseas Chinese Museum Square,

Fazhan Avenue, Jiangmen, Guangdong

Tel: (0750) 3936219

Binjiang New District

The construction of Binjiang Avenue gave rise to Binjiang New District. Bordering Xijiang River eastward, Foshan-Kaiping Expressway westward, New Northern District southward, and the southern part of Yanshan Mountain of Heshan City northward respectively, Binjiang New District covers an area of over 100 square kilometers. Aiming to be a place ideal for business, living and tourism, it will be built into a new garden-style riverside district featuring modern and complete urban functions and excellent environment upon completion, which will greatly expand Jiangmen's urban area.

Address: 129, Tidong Road, Jiangmen, Guangdong

Tel: (0750) 3160896 Fax: (0750) 3160893

Guangdong Guohua Yudean Taishan Power Generation Co., Ltd.

Incorporated in March 2001, all the 5 generators of the Phase 1 project of Guangdong Guohua Yudean Taishan Power Generation Co., Ltd. was completed and put into operation in 2006. It is the largest thermal power plant in Guangdong regarding loading capacity as well as the biggest thermal power plant in Asia.

Address: Luoguowan, Taishan City, Guangdong

Tel: (0750) 5279667 5277688-6622, 6621

A Happy Tour

If interested, you can visit following tourist spots after work:

Foshan: Ancestral Temple, Folk Tea Culture Center, Liang Garden Museum, Donghuali Ancient Buildings, Nanfeng Ancient Kiln, Nanguo Peach Garden, Xiqiao Hill, Former Residence of Kang Youwei, Huang Feihong Lion Dance & Martial Art Center , Shunde Qinghui Garden, Sanshui Lotus World

Jiangmen: Academicians Street, Changti Scenic Street, Memorial Hall to Chen Baisha, Xinhui Birds' Paradise, Former Residence of Liang Qichao, Taishan Shang chuan & Xiachuan Island Resort, Kaiping Li Garden, Enping Hot Spring, Heshan Gulao Water Town

News Focus

Foshan: A City of Martial Art

Foshan is the cradle of China's southern style martial art. Martial art was highly popular in Foshan since the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). At the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and in the early years of last century, a large number of international influential martial art masters and organizations went beyond the border and made international presence in different ways when various schools of martial art thrived in Foshan. Many globally widely popular martial arts such as Wing Chun and Hung Kuen can trace their origins to Foshan. Foshan is also the ancestral home to many renowned Martial art masters such as Huang Feihong and Bruce Lee. Dragon dance and lion dance are important components of Foshan martial art. Five sessions of the annual "Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Lion Dance Championship" has been successfully hosted in Foshan, China's most important place for dragon and lion dance, since 2002. The 5th "China Foshan Children's Wear Cup" Guangdong, Hong Kong, Guangxi, Macao and Taiwan Lion Dance King Championship & National Dragon Dance Tournament was hosted in Foshan in February 2007, featuring participants not only from places such as Guangdong, Hong Kong, Guangxi, Macao and Taiwan but also from Singapore and Thailand. The annual dragon dance competition attracts plenty of martial art fans every year.

Foshan Hongsheng Martial Art Center (Hongsheng) established by Cheung Yim, co-founder of the martial art Choy Lee Fut, holds a vital position in the development of Guangdong martial art. Choy Lee Fut is being taught to numerous followers in over 60 countries and regions worldwide by people originating from Hongsheng, making it one of the most frequented martial arts globally. Followers of Huang Feihong worldwide, a great master of Hung Kuen, have made Foshan into a root-searching shrine for them to pay their homage. Wing Chun is also a historically highly popular martial art for years in Foshan. Wing Chun was popularized by local martial art master Leung Tsan. It was Leung Tsan's student Yip Man who further promoted Wing Chun in Hong Kong and brought up many students over there including Bruce Lee, a big KungFu movie star. With the great success achieved by Bruce Lee in movie, Wing Chun obtained global fame and was widely spread all over the world. There are still many martial art centers established by the successors of afore-mentioned great masters, who are devoted to the idea of "Practice Martial Art and Keep Healthy". In Foshan, people not only can witness the profound Chinese martial art along with the long history of various martial art schools but also experience the fantastic and spectacular excellence of Chinese dragon dance. Foshan was awarded the "City of Martial Art" by General Administration of Sport in 2004.

Memorial Hall to Huang Feihong

Address: 21, Zumiao Road, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757)83225919 82293723

Fax:(0757)82286913

Email: fsyangyang@126.com

For further inquiries, please contact:

Cai Guihong Director of Excutive Office of Foshan Municipal Sports Bureau

Tel: (0757) 82701007

Mobile: 13923122166

Foshan Ceramics Industry

Foshan is honored as the "Ceramics Capital of South China". Colored earthenware, made in late Neolithic Period of 5000 years ago, has been unearthed in Foshan's Heyan Shell Mound. Ceramics industry in Foshan's Shiwan reached its prime time during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and export to overseas market was started since then. The old saying "Shiwan Tile Tops World" is the best depiction regarding Shiwan ceramics' status. Foshan has developed into the largest wall and floor tile manufacturing center both domestically and internationally. With a 1.6-billion square meters annual production capacity, Foshan's ceramics industry output takes up 25 percent of the global total and 50 percent of national total.

Foshan's ceramics industry also boasts of 7 China's National Arts & Crafts Grandmasters and 4 China's National Ceramic Art Grandmasters respectively over the years. Foshan is also home to the modernized production of traditional Chinese ceramics as well as the leading production base for ceramic building material and sanitary ware in the country.

Address: 2 Jiangwansanlu Rd, China Ceramies City,Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 82727011 82727022 82663296

Fax: (0757) 82719328

Website: http://www.eccc.com.cn

For further inquiries, please contact:

Kuang Jinchu Chief of General Manager's Office, China Ceramics City

Tel: (0757) 82701007

Mobile: 13318303022

Jiangmen: Kaiping Diaolou

Kaiping is a famous place in China both as the ancestral home of numerous

overseas Chinese and home to Diaolou (watchtower). With a total of over 3,000 Dialous at its peak time and 1,833 in existence at present spreading widely over 15 townships in Kaiping, Diaolou is the fusion of local and overseas architecture by local residents and Kaiping-based overseas Chinese at the beginning of last century. Featuring large amount, architectural excellence and diverse style, Diaolou in Kaiping is a vernacular architectural rarity home and abroad.

Kaiping Diaolou and Villages, along with the humanistic scenic fusion of western and Chinese culture, natural beauty and vernacular tradition, have been well preserved as what they were. The combination of profound Chinese cultural background with notable western cultural characteristics illustrates the unique historical and cultural scenery under specific historical conditions within specific area. Kaiping Diaolou and Villages are recognized as "Masterpiece of Overseas Chinese Culture" and "Heart-Catching Chinese and Western Art Corridor".

During the 31st World Heritage Committee held in Christchurch, New Zealand, on June 28, 2007, Kaiping Diaolou and Villages was officially inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, becoming China's 35th World Heritage and the first World Cultural Heritage in Guangdong.

Diaolou Culture Administration, Kaiping Municipal Government

Address: F/10, Kaiping Municipal Government, Guangdong

Tel/Fax: (0750) 2263637

Website: www.kaipingdiaolou.com

For further inquiries, please contact:

Liang Hengjian Deputy Chief, Information Office, Kaiping Municipal Government

Tel: (0750) 2255333

Mobile: 13929077268

Info Service

Traffic Inquiry

Bus Ticket

Chancheng District

Address: 5, Fenjiang Road Central, Chancheng District, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 82232940

Nanhai District

Address: Nanhai Bus Terminal Tel: (0757) 86233178

Jiangmen Bus Terminal

Address: 42, Jianshe Road, Jiangmen, Guangdong Tel: (0750) 3337393

Shengli Substation of Jiangmen Bus Terminal (For Guangzhou Tianhe Bus Terminal)

Address: 38, Shengli Road, Jiangmen, Guangdong Tel: (0750) 3334912

Ferry Service

Shunde Port

Address: Shunde Port, Desheng East Road, Daliang, Shunde District,

Foshan, Guangdong Tel: (0757) 22822013

Nanhai Port

Address: Yongan Road, Pingzhou, Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 86773704

Taishan Gongyi Port (For Hong Kong)

Address: Gongyi Town, Taishan, Jiangmen, Guangdong

Tel: (0750) 5412861

Jiangmen Port

Address: Waihai Town, Jiangmen, Guangdong Tel: (0750) 3374087

Recommended Taxi Companies

Taxi Call in Foshan Tel: (0757) 83366998 82220888

Public Bus Enquiry in Foshan Tel: (0757) 82810501

Jiangmen: Nanan Taxi Company Tel: (0750) 3168888

Recommended Hotels

Foshan Hotel (Five Star)

Address: 75, Fenjiang South Road, Chancheng District, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 82986881

Golden City Hotel (Four Star)

Address: 45, Fenjiang Road South, Chancheng District, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 83357228

Ever Profit Hotel (Four Star)

Address: Guanghai Avenue, Sanshui District, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 87733888

Yucca Hotel (Five Star)

Address: 2, Zhongyin Road, Kaiping City, Guangdong Tel: (0750) 2333333

Pan Tower International Hotel (Five Star)

Address: 2, Zhongyin Road, Kaiping City, Guangdong Tel: (0750) 2333333

Yanshan Hotel (Four Star)

Address: Dayan Mountain Scenic Spot, Heshan City, Guangdong

Tel: (0750) 8822822

Recommended Travel Agencies

China Travel Service, Foshan

Address: 1-14, Zumiao Road, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 88359901 Fax: (0757) 88359907 www.fscts.com

China International Travel Service, Foshan

Address: 75, Fenjiang Road South, Foshan, Guangdong

Tel: (0757) 83808888 Fax: (0757) 82980308 www.fscits.com

Jiangmen Dafang International Travel Service

Address: 101, 6, Baisha Avenue West, Jiangmen, Guangdong

Tel: (0750) 3502823 www.dafangtour.com

China Travel Service, Jiangmen

Tel: (0750) 3162988 Fax: (0750) 3362186 www.jmcts.com

China International Travel Service, Jiangmen

Address: A, 2, Baisha Avenue West, Jiangmen, Guangdong

Tel: (0750) 3272288 Fax: (0750) 3272296 www.jmcits.com

Frequently Used Telephone Numbers

Police & Traffic Accident Tel: 110

Fire Tel: 119

Traffic Accident Tel: 122

China Mobile Customer Hotline Tel: 10086

China Unicom Customer Hotline Tel: 10010

China Telecom Customer Hotline Tel: 10000

Climate

Abundant in rainfall, Jiangmen and Foshan enjoy mild subtropical maritime monsoon climate with an annual average temperature at 21.6-22.8 degrees centigrade, an annual average rainfall at 1,690 millimeters, and an annual total sunlight time at 1,719-2,430 hours without rigid winter and torrid summer.

Need assistance in news coverage, contact following departments:

Information office, Foshan Municipal Government

Address: Building 8, 14, Lingnan Avenue, Chancheng District, Foshan

Tel: (0757) 83283021

Zhou Wen Spokesman and Deputy Secretary General of Foshan Municipal Government

Tel: (0757) 83808220

Information office, Jiangmen Municipal Government

Address: 1, Baisha Avenue West, Jiangmen Municipal Government

Tel: (0750) 3272513

Liao Zhenming Spokesman and Deputy Secretary General of Jiangmen Municipal Government

Tel: (0750) 3273112