Why Zhaoqing
Zhaoqing is a prefecture-level city in western Guangdong Province, China, situated along the northern banks of the Xi River roughly 110 kilometers west of Guangzhou. Known under historical names such as Sihui, Gaoyao, and Duanzhou, the region received its current name—meaning "Beginning Auspiciousness"—from Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty in 1118. While its built-up area rests on relatively flat land, the surrounding geography features forested mountains, agricultural rice paddies, and aquaculture ponds. Sihui and the southern districts form part of the Pearl River Delta.
The city holds a rich historical legacy. During the Sui Dynasty, Duanzhou became a prominent administrative and military hub, and its city walls were erected under Emperor Renzong during the Song Dynasty. In the late 16th century, Zhaoqing served as the seat of the Viceroy of Liangguang and hosted the first mainland Jesuit mission, where Italian missionary Matteo Ricci created the first modern Chinese world map in 1584. It also briefly served as the capital for the Southern Ming resistance during the mid-17th century.
Today, Zhaoqing is recognized as a notable tourist center and an educational hub, frequently visited by weekend travelers from nearby metropolises like Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Its principal cultural and natural landmarks include the Xinghu Sightseeing Area, which encompasses the Seven Star Crags with their historic rock carvings and Dinghu Mountain, China's first established nature reserve. Additional local attractions include the Song City Walls, Mei'an Temple, Yuejiang Tower, Piyun Tower, Jiulong Lake, Deqing Academy, and the Yuecheng Longmu Ancestral Shrine.
Alongside tourism and higher education, Zhaoqing maintains a diverse regional economy based on manufacturing, mineral extraction, and agriculture, yielding resources such as paddy rice, sugar cane, fruits, and cassia bark. Industrial parks, including the large Guangdong Zhaoqing High-tech Industrial Development Zone, help facilitate export processing and local manufacturing.
The city experiences a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate, maintaining an annual average temperature of 22.69 °C and receiving approximately 1,633 millimeters of rainfall each year. Transport to and within Zhaoqing is supported by Interstates 321 and 324, the Guang-Zhao and Guang-Wu Expressways, and the Sanmao Railway. Passengers can travel locally via 32 public bus routes or reach regional destinations through direct train services and daily express catamaran ferries connecting directly to Hong Kong.
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