The following is a timeline of the
history
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
of the
Chinese city of
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 ...
, also formerly known as Panyu, Canton, and Kwang-chow.
Nanyue
* 214 BCE –
Panyu
Panyu, formerly romanized as Punyü, is one of 11 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, China. Since January 1975, Panyu County has been under Guangzhou's administration. In 1992, Panyu C ...
established as a
Qin base during
Zhao Tuo
Zhao Tuo (), rendered as Triệu Đà in Vietnamese language, Vietnamese, was a Qin dynasty Chinese general and first emperor of Nanyue. He participated in the conquest of the Baiyue peoples of Guangdong, Guangxi and Northern Vietnam. After ...
's
first failed invasion of the southern lands of the
Baiyue
The Baiyue, Hundred Yue, or simply Yue, were various ethnic groups who inhabited the regions of southern China and northern Vietnam during the 1st millennium BC and 1st millennium AD. They were known for their short hair, body tattoos, fine swo ...
* 204 BCE – Panyu becomes the capital of
Zhao Tuo
Zhao Tuo (), rendered as Triệu Đà in Vietnamese language, Vietnamese, was a Qin dynasty Chinese general and first emperor of Nanyue. He participated in the conquest of the Baiyue peoples of Guangdong, Guangxi and Northern Vietnam. After ...
's kingdom of
Nanyue
Nanyue ( zh, c=南越 or 南粵, p=Nányuè, cy=, j=Naam4 Jyut6, l=Southern Yue, , ), was an ancient kingdom founded in 204 BC by the Chinese general Zhao Tuo, whose family (known in Vietnamese as the Triệu dynasty) continued to rule until ...
.
Imperial China
* 111 BCE – Panyu becomes a provincial capital of the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
after the
Han–Nanyue War
The Han conquest of Nanyue was a military conflict between the Han Empire and the Nanyue kingdom in modern Guangdong, Guangxi, and Northern Vietnam. During the reign of Emperor Wu, Imperial Han military forces formally launched a punitive ca ...
as the
Han expands southward.
* 226 CE – Panyu becomes the seat of Guang Prefecture ("Guangzhou").
* 401 –
Guangxiao Temple first established as the "Baoen Guangziao" Temple.
* 537 –
Temple of the Six Banyan Trees built.
* 878–879 —
Guangzhou massacre
The Guangzhou massacre was a massacre of the inhabitants of the prosperous port city of Guangzhou in 878–879 by the rebel army of Huang Chao. Arab sources indicate that foreign victims, including Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, numbered i ...
instigated by forces loyal to
Huang Chao
* 1350 –
Huaisheng Mosque
The Huaisheng Mosque (; also known as the Lighthouse Mosque and the Great Mosque of Canton) is the main mosque of Guangzhou. Rebuilt many times over its history, some historical texts claim that it was first built in the 7th century, but modern s ...
rebuilt.
* 1380 –
Zhenhai Tower built.
* 1516 – Portuguese merchants arrive.

* 1600 –
Pazhou Pagoda
The Pazhou Pagoda, also known as the Whampoa Pagoda or Pa Chow Pogoda, is an early modern Chinese pagoda on Pazhou Island in Haizhu District, Guangzhou, the capital of China's Guangdong provinces of China, Province.
History
Construction of the ...
built.
* 1619 –
Chigang Pagoda built.
* 1684 – British
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
in business.

* 1821 – Xigutang literary society formed.
* 1822 - Fire.
* 1827 – The ''Canton Register'', an English-language newspaper, begins publication.
* 1832 –
Jardine, Matheson and Co. in business.
* 1834 –
Wetmore & Co. in business.
* 1835 – The ''Canton Press'', an English-language newspaper, begins publication.
* 1840 –
Augustine Heard and Company
Augustine Heard & Co. () was a major nineteenth-century American trading firm in Qing dynasty China whose operations consisted in importing and exporting a large array of goods, including tea and opium.
History and leadership
Augustine Heard and ...
in business.
* 1841
** February 27:
Battle of First Bar
The Battle of First Bar was fought between British and Chinese forces at First Bar Island and its surrounding area in the Pearl River, Guangdong province, China, on 27 February 1841 during the First Opium War.
Background
On 21 February 1841 ...
.
** March 2:
Battle of Whampoa
The Battle of Whampoa was fought between British and Chinese forces at Whampoa Island (modern-day Pazhou Island) on the Pearl River near the city of Canton (Guangzhou), Guangdong, China, on 2March 1841 during the First Opium War.Ouchterlony 1 ...
.
** March 18:
Battle of Canton
** May:
Second Battle of Canton.
* 1842 – City designated a
treaty port
Treaty ports (; ) were the port cities in China and Japan that were opened to foreign trade mainly by the unequal treaties forced upon them by Western powers, as well as cities in Korea opened up similarly by the Qing dynasty of China (before the ...
under the
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking was the peace treaty which ended the First Opium War (1839–1842) between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain and the Qing dynasty of China on 29 August 1842. It was the first of what the Chinese ...
.
* 1848 –
Apostolic Vicariate of Guangdong-Guangxi established.
* 1856
** British/French occupation begins.
**
Thirteen Factories
The Thirteen Factories, also known as the , was a neighbourhood along the Pearl River in southwestern Guangzhou (Canton) in the Qing Empire from to 1856 around modern day Xiguan, in Guangzhou's Liwan District. These warehouses and stores were t ...
set on fire.
* 1859 –
Shameen Island divided into French and British
concessions.
* 1861 – British/French occupation ends.
* 1863 –
Sacred Heart Cathedral built.
* 1866 – Yu Yin Shan Fang garden laid out.
* 1879
** City area: 6.5 square kilometers (approximate).
** Population: 400,000 (estimate).
* 1894
**
Plague (
3rd Pandemic).
**
Chen Clan Academy built.
* 1895 –
First Guangzhou uprising
* 1908 –
Guangzhou North Railway Station opens.
* 1911
**
Kowloon–Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR; ) was a railway network in Hong Kong.Legislative Council information paper CB(1)357/07-08(0 THB(T) CR 8/986/00, CB(1)1749/07-08(0/ref> It was owned and operated by the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation (KC ...
begins operating.
**
Second Guangzhou Uprising
The Second Guangzhou (Canton) Uprising, known in Chinese as the Yellow Flower Mound Uprising or the Guangzhou Xinhai Uprising, was a failed uprising took place in China led by Huang Xing and his fellow revolutionaries against the Qing dynasty ...
Republic of China
* The
Shakee Massacre on June 23, 1925, resulted in over two hundred casualties due to gunfire by British, French and Portuguese forces in
Shaji (called Shake in
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 ...
)
* 1918 – Urban council established.
* 1923
** June:
National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party
The National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (; ) is a party congress that is held every five years. The National Congress is formally the highest body within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Since 1987 the National Congress has b ...
held in Guangzhou.
**
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
in power.
* 1924
**
Peasant Movement Training Institute and
Whampoa Military Academy
The Republic of China Military Academy ( zh, t=中華民國陸軍軍官學校, p=Zhōnghúa Mīngúo Lùjūn Jūnguān Xúexiào, poj=Tiong-hôa Bîn-kok Lio̍k-kun Kun-koaⁿ Ha̍k-hāu), also known as the Chinese Military Academy (CMA), is ...
open.
**
Canton Merchant Volunteers Corps Uprising.
**
National Kwangtung University established.
* 1927 – December 11–13: Communist uprising.
* 1931 –
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall built.
* 1932
**
Guangzhou Baiyun Airport
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is an international airport serving Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
The airport codes were inherited from the former Baiyun Airport, and the IATA code is derived from Guangzhou's historical romanization ' ...
opens in
Baiyun District.
**
Guangzhou Conservatory of Music founded.
* 1933 –
Haizhu Bridge constructed.
* 1936
**
Canton–Hankou Railway begins operating.
** Population: 1,122,600 (estimate).
[.]
* 1938 – October 21:
Japanese occupation begins.
* 1945 – September 16: Japanese occupation ends.
* 1949
** Nationalist government under the acting president
Li Zongren
Li Zongren ( zh, c=李宗仁, p=Lǐ Zōngrén; 13 August 1890 – 30 January 1969), also known as Li Tsung-jen, courtesy name Delin (Te-lin; zh, p=Délín), was a Chinese warlord, military commander and politician. He was vice-president an ...
relocates to Guangzhou.
** ''
Nanfang Daily
The ''Nanfang Daily'' ( zh, s=南方日报, t=南方日報, p=Nánfāng rìbào, first=t), also known as ''Southern Daily'' and ''Nanfang Ribao'', is the official newspaper of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
...
'' newspaper begins publication.
People's Republic of China
* 1949
** October: Communist forces enter city.
**
Radio Guangdong
Radio Guangdong is a provincially-owned radio station in Guangdong, owns nine radio channels and two newspapers. Radio Guangdong is a part of Guangdong Radio and Television, and is a member of WRN Broadcast, World Radio Network.
History
Radio ...
begins broadcasting.
* 1952 – ''
Guangzhou Daily'' newspaper begins publication.
* 1954
**
Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club formed.
**
South China Institute of Botany active.
* 1956 –
Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine
The Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (GZHTCM; ) is a provincial public university in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is affiliated with the Province of Guangdong. The university is part of the Double First-Class Construction.
Faculty
* ...
founded.
* 1957
**
Beijing–Guangzhou Railway in operation.
**
Canton Fair
The Canton Fair or China Import and Export Fair, is a trade fair held in the spring and autumn seasons each year since the spring of 1957 in Guangzhou
Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is t ...
begins.
**
Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra founded.
** Population: 1,840,000.
* 1958
**
Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in operation.
**
Jinan University
Jinan University ( ; JNU, zh, 暨南大学) is a national public university in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is managed by the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The university is part of the Double First-Class ...
relocates to Guangzhou.
* 1959 –
Guangdong Provincial Museum founded.
* 1964 – Population: 3,031,486.
* 1967 –
Renmin Bridge built.
* 1981 -
Sister city
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inte ...
relationship established with
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, USA.
* 1982
**
Guangzhou Library
Guangzhou Library () is a public library in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, China.
The library has moved to a new building in Zhujiang New Town, which fully opened on 23 June 2013.
The old building in Zhongshan Road has been closed sin ...
and Liyuan Poetry Society established.
** Population: 3,181,510 city; 5,669,640 urban agglomeration.
* 1983 –
Mausoleum of the Nanyue King discovered.
* 1984
**
Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone established.
** City designated
sub-provincial city
Strictly speaking, China's legal system neither recognizes the concept of "sub-provincial administrative divisions" () or "sub-provincial cities" () nor provides specific legislation for such designations, and these categories are absent from off ...
administrative status.
** ''
Southern Weekly'' newspaper begins publication.
* 1985
**
Zhujiang Brewery begins operation.
**
Guangzhou Bridge built.
* 1988
**
Haiyin Bridge built.
**
Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King opens.
* 1990
**
Guangdong International Building constructed.
**
Avon begins hiring
ladies in Guangzhou.
** Population: 6,299,943.
* 1991
**
Guangzhou TV Tower erected.
** November:
1991 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup was the first FIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship for women's national football teams. It took place in Guangdong, China from 16 to 30 November 1991. FIFA, football's international governing body sele ...
held.
* 1992 – Guangzhou Free Trade Zone established.
* 1996 –
Guangzhou East railway station opens.
* 1997
**
Guangzhou Metro
The Guangzhou Metro ( zh, s=广州地铁, labels=no) is the rapid transit system of the city of Guangzhou in the Guangdong Province of China. It is operated by the state-owned Guangzhou Metro Corporation and was the fourth metro system to be b ...
begins operating.
**
CITIC Plaza and
Humen Pearl River Bridge
The Humen Pearl River Bridge () is a bridge over the Humen, Pearl River in Guangdong Province, southern China. It consists of two main spans — a suspension bridge section and a segmental concrete section. It connects the Nansha District of ...
built.
** ''
Southern Metropolis Daily
''Southern Metropolis Daily'' (SMD) is a for-profit tabloid newspaper located in Guangzhou city, China,Wang, Xiaotong. 2012. "The Comparison Between Newspapers In Hong Kong And Mainland And Its Enlightenment – A Case Study On Apple Daily And ...
'' begins publication.
** Xiangjiang Safari Park opens.
* 1998 –
Hedong Bridge,
Jiangwan Bridge,
Jiefang Bridge, and
Huanan Bridge open.
* 2000 –
Yajisha Bridge opens.
* 2001
**
Guangdong Olympic Stadium opens.
** November:
Chinese National Games held in Guangzhou.
* 2002
** Vitamin Creative Space founded.
** Population: 10,106,229.
* 2003
**
Zhang Guangning becomes mayor.
**
Pazhou Bridge opens.
* 2004
**
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 ...
opens in
Huadu District
Huadu District is one of 11 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, China. It is located in the far northern suburbs of the city.
Xinhua Town is the seat of local government, and of the district ...
.
**
Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center
Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center (HEMC), Guangzhou University Town or Guangzhou University City ( zh, s=广州大学城) is an area featured by higher education institutions, located on Xiaoguwei Island ( zh, s=小谷围岛) in Panyu Distri ...
built.
**
Guangzhou International Women's Open tennis tournament begins.
* 2006 –
Chime-Long Paradise amusement park in business.
* 2008 –
Huangpu Bridge and
Xinguang Bridge open.
* 2009 –
Liede Bridge opens.
* 2010
**
Canton Tower
The Canton Tower (), formally Guangzhou TV Astronomical and Sightseeing Tower (), is a -tall multipurpose observation tower in the Haizhu District of Guangzhou (Postal Map Romanization, alternatively romanized as ''Canton''). The tower was Top ...
and
Guangzhou International Finance Center built.
** November:
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 ...
held.
**
Guangzhou Opera House
Guangzhou Opera House () is a Chinese opera, Chinese opera house in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, People's Republic of China. Designed by Zaha Hadid, it opened on 9 May in 2010.
History
In April 2002 an international Architectural design co ...
,
Guangdong Museum, and
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 ...
open.
**
Wan Qingliang becomes mayor.
**
Guangzhou Television Cantonese controversy
In July 2010, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Guangzhou Committee, in a written proposal to mayor of Guangzhou Wan Qingliang, suggested increasing Standard Chinese, Mandarin programming on Guangzhou Television's main ...
.
**
Guangzhou Bus Rapid Transit system launched.
* 2011
**
Guangzhou–Zhuhai Intercity Railway begins operating.
**
Pearl River Tower built.
**
Chen Jianhua becomes mayor.
* 2012 –
Leatop Plaza and
The Pinnacle built.
* 2013 -
Air pollution
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...
in Guangzhou reaches annual mean of 48
PM2.5 and 72
PM10
Particulate matter (PM) or particulates are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. An ''aerosol'' is a mixture of particulates and air, as opposed to the particulate matter alone, though it is sometimes defined ...
, more than
recommended.
* 2021 -
2021 Guangzhou bombing.
See also
*
Guangzhou history
*
List of administrative divisions of Guangzhou
*
Mayor of Guangzhou
The mayor of Guangzhou, officially the Mayor of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government, is the head of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government. The mayor generally serves as the deputy secretary of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of th ...
*
List of newspapers in Guangdong
*
List of universities and colleges in Guangzhou
*
List of historic buildings in Guangzhou
*
List of tallest buildings in Guangzhou
This list of tallest buildings in Guangzhou ranks skyscrapers in Guangzhou, China by height. Guangzhou is the capital and largest city of Guangdong, China's most populous province, with a population of over 18.6 million. As part of the Pearl Rive ...
(sortable by date)
*
Eight Sights of Guangzhou
The Eight Views of Ram City, also known as the Eight Sights of Guangzhou is the collective name for various collections of the eight most famous tourist attractions in Guangzhou, China, during different periods of its history. Collections of " E ...
*
in Guangzhou
*
Southward expansion of the Han dynasty
The southward expansion of the Han dynasty was a series of Chinese military campaigns and expeditions in what is now modern Southern China and Northern Vietnam. Military expansion to the south began under the previous Qin dynasty and continue ...
*
Other names of Guangzhou
*
Urbanization in China
Notes
References
* .
*
* .
* .
*
* .
* .
*
*
*
*
*
* .
*
*
* .
Attribution
This article incorporates information from the
Chinese Wikipedia
The Chinese Wikipedia () is the written vernacular Chinese edition of Wikipedia. It was created on 11 May 2001. It is one of multiple projects supported by the Wikimedia Foundation.
The Chinese Wikipedia currently has articles, registered ...
,
Dutch Wikipedia, and the
Japanese Wikipedia
The is the Japanese-language, Japanese edition of Wikipedia, a free, open-source online encyclopedia. Started on 11 May 2001, the edition attained the 200,000 article mark in April 2006 and the 500,000 article mark in June 2008. As of , it has ...
.
External links
* Items related t
Guangzhouan
various dates (via
Europeana
Europeana is a web portal created by the European Union containing digitised cultural heritage collections of more than 3,000 institutions across Europe. It includes records of over 50 million cultural and scientific artefacts, brought togethe ...
).
*
* Items related t
Guangzhouan
Canton, China various dates (via
Digital Public Library of America
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a US project aimed at providing public access to digital holdings in order to create a large-scale public digital library. It officially launched on April 18, 2013, after two-and-a-half years of dev ...
).
{{Years in China
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 ...
*
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 ...
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 ...