Lying to the South China Sea, Guangzhou is located on the Pearl River Delta at 113'17" longitude E. and 23'8" latitude N. and neighbours Hong Kong and Macao. The city is the capital of Guangzhou Province and has a history of more than 2,200 years. The city is the center of Lingnan Culture, the communication hub as well as the largest trade port in South China. As early as the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC) , there had been exchanges between  "Baiyue people" in Guangzhou and the people of the Chu State. Known as the City of Flowers, Guangzhou enjoys mild weather all the year round. The average annual temperature in Guangzhou is about 22.6 degress centigrade. The city governs 12 districts, encompassing 7,434 square kilometers, with a population of 6.85 million.
Guangzhou's famous nickname-- "Yangcheng" (meaning ram city) and "Suicheng" (ear city) - come from a delightful legend. It is said that around the 10th century BC, five immortals riding five rams with rice stalks in their mouths, flew to Guangzhou. These immortals gave the rice to peasants and prayed that there would be bumper harvests. The immortals flew away and left the five rams behind, now turned into stones.
The city has comprehensive transportation network, which covers railways, highways, and water and transportation, connecting the city with the rest of China and the world.
According to historians, the cultures of China's hinterland and of the Western societies all first emerged in Guangzhou and the city manages to maintain its own unique traditional culture despite the rapid move towards modernization.