Liwan, Guangzhou


Liwan District is one of 11 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, China. The district is split into two parts by the Pearl River: Xiguan in the northeast and Fangcun in the southwest. The area has a prominent history, dating back to the Qin dynasty, and hosts a number of major historic sites. Liwan District spans an area of, and as of the end of 2023, has a population of about 1,113,000.

Toponymy

Liwan District was named after "Lizhi Wan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red lychees along both banks".

History

From the Qin dynasty through the Qing dynasty, the area of present-day Liwan District belonged to Panyu County and Nanhai County. Liwan was historically located outside the western gates of Guangzhou, in an area known as Xiguan. The district was also the site of the historic area of Huadi, at the southwest of Guangzhou's downtown area and south of Pearl River.
The area of present-day Liwan, along with Guangfu, was merged into the newly-formed city of Guangzhou upon its incorporation, on February 15, 1921. Liwan covers an area of, and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000.

People's Republic of China

In the months following the proclamation of the [People's Republic of China], the area of present-day Liwan District changed administrative organization a number of times.
On October 14, 1949, the government organized the area as Fangcun District. On November 15, it absorbed Chongwen District. In June 1954, Fangcun District was abolished, and its area was split between Henan District and Xinjiao District. In April 1959, eight production brigades from Nanhai County were merged into Guangzhou City, and the area of former Fangcun District was placed under the jurisdiction of Jiao District, Guangzhou. After being briefly re-established, Fangcun District was abolished once again on May 11, 1962, and merged into Jiao District. In May 1985, the State Council officially approved the re-establishment of Fangcun District of Guangzhou. In September 2005, Fangcun District was abolished, and re-established as Liwan District.

Geography

Liwan District is positioned in the west part of Guangzhou, on along the banks of the Pearl River. It is bordered by Yuexiu District to the east, Baiyun District to the north, and Nanhai District in Foshan to the west.

Climate

The area of Liwan District is frequently affected by typhoons. In 2023, the area experienced a total annual precipitation of, of which the cumulative precipitation during the flood season was, accounting for 88.6% of the annual precipitation.

Demographics

As of the end of 2023, Liwan District has a permanent population of 1,113,000, and a hukou population of 804,800. Its population growth rate in 2023 was -1.98‰.

Transport

Liwan district has a well-developed transport network connecting with the railway station and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in the north. Renmin Bridge and Zhujiang Tunnel link the banks of the Pearl River in the southern part of Liwan. Zhujiang Bridge, which connects Nanhai and Foshan, links the east and west together in Liwan's west. Guangzhou South Railway Cargo Station of Jingguang Railway and Xinfeng Terminal are in Liwan's southwest. No. 107 State Highway and Guang-Fo Highway connecting with Guang-Shen Highway are through to Hong Kong. Line 1 of Guangzhou Metro and Inner overhead road pass through the District.

Metro

Liwan is currently serviced by eight metro lines operated by Guangzhou Metro:

Tourism

Liwan District has many attractions and historical sites. The historically famous "Lizhi Wan", has a 1,000-year history. In addition, there are historic sites where Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Zhan Tianyou, Chen Shaobai and Tang Tingguang lived or worked. There are Guangya School setup by Zhang Zhidong, a member of the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty and relic site of Xicun Industrial Zone developed by Chen Jitang when was in power during PC period.
Major historic sites within Liwan District include the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island,,, Huaiyuanyi, the Thirteen Factories,, the site of the, the site of the, the, and the Nanfang Building. Of these, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and Shamian Island are designated as Major [cultural heritage sites under national-level protection|national key protected cultural relic units]. The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall was elected one of the 8 new scenic spots of Guangzhou. Haishan Xianguan was historically a leader of Lingnan horticulture, and contributed to the development of Lingnan culture. The area of the Thirteen Factories was the sole legal site of foreign trade within China for nearly one hundred years.
There are several municipality-level relic spots: Hualin Temple, one of Guangzhou's Buddhist "five jungles", Taoist Zhenwudi Renwei Temple, Jiang Guangding's former residence, Li Wentian's Taihua Building and Xiguan big house.
In order to integrate those typical spots organically for tourists' convenience, Liwan District Administration divides them into 4 tourist areas, Xiguan Folk Custom Area, Chen Clan Temple Cultural and Leisure Area, Shamian Continental Tourist Area, and Shisanhang Commercial and Cultural Area. It is proposed to build large-scale "Lingnan Custom" tourist project at Xiguan Folk Custom Area so as to provide domestic and foreign tourists with all-directional services in tour, culture, leisure, foods and accommodation.
Liwan District is home to Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, a prominent commercial pedestrian street first opened in 1995. In 1996, it was elected one of the 10 tourist attractions of Guangzhou. There are many special streets such as blackwood and jade street, ceramic crafts street, and more than 100 wholesale markets engaged in traditional Chinese medicine, aquatic products, shoes, stationery, metal ware, textile, electric appliance and decoration materials, among which Qingping Traditional Chinese Herbs and Huangsha Aquatic Product Market are State-level markets; Yiyuan Stationery Market, Guangdong Electric Appliance City are province-level markets.
Liwan District is home to a number of prominent restaurants, including that of the White Swan Hotel,, Shengli Hotel, Qingping Restaurant,, Lianxiang Lou, and. Famous local culinary specialties include Shunji coconut ice cream, Wuzhanji Jidi congee, Tingzai congee, Ouchengji dumpling and Nanxin double-condensed milk.

Economy

has its headquarters in Liwan District.

Education

Schools include:

Notable people