SouthChinahas always been outward-looking. Many of China's mariners and traders have come from this region and many overseas Chinese can trace their ancestry to South China.

All of the provinces in this region have coastlines, butGuangxiis best known for its karst limestone terrain, with fantastically gum drop-shaped hills which have inspired traditional Chinese landscape painting for centuries.

This region of China has looked toward the sea for thousands of years, with Canton (as it was then known to Europeans) being an important trading port. Today, it is again a major center for trade;Guangdongalone produces a third of China's exports, and the other provinces of the region are also very much open for business. Four of China's sixSpecial Economic Zones—areas with tax breaks and other government measures to encourage trade and development—are in this region.

Regions

Guangxi Beautiful mountains and rice terraces.

Guangdong(Chaoshan,Northern Guangdong,Pearl River Delta,Western Guangdong) Bustling cities, quiet villages, and a long history of maritime trade.

Hainan A tropical island of popular beach resorts.

Two former colonies, PortugueseMacauand BritishHong Kong,are now Special Administrative Regions of China. Economically, linguistically and culturally, they are part of thePearl River Deltaarea and very much a part of this region. They were administered as parts ofGuangdongprovince before being colonised by European powers. However, they are not covered in this article because they are remarkably different from a traveller's point of view. They have their own entry requirements, visas, and currencies.

Cities

• 1Guilin,main city of a major tourist area with incredible karst mountains
• 2Guangzhou,formerly known in Europe as Canton, is the capital of Guangdong, historically Southern China's greatest city, and the third largest city in China
• 3Haikou,capital of Hainan, more of a transit hub than a tourist destination, though it does have several attractions
• 4Nanning,capital and transit hub ofGuangxi
• 5Sanya,Hainan's tourist center
• 6Shantou,Guangdong
• 7ShenzhenGuangdong megacity, next toHong Kong
• 8Yangshuo,smaller town near Guilin with similar attractions, popular with backpackers
• 9Zhuhai,Guangdong, next toMacau

Shantou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and the entire island province of Hainan areSpecial Economic Zones,meaning that they have various government measures to encourage trade and investment. For a more detailed explanation of the term, seeChinese provinces and regions.

Other destinations

• The stretch of the Li River between1GuilinandYangshuois the major tourist draw inGuangxi,mainly for the karst (interesting limestone mountains) scenery
• The "castles" (diaolou) built by overseas Chinese in2Kaiping,Guangdong, mainly in the early 20th century, are on theUNESCO World Heritage List
• 3Danxiashan– striking red and brown mountains and cliffs in northern Guangdong

Itineraries

• TheHong Kong to Kunming overlandandHo Chi Minh City to Shanghai overlanditineraries cross the area.

Understand

Gardens of banana plants and dragon-fruit-producing cactus can be seen in coastal counties from Fujian to Guangxi

This area has been a center of international trade for centuries.Guangzhouin Guangdong was one of the main Chinese ports on theMaritime Silk Road,starting a few hundred BCE or a few hundred CE according to different historians. Shorter-range trade, such as from Hainan toVietnamand the rest ofSoutheast Asia,has also been going on for a very long time.

Along with neighboringEast China,this area was the "China Coast" of the 19th century, the region where tea clippers loaded and other trade (including opium) boomed. Both Chinese and European traders made and lost fortunes, and wars were fought over trading rights. A host of "missionaries, mercenaries and misfits" from all over the world poured in while education, production, modernisation, corruption, consumption, and seduction all went on at a furious pace. Today the area is far less wild, but it is still booming and still attracts many foreign residents.

The region has also been the source of much migration. Many overseas Chinese can trace their ancestry to one of these provinces, and Guangdong in particular has descendants more or less everywhere. In any European country, most people of Chinese descent can trace their roots to Guangdong, and the most common style of Chinese food in Europe is Cantonese (Guangdong) food.

Talk

This area of China is linguistically rich, with many mutually unintelligible Chinese "dialects" spoken as well as the unrelated Zhuang language in Guangxi, belonging to the ethnic minority of the same name. The predominant language this region isCantonese,which is also spoken in nearbyHong KongandMacau.Other dialects spoken includeHakka,Teochew(spoken inChaoshan,near the Fujian border) andHainanese.The area is also home to several ethnic minorities besides the Zhuang, such as the Li people in Hainan, who speak various non-Chinese languages.

As elsewhere in China,Mandarinis thelingua franca.As Mandarin is the language used in schools, most people are bilingual in Mandarin and their local tongue.

Get in

Guangzhouis one of China's main aviation hubs, and is served by flights from all over China, as well as from major cities all over the world. It is also common to fly into the area throughHong KongorMacau,nearby cities which are also international hubs.

Shenzhenalso has a fairly large number of international flights, while there are also much smaller numbers of international flights intoShantou,Haikou,Sanya,Meizhou,Nanning,andGuilin.

Because so many people from this region have immigrated there, the region is particularly well-connected toSoutheast Asia.SeeDiscount airlines in Asiafor more information.

Get around

As elsewhere in China, there is an extensive rail network. Rail is the main means of inter-city travel for the Chinese themselves, and many visitors travel that way as well. The system now includesfast bullet trainson some routes; unless your budget is very tight, these are the best way to go—fast, clean and comfortable.

All the major cities have airports with good domestic connections; some have international connections as well. See the individual city articles for details.

There is also an extensive highway network, and much of it very good. Buses go almost anywhere, somewhat cheaper than the trains. See theChina articlefor more. Driving yourself is also possible, but often problematic; seeDriving in China.

See

Mountains inDanxiashan

• Unique and beautiful mountains, most famously aroundGuilinbut also inDanxiashan
• "The world's workshop" – sprawling factories and dazzling skyscrapers in thePearl River Delta
• The legacy of overseas Chinese inKaipingandTaishan
• China's best beaches, most famouslySanyainHainan
• Historic sites fromGuangzhou's centuries as a maritime trading hub andDongguan's involvement in the Opium Wars

Do

On the beach inChongwu,Fujian

The whole coast, and especiallyHainan,is well provided with beaches and many areas have facilities for kite surfing, diving or other water-based activities.

This is warm tropical water, though, and dangerous species such as sharks and jellyfish are present in some areas; consult a knowledgeable local before swimming anywhere except on busy beaches. Also, check any rented equipmentverycarefully before doing any inherently dangerous activities such asSCUBAor hang-gliding; government inspections are non-existent or lax and not all vendors are conscientious.

Eat

Cantonese (Guangdong) cuisine is one of the 'eight famous cuisines' in China. Cantonese food is widespread around the world, the basic style of most Chinese restaurants anywhere. Though true Guangdong cuisine, orYue( việt ) as it is known in China, may contain a few surprises, the essence of the style of cooking will be familiar to most visitors. Hainan is also known for its seafood. Hainan food tends to be lightly seasoned and not as heavy as other regions.

Drink

As anywhere in China, beer, wine, brandy andbai jiu(the local white lightning) are very widely available. SeeChina#Alcoholfor discussion.

Some brands are common in this region that are much less so elsewhere in China. The Filipino companySan Miguelhas breweries in Hong Kong and Guangdong, and their beer is popular among expats and travellers in that region. The Singapore-based firmAsia Pacific Brewerieshave a brewery on Hainan and their brands of beer, Tiger and Anchor, are common all over the island. Hainan also has a number of locally-brewed pineapple-based beers, odd but worth a try.

Stay safe

Humidity is often very high in the summer. Typhoons are possible any time between May and November, with the highest risk in July and August.

Go next

China's relatively new and quite extensive system offast bullet trainsprovides connections from this region to the rest of China.

• One major line runs from Guangzhou all the way toBeijingon an inland route, viaNanning,WuhanandZhengzhou.
  • Branches off this line connect to all the main cities of Eastern and Central China.
  • Beyond Beijing, there is a high-speed line into the Northeast.
• Another line runs along the coast all the way fromShenzhentoShanghai,viaShantou,XiamenandHangzhou.
  • The link further south toZhanjiangand Hainan is due in 2016.
• A line from Guangzhou toChengdu,viaGuilin(a major tourist area) andGuiyangis due to go into service in 2014

Once those are all in service, they will be the most convenient way to leave the region. There are also good connections by regular train, by road or by air from this region to anywhere in China.

SeeDiscount airlines in Asiafor flights toSoutheast Asia.There are also overland routes to Southeast Asia; the main ones are viaNanningtoHanoior fromKunminginto NorthernLaos.