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The economic heart of South China, the Pearl River Delta is both agriculturally and financially fertile and is one of the most developed parts of China. Intensely cultivated land is interspersed with some of Chinas newest and fastest-growing cities, which are linked by some of the countrys best and most integrated transport services. The Deltas location makes it a popular trip from Hong Kong and a major gateway to enter China itself. Foremost among the Deltas gang of youthful upstart cities is Shenzhen, which was the first of Chinas Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and has grown from nothing to challenge the traditional heart of the region, Guangzhou, in less than 30 years. While Shenzhen has little in the way of historic sights, it offers shopping, skyscrapers and theme parks along with some insight as to what Chinas future looks like. Seventy miles to the north, Guangzhou has a longer history, but is also reaping the economic whirlwind. Its definitely worth a quick stop for its blend of Cantonese cuisine, markets, colonial relics and the gritty taste of a real Chinese city. With a population of seven million and long known in the West as Canton, modern Guangzhou provides many visitors with their first glimpse of a mainland Chinese city. Frenetically busy, polluted and steamily hot in summer, Guangzhous conventional sights are comparatively sparse, but the city is renowned worldwide for its cooking and is worth visiting on these grounds alone. Before Hong Kong rose to prominence, Guangzhou was one of Chinas primary trading posts and as a result it has a wide ethnic diversity, including a large Hui (Muslim) population, and a smattering of colonial architecture, much of which is found on charming Shamian Island. Guangzhou is at the heart of the souths economic revolution. Although it is still undoubtedly a polluted city, attention is being paid to the environment, albeit often only in the most aesthetic sense. Every time I visit I notice new areas of greenery and the city is becoming more and more visitor-friendly. There is an ever-expanding subway network, a new airport and improved links with other Pearl River Delta destinations. There are also a host of sights to visit within a two-hour transport radius of Guangzhou and the city makes a good base from which to explore smaller towns such as Huizhou and Zhaoqing. This guide is based on our 640-page China Adventure Guide.