Ep. 303 | The History of Guangzhou (Part 1)

In this Part 1 episode of a multi-part series Laszlo introduces the most ancient history of the great city of Guangzhou. Long known as Canton in many places, this city has a history that is both fascinating and unique in China. In this installment of the series, we'll explore the early stories and legends from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Then we'll look at the period when the Guangzhou region first appears on the China map during the Qin.

The story picks up the pace during Zhao Tuo's Nanyue Kingdom, a story told before in previous CHP episodes. Finally, we'll look at the Han and Three Kingdoms when there's no doubt about it, this part of southernmost China was here to stay and Guangzhou begins its integration with the rest of the Chinese nation.

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Terms in Episode

Pinyin/TermChineseEnglish/Meaning
Guǎngzhōu广州Capital of Guangdong province
Táng Dynasty唐朝Chinese imperial dynasty that lasted 618-907
Shāng商朝Ancient Chinese dynasty 1600-1046 BC
Zhōu周朝Ancient Chinese dynasty 1046-256 BC
Bǎiyuè百越The Hundred Yue, a term to descirbe the many tribes of indigeous people of southern China
Yúnnán云南Province in southwest China
Nánhǎi南海The South China Sea
Ruins at Yīn殷墟The archaeological site near Anyang, Henan province where one of the Shang Dynasty capitals was located
Lǐngnán Region岭南地区A geographic area referring to the lands in the south of the Nanling Mountains: Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, Macau, as well as modern northern to central Vietnam
Lǐngnán Culture岭南文化The culture of the Lingnan region
Nánlǐng Mountains南岭山Mountain range that separates the south of China from the Jiangnan region south of the Yangzi
Gànzhōu赣州Major city in Jiangxi province
Jiāngxī Province江西Inland province in south China
Guǎngxī广西Province in southwest China, west of Guangdong
Guǎngdōng广东Coastal province in southern China, east of Guangxi
Teochew潮州人The people from the Chaozhou-Shantou-Jieyang area of eastern Guangdong
Hakka客家人The Hakka (Kèjiā) people
Zhuàng壮族a Tai-speaking ethnic group who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. Some also live in the Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Hunan provinces.
Cháng Jiāng长江The Yangzi River
Jiāngsū江苏Coastal province in China, north of Zhejiang
ĀnhuĪ安徽Inland province in central China
Húnán湖南Inland province in central China, north of Guangdong
Húběi湖北Inland province in central China, north of Hunan
Jiāngnán江南The region in China immediately south of the Yangzi River and delta region
Chǔtíng楚庭Ancient settlement established after the area bowed to the suzerienty of Chu State to the nortj
Zhōu Dynasty King Yí周夷王The ninth king of the Zhoiu dynasty, reigned 885-878 BC
Chǔ State楚国Chu State included most of the present-day provinces of Hubei and Hunan, along with parts of Chongqing, Guizhou, Henan, Anhui, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. It was overthrown in 223 BC
YángA goat or sheep or ram
Yángchéng羊城One of the early names of Guangzhou
Suìchéng穗城Another early name given to Guangzhou
YuèThe Chinese character abbreviation for Guangdong province
Yuènán越南Vietnam
Spring and Autumn Period (Chūnqiū)春秋The Spring and Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, lasting 770-476 BC or thereabouts. No exact dates.
Eastern Zhōu东周The Eastern Zhou Dynasty that lasted 771-256 BC
Nán Wǔ Chéng南武城Another early name given to Guangzhou
Wǔ Yáng五羊Five Rams, one of the early myths from Guyangzhou history
Pānyú番禺The most ancient part of Guangzhou, now a district in the south of the city
Hǔmén虎门A narrow strait in the Pearl River Delta that separates Shizi Yang in the north and Lingdingyang in the south, where the Pearl River discharges into the South China Sea
Shīzi Yáng狮子洋The upper channel of the Pearl RIver Estuary, also a wide tidal strait connecting the Huangpu New Port of Guangzhou to the South China Sea
Qin Shihuang秦始皇The First Qin Emperor, personal name Ying Zheng. He lived 259-210 BC
Mǐnyuè闽越The indigenous people who lived in and around Fujian province
Ōuyuè瓯越also 东瓯, the indigenous people who lived in and around Zhejiang province
Zhèjiāng浙江Coastal Province
Wēnzhōu温州City located in Zhejiang near the Fujian border
Luòyuè骆越The Lạc Việt people of ancient northern Vietnam
Nánhǎi Commandery南海郡The Nanhai Commandery setup in Guangdong during the Qin Dynasty
Huáinánzǐ淮南子An ancient Chinese text consisting of a collection of essays that resulted from a series of scholarly debates held at the court of Liu An, Prince of Huainan, sometime before 139 BC. The Huainanzi blends Daoist, Confucianist, and Legalist concepts, including theories such as yin and yang and Wu Xing theories. The Huainanzi's essays are all connected to one primary goal: attempting to define the necessary conditions for perfect socio-political order. It concludes that perfect societal order derives mainly from a perfect ruler, and the essays are compiled in such a way as to serve as a handbook for an enlightened sovereign and his court
Zhào Gāo赵高
Lǐ Sī李斯The Huainanzi's essays are all connected to one primary goal: attempting to define the necessary conditions for perfect socio-political order.[1] It concludes that perfect societal order derives mainly from a perfect ruler, and the essays are compiled in such a way as to serve as a handbook for an enlightened sovereign and his court
Húhài湖海The Second Qin emperor (秦二世)
Fúsū扶苏The crown prince who should have become the second Qin emperor. Older brother to Huhai
Méng Tián蒙恬Great Qin general and loyal supporter of Qin Shihuang
Zǐyīng子婴The third and final Qin Emperor
Xiányáng咸阳The capital of Qin, present day Xian
Âu Lạc Kingdom瓯骆Founded in 257 BC, it was an early polity in the lands where Vietnamese history began
Shíjiāzhuāng石家庄Capital of Hebei province
Liú Bāng刘邦Emperor Han Gāozǔ, founder of the Han dynasty
Xiàng Yǔ项羽A noble of the Chu state, who rebelled against the Qin dynasty, becoming a major warlord. He engaged Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty, in a long struggle for power, known as the Chu–Han Contention, which concluded with his eventual defeat at the Battle of Gaixia and his suicide.
Lù Jiǎ陆贾Loyal official and envoy of Han Gaozu who tried to negotiate peace between the Han and Nanyue Kingdom. Died in 170 BC
Nán Wǔdì南武帝The title Zhao Tuo gave himself in the wake of the polticial turmoil following the death Han dynasty founder Gaozu.
Han Wǔdi汉武帝One of China greatest and consequential emperors who reigned 141-87 BC
Zhào Mò赵眜Grandson and successor to the long-lived Zhao Tuo. He reigned 137-124 BC
Cháng’ān长安Capital of many Chinese dynasties, located in and around present day Xian
Zhào Yīngqí赵婴齐Nanyue King who reigned 122-115 BCE
Yuèxiù District越秀区One of 11 urban districts of Guangzhou, located west of the Tianhe District and east of the Liwan District. It's the commercial, political and cultural centre of Guangdong province as well as the capital of the province and the city of Guangzhou. Established in 1960, the district absorbed the former Dongshan District in May 2005 along with several former subdistricts of the Baiyun and Tianhe district.
Xī Hàn Nányuè Wáng Bówùguǎn西汉南越王博物馆The Western Hàn Nányuè King Museum
Lǚ Jiā吕嘉Nanyue Kingdom official who conspired to murder the emperor and take over power
King Jiàndé赵建德The final Nanyue Emperor, 112-111 BC
Gǎigè Kāifàng改革开放Reform and Opening Up to the World, Deng Xiaoping's marquee achievement as paramount leader during the 1980's
Kingdom of Wú吴国Sun Quan's kingdom in the south and east of China
Kingdom of Wèi魏国Also referred to as Cao Wei 曹魏, based in the north of China, it was one of the three major states that competed for supremacy over China in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280)
The Kingdom of Shǔ蜀国Also referred to as Shu Han 蜀汉, one of the three major states that competed for supremacy over China in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280)
Sūn Quán孙权182-252, founder of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period.
zhōuA prefecture (or state)
Guǎng Prefecture广州The prefecture established by Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms era that gave the city its name
Jiāozhǐ交趾A historical region corresponding to present-day northern Vietnam
Qín Lùn秦论A merchant from the Roman Empire who arrived in Jiaozhi and who was taken to see Emperor Sun Quan
Sixteen Kingdoms Period十六国That period following the fall of the Western Jin that included states/kingdoms comprising five Liáng’s four Yàn’s, 3 Qín’s, 2 Zhào’s, a Chéng Hàn and Xià. It lasted 304-439
Southern and Northern Dynasties南北朝A period of disunity that ran 386-589
Liáng Dynasty梁朝Also referred to as The Southern Liang dynasty, it ran 502-557
Liáng Wǔdì梁武帝Also called Emperor Wu of Liang who reigned 542-549
Guāngxiào Temple光孝寺Oldest Buddhist temple in Guangzhou
Jìn Dynasty晋朝Ancient dyansty that ran 266-420
Khanfu广府The city of Guangzhou as referred to by the Arabs
Suí Dynasty隋朝Short-lived but influential dynasty that ran 581-618
Fānfāng蕃坊The foreign district of the city of Guangzhou back in early times
Fānzhāng蕃长The head of the foreigners community in Guangzhou
Hángzhōu杭州Capital of Zhejiang province as well as the capital of several southern dynasties
dàoThese Tang circuits would be equivalent to a province
Lǐngnán Dào岭南道Lǐngnán Circuit
Sòng Dynasty宋朝Chinese dynasty established by Zhao Kuangyin that ruled China 960-1279
Guǎngnán East广南东One of the political administrative regions during the Song, mostly Guangdong
Guǎngnán West广南西One of the political administrative regions during the Song, mostly west Guangdong and Guangxi
Yuán Dynasty元朝Dyansty established by Kublai Khan that ruled 1271-1368
Guìzhōu贵州Western interior province in China
Húguǎng province湖广行省One of the provinces of Yuan dyansty China that contained both Hunan and Guangdong
Jiāngxī province江西行省The name of Jiangxi province during the Yuan dynasty
Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms五代十国The period of disunity in between the fall of the Tang and founding of the Song. It lasted 907-979
Míng Dynasty明朝Imperial dynasty that lasted 1368-1644

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Ep. 302 | Chinese Anarchists of the Late Qing