Foshan (, ;

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

: 佛山) is a

prefecture-level city A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province of China, province and above a Counties of the People's Republic of China, county in China's ...

in central

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

Province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

, China. The entire prefecture covers and had a population of 9,498,863 as of the 2020 census. The city is part of the western side of the

Pearl River Delta The Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary, where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea. Referred to as the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area in official documents, ...

megalopolis, a

conurbation A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...

housing 86,100,000 inhabitants, making it the biggest urban area of the world. Foshan is regarded as the home of

Cantonese opera Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Guangdong Province. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau and among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Like all versions of ...

, a genre of Chinese opera;

Nanquan Nanquan may refer to: * Nanquan (martial art), a family of martial arts from Southern China * Nanquan Puyuan (c. 749–c. 835), Chán (Zen) Buddhist master in China during the Tang Dynasty * Nanquan Temple, a Buddhist temple in Xiangyin County, H ...

, a martial art; and

lion dancing Lion dance ( zh, s=舞狮, t=舞獅, p=wǔshī, c=, first=t) is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance ...

Name

''Fóshān'' is the

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

romanization In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Latin script, Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and tra ...

of the city's

name , based on its

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

pronunciation. The Postal Map spelling "Fatshan" derives from the same name's local

Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...

pronunciation. Other romanizations include Fat-shan and Fat-shun. Foshan means "

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

Mountain" and, despite the more famous present-day statue of Guanyin (or Kwanyin) on

Mount Xiqiao Mount Xiqiao is a 40- to 50-million-year-old extinct volcano situated in the south west of the Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China from Guangzhou. The mountain is an important scenic area and designated as a national ...

, who isn't a Buddha, it refers to a smaller hill near the centre of town where three

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

sculptures Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

were discovered in AD 628. The town grew up around a monastery founded nearby that was destroyed in 1391..

History

Pre-20th century

Foshan remained a minor settlement on the

Fen River The Fen River drains the center of Shanxi Province, China. It originates in the Guancen Mountains of Ningwu County in northeast Shanxi, flows southeast into the basin of Taiyuan, and then south through the central valley of Shanxi before turni ...

for most of China's history. It developed around a Tang-era

Buddhist monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may ...

that was destroyed in 1391. The Foshan Ancestral Temple, a

Taoist temple A Daoist temple (), also called a () or (), is a place where the Dao is observed and cultivated. It is a place of worship in Taoism. Taoism is a religion that originated in China, with the belief in immortality, which urges people to become i ...

to the Northern God (''Beidi'') that was rebuilt in 1372, became the new focus of the community by the 15th century. By the early

Ming The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han people, t ...

, Foshan had grown into one of the four great markets in China, primarily on the strength of its local

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porce ...

but also on account of its metalwork.. Under the

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, its harbor on the Fen River was limited to ships of a thousand tons' burden but it remained well connected with Guangdong's other ports. By the 19th century, Foshan was considered the "

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

of China", with its steel industry responsible for the consumption of the majority of the province's iron production.

20th century and onwards

Foshan was connected to

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

and

Sanshui Sanshui District, formerly romanized as Samshui, is an urban district of the prefecture-level city of Foshan in Guangdong province, China. It had a population of 803,226 as of the 2020 census. It is known for the " Samsui women", emigrants who l ...

by rail in the early 20th century. The Ancestral Temple was converted into the Foshan Municipal Museum upon the victory of the

Communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...

in the

Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...

in 1949. Foshan remained primarily focused on ceramic and steel production until the 1950s, when it became an urbanizing political center. On 26 June 1951, it left

Nanhai County Nanhai County was a former county in Guangdong Province, China, named after the South China Sea. Its former area now makes up Chancheng and Nanhai Districts in Foshan, and Liwan District in Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanizatio ...

to become a separate

county-level city A county-level city () is a County-level divisions of China, county-level administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China. County-level cities have judiciary, judicial but no legislature, legislative rights over their own local or ...

and, in 1954, it was made the seat of the prefectural government. Its economy stagnated as a result of the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

—traditional ceramic ware was forbidden and its workshops were turned to producing

Maoist Maoism, officially Mao Zedong Thought, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed while trying to realize a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic o ...

and

Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

folderol—but it continued to grow, reaching 300,000 people by the 1970s, making it the province's second city after Guangzhou. As early as 1973, however, its agriculture and consumer industries were permitted to become an export production base and a modern highway linked it to Guangzhou soon after. This permitted its party secretary

Tong Mengqing Tong may refer to: Chinese *Tang dynasty, a dynasty in Chinese history when transliterated from Cantonese *Tong (organization), a type of social organization found in Chinese immigrant communities *''tong'', pronunciation of several Chinese char ...

and mayor Yu Fei to take full advantage when

Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping also Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Teng Hsiao-p'ing; born Xiansheng (). (22 August 190419 February 1997) was a Chinese statesman, revolutionary, and political theorist who served as the paramount leader of the People's R ...

introduced his Opening Up policies after the fall of the

Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...

. In 1983, Foshan was promoted to a

with its former core becoming the new

Chancheng District Chancheng District is a district (China), district and the seat of the city of Foshan, Guangdong, Guangdong Province, China. Chancheng is the economic, cultural and political center of the city. History Chancheng belonged to the land of Baiyue ...

but lost the southwestern half of its former territory to

Jiangmen Jiangmen ( zh, c=江门), postal map romanization, alternately romanization of Chinese, romanized in Cantonese as Kongmoon, is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong provinces of China, Province in southern China. It consists of three urban distri ...

. On 8 December 2002,

Shunde Shunde (Shun Tak in Cantonese) is a district of the city of Foshan, Guangdong province, located in the Pearl River Delta. It had a population of 2,464,784 as of the 2010 census. Once a traditional agricultural county, it has become one of the mo ...

and Nanhai joined its urban core as a full district. Since 2020, a Japanese-themed street in Foshan has become a hit with young people unable to travel abroad due to the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The 100m-long road called Ichiban Street has been outfitted by a local property developer to resemble famous commercial streets in Japan, complete with a sakura tree, an icon of Japan. The "exotic" street is attracting young people from nearby cities like Guangzhou, Zhongshan and Zhuhai as the younger Chinese generation likes many things about Japanese culture and design. After negative responses and anti-Japanese sentiment, all Japanese signage was removed and the street has been mostly abandoned.

Geography

Foshan lies on the

in the estuaries making up the west side of the

lies to the northeast,

Zhongshan Zhongshan ( zh, c=中山 ), alternately romanized via Cantonese as Chungshan, is a prefecture-level city in the south of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong province, China. As of the 2020 census, the whole city with 4,418,060 inhabitants is n ...

to the southeast,

to the south,

Qingyuan Qingyuan, formerly romanized as Tsingyun, is a prefecture-level city in northern Guangdong province, China, on the banks of the Bei or North River. During the 2020 census, its total population was 3,969,473, out of whom 1,738,424 lived in the ...

to the north, and

Zhaoqing Zhaoqing ( zh, c=肇庆), alternately romanized as Shiuhing, is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province, China. As of the 2020 census, its population was 4,113,594, with 1,553,109 living in the built-up (or metro) area made of Duanz ...

to the west.

Climate

Foshan experiences a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Cfa'').

Economy

Foshan has been well known for its

since the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, although it was forced to cease production during the

. Foshan had a ¥0.8 trillion

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...

in 2015, raising its per capita GDP past $10,000.

Shunde District Shunde (Shun Tak in Cantonese) is a district of the city of Foshan, Guangdong province, located in the Pearl River Delta. It had a population of 2,464,784 as of the 2010 census. Once a traditional agricultural county, it has become one of the mo ...

in particular has a high manufacturing output, with its 3,000+ electronical appliance factories responsible for more than half of the world's

air conditioner Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...

s and

refrigerator A refrigerator, commonly shortened to fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermal insulation, thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to ...

s.. Foshan now has more than 30 towns specialized in particular industries, including furniture, machinery, and beverages. The Foshan Hi-Tech Development Zone was founded in 1992. Its total planned area is . 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.

Administration

Foshan administers five county-level divisions, all of which are

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

, including Chancheng, Nanhai, Sanshui, Gaoming and Shunde. These are further divided into 32

township-level divisions The administrative divisions of China have consisted of several levels since 1412, due to mainland China's large population and geographical area. In the People's Republic of China, the constitution provides for three levels of government. Ho ...

, including 11

subdistrict A subdistrict or sub-district is an administrative division that is generally smaller than a district. Equivalents * Administrative posts of East Timor, formerly Portuguese-language * Kelurahan, in Indonesia * Mukim, a township in Brunei, Ind ...

s and 21

towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

. Foshan is close to Guangzhou and considers its link with Guangzhou to be very important. As such, it is part of the

and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area metropolis, centered on Guangzhou.

Animal Cruelty Controversy

In December 2024, authorities in Foshan's Sanshui District uncovered an illegal cat meat processing facility in Yundonghai Subdistrict. The operation led to the discovery of several slaughtering and processing equipment, along with approximately 100 live cats. Due to the unknown origin of these cats and the potential public health risks, officials decided to "dispose" of them, which involved submerging five or six large bamboo cages containing the cats into a pond, effectively drowning them. This action sparked significant public outrage, with many netizens labeling the method as "cruel" and expressing their dismay over the treatment of the animals. (Source
MingPao

Language

A dialect from the Samyap branch of

is used by the city natives. Besides that,

is also used, mainly in business and education, although natives do not use much of it in their daily lives.

Transportation

In 2013 to 2014, Foshan planned to improve public transportation by putting forward six measures:Foshan City Transportation Bureau home page
Foshan City Transportation Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2014

FMetro

The first line of

FMetro The Foshan Metro (; branded as FMetro) is the rapid transit system of the city of Foshan in Guangdong, China. Guangfo line is operated by Guangzhou Metro Corporation, and all other lines are operated by the state-owned Foshan Metro Group. I ...

opened in 2010, and another two lines are completed in 2021 and 2022. The existing line of

network: * Line 1 (Guangfo Line): From

Xincheng Dong Station Xincheng Dong station (), is a station and the southern terminus of the Guangfo line of the Foshan Metro and Guangzhou Metro, located in Foshan's Shunde District Shunde (Shun Tak in Cantonese) is a district of the city of Foshan, Guangdong pr ...

to Lijiao Station * Line 2: From

Nanzhuang Station Nanzhuang Township is a township (Taiwan), rural township in Miaoli County, Taiwan. Geography It has a population total of 9,029 (January 2023) and an area of . Demographics The population consists of Hakka people, Hakkas, Hoklo people, Hok ...

Guangzhou South Railway Station Guangzhounan (Guangzhou South) railway station () is located in Shibi, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. It is a large modern railway station, rail terminal south of central Guangzhou. For a brief time it was Asia's largest ...

* Line 3: From to Zhongshan Park Station &

Lianhe Station Lianhe station () is a station on Line 3 of Foshan Metro, located in Foshan's Nanhai District. It opened on 23 August 2024. Due to the current need for the operation of Line 3 in sections, the station is also used as the southern terminus of th ...

Foshan University Station Foshan University station () is an elevated metro station, station on Line 3 (Foshan Metro), Line 3 of Foshan Metro, located in Foshan's Nanhai, Foshan, Nanhai District. It opened on 23 August 2024, and is the northern terminus of the section fr ...

Rail

Foshan is a main interchange for railway routes linking

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

and western Guangdong Province. It is connected with Hong Kong via the KCRC Guangdong Through Train service from Foshan railway station, an inter-city train service that was extended from Guangzhou to Foshan in the 1990s.

Aviation

The city is served by

Foshan Shadi Airport Foshan Shadi Airport , or Shadi Air Base, is a dual-use military and public airport serving the city of Foshan in South Central China's Guangdong province. FUO was re-opened to serve as a relief airport for the region. Along with two other maj ...

, and later the Pearl River Delta International Airport. It is also served by

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is an international airport serving Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. The airport codes were inherited from the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (former), former Baiyun Airport, and the IATA code is de ...

Education

Like other government schools in mainland China,

is the primary language of instruction in Foshan's government schools.

Universities

* Foshan University *

South China Normal University South China Normal University (SCNU) is a Types of universities and colleges in China, provincial public normal university in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is affiliated with the Province of Guangdong, and co-sponsored by the provincial gover ...

(Foshan campus) * Southern Medical University (Shunde campus) * Guangdong University of Finance & Economics (Sanshui campus)

Schools

* Nanhai Senior High School

Sports

Foshan is one of the host cities for the

2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams, held from 31 August to 15 September 2019. The tournament was hosted in China and was rescheduled from 2018 to 2019, b ...

. The city hosted events during the

2010 Asian Games The 2010 Asian Games (), officially known as the XVI Asian Games () and also known as Guangzhou 2010 (), were a regional multi-sport event held from November 12 to 27, 2010 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (although several events commenced ear ...

Synchronized swimming Synchronized swimming (in British English, synchronised swimming), also known as artistic swimming, is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine, accompanied by music. The sport is governed internationally by World A ...

at the Foshan Aquatics Center and

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

at the Foshan Gymnasium. In October 2014 the city hosted

The Foshan Open The Foshan Open is a golf tournament on the Challenge Tour. It was played for the first time in October 2013 at the Foshan Golf Club in Foshan, China. It is co-sanctioned by the China Golf Association. Since 2017, it has been part of the China Tour ...

golf event on the European Challenge Tour. Two professional football teams have played in Foshan. From 1989 to 1997 Foshan Fosti (now disbanded) played at the

New Plaza Stadium New Plaza Stadium () was a multi-use stadium in Foshan, China. It was used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and was one of the six stadiums used for the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup. The stadium had a capacity of 14,000 people. ...

in Chancheng (now demolished). Foshan Fosti mainly played in the second tier, but did play in the eight team top tier in 1993. In 2007, newly created

Guangdong Sunray Cave Shaanxi Wuzhou Football Club () was a Chinese professional football club based in Xi'an, Shaanxi which last played in the China League One division. The club was originally formed on February 5, 2007, as Guangdong Sunray Cave F.C. and was once ow ...

played at

Nanhai District Stadium Nanhai District Stadium () is a multi-use stadium in Foshan, China. It is currently used mostly for football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a ...

(now demolished), before moving to the Century Lotus Stadium in 2008. Sunray Cave then moved to Guangzhou, although did play the final games of the 2013 China League One back at Century Lotus Stadium. They returned to Guangzhou in 2014 and then disbanded.

Destinations

* Crowne Plaza Foshan Hotel * Foshan Ancestral Temple (Zumiao) *

Nanfeng Kiln Nanfeng Kiln () is a tourist attraction in the Ancient Nanfeng Kiln Cultural and Creative Zone, which is located in Shiwanzhen Subdistrict, Shiwan Town, Chancheng District, Foshan city, Guangdong province of China. It was built in the Ming Dynasty ...

* Liang's Garden *

Wong Fei-hung Memorial Hall Foshan Wong Fei-hung Memorial Hall (or Foshan Huang Feihong Memorial Hall) () is a museum in memory of Wong Fei-hung. Background Located in Xinwen Street, Zumiao Road in the Chancheng District, Foshan City, north of the Foshan Ancestral Temple ...

Sister cities

Itami is a cities of Japan, city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 197,215 in 83,580 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Geography Itami is located in south-east ...

, Hyōgo Japan *

La Possession La Possession () is a Commune in France, commune in the France, French overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department of Réunion. It is located in the northwestern part of the island of Réunion, between the capital of Saint-Den ...

Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...

, France (since 1989) *

Port Louis Port Louis (, ; or , ) is the capital and most populous city of Mauritius, mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's financial and political centre. It is admi ...

, Mauritius *

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

, United States *

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...

, United States *

Markham, Ontario Markham () is a city in Regional Municipality of York, York Region, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately northeast of Downtown Toronto. In the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 Census, Markham had a population of 338,503, which ranked it the largest in ...

, Canada (Friendly co-operative) *

Townsville The City of Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 201,313 as of 2024, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of ...

, Queensland, Australia *

Medway Medway is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Kent in South East England. It was formed in 1998 by merging the boroughs of City of Roche ...

, United Kingdom *

Starogard Gdański Starogard Gdański (; until 1950: ''Starogard''; formerly ) is a city in Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland with 48,328 inhabitants (2004). Starogard is the capital of Starogard County. Founded in the Middle Ages, Starogard is a city with ...

, Poland * St. George's, Grenada *

Ingolstadt Ingolstadt (; Austro-Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an Independent city#Germany, independent city on the Danube, in Upper Bavaria, with 142,308 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2023). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan ...

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, Germany (since 2013)

Notable people

Au Tak Au Tak (also spelled Au Tack; ; 1840–1920) or Au Chak-mun () was a Hong Kong entrepreneur. He was the proprietor of a furniture shop and the property developers in Central District on Hong Kong Island. He used to be the director of Tung Wah Ho ...

(1840–1920), Hong Kong entrepreneur *

Jeremy Bray Jeremy William Bray (29 June 193031 May 2002) was a British Labour politician and a Member of Parliament for 31 years. Early life and education Bray was born in British Hong Kong, the son of Reverend Arthur Bray, a Methodist missionary. He s ...

(1930–2002), British politician *

Cai Feihu Cai Feihu (; born 1964 in Zhejiang, China) is a Chinese professor, engineer and businessman. He is an adjunct professor of Wuhan University of Technology. Also, vice secretary general of Foshan Ceramics Society, director of the Chinese Ceramic ...

(born 1964), professor, engineer and businessman *

Cao Yuanhang Cao Yuanhang (born 20 November 1991) is a Paralympian athlete from China competing mainly in T37 classification sprint and long jump events. Cao represented her country at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, where she won two medals; an ind ...

(born 1991), Paralympian * Sun Chan (born 1932), Peruvian-Chinese artist *

Chan Wah-shun Chan Wah-shun ( 1836 – 1913), nicknamed Money Changer Wah (找錢華) and Money Clutcher Wah (爪錢華), was a student of the Wing Chun grandmaster Leung Jan (梁贊). He is noted for being the martial arts teacher of Ip Man. Background ...

(c.1836–1906), martial arts teacher of Ip Man * Chen Jintao (1870–1939), technocrat who founded the Bank of China * Cheok Hong Cheong (1851–1928), Australian missionary, political activist, writer, and businessman *

Cheng Yu-tung Cheng Yu-tung GBM (; 8 August 1925 – 29 September 2016) was a Hong Kong billionaire with extensive property investment, development and service businesses, hotels, infrastructure, jewellery retailing and transportation interests in Hong Kong, ...

(1925–2016), Hong Kong billionaire *

Cheung Wing-sing Cheung Wing-sing (; 1897 – 1960) was the wife of Wing Chun master Ip Man. Biography Little is known about Cheung's birth and childhood life except that she was a relative of the Qing Dynasty official Zhang Yinhuan () (1837–1900), who was inv ...

(1897–1960), wife of Wing Chun master Ip Man *

Chin Siu-ho Chin Siu-ho (born 26 January 1963) is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist, notable for acting with Jet Li in '' Tai Chi Master'' and '' Fist of Legend''. Background He is the older brother of actor Chin Kar-lok and ex-husband of Sharon Kwok Sa ...

(born 1963), Hong Kong actor and martial artist * Chow Chi-yuen (1900–1971), Hong Kong entrepreneur and the founder of

Chow Tai Fook Chow Tai Fook group is a Hong Kong–based, privately-owned conglomerate with holdings in the jewellery, property development, hotel, department store, transportation, energy, telecommunications, port, casino, and other businesses. Despite th ...

* Chow Kwen Lim (1928–2016), founder and the chairman of Chow Sang Sang Jewellery Company * Dang Fong (1877 or 1879–1955), disciple of the Chinese Kung Fu folk hero Wong Fei Hung *

Eu Tong Sen Eu Tong Sen (; 23 July 1877 – 11 May 1941) was a businessman in Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong during the late 19th and early 20th century. He was vice-president of the Anti-Opium Society and a member of the Kinta Sanitary Board.Twent ...

(1877 -1941), businessman in Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong * Feng Feng (born 1968), footballer * Foo Ping-sheung (1895–1965), diplomat and politician in the early Republic of China and later in Taiwan * Fung Jing Toy (c.1864–1897), American gangster *

Stanley Fung Stanley Fung Shui-fan (born June 1, 1945) is a Hong Kong actor and film director known for playing comedic roles. He was one of the Lucky Stars. Career In 1967, Fung became an actor in Hong Kong films. Fung first appeared in To Rose with ...

(born 1945), Hong Kong actor and film director * Merdan Ghappar, model and prisoner *

He Xiangjian He Xiangjian (, born October 5, 1942) is the co-founder of Midea, one of China's largest appliance makers. In September 2021, his net worth was estimated to be $28.8 billion by '' Bloomberg Billionaires Index'', positioning him at the 51st pla ...

(born 1942), co-founder of

Midea Group Midea Group () is a Chinese electrical appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Beijiao town, Shunde District, Foshan, Guangdong and listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 2013. As of 2021, the firm employed approximately 150,000 people in Ch ...

* Hu Zaobin (1897–1942), painter * Huang Mingda, diplomat *

Huang Shaoqiang Huang Shaoqiang (, 1901 – 7 September 1942) was a Chinese artist of the Lingnan School. The grandson of a village official, he learned poetry, calligraphy, and art from a young age. He studied at the Bowen Art School and was a pupil of ...

, (1901–1942), artist * Ip Ching (1936–2020), Hong Kong martial artist *

Ip Chun Ip Chun (born Ip Hok-chun; 10 July 1924), also known as Yip Chun or Yip Jun, is a Chinese martial artist and actor in the style of Wing Chun. He is the elder of two sons. Chun's father, Ip Man, was the Wing Chun teacher of Bruce Lee. Early lif ...

(born 1924), martial artist and actor in the style of Wing Chun *

Ip Man Ip Man (born Ip Kai-man; 1 October 1893 – 2 December 1972), also known as Yip Man, was a Chinese martial arts grandmaster. He became a teacher of the martial art of Wing Chun when he was 20. He had several students who later became martia ...

(1893–1972),

Wing Chun Wing Chun (Cantonese) or Yong Chun (Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin) (, lit. "singing spring") is a concept-based martial art, a form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu, and a close-quarters system of self-defense. It is a martial ...

grandmaster and instructor of

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...

Kang Youwei Kang Youwei (; Cantonese: ''Hōng Yáuh-wàih''; 19March 185831March 1927) was a political thinker and reformer in China of the late Qing dynasty. His increasing closeness to and influence over the young Guangxu Emperor sparked confli ...

(1858–1927), political thinker and reformer in China of the late Qing dynasty *

Ko Lai Chak Ko Lai-chak (; born 10 May 1976 in Chancheng, Foshan, Guangdong, China) is a table tennis player from Hong Kong. He won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the men's doubles alongside Li Ching. At the 2006 Asian Games he won two m ...

(born 1976), Hong Kong table tennis player *

Kwong Wui Chun Kwong Wui Chun (born c. 1955) is a Hong Kong aluminum businessman. He is the chairman and founder of Asia Aluminum Group, and chairman of the Guangdong Nanhai Non-ferrous Metals Association. He was born in Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong, and ...

(c.1955), Hong Kong businessman * Lai Shanzhang (born 1992), Paralympic cyclist *

Lam Cho Lam Cho (27 February 1910 – 29 March 2012) was the Hung Ga Grandmaster and Dit Da practitioner of the Lam Family Hung Ga lineage. He was noted to be the last martial arts Grandmaster who lived during the times of well-known martial artists Won ...

(1910–2012), Hung Ga Grandmaster *

Lam Sai-wing Lam Sai-wing (1860 – 1943) was a Hung Gar martial artist. He was a student of the Chinese martial artist, acupuncturist, and folk hero of Cantonese ethnicity, Wong Fei-hung. "Since my young years till now, for 50 years, I have been learnin ...

(1861–1943), Hung Gar martial artist *

Law Kar-ying Dr Law Kar-ying (born September 22, 1946) is a Hong Kong Cantonese opera singer and actor. Background Born Law Hang-tong on September 22 (August 27 Lunar), 1946 in Shunde, Guangdong as the eldest son of actor Law Kar-kuen (羅家權) and his ...

(born 1946), Hong Kong Cantonese opera singer and actor *

Lee Heung-kam Lee Heung-kam (13 January 1932 – 4 January 2021) was a Hong Kong Cantonese opera singer and TVB actress. Career She joined the entertainment industry when she was 14 years old. Since 1960, she became known for being an antagonist in many Canto ...

(1932–2021), Hong Kong Cantonese opera singer and actress *

Lee Hoi-chuen Lee Moon-shuen (; 4 February 1901 – 7 February 1965) known professionally as Lee Hoi-chuen, was a Chinese opera singer and film actor in Hong Kong. He was the father of Bruce Lee, the father-in-law of Linda Lee Cadwell, and the paternal grand ...

(1901–1965), opera singer and actor *

Lee Shau-kee Lee Shau-kee (; 20 February 1928 – 17 March 2025) was a Hong Kong business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He was a real estate tycoon and majority owner of Henderson Land Development, a property conglomerate with interests in prop ...

(born 1928), Hong Kong business magnate, investor, and philanthropist *

Leung Bik Leung Bik (born Leung Bik-wo with the courtesy name Tai-wah; 1843 – 1911), also known as Mr. Bik (), was a Wing Chun martial artist. He was one of Ip Man's teachers. History He was born in Foshan in 1843 as the second of the nine sons of ...

(1843–1911), Wing Chun martial artist *

Leung Chu Yan Leung Chu Yan (; born 1979) is a table tennis player from Hong Kong. He competed at the 2000, 2004 and 2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an intern ...

(born 1979), Hong Kong table tennis player *

Leung Jan Leung Jan (born Leung Tak-wing; 1826–1901) was a Chinese martial artist and Wing Chun practitioner from Heshan, Guangdong. He was known in Foshan as ''Mr. Jan of Foshan'' and ''King of Wing Chun Kuen''. Leung Jan is one of the earliest well- ...

(1826–1901),

master, doctor and instructor of

* Li Jian (born 1989), footballer *

Li Wenfan Li Wenfan (; 20 October 1884 – 20 October 1953) was a Chinese revolutionary and politician. Career Born in present-day Nanhai District, Li was also known by the courtesy name Junpei (). He enrolled at Hosei University in Tokyo in 1900, and jo ...

(1884–1953), revolutionary and politician * Li Yingjian (born 1991), footballer * Li Zhaohuan (1898–1969), educator, politician and banker * Li Ziliu (1932–2022), politician *

Liang Dunyan Liang Dunyan (; 1857, Foshan, Guangdong, Qing Empire – May 10, 1924, Tianjin, Republic of China) was a Qing dynasty diplomat and politician. A graduate of Yale University, he served as the minister of foreign affairs in the first cabinet of C ...

(1857–1924), Qing dynasty diplomat and politician * Liang Jiahong (born 1988), sprinter *

Liang Shiyi Liang Shiyi (; May 5, 1869 – April 9, 1933) was a Chinese minister who served as premier of China during the Beiyang government from 1921 to 1922. Biography Liang Shiyi was born in Sanshui, Guangdong in 1869. In the Qing dynasty, he was ...

(1869–1933), minister who served as premier of China *

Liang Yanfen Liang Yanfen ( zh, 梁燕芬; born 26 September 2000) is a Chinese Paralympic athlete. Career She won the bronze medal in the women's 100 metres T12 event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, ...

(born 2000), Paralympic athlete * Liang Youyu (1521–1556), Ming dynasty scholar * Lin Liang (c.1424－1500), imperial painter * Anqi Luo (born 1996), Canadian table tennis player * Luo Zhi (1915–1949), revolutionary activist and leader in Xinjiang * Ma Man-kei (1919–2014), Chinese-Macanese businessman, tycoon, entrepreneur and politician *

Ma Yexin Ma Yexin ( zh, s=马烨欣, p=Mǎ yèxīn) is a Chinese tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking of 177 by the WTA, reached on 6 May 2024, and a doubles ranking of world No. 187, achieved on 3 April 2023. Career In 2020, Ma won two ...

(born 1999), tennis player *

Mai Shaoyan Mai Shaoyan (; born January 19, 1979, in Nanhai, Foshan, Guangdong) is a female Chinese field hockey player who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officiall ...

(born 1979), field hockey player * Evergreen Mak Cheung-ching (born 1968), Hong Kong actor *

Mok Kwai-lan Mok Kwai-lan (; October 15, 1892 – November 3, 1982) was the fourth spouse of Lingnan martial arts grandmaster Wong Fei-hung. Early life Mok was born on October 15, 1892, a native of Nanhai in Guangdong. When Mok was a child, she was adopte ...

(1892–1982), fourth spouse of Lingnan martial arts grandmaster Wong Fei-hung *

Antonio Ng António Ng Kuok Cheong (; born September 26, 1957) is a politician who was a member in the Macau Legislative Assembly, returned by direct election. He was the founding chairman of the pro-democratic political party New Macau Association. He is a ...

(born 1957), Macanese politician * Ou Daren (1516–1596) Ming dynasty scholar * Ou Mengjue (1906–1992), politician * Ou Shizi (1234–1324), Song dynasty scholar *

Pan Kou-ang Pan Kou-ang (born 8 December 1939) is a Taiwanese former sports shooter. He competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics and the 1968 Summer Olympics. He also competed at the 1966 Asian Games The 1966 Asian Games, also known as the V Asiad or Bangkok ...

(born 1939), Taiwanese former sports shooter *

Pan Nam Pan Nam or Peng Nan (彭南) was a Chinese martial artist and Grandmaster of the Wing Chun style. In 1994, he was awarded the title of "Guangdong Wulin Hundred Masters". The popular Pan Nam Wing Chun Tournament which began in 2018 was named ...

(1911–1995), martial artist and Grandmaster of the Wing Chun style * Pu Jun Jin (born 1984), racing driver * Quan Hansheng (1912–2001), economic historian *

Philip Rees Philip Rees (born 1941) is a British writer and librarian formerly in charge of acquisitions at the J. B. Morrell Library, University of York. He has written books on fascism and the extreme right. Works *'' Fascism in Britain'' (Harvester P ...

(1877–1912), English medical missionary *

So Chan So Chan (Su Can), also known by his nickname Beggar So (So Fa-tsz or So Hut-yee), was a Chinese martial artist and folk hero who lived during the late Qing dynasty. One of the Ten Tigers of Canton, he was best known for his drunken boxing. Back ...

, martial artist and folk hero who lived during the late Qing dynasty * So Cheung-wing (born 1960), Hong Kong businessman and politician * Su Changlan (born c.1971), civil rights activist *

Su Xiongfeng Su Xiongfeng (, born 21 March 1987) is a PR China, Chinese track and field athlete who competes in the long jump. He became the Asian champion at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships, Asian Championships and was the silver medallist at ...

(born 1987), long jumper *

Tan Pingshan Tan Pingshan (; 28 September 1886 – 2 April 1956) was a Chinese revolutionary socialist and an early member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from Gaoming, Guangdong. He was influential in the Tongmenghui and formed the Guangdong branch of ...

(1886–1956), revolutionary socialist *

Sun Ma Sze Tsang Tang Wing-Cheung (; 20 June 1916 – 20 April 1997), better known by his stage name Sun Ma Sze Tsang (), was a Cantonese opera singer and actor in Hong Kong. Career Born in Shunde, Guangdong, China, his parents divorced when he was eight. ...

(1916–1997), Cantonese opera singer and actor in Hong Kong * Wang Yue, (2009–2011), toddler killed in an example of the

bystander effect The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological theory that states that individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim in the presence of other people. The theory was first proposed in 1964 after the murder of Kitty ...

. *

Wang Jingwei Wang Zhaoming (4 May 188310 November 1944), widely known by his pen name Wang Jingwei, was a Chinese politician who was president of the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China, a puppet state of the Empire of Japan. He was in ...

(1883–1944), politician *

Wong Fei Hung Wong Fei-hung (born Wong Sek-cheung with the courtesy name Tat-wun; 19 August 1847 – 17 April 1925) was a Chinese martial artist, physician, and folk hero. Though he was considered an expert in the Hung Ga style of Chinese martial arts, his r ...

(1847–1925),

Hung Ga Hung Ga Kuen (Cantonese) or Hongjiaquan (Mandarin) ( zh, 洪家拳, link=no, meaning "fist of the Hung family") - alternatively shortened as either Hung Ga () or Hung Kuen () - is an ancient southern Chinese martial art, which roots lie in th ...

master and doctor, honored at a

memorial hall A memorial hall is a hall built to commemorate an individual or group; most commonly those who have died in war. Most are intended for public use and are sometimes described as ''utilitarian memorials''. History of the Memorial Hall In the aft ...

in Chancheng *

Wong Kei-ying Wong Kei-ying or Huang Qiying (c. 1815–1886) was a Chinese Hung Ga martial artist and physician of Cantonese ethnicity, who lived during the Qing dynasty. He was one of the Ten Tigers of Canton and was best known for his use of the Tiger Crane ...

(c.1815–1886),

master, doctor, father of

and one of the members of the

Ten Tigers of Canton Ten Tigers of Canton or Ten Tigers of GuangdongKim, Sun-Jin. Tuttle Dictionary of the Martial Arts of Korea, China & Japan. 996(1996). Tuttle publishing. Korea. . refers to a group of ten Chinese martial artists from Guangdong Province lived ar ...

Wong Wah-bo Wong Wah-bo was a martial artist and an opera singer of the late Qing Dynasty. Wong Wah-bo is a notable figure in development of martial art Wing Chun, which is known for its poorly documented history, and is recognized as being part of various ...

, martial artist and opera singer of the late Qing dynasty * Wu Dixi (born 1962), badminton player * Wu Jianren (1866–1910), writer of the late Qing period *

Wu Yee-sun Wu Yee-sun (, 1900 – 11 May 2005) was a Hong Kong entrepreneur and billionaire who founded the Wing Lung Bank. Life and career Although he was born into a well-known family, times were difficult and he had to leave school at 14. The family su ...

(1900–2005), Hong Kong entrepreneur and billionaire *

Xu Liang Xu Liang (; 1893–1951) was a diplomat and politician in the Republic of China. He was an important politician during the pro-Japanese collaborationist Nanjing Nationalist Government, serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the ambassad ...

(1893–1951), diplomat and politician in the Republic of China *

Yam Kim-fai Yam Kim-fai (, 4 February 1913 (Lunar 29 December 1912 – 29 November 1989), also known as Ren Jianhui was a Cantonese opera actress in China and Hong Kong. Yam was most notable for her unique ability to sing in the lower register. That her ope ...

(1912–1989), Cantonese opera actress *

Yang Guoqiang Yang Guoqiang (; born October 9, 1954, in Shunde, Guangdong), is a Chinese entrepreneur, the founder and special advisor of Country Garden Group, one of the largest private real estate developers in Guangdong Province, Mainland China. Yang re ...

(born 1954), entrepreneur *

Yang Huiyan Yang Huiyan (; born 1981) is a Chinese-born billionaire businesswoman and property developer. She is the chairwoman and the majority shareholder of Country Garden Holdings, a stake largely transferred to her by her father Yang Guoqiang in 2007 ...

(born 1981), businesswoman billionaire * Yang Jiechang (born 1956), contemporary artist *

Yau Lit Yau Lit (; 1864 – 12 December 1936), born Yau Kwai-bok (), courtesy name Tui-hau () or Ling-kwai (), or Euclid Yau, was a Chinese revolutionary from Shuntak, Guangdong. He is one of the Four Bandits, together with Sun Yat-sen, Chan Siu-bak ...

(1864–1936), revolutionary *

Yuen Kay-shan Yuen Kay-shan (), nicknamed Yuen Lo-jia () was a Grandmaster of Wing Chun. The youngest of five brothers, he became known as "Foshan Yuen Lo-jia" (Yuen the Fifth of Foshan). Chu, Robert, et al. ''Complete Wing Chun: The Definitive Guide to Win ...

(1889–1956), Grandmaster of Wing Chun * Zhou Wanfeng (born 1979), field hockey player * Zhang Yinhuan (1837–1900), ambassador * Zheng Yanfen (1902–1990), politician affiliated with the Kuomintang

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Populated places with period of establishment missing Prefecture-level divisions of Guangdong National Civilized City National Famous Historical and Cultural City