Guangdong and Shantou

The southernmost province of China, Guangdong is a natural conduit between the coast and the rest of inland China. Heavily urbanized compared to much of China there are still many traditional villages in the rolling hills and fertile river deltas.

Situated where it is, it is little surprise that the ancient maritime traditions have greatly influenced the life and culture of the southern regions. As the Chinese sea gateways to the world, the ports of Fujian and Guangdong gave easy access to trade routes leading both east and west, as well as enabling foreign powers such as the British and the Portuguese to colonize Hong Kong and Macau.