Port Of GuangZhou, China

The Port of GuangZhou (formerly Canton) is located on the Pearl River about 125 kilometers northwest of Hong Kong in the People’s Republic of China. It is a major seaport and South China’s most comprehensive port. The Port of GuangZhou is an important transport and economic hub for the Pearl River Delta region. In 2006, 7.6 million people lived in the GuangZhou City, and 9.8 million people lived in the metropolitan area surrounding the Port of GuangZhou.

Guangzhou Port is situated at the intersection of the three most important rivers of Dongjiang, Xijiang and Beijiang in South China. All the three rivers have the waterway, railway, expressway and air lines intersecting here, thus forming a critical transportation hub. It is the main port of focus in the Pearl River Delta Region.

The port's harbor area extends along the Pearl River coast and water areas in the cities of Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. The port being situated beyond the entrance of Pearl River opening serve as a gateway for shipping activity for other Harbor area such as Nansha Harbor Area, Xinsha Harbor Area, Huangpu Harbor Area and Inner Harbor Area, and Nansha Harbor Area near Hong Kong.

Guangzhou Port comprises 4600 berths, 133 buoys and 2359 anchorages each of 1,000 tonnage class and the largest capacity is 3,000 tons. The government has approved of the dredging of the port to allow 100 000 tonnes vessels to enter Nansha at high tide in july 2009. The port is currently dredging to allow 100 000 tonnes vessels to enter Nansha terminal in low tide.

The Port of Guangzhou plays a very important role in the economy. The port handles a range of activities which include loading　&　discharging,　storage,　bonded　warehousing, container cargo services. Many agricultural, industrial and manufactured products are shipped through the port which include oil, coal,　grain,　chemical　fertilizer,　steel, ore and　automobiles.
The port also provide passenger services as well as logistics services.

As the biggest comprehensive hub port in South China, Port of Guangzhou is experiencing an increase in cargo volume and ships calling in. This is due to the buoyant economic activity in Guangzhou and the surrounding hinterland.

In 1999, Port of Guangzhou surpassed its annual cargo throughput of 100 million tons. It is the second port in Mainland China to ranked with such record volume. As a result, the annual cargo volume continues to grow. In 2006, the whole Guangzhou Port surpassed 300 million tons (ranking the third in China's coastal ports and the fifth among the world top ten ports) and 665 million TEUs, and Guangzhou Port reached 201 million tons and 4.774 million TEUs.　

The port is operated by Guangzhou Port Group Co. Ltd which is a state owned company. The company was established on February 26, 2004 from the former Guangzhou Harbor Bureau. It was approved by the Guangzhou Municipal Government. It is currently the largest comprehensive port in South China. Its international maritime trade reaches over 300 ports in more than 80 countries and districts worldwide. The port also incorporates the former Huangpu Port.
The port also serves as the important economic and transport center for the Pearl River Delta region and Guangdong province. It is also vital transport hub for industries located in neighboring provinces such as Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi.

In 2004, the GuangZhou Port Group Co., Ltd. (Chinese) was established to replace the GuangZhou Harbor Bureau. The GuangZhou Port Group is a state-owned company responsible for loading/unloading services, storage, piloting services, logistics, and other important port business.
The Port of GuangZhou is South China’s biggest, most comprehensive port with increasing volumes of cargo each year. In 1999, it broke its throughput record of 100 million tons to make it China’s second busiest port. In 2007, the Port of GuangZhou handled 340 million tons of cargo and 9.2 million TEUs of containerized cargo, making it the fifth of the world’s top ten ports.
The Port of GuangZhou contains 50 berths and 23 anchorages, each of which can accommodate vessels up to 10 thousand tons. The largest berth can accommodate up to 300 thousand tons. The port is currently working to renovate and expand its facilities with a goal of becoming an international hub for containerized cargo by 2010.
Today’s Port of GuangZhou includes four terminal districts on the Pearl River, including the new deep-water Nansha Terminal that will be the centerpiece for the new container business. Its shipping links reach out to over 100 domestic and 300 foreign ports in more than 80 districts and countries.
Guangdong Province consumes almost 90 million tons of coal each year to fuel its energy needs, of which 70% come to the area through the Port of GuangZhou. To meet these needs, the Port of GuangZhou has upgraded its capacity to handle coal and coal vessels from 27.4 million to 56.5 million tons.

Cruising and Travel

The City of GuangZhou is a sub-tropical climate with high humidity. The best times to visit the Port of GuangZhou are April and May and October and November. From June to September is the typhoon season when travel to Canton is not recommended. If you plan to visit in April or October, you’ll need to secure accommodations early, as the famous Canton Trade Fairs take place each year in the last two weeks of those months. Visitors to the Port of GuangZhou will find a rich variety of sights and experiences.

Ancient religious centers abound in the Port of GuangZhou. One of the city’s most popular attractions, the Liurong Temple (or the Temple of Six Banyan Trees) contains a 17-story, eight-sided pagoda dating back to the 3rd Century. The temple proper was built in the 6th Century. The 627 AD Huaisheng Mosque is one of China’s oldest Muslim mosques. It is not open to the public, but it is worth a stroll to see the exterior. The Sunyuan Temple is the Port of GuangZhou’s oldest and biggest Taoist temple. The 7th Century Guangxiao Temple is popular with Zen Buddhist pilgrims.

The ancient Xiguan Residence is an excellent example of traditional Cantonese architecture occupied by the wealthy in old Canton. Shamian Island is home to the former concessions of France and Britain. The areas have been renovated and serve as a tranquil oasis in this busy city. For a time, this was the only place in China where Europeans could settle, and the architecture reflects that European presence. The Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, dedicated to the founder of the Republic of China, was built in 1931 on the site of the man’s presidential office.

The Port of GuangZhou’s City Art Museum contains over ten thousand pieces, including traditional Chinese paintings, Tibetan Buddhist art, and calligraphy. Nanyue Royal Tomb Museum features the tomb of an ancient South China King. The Guangdong Revolutions History Museum, where Sun Yat-Sen was sworn in 1921, tells the area’s story from the Opium Wars to the founding of the Republic. The Peasant Movement Institute, the site of a Communist training center founded by Mao Tse-tung, covers recent revolutionary history of China.

Yuexiu Park is China’s biggest urban park. It contains hills and lakes covered by lush green plants, and it includes the City Museum in the Ming Dynasty Zhenhai Tower featuring relics as old as the 15th Century. Huadu Square, near the government buildings in Huadu District, contains an outdoor theater, a big beautiful fountain, an outdoor dance area, and many statues as well as a meadow, ornamental flower beds, and a subtropical forest.

Lianhua Shan, or Lotus Mountain, is bus ride or ferry ride from the Port of GuangZhou’s Tianzi Pier. It contains a two thousand year old quarry where red sandstone was mined, a 1612 pagoda, and a 1644 barracks. The Baiyun Shan, or White Cloud Mountain, offers lush rolling hills, great views of the Port of GuangZhou, and a favorite spot for local outdoor sports. Visitors will find many places to relax, and vendors offer refreshments along the trail to the mountain top.

Each year in May or June, the Dragon Boat Festival memorializes the death of Qu Yuan, a poet who drowned himself in the river in 278 BC to make a statement against the continual warring of the time.

Twice each year in April and October, the famous China Import and Export Commodities Fair (or Canton Fair) has been operating since 1957. For many years, this was the only way foreigners could make business contacts in China, and it is still a very important venue for doing business with China.

One popular tourist activity is taking an Evening Cruise on the Pearl River where passengers ride from the Bai’ertan (White Swan Rangoon) to GuangZhou Bridge, enjoying the Port of GuangZhou on both sides of the Pearl River while dining in style.