Guangzhou, in English and other European languages also known as Canton(which was first romanized from the Cantonese pronunciation of Guangdong by the Portuguese) and also known as Kwangchow, is one of the five National Central Cities and a sub-provincial city located in southern China in the middle of Guangdong Province north of the Pearl River, about 120 km (75 mi) northwest of Hong Kong.

It is the third largest city in China and the capital of Guangdong Province, southern China's largest city and key transportation hub and trading port, located on the Pearl River which is navigable to the South China Sea.As of the 2000 census, the city has a population of 6 million, and an urban area population of roughly 11.85 million, making it the most populous city in the province and the third most populous metropolitan area in China. The Guangzhou government's official estimate of the city's population at the end of 2009 was 10,334,500, an addition of 152,500 people from last year.

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　　guangzhou enjoys subtropical monsoon weather. as it faces the sea but backs on the mountain, guangzhou's climate has a characteristic of warm weather and plenty of rainfall, sufficient sunlight and heat. here summer is long, and frost season is short. from october to december the weather is mild and the best season for tourists. the average temperature in november is 25 ° c or 76 f. seasons in subtropical china vary widely, with extremely hot summers. the ideal time for a visit to guangzhou is during the fall. from mid-september through late-november, temperatures range from about 50 to 75 degrees fahrenheit. the same comfortable temperatures occur in the spring, from april through june, but rain and humidity are more likely. keep in mind that accommodations will probably be less crowded and more affordable during spring and fall, since summer is considered the high tourist season. if you must come during the summer (which is usually hot with potential typhoons) make your reservations as early as possible, even several months ahead of time. and you can pretty much forget about visiting during the chinese new year (late-february through early-march). this is when most of the locals do their own traveling and it is next to impossible to secure reservations. seasons in subtropical china vary widely, with extremely hot summers. the ideal time for a visit to guangzhou is during the fall. from mid-september through late-november, temperatures range from about 50 to 75 degrees fahrenheit. the same comfortable temperatures occur in the spring, from april through june, but rain and humidity are more likely.