TravelTill

History of Guangzhou


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Guangzhou's earliest recorded name is Panyu (Chinese; Jyutping: Pun Jyu), a name borrowed from two nearby mountains anciently called Pan and Yu. Its recorded history begins with China's conquering of the area during the Qin Dynasty. Panyu expanded when it became capital of the Nanyue Kingdom in 206 BC, the territory of the Nanyue Kingdom included what is now Vietnam.

The Han Dynasty annexed the Nanyue Kingdom in 111 BC and Panyu became a provincial capital and remains so today. In 226 AD, Panyu became the seat of Guang Prefecture; Guangzhou). While originally referring to prefecture only, local citizens gradually adopted the custom of using the same name for their city.

Although Guangzhou replaced Panyu as the name of the walled city, Panyu was still the name of the area surrounding the walled city until the end of Qing Dynasty.. Today, Panyu is a district of Guangzhou south of Haizhu District separated from the rest of the city by the Pearl River.

The Old Book of Tang described Guangzhou as important port in south of China. Arab and Persian merchants arrived Guangzhou (known to them as Khanfu or Sin-Kalan) in 8th century. In that period, direct routes connected the Middle East and China. A Chinese prisoner, who was captured in the Battle of Talas and stayed in Iraq for 12 years, returned back to China by ship on a direct route from Iraq to Guangzhou. Guangzhou was mentioned by various Muslim geographers in the ninth and tenth centuries, such as Al-Masudi and Ibn Khordadbeh. According to a local Guangzhou government report on October 30, 758, which corresponded to the day of Guisi (癸巳) of the ninth lunar month in the first year of the Qianyuan era of Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty. The Arab historian Abu Zayd As-Sirafi mentioned Guangzhou several times in his book 'As-Sirafi Journey

As-Sirafi provides a description about daily life, food, business dealings, and justice system in the city. As-Sirafi also reports that in 878
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