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Situated in the hilly northern part of Guangdong province,
Shaoguan lies between the Pearl River Valley and the Yangtze Basin. The history
of the city dates back 2000 years to the Han dynasty. In World War II, Shaoguan
was a strategic place where a military airport was built. As a result, it suffered
a lot as the target of Japanese bombing. In the 1950s, Shaoguan became Guangdong"s
main base of heavy industry and raw material (Shaoguan is the home to a steel
factory and some metal processing factories) and it was once the "power house"
with a far-reaching economic influence in Guangdong. However, it lost its leading
position as the province"s coastal Special Economic Zones, such as Shenzhen
and Zhuhai, began to grow and prosper. Shaoguan"s downtown area lies on a peninsula shape by the Zhen River on the
east side and the Wu River on the west, which merge at the peninsula"s southern
tip to form the Bei River. The main street, Fengdu Rd, runs vertically
through the centre, crossed by Fengcai Rd at the north end of town,
and Jiefang Rd in the south. Most of the town is functional and modern.
Shaoguan is popular with domestic tourists, thanks to its great geographical
position. The Nanhua Temple
draws tourists as well as the Zen Buddhist followers to visit and to revere
the grandeur and holiness of the temple. Danxia
Shan scenic area is another tourist destination, most noted for its unique
red sandstone topography (Danxia dimao). You can also go white-water
rafting down the Wu River. |
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