Zhongshan (中山)

1. Introduction

Zhongshan City, commonly known as Zhongshan (official transliteration: Zhongshan; traditional foreign name: Chungshan), formerly known as Xiangshan (traditional foreign names: Heungshan, Heungsan), is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the only prefecture-level city in China named after a modern leader. Located in the central-southern part of Guangdong Province, it is one of the cities encompassed by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The city borders Guangzhou and Foshan to the north, Jiangmen to the west, Zhuhai to the south, and faces Shenzhen across the Pearl River Estuary to the east. Situated in the western part of the Pearl River Delta on the western bank of the Pearl River estuary, its southern area is characterized by low mountains and hills dominated by Wugui Mountain, while the northern part consists of plains and river networks. The main stream of the West River, the Modaomen Waterway, flows along its western edge, and the main stream of the North River, the Hongqili Waterway, traverses its northeastern boundary. The People's Government of Zhongshan City is located at No. 1 Songyuan Road, Dongqu Subdistrict.

Zhongshan was formerly called "Xiangshan" because Wugui Mountain within its territory was abundant with exotic flowers and rare plants (and also famous for producing "Yihua Shenxian Tea"). The Northern Song dynasty text Taiping Huanyu Ji records: "The land is rich in divine flowers and plants, hence it is called Xiangshan (Fragrant Mountain)." Since modern times, the city has produced notable figures such as Sun Yat-sen, the Provisional President of the Republic of China, honored as the Father of the Republic of China, and Tang Shaoyi, the first Premier of the State Council. In 1925 (April 15th of the 14th year of the Republic of China), to commemorate the recently deceased Sun Yat-sen, Xiangshan was renamed Zhongshan. Zhongshan is a National Historical and Cultural City. The Xiangshan culture, which originated in Zhongshan, is an important source of modern Chinese culture. Zhongshan is also one of the representative cities of Cantonese culture and one of the birthplaces of Cantonese cuisine. It enjoys the reputation of being the "Hometown of Guangdong Opera" and the "Hometown of Overseas Chinese." There are over 800,000 overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan compatriots from Zhongshan residing in 87 countries and regions across five continents.

Zhongshan City is one of the nine prefecture-level cities in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone. It is a city with an export-oriented economy, combining industry and agriculture.

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2. History

During the Neolithic Age, approximately 5,000 years ago, Zhongshan was merely an island in the Lingdingyang estuary of the Pearl River. At that time, ancient Yue people lived there, engaging in fishing, hunting, and daily life. In recent decades, several Neolithic settlement sites have been discovered in Zhongshan, including the Longxue Painted Pottery Site in Nanlang Town, the Baishuijing Site in Shiqi Subdistrict, and the Quanlu Site in Dachong Town. These sites have yielded a collection of cultural relics such as painted pottery, polished stone tools, and sand-tempered pottery. Among them, the Longxue Site in Nanlang Town is a dune site spanning from the Neolithic Age to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Later-phase remains at the site also include bronze artifacts and stone molds for bronze casting.

In 216 BCE, after Emperor Qin Shi Huang pacified the Baiyue region of Lingnan, Zhongshan fell under the jurisdiction of Panyu County in Nanhai Commandery. During the late Qin dynasty, Zhao Tuo established the Nanyue Kingdom, and Zhongshan became part of its territory. In 111 BCE, Emperor Wu of Han conquered the Nanyue Kingdom, and Zhongshan returned to the direct control of the Han central government. During the Qin and Han dynasties, in addition to the indigenous Nanyue people, a small number of migrants from the Central Plains began to settle in Zhongshan. During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhongshan was part of the state of Wu. In the late Western Jin dynasty, a power struggle among the imperial clan, historically known as the "War of the Eight Princes," erupted. To escape the turmoil, a large number of people from the Central Plains migrated to Lingnan, with some arriving on Xiangshan Island. In the sixth year of the Xianhe era of the Eastern Jin dynasty (331 CE), Dongguan Commandery was separated from Nanhai Commandery, and Zhongshan was placed under its jurisdiction. In the first year of the Yongchu era of the Liu Song dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (402 CE), Dongguan Commandery was renamed Dongguan Commandery, and Zhongshan remained under its administration. In the tenth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui dynasty (509 CE), Zhongshan came under the jurisdiction of Bao'an County.

In the second year of the Zhide era of the Tang dynasty (757 CE), Bao'an County was renamed Dongguan County, and Zhongshan was governed by it. Due to Zhongshan's abundant sea salt production, the government established a military garrison town named Xiangshan Town at the present-day Shancheng Village in Zhuhai City. In the fifth year of the Yuanfeng era of the Northern Song dynasty (1082 CE), Xiangshan Stockade was established, still under Dongguan County. In the twenty-second year of the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song dynasty (1152 CE), due to the development of Xiangshan Stockade, Xiangshan County was separately established, subordinate to Guangzhou Prefecture. This marked the beginning of county-level administrative divisions in Zhongshan. In the late Southern Song dynasty, Emperor Duanzong, fleeing from pursuing Yuan forces, sought refuge in Xiangshan. After the fall of the Southern Song, many descendants of the imperial family and officials settled in Xiangshan. During the Ming dynasty, the northern part of Xiangshan began to silt up and connect with the mainland. In the Qing dynasty, river embankments for flood and tide control were gradually constructed in the Pearl River Delta region. The reclaimed farmland in Xiangshan County continuously increased, and agricultural yields improved. During the Jiaqing era of the Qing dynasty, due to agricultural development, Xiangshan was upgraded from a lower-grade county to a major county, ranking alongside Nanhai, Panyu, and Dongguan counties.

Macau originally belonged to Xiangshan County. In the thirty-second year of the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty (1553 CE), Portuguese settlers took the opportunity to establish themselves on the Macau Peninsula.

During the First Opium War, Xiangshan, located on the western shore of the Pearl River estuary, was one of the battlefields. In 1839, Lin Zexu came to Guangdong to oversee the opium ban. On August 16, he stationed troops in Xiangshan County town and ordered the Portuguese authorities in Macau to expel British merchants, including Charles Elliot. In 1840, after the outbreak of the First Opium War, British warships sailed to the Macau Barrier Gate, forcibly landed, and the Qing garrison in Xiangshan offered weak resistance. After the First Opium War, in the twenty-fifth year of the Daoguang era (1845 CE), the Portuguese queen declared Macau a "free port." In 1849, the Portuguese expelled the county magistrate stationed in Mong Ha Village, Xiangshan, and occupied Macau.

After the Opium Wars, as China opened its doors, students from Xiangshan began to study abroad. Some of them, such as Sun Yat-sen, Tang Shaoyi, Yang Xianyi, Yung Wing, and Su Manshu, later became notable figures in modern Chinese history. During this period, many people from Xiangshan also engaged in commerce elsewhere. Shanghai's four major department stores—Sincere, Wing On, Sun Sun, and The Sun—were all founded by people from Xiangshan. Between 1830 and 1900, over a span of more than 70 years, people from Zhongshan accounted for 90% of the compradors working for four British trading houses in the treaty ports of Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Hankou, and Jiujiang. Notable compradors included Tang Tingshu, Xu Run, and Zheng Guanying.

During the Xinhai Revolution, Xiangshan was the third county in Guangdong to be restored. After the Wuchang Uprising in October 1911, the Hong Kong headquarters of the Tongmenghui decided to launch Guangdong's first uprising in Xiangshan. Led by Lin Junfu, Zheng Bian, and Lin Jinghun, the insurgent forces attacked the county town of Shiqi in Xiangshan and restored it on November 6. After the establishment of the Republic of China, Guangzhou Prefecture was abolished, and Xiangshan County came directly under provincial jurisdiction.

In March of the 14th year of the Republic of China (1925), Sun Yat-sen passed away. In April of the same year, the Republic of China's Army and Navy Grand Marshal Office in Guangzhou, to commemorate Sun Yat-sen, decided to rename his hometown, Xiangshan County, to Zhongshan County. In February 1929, the 19th State Council meeting of the National Government designated it as a national model county, directly under the National Government. In June 1930, the county government relocated to Zhongshan Port (Chungshankong) at Tangjia Huan (also known as Tangjia Bay, now Tangjiawan Town in Zhuhai City), until it moved back to Shiqi (Shekki) in October 1934. In December 1937, authorized by the National Government, it was again placed under the jurisdiction of the Guangdong Provincial Government.

After the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, in July 1937, Japanese forces gradually occupied some coastal islands within Zhongshan County. On March 5, 1940, the Japanese Fujii Corps invaded Zhongshan with 10,000 troops, and by March 15, most of the county had fallen. In April 1942, the Chinese Communist Party established an anti-Japanese guerrilla force in Wuguishan. This force, along with some remaining units of the Chinese Nationalist Party, carried out guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. On January 15, 1945, the Chinese Communist Party's South China People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Force, the Pearl River Column, was established at the Gu Clan Ancestral Hall in Wuguishan. On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender, and Zhongshan was subsequently restored.

During the Second Chinese Civil War from November 1945 to autumn 1948, the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China launched four offensives against the Chinese Communist armed organizations in the Wuguishan and Fenghuangshan areas. On October 30, 1949, the People's Liberation Army's Liangguang Column captured Shiqi, the county town of Zhongshan. The Nationalist forces were defeated, and from then on, the Chinese Communist Party and the government of the People's Republic of China it founded began their rule in Zhongshan County.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhongshan County was successively under the jurisdiction of the Pearl River Special Administrative Region, Central Guangdong Administrative District, Foshan Special District, Foshan Prefecture, and Foshan City. In 1952 and 1965, Fishermen's County (later Zhuhai County) and Doumen County were carved out from Zhongshan County, respectively. Subsequently, parts of Zhongshan were also transferred to Panyu County, Shunde County, and Xinhui County, reducing Zhongshan County's area by 43%. In 1953, Shiqi Town was changed to Shiqi City, which was merged back into Zhongshan County in 1959. Starting in 1979, Zhongshan implemented reform and opening-up policies, primarily adopting forms such as "processing with supplied materials, processing according to supplied samples, assembling supplied parts, and compensation trade" and joint ventures with foreign investors. The Zhongshan Hot Spring Hotel, which opened in 1980, was the first hotel in Guangdong Province established with introduced foreign capital. After several years of development, the economy made significant progress. In December 1983, with the approval of the State Council of China, Zhongshan was upgraded from a county to a county-level city, administered by Foshan City on its behalf. In January 1988, it was elevated to a prefecture-level city.

3. Geography

Zhongshan City is located in the central-southern part of the Pearl River Delta, on the western bank of the Pearl River estuary. To the east, it faces Shenzhen and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region across the Lingdingyang Sea. To the south, it borders Zhuhai City via hilly terraces. To the west, it faces Chaolian Island and is adjacent to Jiangmen City across the Modaomen Waterway. To the north, it connects with Foshan City and Guangzhou City via an alluvial plain crisscrossed by a network of rivers. The geographical coordinates of Zhongshan City range from 113°09′ to 113°45′ east longitude and 22°11′ to 22°46′ north latitude. It spans 45.3 kilometers from east to west and 64.3 kilometers from north to south, with a total area of 1,800.14 square kilometers.

Location of Zhongshan City in the Pearl River Delta Region According to geological research, as far back as 5,000 years ago, Zhongshan was merely a cluster of islands in the Lingdingyang Sea at the mouth of the Pearl River. The land area at that time only included the mountainous and hilly regions around today's Wuguishan area in the central-south. Subsequently, through millennia of fluvial processes by the West River and North River, the new delta plain gradually advanced seaward. Particularly in the last 900 years, the northern part of Zhongshan gradually formed the current alluvial plain densely covered with river networks.

The present topography of Zhongshan City is primarily composed of mountains, hills, terraces, alluvial plains, and beaches. The southern part is a low mountainous and hilly region, dominated by Wuguishan and Zhugaoling. The main peak of Wuguishan has an elevation of 531 meters, which is the highest point in the city. The northern part is a plain and river network area, with terrain sloping from northwest to southeast along the flow direction of the West River. River area accounts for 8% of Zhongshan's total territory, including the Shiqi River (Qijiang River), and several major outlets of the West River—the Xihai Waterway, Modaomen Waterway, Hongqili Waterway, Hengmen Waterway, Xiaolan Waterway, and Jiya Waterway. Additionally, there are islands such as Hengmen and Damao in the Pearl River estuary off the eastern coast of Zhongshan. The coastline is 26 kilometers long, and the area of shallow seas and tidal flats is approximately 3.19 square kilometers.

3.1 Climate

The entire territory of Zhongshan lies south of the Tropic of Cancer, bordering the South China Sea. It has a hot climate with abundant rainfall, belonging to the maritime South Asian subtropical monsoon climate. The average annual precipitation in Zhongshan is 1,848 mm, with significant seasonal variation; precipitation from April to September accounts for 81.3% of the annual total. The average annual temperature is 21.8°C. The monthly average temperature is lowest in January at 13.3°C and highest in July at 28.4°C. The main hazardous weather events in Zhongshan City are typhoons and torrential rain. Typhoons primarily occur between May and November, while torrential rain is mainly concentrated from April to September.

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual | |--------------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|--------|-------|--------|-------|-------|-------|-------|--------| | Record High °C | 27 | 28.6 | 29.6 | 32.1 | 35.1 | 35.6 | 37.5 | 36.4 | 35.9 | 33 | 30.3 | 28.3 | 37.5 | | Record High °F | 80.6 | 83.5 | 85.3 | 89.8 | 95.2 | 96.1 | 99.5 | 97.5 | 96.6 | 91.4 | 86.5 | 82.9 | 99.5 | | Avg High °C | 18.2 | 18.2 | 21.3 | 25.7 | 29.1 | 31 | 32.4 | 32.4 | 30.9 | 28 | 24.1 | 20 | 25.9 | | Avg High °F | 64.8 | 64.8 | 70.3 | 78.3 | 84.4 | 87.8 | 90.3 | 90.3 | 87.6 | 82.4 | 75.4 | 68 | 78.7 | | Daily Mean °C | 13.7 | 14.7 | 17.9 | 22.3 | 25.6 | 27.5 | 28.5 | 28.5 | 27.1 | 23.8 | 19.4 | 14.9 | 22 | |Daily Mean °F | 56.7 | 58.5 | 64.2 | 72.1 | 78.1 | 81.5 | 83.3 | 83.3 | 80.8 | 74.8 | 66.9 | 58.8 | 71.6 | | Avg Low °C | 10.5 | 12.2 | 15.5 | 19.9 | 23 | 24.8 | 25.5 | 25.6 | 24.3 | 20.7 | 16 | 11.3 | 19.1 | | Avg Low °F | 50.9 | 54 | 59.9 | 67.8 | 73.4 | 76.6 | 77.9 | 78.1 | 75.7 | 69.3 | 60.8 | 52.3 | 66.4 | | Record Low °C | 1.3 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 11 | 15.1 | 18.4 | 21.4 | 21.5 | 19 | 10.6 | 5.3 | 1.9 | 1.3 | | Record Low °F | 34.3 | 37 | 38.1 | 51.8 | 59.2 | 65.1 | 70.5 | 70.7 | 66.2 | 51.1 | 41.5 | 35.4 | 34.3 | |Avg Precipitation mm | 34.4 | 66.8 | 74.5 | 185 | 244.7 | 334.9 | 241 | 277.7 | 233.7 | 78.5 | 44.9 | 32.3 | 1848.4 | | Avg Precipitation inches | 1.35 | 2.63 | 2.93 | 7.28 | 9.63 | 13.19 | 9.49 | 10.93 | 9.2 | 3.09 | 1.77 | 1.27 | 72.76 | |Avg Relative Humidity (%) | 79 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 83 | 84 | 83 | 79 | 77 | 77 | 82 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Zhongshan City employs a two-tier administrative system of city and town, making it one of the four prefecture-level cities in China without county-level subdivisions (the other three being Dongguan City in Guangdong Province, Jiayuguan City in Gansu Province, and Danzhou City in Hainan Province). The city directly administers one national-level high-tech zone and one economic cooperation zone (Torch National Industrial Development Zone and Cuiheng New District), 8 subdistricts, and 15 towns, overseeing 137 communities and 150 administrative villages. The municipal government is located in Dongqu Subdistrict.

Locations of the Municipal Government and People's Congress:

• Zhongshan Municipal People's Government (First Office Area): No. 1 Songyuan Road, Dongqu, Zhongshan City
• Zhongshan Municipal People's Congress: No. 1 Xingzhong Avenue, Dongqu, Zhongshan City

| No. | Name | Area (sq km) | Community Committees | Village Committees | Resident Population | |-----|--------------------|--------------|----------------------|--------------------|---------------------| | | Zhongshan City | 1783.67 | 127 | 150 | 4,418,060 | | Subdistricts | | 1 | Dongqu Subdistrict | 73.2 | 10 | | 213,948 | | 2 | Nanqu Subdistrict | 49.14 | 4 | | 90,270 | | 3 | Xiqu Subdistrict | 25.18 | 9 | | 133,078 | | 4 | Shiqi Subdistrict | 22.58 | 19 | | 257,472 | | 5 | Zhongshangang Subdistrict | 158.74 | 7 | | 289,518 | | 6 | Wuguishan Subdistrict | 101.23 | 1 | 4 | 46,049 | | 7 | Nanlang Subdistrict | 152.47 | 2 | 13 | 101,589 | | 21 | Minzhong Subdistrict | 121.87 | 3 | 16 | 112,345 | | Towns | | 8 | Sanxiang Town | 93.61 | 4 | 12 | 234,853 | | 9 | Tanzhou Town | 129.58 | 7 | 7 | 382,445 | | 10 | Shenwan Town | 60.93 | 1 | 5 | 38,872 | | 11 | Banfu Town | 79.7 | 1 | 10 | 95,876 | | 12 | Dachong Town | 40.66 | 9 | 2 | 99,763 | | 13 | Shaxi Town | 52.4 | 1 | 15 | 223,625 | | 14 | Henglan Town | 75.74 | 1 | 10 | 200,522 | | 15 | Guzhen Town | 52.29 | 1 | 12 | 230,405 | | 16 | Xiaolan Town | 148.72 | 23 | 6 | 780,589 | | 17 | Dongfeng Town | 56.24 | 5 | 9 | 201,023 | | 18 | Nantou Town | 25.75 | 6 | | 158,234 | | 19 | Huangpu Town | 88.35 | 4 | 12 | 187,775 | | 20 | Sanjiao Town | 70.13 | 1 | 7 | 126,294 | | 22 | Gangkou Town | 71.27 | 7 | 2 | 140,134 | | 23 | Fusha Town | 35.41 | 1 | 8 | 73,381 |

5. Economy

By the late 1970s, Zhongshan's economy was still predominantly agricultural, with minimal economic cooperation with neighboring Hong Kong and Macau, resulting in very slow economic development. Following the implementation of China's economic reform policies, Zhongshan, as a county-level city in the Pearl River Delta region adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau, became one of the earlier coastal areas in China to open up to the outside world. Subsequently, Zhongshan attracted substantial capital from overseas, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, leading to rapid development in traditional industries such as textiles and apparel, hardware, lighting fixtures, home appliances, and food processing. High-tech industries like bioengineering and electronic information also began to emerge.

By the late 1980s, due to its rapid economic growth, Zhongshan, along with Dongguan, Nanhai, and Shunde, was collectively dubbed the "Four Little Tigers of Guangdong" by the media. A distinctive feature of Zhongshan compared to the other three was its emphasis on developing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and forming state-owned enterprise groups while attracting foreign and private investment. This strategy enabled Zhongshan's economy to achieve rapid growth in the short term. However, because the property rights system and enterprise management mechanisms of the state-owned sector did not undergo corresponding reforms, by the end of the 20th century, Zhongshan's state-owned economy experienced a comprehensive decline. Nationally renowned SOEs such as Weili and Subor fell into difficulties. From 1998 to 2001, the Zhongshan municipal government reformed the property rights system of SOEs, withdrawing state capital from general competitive industries to make room for the development of foreign and private enterprises. By 2005, non-public sectors including foreign and private capital already accounted for over 90% of Zhongshan's total economic output. Benefiting from its unique coastal location and booming manufacturing sector, export trade became a crucial pillar of the local economy.

5.1 Agriculture

Zhongshan was once a major agricultural county in Guangdong, renowned as the "Land of Fish and Rice" and one of the most developed areas for mulberry-dyke fishpond cultivation. However, in recent years, the development of industry and the tertiary sector has caused agriculture's share of the city's total economic output to decline annually. In 2014, the added value of agriculture in Zhongshan was 7.09 billion RMB, accounting for only 2.5% of the city's GDP. Zhongshan's agriculture primarily consists of crop cultivation (grains, vegetables, fruits), freshwater fisheries, and livestock farming (pigs, poultry). Additionally, Xiaolan Town is well-known in South China for its flower cultivation, particularly chrysanthemums.

5.2 Industry

In its initial stages of industrial development, Zhongshan's industry was dominated by state-owned enterprises. Subsequently, with the deepening of China's reform and opening-up, the proportion of foreign investment gradually increased. In recent years, Zhongshan has focused on an economic development strategy centered on industry and technology, leading to an increasing share of industry in the city's total economic output. In 2014, the added value of industry in Zhongshan was 155.99 billion RMB, accounting for 55.3% of the city's GDP. The five pillar industries of Zhongshan are electronic information, textiles and apparel, electrical machinery, chemical products, and metal products.

Zhongshan's town-level economies are relatively developed. The city boasts 18 provincial-level specialized technology towns, making it the city with the highest density of such towns in Guangdong Province. Almost every town has a sizable characteristic industry, such as electronic information in the Torch Development Zone, lighting fixtures in Guzhen Town, metal products in Xiaolan Town, textiles and apparel in Shaxi Town, major home appliances in Nantou Town, small home appliances in Dongfeng Town, rosewood furniture in Dayong Town, food processing in Huangpu Town, electronic processing in Tanzhou Town, and footwear manufacturing in Sanxiang Town. Among these, Nantou, Huangpu, and Dongfeng form Zhongshan's home appliance industry cluster, creating a 100-billion-yuan home appliance industry cluster within the city. Towns in the northwest, including Xiaolan, Guzhen, Dongsheng, and Henglan, have developed relatively mature industrial chains for lighting fixtures, locks, and hardware over the years.

5.3 Tertiary Sector

The scale of Zhongshan's tertiary sector is second only to its industry. In 2014, the added value of the tertiary sector was 119.22 billion RMB, accounting for 42.2% of the city's GDP, and it has shown a trend of annual growth. Represented by Dongqu Subdistrict, logistics, real estate, tourism, and finance are the four major tertiary industries in Zhongshan.

Regarding logistics, the Zhongshan municipal government has in recent years provided loan interest subsidy policies for a number of logistics projects, stimulating the development of the logistics industry. Several large-scale logistics projects have commenced operations, forming three major logistics clusters in the eastern, central, and northwestern parts of the city. A regional logistics center on the western bank of the Pearl River Estuary is taking shape. In real estate, Zhongshan has deliberately built its city brand in recent years. The city's positioning of creating a favorable living environment has unleashed significant development potential in the real estate market. Well-known real estate developers from mainland China and Hong Kong, such as Sun Hung Kai, Vanke, and China Overseas, have entered Zhongshan. Locally, Zhongshan has nurtured brands like Agile, which is quite famous in Guangdong's real estate market. In tourism, Zhongshan focuses on integrating culture with tourism, shaping a number of cultural and historical attractions with local characteristics, such as Sun Wen West Road Pedestrian Street, the Former Residence of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and the Zhongshan Art Museum, promoting the development of tourism in Zhongshan.

6. Transportation

Zhongshan's current transportation system primarily relies on roads, supplemented by water transport, and makes full use of resources such as ports, airports, and railways from other cities in the Pearl River Delta region. Additionally, Zhongshan's population continues to grow, leading to relatively severe traffic congestion during peak hours on the roads.

In 2014, Zhongshan had a total road mileage of 2,555 kilometers. Currently, the completed and operational expressways include the G2518 Zhongjiang Expressway, G0425 West Coastal Expressway, and G94 Guangzhou-Zhuhai West Line Expressway. Together with National Highways 105 and 228, G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway, and the city's "Three Rings and Ten Radiating" regional arterial roads as the backbone, they form an extensive road network. Currently, the urban area of Zhongshan has the "Zhongshan First Ring Road" composed of the South Outer Ring Road and the North Outer Ring Road as sister roads. The "Zhongshan Second Ring Road" urban expressway is planned for completion by the end of 2015. Zhongshan currently has multiple road construction projects already completed, underway, or in preparation, such as the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link connecting the Greater Bay Area, as well as the Zhongjiang Expressway, the second phase of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Central Line, the expansion project of the Zhongshan Port Bridge on the northern section of the North-South Line 2, the Cuiheng Express Line, the Chenggui Road·Tanzhou Express Line, the Shagu Road·Guzhen Express Line, and the S364 Line construction project. These projects strengthen the connections between Zhongshan and surrounding cities like Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Foshan, and Jiangmen.

Regarding water transport, Zhongshan City currently has 216 docks and 28 berths, with a maximum docking capacity of 5,000 tons. Public docks are mainly concentrated in Zhongshan Port Area, Xiaolan Port Area, and Shenwan Port Area. The throughput capacity of Zhongshan Port Area is 400,000 TEUs, Xiaolan Port Area is 300,000 TEUs, and Shenwan Port Area is 250,000 TEUs. In 2006, the annual container throughput of Zhongshan Port was 1.1734 million TEUs, making it an important feeder port for ports such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.

Zhongshan City currently has the Zhongshan Sanjiao General Airport. In terms of railways, there are the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway and the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Railway. Planned railways include the National Coastal High-Speed Railway, Shenzhen-Maoming Railway, Nansha Port Railway, Zhongshan Port Railway, Guangzhou-Foshan-Jiangmen-Zhuhai Intercity Railway, Jiangmen-Enping Intercity Railway, and Zhongshan-Nansha-Humen Intercity Railway. Additionally, within a 90-kilometer radius of Zhongshan City, there are five international airports in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Macau, available for use by Zhongshan residents.

6.1 Public Buses

The primary public transportation in Zhongshan City consists of public buses and taxis. Public buses are jointly managed by the Zhongshan Public Transport Group and the Xiaolan Automobile Transport Company. Currently, riding public buses can be paid for using the city's integrated smart card "Zhongshan Tong" IC card (applicable to both Zhongshan Public Transport and Zhongshan Xiaolan Automobile Transport Company). Most bus routes have a flat fare of 2 yuan with unmanned ticketing, and using Zhongshan Tong offers a 50% discount. Public transport cards from other regions supporting the "Transportation Union" interoperability can also be used.

6.2 Taxis

Regarding taxis, the starting fare is 7 yuan. For trips within 2 kilometers (before the meter starts), an additional 1 yuan fuel surcharge is added. For trips beyond 2 kilometers (after the meter starts), an additional 2 yuan fuel surcharge is added. After exceeding 2 kilometers, Sonata taxis charge 2.48 yuan per kilometer, and Jetta taxis charge 2.20 yuan per kilometer. After exceeding 10 kilometers, the fare is 2.60 yuan per kilometer during the day and 3.12 yuan per kilometer at night. From 22:00 to 05:00, the starting fare is the same as during the day. After exceeding 2 kilometers, Sonata taxis charge 3 yuan per kilometer, and Jetta taxis charge 2.64 yuan per kilometer. The waiting fee is 0.38 yuan per minute.

6.3 Zhongshan BRT

Due to Zhongshan's rapid population growth, the city's primary mode of public transportation—public buses—has become overloaded. During peak commuting hours, even in urban areas, buses sometimes become full and skip stops. To address the shortcomings of Zhongshan's public transport, Zhongshan began planning a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in 2009. The planning was completed in the second quarter of 2013. Zhongshan planned to construct the main urban area BRT system in four phases from 2013 to 2015. Among these, the first phase, the Zhongshan BRT demonstration line main line B1 "Lihe Plaza - Torch Public Transport Hub" and five branch lines B10, B11, B12, B13, and B15, opened on July 18, 2014. B18 opened on June 30, 2020, making Zhongshan the second city in the province to operate a BRT system. This line is 12.9 kilometers long, with an investment of 110 million yuan, deploying 60 buses, including 6 vehicles 18 meters long and 15 vehicles 12 meters long. Branch line buses uniformly use 9-meter-long models. During peak hours, the departure interval is 5 minutes, with the entire journey taking within 30 minutes. The main line will utilize dedicated bus lanes, enclosed stations, and other facilities, with fully intelligent management throughout.

The second phase of the Zhongshan BRT, the loop line, is under vigorous construction. Currently, the BRT stations on the eastern half of the loop along Changjiang Road are open for use, and seven new BRT routes have been opened simultaneously, which will greatly facilitate residents' travel.

6.4 Rail Transit

Additionally, Zhongshan initiated rail transit planning in 2009 and had a preliminary plan in 2012. In the 2015 government work report, Mayor Chen Liangxian stated that efforts would be made to advance preliminary work for urban rail transit and construct a Zhongshan rapid transit system. According to Huang Guiguang, Director of the Zhongshan Development and Reform Bureau, Zhongshan's rail transit will adopt the "Chongqing model," utilizing a straddle-type monorail structure. Zhongshan City organized relevant personnel to conduct inspections and research on rail transit in Chongqing, Nanjing, Suzhou, and other places, concluding that Chongqing's straddle-type monorail transit is more suitable for Zhongshan's conditions. Currently, the demonstration line is still in the preliminary stage and has not been finalized. However, relevant municipal departments are actively advancing preliminary work. The financing method for this demonstration line has been preliminarily set to use a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with 50% of the construction cost coming from social capital, 10% borne by the government budget, and the remaining 40% undertaken by developers. It is revealed that the preliminary estimated construction cost for this demonstration line is around 2 to 3 billion yuan.

However, due to increased thresholds, Zhongshan's construction plan was unfortunately aborted. Now, with the development needs of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the eastern and western shores of the Pearl River Estuary, Guangzhou Metro Line 18 (Nanzhong-Zhu Intercity) will be extended to the urban area of Zhongshan and the Nanlang area in the future.

7. Education

Zhongshan City successfully became a Guangdong Provincial Education-Strong City in 2005.

7.1 Higher Education

Higher Education Institutions: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Zhongshan Institute; Zhongshan Torch Polytechnic; Zhongshan Polytechnic; etc.

Higher Education Institutions with Campuses in Zhongshan: Guangdong Pharmaceutical University Zhongshan Campus; Guangdong Polytechnic College Zhongshan Campus; Hunan University of Technology Zhongshan Packaging College; etc.

Adult Higher Education Institutions: Zhongshan Open University; Zhongshan Xinhua Professional College; etc.

7.2 Secondary Education

Regular High Schools: Municipal High Schools: Zhongshan Memorial Middle School; Zhongshan No.1 Middle School; Zhongshan Overseas Chinese Middle School; Zhongshan Experimental Middle School; Zhongshan Haotou Middle School; Zhongshan Yang Xianyi Middle School; Zhongshan Dongqu Middle School; Zhongshan Xiaolan Middle School; Zhongshan Guzhen Senior High School; Zhongshan Dongsheng Senior High School; Zhongshan Longshan Middle School; Zhongshan No.2 Middle School; Zhongshan Guishan Middle School; Zhongshan Yong'an Middle School; Zhongshan Yanzhou Middle School;

Township/District or Private Middle Schools: Zhongshan Henglan Middle School; Zhongshan Nantou Senior High School; Xiaolan Experimental Senior High School; Zhongshan Minzhong Middle School; Guangdong Bowen School; Zhongshan Jizhong Sanxin Bilingual School; South China Normal University Affiliated Zhongshan School; Zhonggang English School; Zhongshan Lianxiang School; Zhongshan Foreign Language School; etc.

Vocational High Schools, Secondary Specialized Schools, Technical Schools, Special Education: Secondary Technical Schools: Zhongshan Secondary Specialized School; Zhongshan Sports School; Zhongshan Special Education School

Vocational High Schools: Zhongshan Technician College (Zhongshan Technical School); Zhongshan No.1 Secondary Vocational Technical School; Zhongshan Shaxi Polytechnic School; Zhongshan Jianbin Secondary Vocational Technical School; Zhongshan Torch Development Zone Polytechnic School; Zhongshan Gangkou Polytechnic School; Zhongshan Sanxiang Township Polytechnic School; Zhongshan Dongfeng Town Polytechnic School; Zhongshan Nanlang Polytechnic Middle School; Zhongshan Tanzhou Polytechnic School; Zhongshan Gongmao Technical School; Zhongshan Qihang Technical School; etc.

7.3 Basic Education and Preschool Education

Zhongshan City has a relatively well-developed basic education system. Each town (district) has at least one junior high school, primary schools essentially cover all communities (villages), and preschool education extends even to residential compounds (natural villages).

8. Population

In Zhongshan City, the Han ethnic group constitutes the majority of the population. By the end of 2010, the Han population reached 3.1423 million, accounting for 96.35% of the total population.

The population of Zhongshan City has maintained an upward trend since the 1950s. The registered population increased from 599,000 in 1949 to 1.3603 million in 2002. Since the 1990s, with the economic development of Zhongshan, the number of migrant populations has grown rapidly, surging from 146,300 in 1990 to 1.0751 million in 2002. By the end of 2012, the total permanent resident population of Zhongshan City had reached 3.12 million, of which the registered population was 1.4082 million, with a population density of 1,352 people per square kilometer. Additionally, there are over 800,000 overseas Chinese of Zhongshan ancestry and immigrants who have settled in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, distributed across 87 countries and regions. As a result, Zhongshan is also known as the "Hometown of Overseas Chinese."

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 4,418,060. Compared with the 3,121,275 people recorded in the Sixth National Population Census, the population increased by 1,296,785 over the past decade, a growth of 41.55%, with an average annual growth rate of 3.54%. Among them, the male population was 2,383,175, accounting for 53.94% of the total population, while the female population was 2,034,885, accounting for 46.06%. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 117.12. The population aged 0–14 was 693,109, accounting for 15.69% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 3,333,171, accounting for 75.44% of the total population; and the population aged 60 and above was 391,780, accounting for 8.87% of the total population, of which those aged 65 and above numbered 264,160, accounting for 5.98% of the total population. The urban population was 3,841,873, accounting for 86.96% of the total population, while the rural population was 576,187, accounting for 13.04% of the total population.

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9. Culture

9.1 Folk Arts

Zhongshan's folk arts can be categorized into folk songs, folk dances, and opera.

Zhongshan's folk songs incorporate various cultural traditions such as water-town culture and Cantonese culture, featuring rich content and a wide variety. Particularly in the Dashatian area near Tanzhou Town, villagers have had the custom since ancient times of engaging in singing competitions while working or boating. The folk songs here include: Xianshui songs sung by men and women courting under trees in the fields; Gaotang songs sung during marriage ceremonies to honor parents; Gumei songs, mainly composed of arias and laments; and Dazeng songs sung by fishermen while rowing. These folk songs are highly improvisational, adapting the melody to the lyrics. In 2006, they were included in China's first national list of intangible cultural heritage under the name "Zhongshan Xianshui Songs." Another style of folk song popular in the Shenmingting area of Shaxi Town is the Hege (Crane Song), usually performed together with the Crane Dance and sung in a blend of three local dialects. In the Wuguishan area, where Hakka people are predominant, the main folk songs are Hakka mountain songs and Baikoulian.

A performance by a Cantonese Opera amateur music club in a Zhongshan community Zhongshan's folk dances are primarily dances that imitate the forms of animals such as dragons, lions, phoenixes, and cranes. They mainly involve forms like dragon and lion dances, lantern dances imitating boats, and include several distinctive folk dances such as lion dance, dragon dance, wooden dragon dance, and crane dance. Among these, the wooden dragon dance differs from other dragon dances as its dragon prop is carved from a single piece of wood, often weighing several dozen jin, or even over a hundred jin. During traditional festivals, strong young men, after eating and drinking their fill, would dance the wooden dragon on the streets fueled by alcohol, hence it is also called the drunken dragon dance. The wooden dragon dance is prevalent in Changzhou, Zhangxi, Dayong, and other areas of Zhongshan, and later spread to Macau and Zhuhai. It is a unique folk dance of the traditional Xiangshan region.

The main opera form in Zhongshan is Cantonese Opera, a theatrical form performed in the Cantonese dialect and popular in the Pearl River Delta region. Cantonese Opera performances began in Zhongshan as early as the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. During the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period, Cantonese Opera in Zhongshan reached a peak, giving rise to a number of famous local playwrights and artists. These include the male dan (female role) actor and playwright Shewang Su; Tang Disheng, a playwright renowned as a "Cantonese Opera genius" who created famous works such as Princess Chang Ping, The Purple Hairpin, and The Butterfly and the Pear Blossom; Lü Wencheng, who reformed Cantonese opera singing styles and created representative pieces of Guangdong folk music like Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake and Step by Step; and Tang Xueqing, a famous dan actress and wife of "Cantonese Opera master" Xue Juexian. Cantonese Opera in Zhongshan remains vibrant today. Many villages, towns, and communities have their own fixed or mobile Cantonese Opera stages, and there are numerous amateur music clubs organized by opera fans. According to statistics, in 2003 alone, there were over 1,000 Cantonese Opera performances in Zhongshan.

9.2 Folk Festivals

Some large-scale folk festivals in Zhongshan include dragon boat races, Xiaolan's Chrysanthemum Festival, and Piaose (Float Parade) processions.

The dragon boat race is a distinctive and historically rich folk competitive event in Zhongshan. As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, some villages in Zhongshan hold a "Dragon Boat Emergence" ceremony. Villagers first worship the dragon boat head and tail at ancestral temples, then the eldest villager holds up the dragon head and leads the crowd to dig up the dragon boat buried in the river from the previous year. They attach the dragon head, dot the eyes, and reapply lard. After the ceremony, villagers organize training to participate in the annual dragon boat competition. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, dragon boat races were suspended for a long time until 1996, when they began to be revived in many parts of Zhongshan. Especially in Shiqi Subdistrict, dozens of dragon boats compete on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival each year, attracting large crowds of spectators. The dragon boat race has become a folk sports festival in Zhongshan.

The Chrysanthemum Festival is a unique traditional folk flower festival in Xiaolan Town. During the festival, villagers display various chrysanthemums, literati drink wine, compose poems, admire, and paint chrysanthemums, and chrysanthemum-themed operas are performed. Xiaolan has long enjoyed the reputation of "Chrysanthemum City." As early as the Southern Song Dynasty, people in Xiaolan began cultivating chrysanthemums, and by the Ming Dynasty, many were skilled in potted chrysanthemum art. In 1736, some literati in Xiaolan held a "Chrysanthemum Test" to compare chrysanthemum artistry, which became the earliest prototype of the Chrysanthemum Festival. The first Chrysanthemum Festival was held in Xiaolan in 1782. Now, every 60 years, coinciding with the Jiaxu year in the traditional Chinese sexagenary cycle, a grand Chrysanthemum Fair is held. Smaller chrysanthemum festivals are also held annually or every few years during the interim periods. The 1994 Chrysanthemum Fair was the most recent grand event, attracting 8 million visitors. In 2006, Xiaolan's Chrysanthemum Festival was included in China's first national list of intangible cultural heritage.

The Piaose (Float) Parade is a temple fair procession featuring Piaose as the main attraction, accompanied by groups of lions, parading dragons, floats, gongs and drums, yangko dances, waist drum dances, stilt walking, and colorful placards. Such parades are held during traditional festivals in some towns and villages in Zhongshan. Piaose mainly consists of a color cabinet, color core, color foot, color stem, and color pole. Typically, lightweight children act as the "color core," dressed as characters or immortals from stories like Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, or The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, suspended in mid-air to achieve the "floating" effect. Zhongshan's Piaose includes Huangpu Piaose, Xiaolan's Water Piaose, and Nanlang's Yakou Piaose. Among these, Huangpu Town has been awarded the title "Hometown of Chinese Piaose" by the China Folk Literature and Art Association.

9.3 Food Culture

Almond Cakes Traditional local cuisine in Zhongshan is primarily Cantonese cuisine, while traditional Hakka dishes are preserved among the Hakka people in Wuguishan. Zhongshan cuisine can be further subdivided into five schools based on region and folk customs: Mintian region cuisine, Shatian region cuisine, Xiaolan region cuisine, Wuguishan mountain region cuisine, and Qijiang Huancheng cuisine. Among these, except for Wuguishan mountain region cuisine which belongs to the Hakka cuisine school, the rest are Cantonese cuisine schools.

The characteristics of Zhongshan Cantonese cuisine are light and fresh flavors, emphasizing the original taste of ingredients. It uses a wide range of ingredients and innovates cooking techniques, constantly evolving on the basis of traditional dishes. Compared to Guangzhou's Cantonese cuisine, Zhongshan's dishes originate from folk traditions, have a stronger rustic flavor, and are mostly home-style cooking. Additionally, Zhongshan is a water town close to the sea, with abundant seafood and freshwater fish and shrimp resources, providing excellent raw materials for Zhongshan cuisine. Signature dishes of Zhongshan Cantonese cuisine include: Shiqi pigeon, bowl-cooked ricefield worms, free-range Sanhuang chicken, Xiaolan fried fish balls, Sanxiao stir-fry, pepper-salt water snake, steamed three dried ingredients, blanched fish skin, claypot fish head, etc.

The Hakka cuisine in the Wuguishan area of Zhongshan has another distinctive characteristic. As the Hakka ancestors living in mountainous areas often engaged in heavy physical labor, to replenish salt and resist hunger, Hakka dishes generally use a lot of oil and salt, featuring salty, rich, and fragrant flavors. Ingredients are mostly sourced from free-range poultry like chickens and ducks raised in the mountains. Signature dishes of Wuguishan Hakka cuisine include stuffed tofu, mother wine braised chicken, Hakka salted chicken, stir-fried mountain stream snails, pan-fried mountain stream fish, etc.

Zhongshan has also developed two special dietary habits: Yum Cha (drinking tea) and Da Bianlu (hot pot). Zhongshan's Yum Cha differs from the northern style; it is not primarily about tasting tea but about eating various Cantonese dim sum. The Yum Cha session usually lasts a long time, and people are accustomed to discussing business and socializing during this time. Da Bianlu is what is called hot pot in northern China. Zhongshan's specialty hot pots include dog meat hot pot, carp hot pot, crispy meat carp hot pot, and Shaxi's congee-based hot pot. These two dietary habits have a long history. During the Republic of China period, there were as many as 30 restaurants in Zhongshan county town, distributed along Fengming Road, Changti Road, and Sunwen West Road, while many hot pot food stalls lined the streets around Damiao Xia, Changti Road, and Yuelai Road.

Zhongshan is rich in local specialties, including almond cakes, Huangpu cured meats, Fanguo Jinzha pastries, March Red lychees, Shenwan pineapples, Shiqi Xialong longans, Maoshengwei bananas, etc., with almond cakes being the most famous. Almond cakes were first created by the over-90-year-old Zuixiangyuan Cake Shop. The original almond cake was made from mung bean flour, shaped into an almond-like cake, with a piece of sugar-cured pork in the middle, baked into a mung bean cake. The almond cake is also named for its shape. Now, after improvements, it has become round.

Zhongshan Crispy Meat Carp: National Geographical Indication Product.

10. Sister Cities

• Moriguchi City, Japan: April 18, 1988.
• Honolulu, USA: October 13, 1997.
• Alameda County, USA: November 11, 2002.
• Cairns, Australia: September 19, 2003.
• Culiacán, Mexico: June 1, 2007.

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East District Street

Xiaolan Town

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Flame tree

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