Xiguan
Encyclopedia
Xiguan or Sai Kwan is a traditional geographical division of Guangzhou
, China
. It is situated in Liwan District
. The north of the area reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
lies on its west and south. The area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
is collectively called Xiguan in Ming
and Qing Dynasty
. It is worth mentioning that the name is still in use nowadays.
, or commonly called the capital of Guangdong Province had three city gates respectively on its east, south and west. They are Dongguan , Nanguan and Xiguan . There are mountains in the north of the city so there was no such thing called Beiguan . Guan means gate in Chinese
. Thus, Xiguan refers to the area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
.
The former but more commonly known translation for Xiguan is Sai Kwan (Cantonese
Romanisation). Other less often translations are West Kwan, West Gate, West Suburbs, West Outskirts or West Guan. Currently, the official translation is Xiguan in accordance with Hanyu Pinyin, the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet.
. It is alternatively called Xiyuan or Xiguanjiao . An old slang goes in Guangzhou that Dongcun, Xiqiao, Nanfu, Beipin . In the slang, Xiqiao refers to Xiguan. The north of Xiguan reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
lies on its west and south. That is to say, Xiguan covers former Liwan District
excluding Litchi Bay and Xicun .
It is worth mentioning that Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province .
or current Liwan District
(covering former Liwan District
and former Fangcun District).
Liwan District
is orientated by Guangzhou City Government as an urban area of most Lingnan
characteristics in Guangzhou.
This page mainly introduces Xiguan in narrow sense and slightly mentions about Litchi Bay and Xicun. For further information about Xiguan in broad sense, please read Liwan District
.
The definition has generally covered Xiguan in narrow sense.
comprised Xiguan, Litchi Bay and Xicun. These three parts, which were administrated by Nanhai County before ROC
10 (1921), were outside the west city wall.
Xiguan was outside Taiping Gate on the west city wall (currently Renmin Lu). Its south point reaches the mouth of Xihao and its north reaches Diyi Jin . Shamian Island
lies in its south. The area from Diyi Jin to Taiping Gate was called Upper Xiguan and the area stretching westwards from Guangfu Zhonglu to Huangsha
and Huagui Lu was named Lower Xiguan .
Litchi Bay refer to the area from outside Xiguan to the riverside of Pearl River
, currently from Duobao Lu , Longjin Lu and Pantang
to Zhongshan Balu and Liwan Lu .
Xicun refers to the area northwest to Xiguan and Litchi Bay.
. It is also one of the cradlelands of Lingnan
culture. Xiguan culture is one of the substances of Guangfu
culture.
. It refers to the accent which people in Xiguan speak in. Cantonese
takes Guangzhou Dialect as the standard and Guangzhou Dialect used to take Xiguan Dialect as standard. With an increasing number of outlanders moving in, Xiguan accent can only be heard among the older population and it's near extinction. Apart from including Xiguan accent, Guangzhouhua Zidian also takes in ecdemic accents such as Nanhai's and Hong Kong
's.
of Xiguan Dialect.
Due to Xiguan's anear geographical position to Nanhai, the problem of the confusion of consonants n & l consists in both Xiguan Accents and Nanhai Accents. They mispronounce n as l. Nevertheless, compared with Nanhai Accents, this problem is relatively mild.
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce zero consonant
as the consonant ng, for instance, "屋(uk7)" as "nguk7" and "壓(aat8)" as "ngaat8".
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce vowels ei and ai as i. The phenomenon also lies in Nanhai Accents, such as:
Additionally, speakers of Xiguan Accents enhance dental consonants . That is to say, downtown people pronounce "知", "雌" and "斯" as [tɕi], [tɕʰi] and [ɕi] (comparatively relaxed in the oral area, close to [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] in IPA; and yet Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tsi], [tsʰi] and [si] (The tip of tongue pushes up against upper teeth and blocks up air current. Tense in the oral area, similar to zh, ch and sh in Mandarin
without rolling tongue). To be precise, dental consonants are similar to the consonants of 左", "初" and "所" (i.e., [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]) in Downtown Accents. In summary, speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] as [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]. A saying representing Xiguan Accents goes that Servant, take some money to buy some seadless kaki fruits .
Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province . Therefore, Xiguan Dialect should be regarded as suburban accents, distinguished from Downtown Accent , esp. Dongshan Accents . Notwithstanding, Xiguan lies close to the capital of Guangdong Province so the gap is narrow.
雖處城外，西關卻成爲達官貴人的青睞之地。很多富人喜歡把別墅建在西關（成爲今天僅存的西關大屋）。正是因爲如此，西關口音成了富人的標誌，帶西關口音之人非富則貴，西關口音倍受時人尊崇，曾一度被公認為廣州方言的貴族口音。
在推普運動開展前，媒體均以西關音作爲標準音，多雇用來自西關一帶的播音員；粵劇的唱腔咬字也以西關口音為准。大多數語言學家認爲廣州話（又被稱為"省城話"）是粵語主要的一種口語形式，以廣州西關一帶居民的口音為正宗。廣州粵語學者以廣州西關口音為正宗廣州音，廣州話（廣州市地區之粵語）普遍認定為語言學上粵語的代表音。
Customs during Spring Festival, Ching Ming Festival, Qixi Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival
and Dongzhi Festival (Winter Solstice Festival) are more or less the same as those in other places in Guangzhou.
During Duanwu Festival (alternatively known as Dragon Boat Festival), people in Xiguan watch dragon boat races and eat Zongzi
. Male residents row dragon boats.
從秦漢開始，位於南蠻之地的嶺南先民吸收中原文化，形成富有嶺南特色的建築。近代受西方的建築風格影響，西關的建築出現了新的變化，又融入了西方的元素。
大門一般分為三道(三重門)，廣州人稱"三件頭"。 臨街最外的一道是四扇對開的屏風門(也叫矮腳吊扇門或花門)。屏風門之後是趟櫳push-and-pull bars，趟櫳之後為洋雜木大門，是真正的大門。
西關大屋主要分佈在十八甫富善地區、楊巷、楊仁里、十二甫、寶華地區、逢源地區、寶源地區及多寶地區，在西村地區也略有分佈。
窗戶被稱為"滿州窗"。這種窗戶均等地分為左右三列，每列上下三扇，合共九扇。其開閉方式為上下推拉，各段窗扇可任意推到任何位置。窗上通常鑲嵌有色花玻璃。
西關大屋平面佈局一般為左右對稱，中軸線上為主要廳堂，每廳為一進，全屋一般為二至三進，廳之間用小天井相隔，天井有上蓋，靠天窗採光通風。廳的兩側為偏廳、偏房，大屋子偏房的兩側還有巷，叫"青雲巷"。
, widely distributed around Xiguan Residences.
. They are considered as the trace of Baiyue Stilt house
.
On the other hand, some people insist that arcades are structures built in 1925 when streets were extended and roads were constructed on a large scale in Guangzhou. Their design is deemed to have derived from ancient Greece
.
Arcades connect houses and make a long path for pedestrians to keep out wind, rain and the glare of sunshine. Arcades seem to be exactly designed for the climate in Guangzhou and meanwhile makes it much more convenient for stores to display their goods and attract customers.
This kind of structure has always been the main feature of Guangzhou's commercial atmosphere and has become the sign of Guangdong Street or Canton Street in other places, such as Jinling Donglu in Shanghai
Arcades in Guangzhou first appeared in the area around Sacred Heart Cathedral
on Yide Lu . Later, other business quarters in Guangzhou fell over each other in eagerness to imitate the example such as Shangxiajiu , Zhongshan Lu, Enning Lu and Renmin Nanlu.
沙面原是白鵝潭畔一片沙洲，由珠江上游河道流沙衝擊而成，故名。廣州沙面租界形成於第二次鴉片戰爭期間。1859年，沙面西部44英畝被劃為英租界，東部11英畝為沙面法租界。沙面的大量建築基本上是在19世紀末以後建造的。昌盛時，沙面外國洋行達30多家，一個世紀來有近70座樓宇由14個不同國家用作領事館、銀行、商行和教堂(天主教露德聖母堂和基督新教沙面會堂)。Speaking of architectural forms, buildings on Shamian can be divided into four categories: New Baroque
, Neoclassical
, Verandah
and Pseudo-Gothic
.
of Ouchengji , Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji , Ginger Juice & Milk Custard Tart of Qingping Restaurant , Sweetheart Cake of Lianxianglou Teahouse , Rice Noodle Roll With Beef of Yinji and Goose Liver Boiled Dumplings
of Jinzhongge .
Delicacies which have earned the title of Guangzhou Famous Food are as follows: Milk With Ginger Juice of Xinghualou Teahouse , Milk Paste of Fenghuang , Sesame Paste Sweet Dumplings of Rongde , Sachima
of Satangji , Sampan Congee , Salty Pancake of Dechang , Stuffed Glutinous Rice Dumpling and Burst(Laughing) Deep-fried Pastry Ball of Liangyingji , White Sugar Lunjiao Cake of Guohua , Coconut Ice Cream and Grass Jelly
of Shunji Bingshi .
The Chinese character
Ji is often used in a restaurant's signage, often following the owner's name. For instance, Kaiji is named this way because of its owner's name KAI , Ye Jiankai.
from Cambodia
in 50s and 60s, 20th century. The restaurant has acquired the title of Guangzhou Famous Food since 1956.
. Located in Wenchang Xiang , the restaurant is famous for its variety of congee, Jidi the congee in particular. This congee contains dried beancurd stick, gingko and flounder. The congee is also called Sanyuan Jidi Congee for the reason that the numbers of its ingredients in each bowl, namely pork balls, pork liver slices and pork intestine slices correspond respectively to the numbers of Zhuangyuan , Bangyan and Tanhua . Wuzhanji's Jidi Congee earned the title of Chinese Famous Food in 1997.
and it has been a must in Guangzhou's restaurants. Rice noodle roll with beef of Yinji is the most famous type. Rice milk is steamed into rice pellicle with meat smash, fillet and pork liver on it and the pellicle is rolled and then cut apart.
They use diffrent vessels when dishing up different dishes and different cups when different kinds of wine are filled with.
Diners, especially businessmen, kill time as well as pry into market quotations, taking the advantage of dining.
of Xiguan. However, with the process of urbanization
, many creeks have been converted into culvert
s. Nowadays, land transport has mostly replaced its status.
, China
. It is situated in Liwan District
. The north of the area reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
lies on its west and south. The area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
is collectively called Xiguan in Ming
and Qing Dynasty
. It is worth mentioning that the name is still in use nowadays.
, or commonly called the capital of Guangdong Province had three city gates respectively on its east, south and west. They are Dongguan , Nanguan and Xiguan . There are mountains in the north of the city so there was no such thing called Beiguan . Guan means gate in Chinese
. Thus, Xiguan refers to the area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
.
The former but more commonly known translation for Xiguan is Sai Kwan (Cantonese
Romanisation). Other less often translations are West Kwan, West Gate, West Suburbs, West Outskirts or West Guan. Currently, the official translation is Xiguan in accordance with Hanyu Pinyin, the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet.
. It is alternatively called Xiyuan or Xiguanjiao . An old slang goes in Guangzhou that Dongcun, Xiqiao, Nanfu, Beipin . In the slang, Xiqiao refers to Xiguan. The north of Xiguan reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
lies on its west and south. That is to say, Xiguan covers former Liwan District
excluding Litchi Bay and Xicun .
It is worth mentioning that Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province .
or current Liwan District
(covering former Liwan District
and former Fangcun District).
Liwan District
is orientated by Guangzhou City Government as an urban area of most Lingnan
characteristics in Guangzhou.
This page mainly introduces Xiguan in narrow sense and slightly mentions about Litchi Bay and Xicun. For further information about Xiguan in broad sense, please read Liwan District
.
The definition has generally covered Xiguan in narrow sense.
comprised Xiguan, Litchi Bay and Xicun. These three parts, which were administrated by Nanhai County before ROC
10 (1921), were outside the west city wall.
Xiguan was outside Taiping Gate on the west city wall (currently Renmin Lu). Its south point reaches the mouth of Xihao and its north reaches Diyi Jin . Shamian Island
lies in its south. The area from Diyi Jin to Taiping Gate was called Upper Xiguan and the area stretching westwards from Guangfu Zhonglu to Huangsha
and Huagui Lu was named Lower Xiguan .
Litchi Bay refer to the area from outside Xiguan to the riverside of Pearl River
, currently from Duobao Lu , Longjin Lu and Pantang
to Zhongshan Balu and Liwan Lu .
Xicun refers to the area northwest to Xiguan and Litchi Bay.
. It is also one of the cradlelands of Lingnan
culture. Xiguan culture is one of the substances of Guangfu
culture.
. It refers to the accent which people in Xiguan speak in. Cantonese
takes Guangzhou Dialect as the standard and Guangzhou Dialect used to take Xiguan Dialect as standard. With an increasing number of outlanders moving in, Xiguan accent can only be heard among the older population and it's near extinction. Apart from including Xiguan accent, Guangzhouhua Zidian also takes in ecdemic accents such as Nanhai's and Hong Kong
's.
of Xiguan Dialect.
Due to Xiguan's anear geographical position to Nanhai, the problem of the confusion of consonants n & l consists in both Xiguan Accents and Nanhai Accents. They mispronounce n as l. Nevertheless, compared with Nanhai Accents, this problem is relatively mild.
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce zero consonant
as the consonant ng, for instance, "屋(uk7)" as "nguk7" and "壓(aat8)" as "ngaat8".
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce vowels ei and ai as i. The phenomenon also lies in Nanhai Accents, such as:
Additionally, speakers of Xiguan Accents enhance dental consonants . That is to say, downtown people pronounce "知", "雌" and "斯" as [tɕi], [tɕʰi] and [ɕi] (comparatively relaxed in the oral area, close to [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] in IPA; and yet Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tsi], [tsʰi] and [si] (The tip of tongue pushes up against upper teeth and blocks up air current. Tense in the oral area, similar to zh, ch and sh in Mandarin
without rolling tongue). To be precise, dental consonants are similar to the consonants of 左", "初" and "所" (i.e., [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]) in Downtown Accents. In summary, speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] as [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]. A saying representing Xiguan Accents goes that Servant, take some money to buy some seadless kaki fruits .
Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province . Therefore, Xiguan Dialect should be regarded as suburban accents, distinguished from Downtown Accent , esp. Dongshan Accents . Notwithstanding, Xiguan lies close to the capital of Guangdong Province so the gap is narrow.
雖處城外，西關卻成爲達官貴人的青睞之地。很多富人喜歡把別墅建在西關（成爲今天僅存的西關大屋）。正是因爲如此，西關口音成了富人的標誌，帶西關口音之人非富則貴，西關口音倍受時人尊崇，曾一度被公認為廣州方言的貴族口音。
在推普運動開展前，媒體均以西關音作爲標準音，多雇用來自西關一帶的播音員；粵劇的唱腔咬字也以西關口音為准。大多數語言學家認爲廣州話（又被稱為"省城話"）是粵語主要的一種口語形式，以廣州西關一帶居民的口音為正宗。廣州粵語學者以廣州西關口音為正宗廣州音，廣州話（廣州市地區之粵語）普遍認定為語言學上粵語的代表音。
Customs during Spring Festival, Ching Ming Festival, Qixi Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival
and Dongzhi Festival (Winter Solstice Festival) are more or less the same as those in other places in Guangzhou.
During Duanwu Festival (alternatively known as Dragon Boat Festival), people in Xiguan watch dragon boat races and eat Zongzi
. Male residents row dragon boats.
從秦漢開始，位於南蠻之地的嶺南先民吸收中原文化，形成富有嶺南特色的建築。近代受西方的建築風格影響，西關的建築出現了新的變化，又融入了西方的元素。
大門一般分為三道(三重門)，廣州人稱"三件頭"。 臨街最外的一道是四扇對開的屏風門(也叫矮腳吊扇門或花門)。屏風門之後是趟櫳push-and-pull bars，趟櫳之後為洋雜木大門，是真正的大門。
西關大屋主要分佈在十八甫富善地區、楊巷、楊仁里、十二甫、寶華地區、逢源地區、寶源地區及多寶地區，在西村地區也略有分佈。
窗戶被稱為"滿州窗"。這種窗戶均等地分為左右三列，每列上下三扇，合共九扇。其開閉方式為上下推拉，各段窗扇可任意推到任何位置。窗上通常鑲嵌有色花玻璃。
西關大屋平面佈局一般為左右對稱，中軸線上為主要廳堂，每廳為一進，全屋一般為二至三進，廳之間用小天井相隔，天井有上蓋，靠天窗採光通風。廳的兩側為偏廳、偏房，大屋子偏房的兩側還有巷，叫"青雲巷"。
, widely distributed around Xiguan Residences.
. They are considered as the trace of Baiyue Stilt house
.
On the other hand, some people insist that arcades are structures built in 1925 when streets were extended and roads were constructed on a large scale in Guangzhou. Their design is deemed to have derived from ancient Greece
.
Arcades connect houses and make a long path for pedestrians to keep out wind, rain and the glare of sunshine. Arcades seem to be exactly designed for the climate in Guangzhou and meanwhile makes it much more convenient for stores to display their goods and attract customers.
This kind of structure has always been the main feature of Guangzhou's commercial atmosphere and has become the sign of Guangdong Street or Canton Street in other places, such as Jinling Donglu in Shanghai
Arcades in Guangzhou first appeared in the area around Sacred Heart Cathedral
on Yide Lu . Later, other business quarters in Guangzhou fell over each other in eagerness to imitate the example such as Shangxiajiu , Zhongshan Lu, Enning Lu and Renmin Nanlu.
沙面原是白鵝潭畔一片沙洲，由珠江上游河道流沙衝擊而成，故名。廣州沙面租界形成於第二次鴉片戰爭期間。1859年，沙面西部44英畝被劃為英租界，東部11英畝為沙面法租界。沙面的大量建築基本上是在19世紀末以後建造的。昌盛時，沙面外國洋行達30多家，一個世紀來有近70座樓宇由14個不同國家用作領事館、銀行、商行和教堂(天主教露德聖母堂和基督新教沙面會堂)。Speaking of architectural forms, buildings on Shamian can be divided into four categories: New Baroque
, Neoclassical
, Verandah
and Pseudo-Gothic
.
of Ouchengji , Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji , Ginger Juice & Milk Custard Tart of Qingping Restaurant , Sweetheart Cake of Lianxianglou Teahouse , Rice Noodle Roll With Beef of Yinji and Goose Liver Boiled Dumplings
of Jinzhongge .
Delicacies which have earned the title of Guangzhou Famous Food are as follows: Milk With Ginger Juice of Xinghualou Teahouse , Milk Paste of Fenghuang , Sesame Paste Sweet Dumplings of Rongde , Sachima
of Satangji , Sampan Congee , Salty Pancake of Dechang , Stuffed Glutinous Rice Dumpling and Burst(Laughing) Deep-fried Pastry Ball of Liangyingji , White Sugar Lunjiao Cake of Guohua , Coconut Ice Cream and Grass Jelly
of Shunji Bingshi .
The Chinese character
Ji is often used in a restaurant's signage, often following the owner's name. For instance, Kaiji is named this way because of its owner's name KAI , Ye Jiankai.
from Cambodia
in 50s and 60s, 20th century. The restaurant has acquired the title of Guangzhou Famous Food since 1956.
. Located in Wenchang Xiang , the restaurant is famous for its variety of congee, Jidi the congee in particular. This congee contains dried beancurd stick, gingko and flounder. The congee is also called Sanyuan Jidi Congee for the reason that the numbers of its ingredients in each bowl, namely pork balls, pork liver slices and pork intestine slices correspond respectively to the numbers of Zhuangyuan , Bangyan and Tanhua . Wuzhanji's Jidi Congee earned the title of Chinese Famous Food in 1997.
and it has been a must in Guangzhou's restaurants. Rice noodle roll with beef of Yinji is the most famous type. Rice milk is steamed into rice pellicle with meat smash, fillet and pork liver on it and the pellicle is rolled and then cut apart.
They use diffrent vessels when dishing up different dishes and different cups when different kinds of wine are filled with.
Diners, especially businessmen, kill time as well as pry into market quotations, taking the advantage of dining.
of Xiguan. However, with the process of urbanization
, many creeks have been converted into culvert
s. Nowadays, land transport has mostly replaced its status.
In 2005, former Fangcun District was emerged into Liwan District.
, China
. It is situated in Liwan District
. The north of the area reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
lies on its west and south. The area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
is collectively called Xiguan in Ming
and Qing Dynasty
. It is worth mentioning that the name is still in use nowadays.
, or commonly called the capital of Guangdong Province had three city gates respectively on its east, south and west. They are Dongguan , Nanguan and Xiguan . There are mountains in the north of the city so there was no such thing called Beiguan . Guan means gate in Chinese
. Thus, Xiguan refers to the area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
.
The former but more commonly known translation for Xiguan is Sai Kwan (Cantonese
Romanisation). Other less often translations are West Kwan, West Gate, West Suburbs, West Outskirts or West Guan. Currently, the official translation is Xiguan in accordance with Hanyu Pinyin, the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet.
. It is alternatively called Xiyuan or Xiguanjiao . An old slang goes in Guangzhou that Dongcun, Xiqiao, Nanfu, Beipin . In the slang, Xiqiao refers to Xiguan. The north of Xiguan reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
lies on its west and south. That is to say, Xiguan covers former Liwan District
excluding Litchi Bay and Xicun .
It is worth mentioning that Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province .
or current Liwan District
(covering former Liwan District
and former Fangcun District).
Liwan District
is orientated by Guangzhou City Government as an urban area of most Lingnan
characteristics in Guangzhou.
This page mainly introduces Xiguan in narrow sense and slightly mentions about Litchi Bay and Xicun. For further information about Xiguan in broad sense, please read Liwan District
.
The definition has generally covered Xiguan in narrow sense.
comprised Xiguan, Litchi Bay and Xicun. These three parts, which were administrated by Nanhai County before ROC
10 (1921), were outside the west city wall.
Xiguan was outside Taiping Gate on the west city wall (currently Renmin Lu). Its south point reaches the mouth of Xihao and its north reaches Diyi Jin . Shamian Island
lies in its south. The area from Diyi Jin to Taiping Gate was called Upper Xiguan and the area stretching westwards from Guangfu Zhonglu to Huangsha
and Huagui Lu was named Lower Xiguan .
Litchi Bay refer to the area from outside Xiguan to the riverside of Pearl River
, currently from Duobao Lu , Longjin Lu and Pantang
to Zhongshan Balu and Liwan Lu .
Xicun refers to the area northwest to Xiguan and Litchi Bay.
. It is also one of the cradlelands of Lingnan
culture. Xiguan culture is one of the substances of Guangfu
culture.
. It refers to the accent which people in Xiguan speak in. Cantonese
takes Guangzhou Dialect as the standard and Guangzhou Dialect used to take Xiguan Dialect as standard. With an increasing number of outlanders moving in, Xiguan accent can only be heard among the older population and it's near extinction. Apart from including Xiguan accent, Guangzhouhua Zidian also takes in ecdemic accents such as Nanhai's and Hong Kong
's.
of Xiguan Dialect.
Due to Xiguan's anear geographical position to Nanhai, the problem of the confusion of consonants n & l consists in both Xiguan Accents and Nanhai Accents. They mispronounce n as l. Nevertheless, compared with Nanhai Accents, this problem is relatively mild.
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce zero consonant
as the consonant ng, for instance, "屋(uk7)" as "nguk7" and "壓(aat8)" as "ngaat8".
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce vowels ei and ai as i. The phenomenon also lies in Nanhai Accents, such as:
Additionally, speakers of Xiguan Accents enhance dental consonants . That is to say, downtown people pronounce "知", "雌" and "斯" as [tɕi], [tɕʰi] and [ɕi] (comparatively relaxed in the oral area, close to [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] in IPA; and yet Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tsi], [tsʰi] and [si] (The tip of tongue pushes up against upper teeth and blocks up air current. Tense in the oral area, similar to zh, ch and sh in Mandarin
without rolling tongue). To be precise, dental consonants are similar to the consonants of 左", "初" and "所" (i.e., [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]) in Downtown Accents. In summary, speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] as [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]. A saying representing Xiguan Accents goes that Servant, take some money to buy some seadless kaki fruits .
Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province . Therefore, Xiguan Dialect should be regarded as suburban accents, distinguished from Downtown Accent , esp. Dongshan Accents . Notwithstanding, Xiguan lies close to the capital of Guangdong Province so the gap is narrow.
雖處城外，西關卻成爲達官貴人的青睞之地。很多富人喜歡把別墅建在西關（成爲今天僅存的西關大屋）。正是因爲如此，西關口音成了富人的標誌，帶西關口音之人非富則貴，西關口音倍受時人尊崇，曾一度被公認為廣州方言的貴族口音。
在推普運動開展前，媒體均以西關音作爲標準音，多雇用來自西關一帶的播音員；粵劇的唱腔咬字也以西關口音為准。大多數語言學家認爲廣州話（又被稱為"省城話"）是粵語主要的一種口語形式，以廣州西關一帶居民的口音為正宗。廣州粵語學者以廣州西關口音為正宗廣州音，廣州話（廣州市地區之粵語）普遍認定為語言學上粵語的代表音。
Customs during Spring Festival, Ching Ming Festival, Qixi Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival
and Dongzhi Festival (Winter Solstice Festival) are more or less the same as those in other places in Guangzhou.
During Duanwu Festival (alternatively known as Dragon Boat Festival), people in Xiguan watch dragon boat races and eat Zongzi
. Male residents row dragon boats.
從秦漢開始，位於南蠻之地的嶺南先民吸收中原文化，形成富有嶺南特色的建築。近代受西方的建築風格影響，西關的建築出現了新的變化，又融入了西方的元素。
大門一般分為三道(三重門)，廣州人稱"三件頭"。 臨街最外的一道是四扇對開的屏風門(也叫矮腳吊扇門或花門)。屏風門之後是趟櫳push-and-pull bars，趟櫳之後為洋雜木大門，是真正的大門。
西關大屋主要分佈在十八甫富善地區、楊巷、楊仁里、十二甫、寶華地區、逢源地區、寶源地區及多寶地區，在西村地區也略有分佈。
窗戶被稱為"滿州窗"。這種窗戶均等地分為左右三列，每列上下三扇，合共九扇。其開閉方式為上下推拉，各段窗扇可任意推到任何位置。窗上通常鑲嵌有色花玻璃。
西關大屋平面佈局一般為左右對稱，中軸線上為主要廳堂，每廳為一進，全屋一般為二至三進，廳之間用小天井相隔，天井有上蓋，靠天窗採光通風。廳的兩側為偏廳、偏房，大屋子偏房的兩側還有巷，叫"青雲巷"。
, widely distributed around Xiguan Residences.
. They are considered as the trace of Baiyue Stilt house
.
On the other hand, some people insist that arcades are structures built in 1925 when streets were extended and roads were constructed on a large scale in Guangzhou. Their design is deemed to have derived from ancient Greece
.
Arcades connect houses and make a long path for pedestrians to keep out wind, rain and the glare of sunshine. Arcades seem to be exactly designed for the climate in Guangzhou and meanwhile makes it much more convenient for stores to display their goods and attract customers.
This kind of structure has always been the main feature of Guangzhou's commercial atmosphere and has become the sign of Guangdong Street or Canton Street in other places, such as Jinling Donglu in Shanghai
Arcades in Guangzhou first appeared in the area around Sacred Heart Cathedral
on Yide Lu . Later, other business quarters in Guangzhou fell over each other in eagerness to imitate the example such as Shangxiajiu , Zhongshan Lu, Enning Lu and Renmin Nanlu.
沙面原是白鵝潭畔一片沙洲，由珠江上游河道流沙衝擊而成，故名。廣州沙面租界形成於第二次鴉片戰爭期間。1859年，沙面西部44英畝被劃為英租界，東部11英畝為沙面法租界。沙面的大量建築基本上是在19世紀末以後建造的。昌盛時，沙面外國洋行達30多家，一個世紀來有近70座樓宇由14個不同國家用作領事館、銀行、商行和教堂(天主教露德聖母堂和基督新教沙面會堂)。Speaking of architectural forms, buildings on Shamian can be divided into four categories: New Baroque
, Neoclassical
, Verandah
and Pseudo-Gothic
.
of Ouchengji , Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji , Ginger Juice & Milk Custard Tart of Qingping Restaurant , Sweetheart Cake of Lianxianglou Teahouse , Rice Noodle Roll With Beef of Yinji and Goose Liver Boiled Dumplings
of Jinzhongge .
Delicacies which have earned the title of Guangzhou Famous Food are as follows: Milk With Ginger Juice of Xinghualou Teahouse , Milk Paste of Fenghuang , Sesame Paste Sweet Dumplings of Rongde , Sachima
of Satangji , Sampan Congee , Salty Pancake of Dechang , Stuffed Glutinous Rice Dumpling and Burst(Laughing) Deep-fried Pastry Ball of Liangyingji , White Sugar Lunjiao Cake of Guohua , Coconut Ice Cream and Grass Jelly
of Shunji Bingshi .
The Chinese character
Ji is often used in a restaurant's signage, often following the owner's name. For instance, Kaiji is named this way because of its owner's name KAI , Ye Jiankai.
from Cambodia
in 50s and 60s, 20th century. The restaurant has acquired the title of Guangzhou Famous Food since 1956.
. Located in Wenchang Xiang , the restaurant is famous for its variety of congee, Jidi the congee in particular. This congee contains dried beancurd stick, gingko and flounder. The congee is also called Sanyuan Jidi Congee for the reason that the numbers of its ingredients in each bowl, namely pork balls, pork liver slices and pork intestine slices correspond respectively to the numbers of Zhuangyuan , Bangyan and Tanhua . Wuzhanji's Jidi Congee earned the title of Chinese Famous Food in 1997.
and it has been a must in Guangzhou's restaurants. Rice noodle roll with beef of Yinji is the most famous type. Rice milk is steamed into rice pellicle with meat smash, fillet and pork liver on it and the pellicle is rolled and then cut apart.
They use diffrent vessels when dishing up different dishes and different cups when different kinds of wine are filled with.
Diners, especially businessmen, kill time as well as pry into market quotations, taking the advantage of dining.
of Xiguan. However, with the process of urbanization
, many creeks have been converted into culvert
s. Nowadays, land transport has mostly replaced its status.
In 2005, former Fangcun District was emerged into Liwan District.
然而，隨著城市化的發展，西關居民逐漸遷往其他地區，而大量外來人口遷入(老城區空心化)，城市化致使西關部分地區遭拆遷。廣州電視臺新聞頻道新聞日日睇曾報導某街道以雨天路滑為由拆除部分麻石街，遭到居民強烈反對。西村一帶也於2008年開始清拆。老四區的傳統地位開始慢慢讓位於廣州新城區。
Accents
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is situated in Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
. The north of the area reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
lies on its west and south. The area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
is collectively called Xiguan in Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. It is worth mentioning that the name is still in use nowadays.
Name
In the past, GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, or commonly called the capital of Guangdong Province had three city gates respectively on its east, south and west. They are Dongguan , Nanguan and Xiguan . There are mountains in the north of the city so there was no such thing called Beiguan . Guan means gate in Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
. Thus, Xiguan refers to the area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
.
The former but more commonly known translation for Xiguan is Sai Kwan (Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
Romanisation). Other less often translations are West Kwan, West Gate, West Suburbs, West Outskirts or West Guan. Currently, the official translation is Xiguan in accordance with Hanyu Pinyin, the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet.
Narrow sense
Xiguan in narrow sense is the authentic Xiguan, the west outskirts of the ancient city, GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
. It is alternatively called Xiyuan or Xiguanjiao . An old slang goes in Guangzhou that Dongcun, Xiqiao, Nanfu, Beipin . In the slang, Xiqiao refers to Xiguan. The north of Xiguan reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
lies on its west and south. That is to say, Xiguan covers former Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
excluding Litchi Bay and Xicun .
It is worth mentioning that Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It was located at the west of Tianhe District and the east of Liwan District. It was the commercial, political and cultural centre of Guangdong province. The area is famous for its high quality education. The Guangdong provincial...
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province .
Broad sense
Xiguan in broad sense is also called New Xiguan, referring to either former Liwan DistrictLiwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
or current Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
(covering former Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
and former Fangcun District).
Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
is orientated by Guangzhou City Government as an urban area of most Lingnan
Lingnan
Lingnan is a geographic area referring to lands in the south of China's "Five Ranges" which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. The region covers the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of modern China and northern Vietnam...
characteristics in Guangzhou.
This page mainly introduces Xiguan in narrow sense and slightly mentions about Litchi Bay and Xicun. For further information about Xiguan in broad sense, please read Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
.
Official plan
On October 27th, 2006, in response to the concerned proposal motioned by Guangzhou Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang Revolutionary Committee, Liwan District Government said that Plan on Preserving Traditional Xiguan blocks and Liwan Kaleidoscope had been approved and adopted, which has defined the scope of Xiguan for the first time.The definition has generally covered Xiguan in narrow sense.
Scope
Former Liwan DistrictLiwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
comprised Xiguan, Litchi Bay and Xicun. These three parts, which were administrated by Nanhai County before ROC
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
10 (1921), were outside the west city wall.
Xiguan was outside Taiping Gate on the west city wall (currently Renmin Lu). Its south point reaches the mouth of Xihao and its north reaches Diyi Jin . Shamian Island
Shamian Island
Shamian Island , formerly known as Shameen Island or Shamin Island, from its Cantonese pronunciation, is a sandbank island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China...
lies in its south. The area from Diyi Jin to Taiping Gate was called Upper Xiguan and the area stretching westwards from Guangfu Zhonglu to Huangsha
Huangsha
Huangsha is a township-level division situated in Handan, Hebei, China....
and Huagui Lu was named Lower Xiguan .
Litchi Bay refer to the area from outside Xiguan to the riverside of Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
, currently from Duobao Lu , Longjin Lu and Pantang
Pantang
-Town structure:The town in under the jurisdiction of the Ga East District and is in the Abokobi-Madina constituency of the Ghana parliament....
to Zhongshan Balu and Liwan Lu .
Xicun refers to the area northwest to Xiguan and Litchi Bay.
Culture
Xiguan is the window of Xixue Dongjian in contemporary South ChinaSouth Central China
South Central China is a region of the People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, however excluding the 2 special administrative regions : Hong Kong and...
. It is also one of the cradlelands of Lingnan
Lingnan
Lingnan is a geographic area referring to lands in the south of China's "Five Ranges" which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. The region covers the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of modern China and northern Vietnam...
culture. Xiguan culture is one of the substances of Guangfu
Guangfu
Guangfu is a township-level division situated in Handan, Hebei, China....
culture.
Accents
Xiguan Accents , or Xiguan Dialect , is an accent or a sub-dialect of Guangzhou Dialect , CantoneseCantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
. It refers to the accent which people in Xiguan speak in. Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
takes Guangzhou Dialect as the standard and Guangzhou Dialect used to take Xiguan Dialect as standard. With an increasing number of outlanders moving in, Xiguan accent can only be heard among the older population and it's near extinction. Apart from including Xiguan accent, Guangzhouhua Zidian also takes in ecdemic accents such as Nanhai's and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's.
Speakers
The speakers of Xiguan Accents are mainly native residents in Xiguan in the past. Nowadays, people living in Xiguan have generally lost Xiguan Accents; what they are actually speaking with is the relaxed pronunciationRelaxed pronunciation
Relaxed pronunciation is a phenomenon that happens when the syllables of common words are slurred together...
of Xiguan Dialect.
Differences in the pronunciation of some characters
| Xiguan Accent | Downtown Accent | English Translation |
| han3(瞓)覺 (Close to the ancient pronunciation of "睏") | fan3(瞓)覺 | To sleep |
| ji1(依)家 | ji4(而)家 | Now |
| ji1(依)個 | ni1(呢)個 | This, these |
Confusion of consonants n & l
Due to Xiguan's anear geographical position to Nanhai, the problem of the confusion of consonants n & l consists in both Xiguan Accents and Nanhai Accents. They mispronounce n as l. Nevertheless, compared with Nanhai Accents, this problem is relatively mild.
Consonant ng
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce zero consonant
Zero consonant
A zero consonant, silent initial, or null-onset letter is a consonant-like letter that is not pronounced, but indicates that a word or syllable starts with a vowel...
as the consonant ng, for instance, "屋(uk7)" as "nguk7" and "壓(aat8)" as "ngaat8".
Vowels i & ei / ai
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce vowels ei and ai as i. The phenomenon also lies in Nanhai Accents, such as:
| The Character | Xiguan Accent | Downtown Accent | English Translation |
| 使 | si2 | sai2 | To make, to cause, to use |
| 死 | si2 | sei2 | To die |
| 四 | si3 | sei3 | Four |
| 嘶 | si1 | sai1 (Owing to the Popularization of Mandarin , an increasing number of people read si1 rather than sai1, influenced by Mandarin Standard Chinese Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore.... ) |
Neigh, hiss |
Dental consonant
Additionally, speakers of Xiguan Accents enhance dental consonants . That is to say, downtown people pronounce "知", "雌" and "斯" as [tɕi], [tɕʰi] and [ɕi] (comparatively relaxed in the oral area, close to [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] in IPA; and yet Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tsi], [tsʰi] and [si] (The tip of tongue pushes up against upper teeth and blocks up air current. Tense in the oral area, similar to zh, ch and sh in Mandarin
Standard Chinese
Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
without rolling tongue). To be precise, dental consonants are similar to the consonants of 左", "初" and "所" (i.e., [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]) in Downtown Accents. In summary, speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] as [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]. A saying representing Xiguan Accents goes that Servant, take some money to buy some seadless kaki fruits .
Relationship with downtown accents (especially Dongshan accents)
Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It was located at the west of Tianhe District and the east of Liwan District. It was the commercial, political and cultural centre of Guangdong province. The area is famous for its high quality education. The Guangdong provincial...
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province . Therefore, Xiguan Dialect should be regarded as suburban accents, distinguished from Downtown Accent , esp. Dongshan Accents . Notwithstanding, Xiguan lies close to the capital of Guangdong Province so the gap is narrow.
Previous situation
雖處城外，西關卻成爲達官貴人的青睞之地。很多富人喜歡把別墅建在西關（成爲今天僅存的西關大屋）。正是因爲如此，西關口音成了富人的標誌，帶西關口音之人非富則貴，西關口音倍受時人尊崇，曾一度被公認為廣州方言的貴族口音。
在推普運動開展前，媒體均以西關音作爲標準音，多雇用來自西關一帶的播音員；粵劇的唱腔咬字也以西關口音為准。大多數語言學家認爲廣州話（又被稱為"省城話"）是粵語主要的一種口語形式，以廣州西關一帶居民的口音為正宗。廣州粵語學者以廣州西關口音為正宗廣州音，廣州話（廣州市地區之粵語）普遍認定為語言學上粵語的代表音。
Controversy
由於舊時西關並不算作省城的一部分，有部分人認爲廣州話不應以西關口音爲標準，而應該是以城內音（特別是東山口音）爲標準。有人甚至認爲西關口音是粵語懶音的源頭實際上，若真的要探求粵語懶音的源頭，那應該是n、l不分的南海音、ng脫落的番禺音和香港早期的懶音。對廣州話以何爲標準暫無定論，但由於西關口音廣泛傳播，且西關後來成爲廣州城的一部分參見荔灣區，經濟較爲發達，大多數語言學家均認爲廣州話應以西關口音爲標準。Current situation, accents
雖然西關口音被視為標準廣州話口音，但現在依《廣州音字典》所收字音來看，並沒有專門視西關口音為主收對象，而是以當前珠三角、港澳通用口音為標準。由於中國大陸採取Popularize Mandarin 的政策，而且改革開放後不少外省人南遷至廣東，加之在香港粵語流行曲、電視及電影的影響下，香港事實上已經取代廣州成為粵語文化的中心。很多西關人連廣州話都講得不好，更不必說西關口音了。另外，隨著西關居民逐漸遷往其他地區（老城區空心化），城市化致使西關部分地區遭拆遷，西關口音漸漸消退、失散，這種以村、鄉為基礎的小範圍方言是粵語分支的一個特色，城市化把一些曾經廣泛存在過的方言消退掉。現在只能從西關老人家和一些致力於文化保育的人士口中聽到西關口音。現今，廣東媒體對粵語的發音問題已不再重視，只有少部分播音員仍然能說一口標準的廣州話（西關口音），例如廣州電視臺《羊城度度有段古》嘉賓主持、廣州説書藝人顏志圖仍帶有濃厚的西關口音。西關口音、東山口音、廣州河南口音已幾乎混為一體，西關口音正逐漸消失。Customs
There are varieties of customs in Xiguan, which are comparatively well conserved among districts in Guangzhou.Customs during Spring Festival, Ching Ming Festival, Qixi Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival , also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival or Zhongqiu Festival, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou...
and Dongzhi Festival (Winter Solstice Festival) are more or less the same as those in other places in Guangzhou.
During Duanwu Festival (alternatively known as Dragon Boat Festival), people in Xiguan watch dragon boat races and eat Zongzi
Zongzi
Zongzi is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. Laotians, Thais, and Cambodians also have similar traditional dishes. In the Western world, they are also known as rice...
. Male residents row dragon boats.
Elementary schools
- Xiguan Peizheng Primary School
- Xianjidong Primary School
- Sanyuanfang Primary School
- Liuhua Lu Primary School
- Dongfeng Xilu No.1 Primary School
- Dongfeng Xilu No.2 Primary School
- Xihua Lu Primary School
- Xinglong Lu Primary School
- Longjin Xilu Primary School
- Huiyuannan Primary School
- Xilaixi Primary School
- Affiliated Primary School of Guangzhou Normal School
- Liwan Lexianfang Primary School
- Shamian Primary School
- Guangya Li Primary School
- Liwan Baoyuan Zhongyue Primary School
- Wenchang Xiang Primary School
- Baohua Primary School
- Ludixi Primary School
- Mingxing Li Primary School
- Huangsha Dadao Primary School
- Renmin Zhonglu Primary School
- Zhoumen Primary School
- Shuangqiao Primary School
- Liwan Experimental School
- Huancuiyuan Primary School
- Zhongshan Balu Primary School
- Guangya Primary School
- Huanshi Xilu Primary School
- Longjin Primary School
- Baohua Peizheng Primary School
- Liwan Huaqiao Primary School
- Liwan Xihua Lu Primary School
- Zhuji Lu Primary School
- Yaohua Primary School
- Wenchang Primary School
- Jinyan Li Primary School
High schools
- Guangdong Guangya Middle School
- Guangzhou No.4 Middle School
- Guangzhou Vocational School of Early Childhood Education
- Guangzhou No.35 Middle School
- Guangzhou No.31 Middle School
- Guangzhou Xiguan Foreign Language School (former Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.1 Middle School
- Guangzhou Xiehe Senior School (former Guangzhou Normal School )
- Guangzhou Meihua Middle School (former Guangzhou No.59 Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.23 Middle School
- Guangzhou No.36 Middle School
- Guangzhou No.90 Middle School (emerged into Peiying Middle School )
- Guangzhou Chenjiageng Memorial Middle School (former Guangzhou No.30 Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.23 Middle School
- Liuhua Middle School
- Guangzhou Nanhai Middle School (former Guangzhou No.11 Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.69 Middle School (Closed; afterwards became the campus of Xianjidong Primary School )
- Guangzhou No.24 Middle School
- Xiguan Peiying Middle School
- Guangzhou No.100 Middle School (emerged into Guangzhou Nanhai Middle School )
- Guangzhou Liwan Middle School (former Guangzhou No.43 Middle School )
Architecture
西關的特色建築有騎樓、西關大屋以及麻石街巷(青石板路)；沙面、長堤和西堤一帶亦有西洋風格的建築。從秦漢開始，位於南蠻之地的嶺南先民吸收中原文化，形成富有嶺南特色的建築。近代受西方的建築風格影響，西關的建築出現了新的變化，又融入了西方的元素。
Xiguan residences
Xiguan Residences , which used to be the residences of wealthy businessmen, are the typical representative of vernacular dwellings in Xiguan.大門一般分為三道(三重門)，廣州人稱"三件頭"。 臨街最外的一道是四扇對開的屏風門(也叫矮腳吊扇門或花門)。屏風門之後是趟櫳push-and-pull bars，趟櫳之後為洋雜木大門，是真正的大門。
西關大屋主要分佈在十八甫富善地區、楊巷、楊仁里、十二甫、寶華地區、逢源地區、寶源地區及多寶地區，在西村地區也略有分佈。
窗戶被稱為"滿州窗"。這種窗戶均等地分為左右三列，每列上下三扇，合共九扇。其開閉方式為上下推拉，各段窗扇可任意推到任何位置。窗上通常鑲嵌有色花玻璃。
西關大屋平面佈局一般為左右對稱，中軸線上為主要廳堂，每廳為一進，全屋一般為二至三進，廳之間用小天井相隔，天井有上蓋，靠天窗採光通風。廳的兩側為偏廳、偏房，大屋子偏房的兩側還有巷，叫"青雲巷"。
Bamboo tube houses
竹筒屋是富有嶺南特色的傳統民居，比西關大屋相對簡陋和狹窄。這種建築開間小，進深大，兩者之比由1∶4至1∶8， 由前至後排列以天井間隔的多所房間，形如竹筒。通風、排水及交通主要靠天井和巷道來解決，屋深長則天井相應增多。外觀似為一層，但因層高達4.5 米，故常置夾層，並設樓梯。牆基用石塊砌築，牆身用青磚，山牆承重，木構架，瓦頂。Granite streets & lanes
Granite Streets and Lanes were paved with graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, widely distributed around Xiguan Residences.
Arcades
Some people claim that arcades in Xiguan correlate closely to the residences of ancient people living in NanyueNanyue
Nanyue was an ancient kingdom that consisted of parts of the modern Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan and northern Vietnam. Nanyue was established in 204 BC at the final collapse of the Qin Dynasty by Zhao Tuo, who was the military commander of Nanhai Commandery at the time, and...
. They are considered as the trace of Baiyue Stilt house
Stilt house
Stilt houses or pile dwellings or palafitte are houses raised on piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding, but also serve to keep out vermin...
.
On the other hand, some people insist that arcades are structures built in 1925 when streets were extended and roads were constructed on a large scale in Guangzhou. Their design is deemed to have derived from ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
.
Arcades connect houses and make a long path for pedestrians to keep out wind, rain and the glare of sunshine. Arcades seem to be exactly designed for the climate in Guangzhou and meanwhile makes it much more convenient for stores to display their goods and attract customers.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
Arcades in Guangzhou first appeared in the area around Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral of Guangzhou
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus also known as Sacred Heart Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Guangzhou , South China. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guangzhou .The cathedral is located at 56 Yide Lu , Guangzhou...
on Yide Lu . Later, other business quarters in Guangzhou fell over each other in eagerness to imitate the example such as Shangxiajiu , Zhongshan Lu, Enning Lu and Renmin Nanlu.
Architectural complex on Shamian Island
Main article: Shamian IslandShamian Island
Shamian Island , formerly known as Shameen Island or Shamin Island, from its Cantonese pronunciation, is a sandbank island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China...
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
, Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
, Verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
and Pseudo-Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
.
Western-style structures on Changdi & Xidi
19世紀末20世紀初，廣州沿江的長堤、西堤一帶興建了大型的辦公及商業建築，反映了19世紀西方流行的新古典式的建築風格，保留了希臘、羅馬時期的建築特點。Snacks
Delicacies which have earned the title of Chinese Famous Food are as follows: Peanut & Sesame Filled Cake of Ronghua Teahouse , Shuangpinai and Milk With Ginger Juice of Nanxin , Shrimp WontonWonton
Not to be confused with WantonA wonton is a type of dumpling commonly found in a number of Chinese cuisines.-Filling:...
of Ouchengji , Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji , Ginger Juice & Milk Custard Tart of Qingping Restaurant , Sweetheart Cake of Lianxianglou Teahouse , Rice Noodle Roll With Beef of Yinji and Goose Liver Boiled Dumplings
Jiaozi
Jiǎozi 餃子 or 饺子 , bánh bột luộc , gyōza , Mo:Mo: or Momocha म:म: or ममचा , or pot sticker is a Chinese dumpling widely spread to Japan, Eastern and Western Asia.Jiaozi typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into...
of Jinzhongge .
Delicacies which have earned the title of Guangzhou Famous Food are as follows: Milk With Ginger Juice of Xinghualou Teahouse , Milk Paste of Fenghuang , Sesame Paste Sweet Dumplings of Rongde , Sachima
Sachima
Sachima, also called Shaqima is a common Chinese pastry found in many Chinese-speaking regions. Each regional cuisine has its own slightly different variation of this food, though the appearance of all versions is essentially the same.-Manchu:...
of Satangji , Sampan Congee , Salty Pancake of Dechang , Stuffed Glutinous Rice Dumpling and Burst(Laughing) Deep-fried Pastry Ball of Liangyingji , White Sugar Lunjiao Cake of Guohua , Coconut Ice Cream and Grass Jelly
Grass jelly
Grass jelly, or Leaf jelly, is a jelly-like dessert found in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. It is sold in cans or packets in Asian supermarkets.-Preparation:...
of Shunji Bingshi .
The Chinese character
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
Ji is often used in a restaurant's signage, often following the owner's name. For instance, Kaiji is named this way because of its owner's name KAI , Ye Jiankai.
Shuangpinai
Shuangpinai in Daliang , Shunde owns a most famous reputation. The founder of Nanxin comes from Shunde, and set up a shop in Guangzhou in 1943.Ice cream of Shunji
Coconut ice cream of Shunji Bingshi is a well-known Xiguan snack. The restaurant was set up by a hawker named Lu Shun in 20s, 20th century. Coconut juice extracted from fresh coconut meat, diluted milk, eggs and refined white sugar are ingredients. The delicacies of Shunji were tasted by heads of foreign states and honoured guests such as Norodom SihanoukNorodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk regular script was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his semi-retirement and voluntary abdication on 7 October 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni...
from Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
in 50s and 60s, 20th century. The restaurant has acquired the title of Guangzhou Famous Food since 1956.
Tangyuan served with green bean soup of Kaiji
Kaiji is located on Longjin Donglu . Its owner is Ye Jiankai and he is jokingly called Dousha Kai because of the restaurant's food. Kaiji's Tangyuan (sweet dumplings) served with green bean soup and Vanilla green bean soup clear away diners' heat and toxic material and earn a high reputation in Guangzhou. The shop is Ye's grandfather's legacy.Shrimp wonton noodle of Ouchengji
Shrimp Wonton Noodle of Ouchengji is famous. The soup served with this delicacy is the double-stewed soup made of shrimp-roe, flounder and pig bones. Fresh pork, shrimp and eggs are used in stuffing of the wontons. The wonton wrapper is so thin that wontons appear carneous after being cooked thoroughly, thus called glass wontons .Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji
Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji , alternatively called Sanyuan Jidi Congee , has been famous since Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. Located in Wenchang Xiang , the restaurant is famous for its variety of congee, Jidi the congee in particular. This congee contains dried beancurd stick, gingko and flounder. The congee is also called Sanyuan Jidi Congee for the reason that the numbers of its ingredients in each bowl, namely pork balls, pork liver slices and pork intestine slices correspond respectively to the numbers of Zhuangyuan , Bangyan and Tanhua . Wuzhanji's Jidi Congee earned the title of Chinese Famous Food in 1997.
Rice noodle roll with beef of Yinji
Rice noodle roll was originated by the Hexianguan Restaurant in Pantang during Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and it has been a must in Guangzhou's restaurants. Rice noodle roll with beef of Yinji is the most famous type. Rice milk is steamed into rice pellicle with meat smash, fillet and pork liver on it and the pellicle is rolled and then cut apart.
Sampan congee
Sampan Congee comes from Litchi Bay. It is called Sampan Congee because it was sold by Tanka people on sampans. Its ingredients used to be only river prawns and slices of fish meat. Now it has become a commonly seen snack and has gradually become dishes in restaurants and hotels. Its ingredients are unceasingly updated, with salted jellyfish, peanuts and fried vermicelli.Eating etiquette
People in Xiguan pay particular attention to eating etiquette, especially in tea houses. They don't swear and they keep courteous to each other to express their gratitude. When pouring tea, they only pour tea to 80% of the cup. Furthermore, they devote particular care to gestures when pouring tea or wine and when picking up food with chopsticks and spoons.They use diffrent vessels when dishing up different dishes and different cups when different kinds of wine are filled with.
Diners, especially businessmen, kill time as well as pry into market quotations, taking the advantage of dining.
Population
In the past, gentle and simple, honour and low were trenchant in Xiguan. The disparity between rich and poor was wide. An old proverb rang a bell in Guangzhou that "Ladies in Xiguan, Gentlemen in Dongshan and riffraffs in Henan."Traffic in the former Liwan District
Waterway transport used to be indispensable in the former Liwan DistrictLiwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
of Xiguan. However, with the process of urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
, many creeks have been converted into culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s. Nowadays, land transport has mostly replaced its status.
Major trunk roads
- Dongfeng Lu
- Renmin Lu
- Zhongshan Lu
- Huanshi Lu
- Liu'ersan Lu
- Nan'an Lu
- Huangsha Dadao
- Kangwang Lu
Buses
See Guangzhou Buses.Line 1
- See also: Line 1, Guangzhou MetroLine 1, Guangzhou MetroLine 1 of the Guangzhou Metro or Zhongshanlu Line runs from Xilang to Guangzhou East Railway Station .Apart from Kengkou and Xilang, all stations in Line 1 are underground. Line 1's color is yellow....
- Chen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1999. It was situated at the underground of Zhongshan 7th Road in Liwan District. The station was named after the nearby Chen Clan Academy, an academy constructed by the Chen family for their...
- Changshou Lu Station
- Huangsha StationHuangsha StationHuangsha Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and it was the first Line 1 station which platform screen doors are installed. It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was the terminus of Line 1 when Guangzhou Metro started the service in 1997. It was situated at the underground of...
Line 5
- See also: Line 5, Guangzhou MetroLine 5, Guangzhou MetroLine 5 of the Guangzhou Metro or Huanshilu Line runs from Liwan District to Huangpu District. It starts at Jiaokou and ends at Wenchong. The total length is 31.9 km. Line 5's color is red. Huangpu Line began operation on December 28, 2009 from Jiaokou to Wenchong.-Huanshi Line...
- Zhongshanba StationZhongshanba StationZhongshanba Station , formerly Zhongshan Balu Station when planning, is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Zhongshan 8th Road and Huangsha Avenue in Liwan District. It is at Liwan District commercial area, and near Liwan...
- Xichang StationXichang StationXichang Station , formerly Dongfeng Road West Station when planning, is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Huanshi Road West and Dongfeng Road West in Liwan District. Huanshi Xilu is the main shopping area for shoes in...
- Xicun StationXicun StationXicun Station is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Huanshi Road West and Xizeng Road in Liwan District. Huanshi Road West is the main shopping area for shoes in Guangzhou. It opened on 28 December 2009.-Station layout:...
- Zhongshanba Station
Line 6
- See also: Line 6, Guangzhou MetroLine 6, Guangzhou MetroLine 6 of the Guangzhou Metro or Luogang Line runs from Liwan District to Tianhe District later toward Luogang District. It starts at Xunfenggang and ends at Changban, interchanging with Line 5 at Tanwei, Line 1 at Huangsha, Line 8 at Cultural Park, Line 2 at Haizhu Square, Line 1 at Dongshankou,...
- Cultural Park Station
- Huangsha StationHuangsha StationHuangsha Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and it was the first Line 1 station which platform screen doors are installed. It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was the terminus of Line 1 when Guangzhou Metro started the service in 1997. It was situated at the underground of...
- Ruyifang Station
Line 8
- See also: Line 8, Guangzhou MetroLine 8, Guangzhou MetroLine 8 of the Guangzhou Metro or Pazhou Line is an east-west line on the system that runs from Fenghuang Xincun to Wanshengwei, spanning a total of 14.8km with 13 stations. It interchanges with Line 2 at Changgang, Line 3 at Kecun and Line 4 at Wanshengwei. All stations on Line 8 are underground...
- Chen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1999. It was situated at the underground of Zhongshan 7th Road in Liwan District. The station was named after the nearby Chen Clan Academy, an academy constructed by the Chen family for their...
- Hualin Temple Station
- Cultural Park Station
- Chen Clan Academy Station
Administrative division
In 2005, former Fangcun District was emerged into Liwan District.Current jurisdictional area
Liwan District administrates 22 Subdistricts (13 from former Liwan District plus 9 from former Fangcun District).Former Liwan District
- Hualin Subdistrict
- Fengyuan Subdistrict
- Longjin Subdistrict
- Caihong Subdistrict
- Duobao Subdistrict
- Lingnan Subdistrict
- Xicun Subdistrict
- Nanyuan Subdistrict
- Jinhua Subdistrict
- Changhua Subdistrict
- Qiaozhong Subdistrict
- Zhanqian Subdistrict
- Shamian Subdistrict
Former Fangcun District
- Shiweitang Subdistrict
- Huadi Subdistrict
- Chajiao Subdistrict
- Chongkou Subdistrict
- Baihedong Subdistrict
- Dongjiao Subdistrict
- Dongsha Subdistrict
- Zhongnan Subdistrict
- Hailong Subdistrict
Folklore
Xiguan or Sai Kwan is a traditional geographical division of GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is situated in Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
. The north of the area reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
lies on its west and south. The area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
is collectively called Xiguan in Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. It is worth mentioning that the name is still in use nowadays.
Name
In the past, GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, or commonly called the capital of Guangdong Province had three city gates respectively on its east, south and west. They are Dongguan , Nanguan and Xiguan . There are mountains in the north of the city so there was no such thing called Beiguan . Guan means gate in Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
. Thus, Xiguan refers to the area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
.
The former but more commonly known translation for Xiguan is Sai Kwan (Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
Romanisation). Other less often translations are West Kwan, West Gate, West Suburbs, West Outskirts or West Guan. Currently, the official translation is Xiguan in accordance with Hanyu Pinyin, the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet.
Narrow sense
Xiguan in narrow sense is the authentic Xiguan, the west outskirts of the ancient city, GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
. It is alternatively called Xiyuan or Xiguanjiao . An old slang goes in Guangzhou that Dongcun, Xiqiao, Nanfu, Beipin . In the slang, Xiqiao refers to Xiguan. The north of Xiguan reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
lies on its west and south. That is to say, Xiguan covers former Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
excluding Litchi Bay and Xicun .
It is worth mentioning that Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It was located at the west of Tianhe District and the east of Liwan District. It was the commercial, political and cultural centre of Guangdong province. The area is famous for its high quality education. The Guangdong provincial...
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province .
Broad sense
Xiguan in broad sense is also called New Xiguan, referring to either former Liwan DistrictLiwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
or current Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
(covering former Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
and former Fangcun District).
Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
is orientated by Guangzhou City Government as an urban area of most Lingnan
Lingnan
Lingnan is a geographic area referring to lands in the south of China's "Five Ranges" which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. The region covers the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of modern China and northern Vietnam...
characteristics in Guangzhou.
This page mainly introduces Xiguan in narrow sense and slightly mentions about Litchi Bay and Xicun. For further information about Xiguan in broad sense, please read Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
.
Official plan
On October 27th, 2006, in response to the concerned proposal motioned by Guangzhou Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang Revolutionary Committee, Liwan District Government said that Plan on Preserving Traditional Xiguan blocks and Liwan Kaleidoscope had been approved and adopted, which has defined the scope of Xiguan for the first time.The definition has generally covered Xiguan in narrow sense.
Scope
Former Liwan DistrictLiwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
comprised Xiguan, Litchi Bay and Xicun. These three parts, which were administrated by Nanhai County before ROC
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
10 (1921), were outside the west city wall.
Xiguan was outside Taiping Gate on the west city wall (currently Renmin Lu). Its south point reaches the mouth of Xihao and its north reaches Diyi Jin . Shamian Island
Shamian Island
Shamian Island , formerly known as Shameen Island or Shamin Island, from its Cantonese pronunciation, is a sandbank island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China...
lies in its south. The area from Diyi Jin to Taiping Gate was called Upper Xiguan and the area stretching westwards from Guangfu Zhonglu to Huangsha
Huangsha
Huangsha is a township-level division situated in Handan, Hebei, China....
and Huagui Lu was named Lower Xiguan .
Litchi Bay refer to the area from outside Xiguan to the riverside of Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
, currently from Duobao Lu , Longjin Lu and Pantang
Pantang
-Town structure:The town in under the jurisdiction of the Ga East District and is in the Abokobi-Madina constituency of the Ghana parliament....
to Zhongshan Balu and Liwan Lu .
Xicun refers to the area northwest to Xiguan and Litchi Bay.
Culture
Xiguan is the window of Xixue Dongjian in contemporary South ChinaSouth Central China
South Central China is a region of the People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, however excluding the 2 special administrative regions : Hong Kong and...
. It is also one of the cradlelands of Lingnan
Lingnan
Lingnan is a geographic area referring to lands in the south of China's "Five Ranges" which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. The region covers the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of modern China and northern Vietnam...
culture. Xiguan culture is one of the substances of Guangfu
Guangfu
Guangfu is a township-level division situated in Handan, Hebei, China....
culture.
Accents
Xiguan Accents , or Xiguan Dialect , is an accent or a sub-dialect of Guangzhou Dialect , CantoneseCantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
. It refers to the accent which people in Xiguan speak in. Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
takes Guangzhou Dialect as the standard and Guangzhou Dialect used to take Xiguan Dialect as standard. With an increasing number of outlanders moving in, Xiguan accent can only be heard among the older population and it's near extinction. Apart from including Xiguan accent, Guangzhouhua Zidian also takes in ecdemic accents such as Nanhai's and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's.
Speakers
The speakers of Xiguan Accents are mainly native residents in Xiguan in the past. Nowadays, people living in Xiguan have generally lost Xiguan Accents; what they are actually speaking with is the relaxed pronunciationRelaxed pronunciation
Relaxed pronunciation is a phenomenon that happens when the syllables of common words are slurred together...
of Xiguan Dialect.
Differences in the pronunciation of some characters
| Xiguan Accent | Downtown Accent | English Translation |
| han3(瞓)覺 (Close to the ancient pronunciation of "睏") | fan3(瞓)覺 | To sleep |
| ji1(依)家 | ji4(而)家 | Now |
| ji1(依)個 | ni1(呢)個 | This, these |
Confusion of consonants n & l
Due to Xiguan's anear geographical position to Nanhai, the problem of the confusion of consonants n & l consists in both Xiguan Accents and Nanhai Accents. They mispronounce n as l. Nevertheless, compared with Nanhai Accents, this problem is relatively mild.
Consonant ng
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce zero consonant
Zero consonant
A zero consonant, silent initial, or null-onset letter is a consonant-like letter that is not pronounced, but indicates that a word or syllable starts with a vowel...
as the consonant ng, for instance, "屋(uk7)" as "nguk7" and "壓(aat8)" as "ngaat8".
Vowels i & ei / ai
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce vowels ei and ai as i. The phenomenon also lies in Nanhai Accents, such as:
| The Character | Xiguan Accent | Downtown Accent | English Translation |
| 使 | si2 | sai2 | To make, to cause, to use |
| 死 | si2 | sei2 | To die |
| 四 | si3 | sei3 | Four |
| 嘶 | si1 | sai1 (Owing to the Popularization of Mandarin , an increasing number of people read si1 rather than sai1, influenced by Mandarin Standard Chinese Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore.... ) |
Neigh, hiss |
Dental consonant
Additionally, speakers of Xiguan Accents enhance dental consonants . That is to say, downtown people pronounce "知", "雌" and "斯" as [tɕi], [tɕʰi] and [ɕi] (comparatively relaxed in the oral area, close to [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] in IPA; and yet Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tsi], [tsʰi] and [si] (The tip of tongue pushes up against upper teeth and blocks up air current. Tense in the oral area, similar to zh, ch and sh in Mandarin
Standard Chinese
Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
without rolling tongue). To be precise, dental consonants are similar to the consonants of 左", "初" and "所" (i.e., [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]) in Downtown Accents. In summary, speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] as [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]. A saying representing Xiguan Accents goes that Servant, take some money to buy some seadless kaki fruits .
Relationship with downtown accents (especially Dongshan accents)
Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It was located at the west of Tianhe District and the east of Liwan District. It was the commercial, political and cultural centre of Guangdong province. The area is famous for its high quality education. The Guangdong provincial...
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province . Therefore, Xiguan Dialect should be regarded as suburban accents, distinguished from Downtown Accent , esp. Dongshan Accents . Notwithstanding, Xiguan lies close to the capital of Guangdong Province so the gap is narrow.
Previous situation
雖處城外，西關卻成爲達官貴人的青睞之地。很多富人喜歡把別墅建在西關（成爲今天僅存的西關大屋）。正是因爲如此，西關口音成了富人的標誌，帶西關口音之人非富則貴，西關口音倍受時人尊崇，曾一度被公認為廣州方言的貴族口音。
在推普運動開展前，媒體均以西關音作爲標準音，多雇用來自西關一帶的播音員；粵劇的唱腔咬字也以西關口音為准。大多數語言學家認爲廣州話（又被稱為"省城話"）是粵語主要的一種口語形式，以廣州西關一帶居民的口音為正宗。廣州粵語學者以廣州西關口音為正宗廣州音，廣州話（廣州市地區之粵語）普遍認定為語言學上粵語的代表音。
Controversy
由於舊時西關並不算作省城的一部分，有部分人認爲廣州話不應以西關口音爲標準，而應該是以城內音（特別是東山口音）爲標準。有人甚至認爲西關口音是粵語懶音的源頭實際上，若真的要探求粵語懶音的源頭，那應該是n、l不分的南海音、ng脫落的番禺音和香港早期的懶音。對廣州話以何爲標準暫無定論，但由於西關口音廣泛傳播，且西關後來成爲廣州城的一部分參見荔灣區，經濟較爲發達，大多數語言學家均認爲廣州話應以西關口音爲標準。Current situation, accents
雖然西關口音被視為標準廣州話口音，但現在依《廣州音字典》所收字音來看，並沒有專門視西關口音為主收對象，而是以當前珠三角、港澳通用口音為標準。由於中國大陸採取Popularize Mandarin 的政策，而且改革開放後不少外省人南遷至廣東，加之在香港粵語流行曲、電視及電影的影響下，香港事實上已經取代廣州成為粵語文化的中心。很多西關人連廣州話都講得不好，更不必說西關口音了。另外，隨著西關居民逐漸遷往其他地區（老城區空心化），城市化致使西關部分地區遭拆遷，西關口音漸漸消退、失散，這種以村、鄉為基礎的小範圍方言是粵語分支的一個特色，城市化把一些曾經廣泛存在過的方言消退掉。現在只能從西關老人家和一些致力於文化保育的人士口中聽到西關口音。現今，廣東媒體對粵語的發音問題已不再重視，只有少部分播音員仍然能說一口標準的廣州話（西關口音），例如廣州電視臺《羊城度度有段古》嘉賓主持、廣州説書藝人顏志圖仍帶有濃厚的西關口音。西關口音、東山口音、廣州河南口音已幾乎混為一體，西關口音正逐漸消失。Customs
There are varieties of customs in Xiguan, which are comparatively well conserved among districts in Guangzhou.Customs during Spring Festival, Ching Ming Festival, Qixi Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival , also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival or Zhongqiu Festival, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou...
and Dongzhi Festival (Winter Solstice Festival) are more or less the same as those in other places in Guangzhou.
During Duanwu Festival (alternatively known as Dragon Boat Festival), people in Xiguan watch dragon boat races and eat Zongzi
Zongzi
Zongzi is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. Laotians, Thais, and Cambodians also have similar traditional dishes. In the Western world, they are also known as rice...
. Male residents row dragon boats.
Nursery rhymes
Elementary schools
- Xiguan Peizheng Primary School
- Xianjidong Primary School
- Sanyuanfang Primary School
- Liuhua Lu Primary School
- Dongfeng Xilu No.1 Primary School
- Dongfeng Xilu No.2 Primary School
- Xihua Lu Primary School
- Xinglong Lu Primary School
- Longjin Xilu Primary School
- Huiyuannan Primary School
- Xilaixi Primary School
- Affiliated Primary School of Guangzhou Normal School
- Liwan Lexianfang Primary School
- Shamian Primary School
- Guangya Li Primary School
- Liwan Baoyuan Zhongyue Primary School
- Wenchang Xiang Primary School
- Baohua Primary School
- Ludixi Primary School
- Mingxing Li Primary School
- Huangsha Dadao Primary School
- Renmin Zhonglu Primary School
- Zhoumen Primary School
- Shuangqiao Primary School
- Liwan Experimental School
- Huancuiyuan Primary School
- Zhongshan Balu Primary School
- Guangya Primary School
- Huanshi Xilu Primary School
- Longjin Primary School
- Baohua Peizheng Primary School
- Liwan Huaqiao Primary School
- Liwan Xihua Lu Primary School
- Zhuji Lu Primary School
- Yaohua Primary School
- Wenchang Primary School
- Jinyan Li Primary School
High schools
- Guangdong Guangya Middle School
- Guangzhou No.4 Middle School
- Guangzhou Vocational School of Early Childhood Education
- Guangzhou No.35 Middle School
- Guangzhou No.31 Middle School
- Guangzhou Xiguan Foreign Language School (former Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.1 Middle School
- Guangzhou Xiehe Senior School (former Guangzhou Normal School )
- Guangzhou Meihua Middle School (former Guangzhou No.59 Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.23 Middle School
- Guangzhou No.36 Middle School
- Guangzhou No.90 Middle School (emerged into Peiying Middle School )
- Guangzhou Chenjiageng Memorial Middle School (former Guangzhou No.30 Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.23 Middle School
- Liuhua Middle School
- Guangzhou Nanhai Middle School (former Guangzhou No.11 Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.69 Middle School (Closed; afterwards became the campus of Xianjidong Primary School )
- Guangzhou No.24 Middle School
- Xiguan Peiying Middle School
- Guangzhou No.100 Middle School (emerged into Guangzhou Nanhai Middle School )
- Guangzhou Liwan Middle School (former Guangzhou No.43 Middle School )
Architecture
西關的特色建築有騎樓、西關大屋以及麻石街巷(青石板路)；沙面、長堤和西堤一帶亦有西洋風格的建築。從秦漢開始，位於南蠻之地的嶺南先民吸收中原文化，形成富有嶺南特色的建築。近代受西方的建築風格影響，西關的建築出現了新的變化，又融入了西方的元素。
Xiguan residences
Xiguan Residences , which used to be the residences of wealthy businessmen, are the typical representative of vernacular dwellings in Xiguan.大門一般分為三道(三重門)，廣州人稱"三件頭"。 臨街最外的一道是四扇對開的屏風門(也叫矮腳吊扇門或花門)。屏風門之後是趟櫳push-and-pull bars，趟櫳之後為洋雜木大門，是真正的大門。
西關大屋主要分佈在十八甫富善地區、楊巷、楊仁里、十二甫、寶華地區、逢源地區、寶源地區及多寶地區，在西村地區也略有分佈。
窗戶被稱為"滿州窗"。這種窗戶均等地分為左右三列，每列上下三扇，合共九扇。其開閉方式為上下推拉，各段窗扇可任意推到任何位置。窗上通常鑲嵌有色花玻璃。
西關大屋平面佈局一般為左右對稱，中軸線上為主要廳堂，每廳為一進，全屋一般為二至三進，廳之間用小天井相隔，天井有上蓋，靠天窗採光通風。廳的兩側為偏廳、偏房，大屋子偏房的兩側還有巷，叫"青雲巷"。
Bamboo tube houses
竹筒屋是富有嶺南特色的傳統民居，比西關大屋相對簡陋和狹窄。這種建築開間小，進深大，兩者之比由1∶4至1∶8， 由前至後排列以天井間隔的多所房間，形如竹筒。通風、排水及交通主要靠天井和巷道來解決，屋深長則天井相應增多。外觀似為一層，但因層高達4.5 米，故常置夾層，並設樓梯。牆基用石塊砌築，牆身用青磚，山牆承重，木構架，瓦頂。Granite streets & lanes
Granite Streets and Lanes were paved with graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, widely distributed around Xiguan Residences.
Arcades
Some people claim that arcades in Xiguan correlate closely to the residences of ancient people living in NanyueNanyue
Nanyue was an ancient kingdom that consisted of parts of the modern Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan and northern Vietnam. Nanyue was established in 204 BC at the final collapse of the Qin Dynasty by Zhao Tuo, who was the military commander of Nanhai Commandery at the time, and...
. They are considered as the trace of Baiyue Stilt house
Stilt house
Stilt houses or pile dwellings or palafitte are houses raised on piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding, but also serve to keep out vermin...
.
On the other hand, some people insist that arcades are structures built in 1925 when streets were extended and roads were constructed on a large scale in Guangzhou. Their design is deemed to have derived from ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
.
Arcades connect houses and make a long path for pedestrians to keep out wind, rain and the glare of sunshine. Arcades seem to be exactly designed for the climate in Guangzhou and meanwhile makes it much more convenient for stores to display their goods and attract customers.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
Arcades in Guangzhou first appeared in the area around Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral of Guangzhou
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus also known as Sacred Heart Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Guangzhou , South China. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guangzhou .The cathedral is located at 56 Yide Lu , Guangzhou...
on Yide Lu . Later, other business quarters in Guangzhou fell over each other in eagerness to imitate the example such as Shangxiajiu , Zhongshan Lu, Enning Lu and Renmin Nanlu.
Architectural complex on Shamian Island
Main article: Shamian IslandShamian Island
Shamian Island , formerly known as Shameen Island or Shamin Island, from its Cantonese pronunciation, is a sandbank island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China...
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
, Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
, Verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
and Pseudo-Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
.
Western-style structures on Changdi & Xidi
19世紀末20世紀初，廣州沿江的長堤、西堤一帶興建了大型的辦公及商業建築，反映了19世紀西方流行的新古典式的建築風格，保留了希臘、羅馬時期的建築特點。Food
Snacks
Delicacies which have earned the title of Chinese Famous Food are as follows: Peanut & Sesame Filled Cake of Ronghua Teahouse , Shuangpinai and Milk With Ginger Juice of Nanxin , Shrimp WontonWonton
Not to be confused with WantonA wonton is a type of dumpling commonly found in a number of Chinese cuisines.-Filling:...
of Ouchengji , Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji , Ginger Juice & Milk Custard Tart of Qingping Restaurant , Sweetheart Cake of Lianxianglou Teahouse , Rice Noodle Roll With Beef of Yinji and Goose Liver Boiled Dumplings
Jiaozi
Jiǎozi 餃子 or 饺子 , bánh bột luộc , gyōza , Mo:Mo: or Momocha म:म: or ममचा , or pot sticker is a Chinese dumpling widely spread to Japan, Eastern and Western Asia.Jiaozi typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into...
of Jinzhongge .
Delicacies which have earned the title of Guangzhou Famous Food are as follows: Milk With Ginger Juice of Xinghualou Teahouse , Milk Paste of Fenghuang , Sesame Paste Sweet Dumplings of Rongde , Sachima
Sachima
Sachima, also called Shaqima is a common Chinese pastry found in many Chinese-speaking regions. Each regional cuisine has its own slightly different variation of this food, though the appearance of all versions is essentially the same.-Manchu:...
of Satangji , Sampan Congee , Salty Pancake of Dechang , Stuffed Glutinous Rice Dumpling and Burst(Laughing) Deep-fried Pastry Ball of Liangyingji , White Sugar Lunjiao Cake of Guohua , Coconut Ice Cream and Grass Jelly
Grass jelly
Grass jelly, or Leaf jelly, is a jelly-like dessert found in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. It is sold in cans or packets in Asian supermarkets.-Preparation:...
of Shunji Bingshi .
The Chinese character
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
Ji is often used in a restaurant's signage, often following the owner's name. For instance, Kaiji is named this way because of its owner's name KAI , Ye Jiankai.
Shuangpinai
Shuangpinai in Daliang , Shunde owns a most famous reputation. The founder of Nanxin comes from Shunde, and set up a shop in Guangzhou in 1943.Ice cream of Shunji
Coconut ice cream of Shunji Bingshi is a well-known Xiguan snack. The restaurant was set up by a hawker named Lu Shun in 20s, 20th century. Coconut juice extracted from fresh coconut meat, diluted milk, eggs and refined white sugar are ingredients. The delicacies of Shunji were tasted by heads of foreign states and honoured guests such as Norodom SihanoukNorodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk regular script was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his semi-retirement and voluntary abdication on 7 October 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni...
from Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
in 50s and 60s, 20th century. The restaurant has acquired the title of Guangzhou Famous Food since 1956.
Tangyuan served with green bean soup of Kaiji
Kaiji is located on Longjin Donglu . Its owner is Ye Jiankai and he is jokingly called Dousha Kai because of the restaurant's food. Kaiji's Tangyuan (sweet dumplings) served with green bean soup and Vanilla green bean soup clear away diners' heat and toxic material and earn a high reputation in Guangzhou. The shop is Ye's grandfather's legacy.Shrimp wonton noodle of Ouchengji
Shrimp Wonton Noodle of Ouchengji is famous. The soup served with this delicacy is the double-stewed soup made of shrimp-roe, flounder and pig bones. Fresh pork, shrimp and eggs are used in stuffing of the wontons. The wonton wrapper is so thin that wontons appear carneous after being cooked thoroughly, thus called glass wontons .Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji
Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji , alternatively called Sanyuan Jidi Congee , has been famous since Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. Located in Wenchang Xiang , the restaurant is famous for its variety of congee, Jidi the congee in particular. This congee contains dried beancurd stick, gingko and flounder. The congee is also called Sanyuan Jidi Congee for the reason that the numbers of its ingredients in each bowl, namely pork balls, pork liver slices and pork intestine slices correspond respectively to the numbers of Zhuangyuan , Bangyan and Tanhua . Wuzhanji's Jidi Congee earned the title of Chinese Famous Food in 1997.
Rice noodle roll with beef of Yinji
Rice noodle roll was originated by the Hexianguan Restaurant in Pantang during Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and it has been a must in Guangzhou's restaurants. Rice noodle roll with beef of Yinji is the most famous type. Rice milk is steamed into rice pellicle with meat smash, fillet and pork liver on it and the pellicle is rolled and then cut apart.
Sampan congee
Sampan Congee comes from Litchi Bay. It is called Sampan Congee because it was sold by Tanka people on sampans. Its ingredients used to be only river prawns and slices of fish meat. Now it has become a commonly seen snack and has gradually become dishes in restaurants and hotels. Its ingredients are unceasingly updated, with salted jellyfish, peanuts and fried vermicelli.Eating etiquette
People in Xiguan pay particular attention to eating etiquette, especially in tea houses. They don't swear and they keep courteous to each other to express their gratitude. When pouring tea, they only pour tea to 80% of the cup. Furthermore, they devote particular care to gestures when pouring tea or wine and when picking up food with chopsticks and spoons.They use diffrent vessels when dishing up different dishes and different cups when different kinds of wine are filled with.
Diners, especially businessmen, kill time as well as pry into market quotations, taking the advantage of dining.
Population
In the past, gentle and simple, honour and low were trenchant in Xiguan. The disparity between rich and poor was wide. An old proverb rang a bell in Guangzhou that "Ladies in Xiguan, Gentlemen in Dongshan and riffraffs in Henan."Residents
Geography
Traffic in the former Liwan District
Waterway transport used to be indispensable in the former Liwan DistrictLiwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
of Xiguan. However, with the process of urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
, many creeks have been converted into culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s. Nowadays, land transport has mostly replaced its status.
Major trunk roads
- Dongfeng Lu
- Renmin Lu
- Zhongshan Lu
- Huanshi Lu
- Liu'ersan Lu
- Nan'an Lu
- Huangsha Dadao
- Kangwang Lu
Buses
See Guangzhou Buses.Line 1
- See also: Line 1, Guangzhou MetroLine 1, Guangzhou MetroLine 1 of the Guangzhou Metro or Zhongshanlu Line runs from Xilang to Guangzhou East Railway Station .Apart from Kengkou and Xilang, all stations in Line 1 are underground. Line 1's color is yellow....
- Chen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1999. It was situated at the underground of Zhongshan 7th Road in Liwan District. The station was named after the nearby Chen Clan Academy, an academy constructed by the Chen family for their...
- Changshou Lu Station
- Huangsha StationHuangsha StationHuangsha Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and it was the first Line 1 station which platform screen doors are installed. It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was the terminus of Line 1 when Guangzhou Metro started the service in 1997. It was situated at the underground of...
Line 5
- See also: Line 5, Guangzhou MetroLine 5, Guangzhou MetroLine 5 of the Guangzhou Metro or Huanshilu Line runs from Liwan District to Huangpu District. It starts at Jiaokou and ends at Wenchong. The total length is 31.9 km. Line 5's color is red. Huangpu Line began operation on December 28, 2009 from Jiaokou to Wenchong.-Huanshi Line...
- Zhongshanba StationZhongshanba StationZhongshanba Station , formerly Zhongshan Balu Station when planning, is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Zhongshan 8th Road and Huangsha Avenue in Liwan District. It is at Liwan District commercial area, and near Liwan...
- Xichang StationXichang StationXichang Station , formerly Dongfeng Road West Station when planning, is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Huanshi Road West and Dongfeng Road West in Liwan District. Huanshi Xilu is the main shopping area for shoes in...
- Xicun StationXicun StationXicun Station is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Huanshi Road West and Xizeng Road in Liwan District. Huanshi Road West is the main shopping area for shoes in Guangzhou. It opened on 28 December 2009.-Station layout:...
- Zhongshanba Station
Line 6
- See also: Line 6, Guangzhou MetroLine 6, Guangzhou MetroLine 6 of the Guangzhou Metro or Luogang Line runs from Liwan District to Tianhe District later toward Luogang District. It starts at Xunfenggang and ends at Changban, interchanging with Line 5 at Tanwei, Line 1 at Huangsha, Line 8 at Cultural Park, Line 2 at Haizhu Square, Line 1 at Dongshankou,...
- Cultural Park Station
- Huangsha StationHuangsha StationHuangsha Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and it was the first Line 1 station which platform screen doors are installed. It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was the terminus of Line 1 when Guangzhou Metro started the service in 1997. It was situated at the underground of...
- Ruyifang Station
Line 8
- See also: Line 8, Guangzhou MetroLine 8, Guangzhou MetroLine 8 of the Guangzhou Metro or Pazhou Line is an east-west line on the system that runs from Fenghuang Xincun to Wanshengwei, spanning a total of 14.8km with 13 stations. It interchanges with Line 2 at Changgang, Line 3 at Kecun and Line 4 at Wanshengwei. All stations on Line 8 are underground...
- Chen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1999. It was situated at the underground of Zhongshan 7th Road in Liwan District. The station was named after the nearby Chen Clan Academy, an academy constructed by the Chen family for their...
- Hualin Temple Station
- Cultural Park Station
- Chen Clan Academy Station
Administrative division
In 2005, former Fangcun District was emerged into Liwan District.
Current jurisdictional area
Liwan District administrates 22 Subdistricts (13 from former Liwan District plus 9 from former Fangcun District).Former Liwan District
- Hualin Subdistrict
- Fengyuan Subdistrict
- Longjin Subdistrict
- Caihong Subdistrict
- Duobao Subdistrict
- Lingnan Subdistrict
- Xicun Subdistrict
- Nanyuan Subdistrict
- Jinhua Subdistrict
- Changhua Subdistrict
- Qiaozhong Subdistrict
- Zhanqian Subdistrict
- Shamian Subdistrict
Former Fangcun District
- Shiweitang Subdistrict
- Huadi Subdistrict
- Chajiao Subdistrict
- Chongkou Subdistrict
- Baihedong Subdistrict
- Dongjiao Subdistrict
- Dongsha Subdistrict
- Zhongnan Subdistrict
- Hailong Subdistrict
Folklore
Xiguan or Sai Kwan is a traditional geographical division of GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is situated in Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
. The north of the area reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
lies on its west and south. The area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
is collectively called Xiguan in Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. It is worth mentioning that the name is still in use nowadays.
Name
In the past, GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, or commonly called the capital of Guangdong Province had three city gates respectively on its east, south and west. They are Dongguan , Nanguan and Xiguan . There are mountains in the north of the city so there was no such thing called Beiguan . Guan means gate in Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
. Thus, Xiguan refers to the area outside the west gate of Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
.
The former but more commonly known translation for Xiguan is Sai Kwan (Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
Romanisation). Other less often translations are West Kwan, West Gate, West Suburbs, West Outskirts or West Guan. Currently, the official translation is Xiguan in accordance with Hanyu Pinyin, the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet.
Narrow sense
Xiguan in narrow sense is the authentic Xiguan, the west outskirts of the ancient city, GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
. It is alternatively called Xiyuan or Xiguanjiao . An old slang goes in Guangzhou that Dongcun, Xiqiao, Nanfu, Beipin . In the slang, Xiqiao refers to Xiguan. The north of Xiguan reaches Xicun and it borders on Renmin Lu eastwards. And Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
lies on its west and south. That is to say, Xiguan covers former Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
excluding Litchi Bay and Xicun .
It is worth mentioning that Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It was located at the west of Tianhe District and the east of Liwan District. It was the commercial, political and cultural centre of Guangdong province. The area is famous for its high quality education. The Guangdong provincial...
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province .
Broad sense
Xiguan in broad sense is also called New Xiguan, referring to either former Liwan DistrictLiwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
or current Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
(covering former Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
and former Fangcun District).
Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
is orientated by Guangzhou City Government as an urban area of most Lingnan
Lingnan
Lingnan is a geographic area referring to lands in the south of China's "Five Ranges" which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. The region covers the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of modern China and northern Vietnam...
characteristics in Guangzhou.
This page mainly introduces Xiguan in narrow sense and slightly mentions about Litchi Bay and Xicun. For further information about Xiguan in broad sense, please read Liwan District
Liwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
.
Official plan
On October 27th, 2006, in response to the concerned proposal motioned by Guangzhou Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang Revolutionary Committee, Liwan District Government said that Plan on Preserving Traditional Xiguan blocks and Liwan Kaleidoscope had been approved and adopted, which has defined the scope of Xiguan for the first time.The definition has generally covered Xiguan in narrow sense.
Scope
Former Liwan DistrictLiwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
comprised Xiguan, Litchi Bay and Xicun. These three parts, which were administrated by Nanhai County before ROC
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
10 (1921), were outside the west city wall.
Xiguan was outside Taiping Gate on the west city wall (currently Renmin Lu). Its south point reaches the mouth of Xihao and its north reaches Diyi Jin . Shamian Island
Shamian Island
Shamian Island , formerly known as Shameen Island or Shamin Island, from its Cantonese pronunciation, is a sandbank island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China...
lies in its south. The area from Diyi Jin to Taiping Gate was called Upper Xiguan and the area stretching westwards from Guangfu Zhonglu to Huangsha
Huangsha
Huangsha is a township-level division situated in Handan, Hebei, China....
and Huagui Lu was named Lower Xiguan .
Litchi Bay refer to the area from outside Xiguan to the riverside of Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
, currently from Duobao Lu , Longjin Lu and Pantang
Pantang
-Town structure:The town in under the jurisdiction of the Ga East District and is in the Abokobi-Madina constituency of the Ghana parliament....
to Zhongshan Balu and Liwan Lu .
Xicun refers to the area northwest to Xiguan and Litchi Bay.
Culture
Xiguan is the window of Xixue Dongjian in contemporary South ChinaSouth Central China
South Central China is a region of the People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, however excluding the 2 special administrative regions : Hong Kong and...
. It is also one of the cradlelands of Lingnan
Lingnan
Lingnan is a geographic area referring to lands in the south of China's "Five Ranges" which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. The region covers the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of modern China and northern Vietnam...
culture. Xiguan culture is one of the substances of Guangfu
Guangfu
Guangfu is a township-level division situated in Handan, Hebei, China....
culture.
Accents
Xiguan Accents , or Xiguan Dialect , is an accent or a sub-dialect of Guangzhou Dialect , CantoneseCantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
. It refers to the accent which people in Xiguan speak in. Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
takes Guangzhou Dialect as the standard and Guangzhou Dialect used to take Xiguan Dialect as standard. With an increasing number of outlanders moving in, Xiguan accent can only be heard among the older population and it's near extinction. Apart from including Xiguan accent, Guangzhouhua Zidian also takes in ecdemic accents such as Nanhai's and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's.
Speakers
The speakers of Xiguan Accents are mainly native residents in Xiguan in the past. Nowadays, people living in Xiguan have generally lost Xiguan Accents; what they are actually speaking with is the relaxed pronunciationRelaxed pronunciation
Relaxed pronunciation is a phenomenon that happens when the syllables of common words are slurred together...
of Xiguan Dialect.
Differences in the pronunciation of some characters
| Xiguan Accent | Downtown Accent | English Translation |
| han3(瞓)覺 (Close to the ancient pronunciation of "睏") | fan3(瞓)覺 | To sleep |
| ji1(依)家 | ji4(而)家 | Now |
| ji1(依)個 | ni1(呢)個 | This, these |
Confusion of consonants n & l
Due to Xiguan's anear geographical position to Nanhai, the problem of the confusion of consonants n & l consists in both Xiguan Accents and Nanhai Accents. They mispronounce n as l. Nevertheless, compared with Nanhai Accents, this problem is relatively mild.
Consonant ng
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce zero consonant
Zero consonant
A zero consonant, silent initial, or null-onset letter is a consonant-like letter that is not pronounced, but indicates that a word or syllable starts with a vowel...
as the consonant ng, for instance, "屋(uk7)" as "nguk7" and "壓(aat8)" as "ngaat8".
Vowels i & ei / ai
Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce vowels ei and ai as i. The phenomenon also lies in Nanhai Accents, such as:
| The Character | Xiguan Accent | Downtown Accent | English Translation |
| 使 | si2 | sai2 | To make, to cause, to use |
| 死 | si2 | sei2 | To die |
| 四 | si3 | sei3 | Four |
| 嘶 | si1 | sai1 (Owing to the Popularization of Mandarin , an increasing number of people read si1 rather than sai1, influenced by Mandarin Standard Chinese Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore.... ) |
Neigh, hiss |
Dental consonant
Additionally, speakers of Xiguan Accents enhance dental consonants . That is to say, downtown people pronounce "知", "雌" and "斯" as [tɕi], [tɕʰi] and [ɕi] (comparatively relaxed in the oral area, close to [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] in IPA; and yet Speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tsi], [tsʰi] and [si] (The tip of tongue pushes up against upper teeth and blocks up air current. Tense in the oral area, similar to zh, ch and sh in Mandarin
Standard Chinese
Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
without rolling tongue). To be precise, dental consonants are similar to the consonants of 左", "初" and "所" (i.e., [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]) in Downtown Accents. In summary, speakers of Xiguan Accents pronounce [tɕ], [tɕʰ] and [ɕ] as [ts], [tsʰ] and [s]. A saying representing Xiguan Accents goes that Servant, take some money to buy some seadless kaki fruits .
Relationship with downtown accents (especially Dongshan accents)
Xiguan lies to the west of Taiping Gate . Xiguan is the suburb of Guangzhou and it was administrated by Nanhai County rather than Panyu County (covering former Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District
Yuexiu District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It was located at the west of Tianhe District and the east of Liwan District. It was the commercial, political and cultural centre of Guangdong province. The area is famous for its high quality education. The Guangdong provincial...
and former Dongshan District). Therefore, it was not regarded as part of the capital of Guangdong Province . Therefore, Xiguan Dialect should be regarded as suburban accents, distinguished from Downtown Accent , esp. Dongshan Accents . Notwithstanding, Xiguan lies close to the capital of Guangdong Province so the gap is narrow.
Previous situation
雖處城外，西關卻成爲達官貴人的青睞之地。很多富人喜歡把別墅建在西關（成爲今天僅存的西關大屋）。正是因爲如此，西關口音成了富人的標誌，帶西關口音之人非富則貴，西關口音倍受時人尊崇，曾一度被公認為廣州方言的貴族口音。
在推普運動開展前，媒體均以西關音作爲標準音，多雇用來自西關一帶的播音員；粵劇的唱腔咬字也以西關口音為准。大多數語言學家認爲廣州話（又被稱為"省城話"）是粵語主要的一種口語形式，以廣州西關一帶居民的口音為正宗。廣州粵語學者以廣州西關口音為正宗廣州音，廣州話（廣州市地區之粵語）普遍認定為語言學上粵語的代表音。
Controversy
由於舊時西關並不算作省城的一部分，有部分人認爲廣州話不應以西關口音爲標準，而應該是以城內音（特別是東山口音）爲標準。有人甚至認爲西關口音是粵語懶音的源頭實際上，若真的要探求粵語懶音的源頭，那應該是n、l不分的南海音、ng脫落的番禺音和香港早期的懶音。對廣州話以何爲標準暫無定論，但由於西關口音廣泛傳播，且西關後來成爲廣州城的一部分參見荔灣區，經濟較爲發達，大多數語言學家均認爲廣州話應以西關口音爲標準。Current situation, accents
雖然西關口音被視為標準廣州話口音，但現在依《廣州音字典》所收字音來看，並沒有專門視西關口音為主收對象，而是以當前珠三角、港澳通用口音為標準。由於中國大陸採取Popularize Mandarin 的政策，而且改革開放後不少外省人南遷至廣東，加之在香港粵語流行曲、電視及電影的影響下，香港事實上已經取代廣州成為粵語文化的中心。很多西關人連廣州話都講得不好，更不必說西關口音了。另外，隨著西關居民逐漸遷往其他地區（老城區空心化），城市化致使西關部分地區遭拆遷，西關口音漸漸消退、失散，這種以村、鄉為基礎的小範圍方言是粵語分支的一個特色，城市化把一些曾經廣泛存在過的方言消退掉。現在只能從西關老人家和一些致力於文化保育的人士口中聽到西關口音。現今，廣東媒體對粵語的發音問題已不再重視，只有少部分播音員仍然能說一口標準的廣州話（西關口音），例如廣州電視臺《羊城度度有段古》嘉賓主持、廣州説書藝人顏志圖仍帶有濃厚的西關口音。西關口音、東山口音、廣州河南口音已幾乎混為一體，西關口音正逐漸消失。Customs
There are varieties of customs in Xiguan, which are comparatively well conserved among districts in Guangzhou.Customs during Spring Festival, Ching Ming Festival, Qixi Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival , also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival or Zhongqiu Festival, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou...
and Dongzhi Festival (Winter Solstice Festival) are more or less the same as those in other places in Guangzhou.
During Duanwu Festival (alternatively known as Dragon Boat Festival), people in Xiguan watch dragon boat races and eat Zongzi
Zongzi
Zongzi is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. Laotians, Thais, and Cambodians also have similar traditional dishes. In the Western world, they are also known as rice...
. Male residents row dragon boats.
Nursery rhymes
Elementary schools
- Xiguan Peizheng Primary School
- Xianjidong Primary School
- Sanyuanfang Primary School
- Liuhua Lu Primary School
- Dongfeng Xilu No.1 Primary School
- Dongfeng Xilu No.2 Primary School
- Xihua Lu Primary School
- Xinglong Lu Primary School
- Longjin Xilu Primary School
- Huiyuannan Primary School
- Xilaixi Primary School
- Affiliated Primary School of Guangzhou Normal School
- Liwan Lexianfang Primary School
- Shamian Primary School
- Guangya Li Primary School
- Liwan Baoyuan Zhongyue Primary School
- Wenchang Xiang Primary School
- Baohua Primary School
- Ludixi Primary School
- Mingxing Li Primary School
- Huangsha Dadao Primary School
- Renmin Zhonglu Primary School
- Zhoumen Primary School
- Shuangqiao Primary School
- Liwan Experimental School
- Huancuiyuan Primary School
- Zhongshan Balu Primary School
- Guangya Primary School
- Huanshi Xilu Primary School
- Longjin Primary School
- Baohua Peizheng Primary School
- Liwan Huaqiao Primary School
- Liwan Xihua Lu Primary School
- Zhuji Lu Primary School
- Yaohua Primary School
- Wenchang Primary School
- Jinyan Li Primary School
High schools
- Guangdong Guangya Middle School
- Guangzhou No.4 Middle School
- Guangzhou Vocational School of Early Childhood Education
- Guangzhou No.35 Middle School
- Guangzhou No.31 Middle School
- Guangzhou Xiguan Foreign Language School (former Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.1 Middle School
- Guangzhou Xiehe Senior School (former Guangzhou Normal School )
- Guangzhou Meihua Middle School (former Guangzhou No.59 Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.23 Middle School
- Guangzhou No.36 Middle School
- Guangzhou No.90 Middle School (emerged into Peiying Middle School )
- Guangzhou Chenjiageng Memorial Middle School (former Guangzhou No.30 Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.23 Middle School
- Liuhua Middle School
- Guangzhou Nanhai Middle School (former Guangzhou No.11 Middle School )
- Guangzhou No.69 Middle School (Closed; afterwards became the campus of Xianjidong Primary School )
- Guangzhou No.24 Middle School
- Xiguan Peiying Middle School
- Guangzhou No.100 Middle School (emerged into Guangzhou Nanhai Middle School )
- Guangzhou Liwan Middle School (former Guangzhou No.43 Middle School )
Architecture
西關的特色建築有騎樓、西關大屋以及麻石街巷(青石板路)；沙面、長堤和西堤一帶亦有西洋風格的建築。從秦漢開始，位於南蠻之地的嶺南先民吸收中原文化，形成富有嶺南特色的建築。近代受西方的建築風格影響，西關的建築出現了新的變化，又融入了西方的元素。
Xiguan residences
Xiguan Residences , which used to be the residences of wealthy businessmen, are the typical representative of vernacular dwellings in Xiguan.大門一般分為三道(三重門)，廣州人稱"三件頭"。 臨街最外的一道是四扇對開的屏風門(也叫矮腳吊扇門或花門)。屏風門之後是趟櫳push-and-pull bars，趟櫳之後為洋雜木大門，是真正的大門。
西關大屋主要分佈在十八甫富善地區、楊巷、楊仁里、十二甫、寶華地區、逢源地區、寶源地區及多寶地區，在西村地區也略有分佈。
窗戶被稱為"滿州窗"。這種窗戶均等地分為左右三列，每列上下三扇，合共九扇。其開閉方式為上下推拉，各段窗扇可任意推到任何位置。窗上通常鑲嵌有色花玻璃。
西關大屋平面佈局一般為左右對稱，中軸線上為主要廳堂，每廳為一進，全屋一般為二至三進，廳之間用小天井相隔，天井有上蓋，靠天窗採光通風。廳的兩側為偏廳、偏房，大屋子偏房的兩側還有巷，叫"青雲巷"。
Bamboo tube houses
竹筒屋是富有嶺南特色的傳統民居，比西關大屋相對簡陋和狹窄。這種建築開間小，進深大，兩者之比由1∶4至1∶8， 由前至後排列以天井間隔的多所房間，形如竹筒。通風、排水及交通主要靠天井和巷道來解決，屋深長則天井相應增多。外觀似為一層，但因層高達4.5 米，故常置夾層，並設樓梯。牆基用石塊砌築，牆身用青磚，山牆承重，木構架，瓦頂。Granite streets & lanes
Granite Streets and Lanes were paved with graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, widely distributed around Xiguan Residences.
Arcades
Some people claim that arcades in Xiguan correlate closely to the residences of ancient people living in NanyueNanyue
Nanyue was an ancient kingdom that consisted of parts of the modern Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan and northern Vietnam. Nanyue was established in 204 BC at the final collapse of the Qin Dynasty by Zhao Tuo, who was the military commander of Nanhai Commandery at the time, and...
. They are considered as the trace of Baiyue Stilt house
Stilt house
Stilt houses or pile dwellings or palafitte are houses raised on piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding, but also serve to keep out vermin...
.
On the other hand, some people insist that arcades are structures built in 1925 when streets were extended and roads were constructed on a large scale in Guangzhou. Their design is deemed to have derived from ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
.
Arcades connect houses and make a long path for pedestrians to keep out wind, rain and the glare of sunshine. Arcades seem to be exactly designed for the climate in Guangzhou and meanwhile makes it much more convenient for stores to display their goods and attract customers.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
Arcades in Guangzhou first appeared in the area around Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral of Guangzhou
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus also known as Sacred Heart Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Guangzhou , South China. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guangzhou .The cathedral is located at 56 Yide Lu , Guangzhou...
on Yide Lu . Later, other business quarters in Guangzhou fell over each other in eagerness to imitate the example such as Shangxiajiu , Zhongshan Lu, Enning Lu and Renmin Nanlu.
Architectural complex on Shamian Island
Main article: Shamian IslandShamian Island
Shamian Island , formerly known as Shameen Island or Shamin Island, from its Cantonese pronunciation, is a sandbank island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China...
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
, Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
, Verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
and Pseudo-Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
.
Western-style structures on Changdi & Xidi
19世紀末20世紀初，廣州沿江的長堤、西堤一帶興建了大型的辦公及商業建築，反映了19世紀西方流行的新古典式的建築風格，保留了希臘、羅馬時期的建築特點。Food
Snacks
Delicacies which have earned the title of Chinese Famous Food are as follows: Peanut & Sesame Filled Cake of Ronghua Teahouse , Shuangpinai and Milk With Ginger Juice of Nanxin , Shrimp WontonWonton
Not to be confused with WantonA wonton is a type of dumpling commonly found in a number of Chinese cuisines.-Filling:...
of Ouchengji , Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji , Ginger Juice & Milk Custard Tart of Qingping Restaurant , Sweetheart Cake of Lianxianglou Teahouse , Rice Noodle Roll With Beef of Yinji and Goose Liver Boiled Dumplings
Jiaozi
Jiǎozi 餃子 or 饺子 , bánh bột luộc , gyōza , Mo:Mo: or Momocha म:म: or ममचा , or pot sticker is a Chinese dumpling widely spread to Japan, Eastern and Western Asia.Jiaozi typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into...
of Jinzhongge .
Delicacies which have earned the title of Guangzhou Famous Food are as follows: Milk With Ginger Juice of Xinghualou Teahouse , Milk Paste of Fenghuang , Sesame Paste Sweet Dumplings of Rongde , Sachima
Sachima
Sachima, also called Shaqima is a common Chinese pastry found in many Chinese-speaking regions. Each regional cuisine has its own slightly different variation of this food, though the appearance of all versions is essentially the same.-Manchu:...
of Satangji , Sampan Congee , Salty Pancake of Dechang , Stuffed Glutinous Rice Dumpling and Burst(Laughing) Deep-fried Pastry Ball of Liangyingji , White Sugar Lunjiao Cake of Guohua , Coconut Ice Cream and Grass Jelly
Grass jelly
Grass jelly, or Leaf jelly, is a jelly-like dessert found in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. It is sold in cans or packets in Asian supermarkets.-Preparation:...
of Shunji Bingshi .
The Chinese character
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
Ji is often used in a restaurant's signage, often following the owner's name. For instance, Kaiji is named this way because of its owner's name KAI , Ye Jiankai.
Shuangpinai
Shuangpinai in Daliang , Shunde owns a most famous reputation. The founder of Nanxin comes from Shunde, and set up a shop in Guangzhou in 1943.Ice cream of Shunji
Coconut ice cream of Shunji Bingshi is a well-known Xiguan snack. The restaurant was set up by a hawker named Lu Shun in 20s, 20th century. Coconut juice extracted from fresh coconut meat, diluted milk, eggs and refined white sugar are ingredients. The delicacies of Shunji were tasted by heads of foreign states and honoured guests such as Norodom SihanoukNorodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk regular script was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his semi-retirement and voluntary abdication on 7 October 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni...
from Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
in 50s and 60s, 20th century. The restaurant has acquired the title of Guangzhou Famous Food since 1956.
Tangyuan served with green bean soup of Kaiji
Kaiji is located on Longjin Donglu . Its owner is Ye Jiankai and he is jokingly called Dousha Kai because of the restaurant's food. Kaiji's Tangyuan (sweet dumplings) served with green bean soup and Vanilla green bean soup clear away diners' heat and toxic material and earn a high reputation in Guangzhou. The shop is Ye's grandfather's legacy.Shrimp wonton noodle of Ouchengji
Shrimp Wonton Noodle of Ouchengji is famous. The soup served with this delicacy is the double-stewed soup made of shrimp-roe, flounder and pig bones. Fresh pork, shrimp and eggs are used in stuffing of the wontons. The wonton wrapper is so thin that wontons appear carneous after being cooked thoroughly, thus called glass wontons .Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji
Jidi Congee of Wuzhanji , alternatively called Sanyuan Jidi Congee , has been famous since Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. Located in Wenchang Xiang , the restaurant is famous for its variety of congee, Jidi the congee in particular. This congee contains dried beancurd stick, gingko and flounder. The congee is also called Sanyuan Jidi Congee for the reason that the numbers of its ingredients in each bowl, namely pork balls, pork liver slices and pork intestine slices correspond respectively to the numbers of Zhuangyuan , Bangyan and Tanhua . Wuzhanji's Jidi Congee earned the title of Chinese Famous Food in 1997.
Rice noodle roll with beef of Yinji
Rice noodle roll was originated by the Hexianguan Restaurant in Pantang during Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and it has been a must in Guangzhou's restaurants. Rice noodle roll with beef of Yinji is the most famous type. Rice milk is steamed into rice pellicle with meat smash, fillet and pork liver on it and the pellicle is rolled and then cut apart.
Sampan congee
Sampan Congee comes from Litchi Bay. It is called Sampan Congee because it was sold by Tanka people on sampans. Its ingredients used to be only river prawns and slices of fish meat. Now it has become a commonly seen snack and has gradually become dishes in restaurants and hotels. Its ingredients are unceasingly updated, with salted jellyfish, peanuts and fried vermicelli.Eating etiquette
People in Xiguan pay particular attention to eating etiquette, especially in tea houses. They don't swear and they keep courteous to each other to express their gratitude. When pouring tea, they only pour tea to 80% of the cup. Furthermore, they devote particular care to gestures when pouring tea or wine and when picking up food with chopsticks and spoons.They use diffrent vessels when dishing up different dishes and different cups when different kinds of wine are filled with.
Diners, especially businessmen, kill time as well as pry into market quotations, taking the advantage of dining.
Population
In the past, gentle and simple, honour and low were trenchant in Xiguan. The disparity between rich and poor was wide. An old proverb rang a bell in Guangzhou that "Ladies in Xiguan, Gentlemen in Dongshan and riffraffs in Henan."Residents
Geography
Traffic in the former Liwan District
Waterway transport used to be indispensable in the former Liwan DistrictLiwan District
-History:Formerly named Xiguan, Liwan District was named after "Lizhiwan", which is derived from poem of "a bay of green water and red litchis along both banks". It covers an area of 16.2 km² and has a permanent population of about 540,000 and a permanent nonnative population of over 200,000...
of Xiguan. However, with the process of urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
, many creeks have been converted into culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s. Nowadays, land transport has mostly replaced its status.
Major trunk roads
- Dongfeng Lu
- Renmin Lu
- Zhongshan Lu
- Huanshi Lu
- Liu'ersan Lu
- Nan'an Lu
- Huangsha Dadao
- Kangwang Lu
Buses
See Guangzhou Buses.Line 1
- See also: Line 1, Guangzhou MetroLine 1, Guangzhou MetroLine 1 of the Guangzhou Metro or Zhongshanlu Line runs from Xilang to Guangzhou East Railway Station .Apart from Kengkou and Xilang, all stations in Line 1 are underground. Line 1's color is yellow....
- Chen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1999. It was situated at the underground of Zhongshan 7th Road in Liwan District. The station was named after the nearby Chen Clan Academy, an academy constructed by the Chen family for their...
- Changshou Lu Station
- Huangsha StationHuangsha StationHuangsha Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and it was the first Line 1 station which platform screen doors are installed. It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was the terminus of Line 1 when Guangzhou Metro started the service in 1997. It was situated at the underground of...
Line 5
- See also: Line 5, Guangzhou MetroLine 5, Guangzhou MetroLine 5 of the Guangzhou Metro or Huanshilu Line runs from Liwan District to Huangpu District. It starts at Jiaokou and ends at Wenchong. The total length is 31.9 km. Line 5's color is red. Huangpu Line began operation on December 28, 2009 from Jiaokou to Wenchong.-Huanshi Line...
- Zhongshanba StationZhongshanba StationZhongshanba Station , formerly Zhongshan Balu Station when planning, is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Zhongshan 8th Road and Huangsha Avenue in Liwan District. It is at Liwan District commercial area, and near Liwan...
- Xichang StationXichang StationXichang Station , formerly Dongfeng Road West Station when planning, is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Huanshi Road West and Dongfeng Road West in Liwan District. Huanshi Xilu is the main shopping area for shoes in...
- Xicun StationXicun StationXicun Station is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Huanshi Road West and Xizeng Road in Liwan District. Huanshi Road West is the main shopping area for shoes in Guangzhou. It opened on 28 December 2009.-Station layout:...
- Zhongshanba Station
Line 6
- See also: Line 6, Guangzhou MetroLine 6, Guangzhou MetroLine 6 of the Guangzhou Metro or Luogang Line runs from Liwan District to Tianhe District later toward Luogang District. It starts at Xunfenggang and ends at Changban, interchanging with Line 5 at Tanwei, Line 1 at Huangsha, Line 8 at Cultural Park, Line 2 at Haizhu Square, Line 1 at Dongshankou,...
- Cultural Park Station
- Huangsha StationHuangsha StationHuangsha Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and it was the first Line 1 station which platform screen doors are installed. It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was the terminus of Line 1 when Guangzhou Metro started the service in 1997. It was situated at the underground of...
- Ruyifang Station
Line 8
- See also: Line 8, Guangzhou MetroLine 8, Guangzhou MetroLine 8 of the Guangzhou Metro or Pazhou Line is an east-west line on the system that runs from Fenghuang Xincun to Wanshengwei, spanning a total of 14.8km with 13 stations. It interchanges with Line 2 at Changgang, Line 3 at Kecun and Line 4 at Wanshengwei. All stations on Line 8 are underground...
- Chen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy StationChen Clan Academy Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1999. It was situated at the underground of Zhongshan 7th Road in Liwan District. The station was named after the nearby Chen Clan Academy, an academy constructed by the Chen family for their...
- Hualin Temple Station
- Cultural Park Station
- Chen Clan Academy Station
Administrative division
In 2005, former Fangcun District was emerged into Liwan District.
Current jurisdictional area
Liwan District administrates 22 Subdistricts (13 from former Liwan District plus 9 from former Fangcun District).Former Liwan District
- Hualin Subdistrict
- Fengyuan Subdistrict
- Longjin Subdistrict
- Caihong Subdistrict
- Duobao Subdistrict
- Lingnan Subdistrict
- Xicun Subdistrict
- Nanyuan Subdistrict
- Jinhua Subdistrict
- Changhua Subdistrict
- Qiaozhong Subdistrict
- Zhanqian Subdistrict
- Shamian Subdistrict
Former Fangcun District
- Shiweitang Subdistrict
- Huadi Subdistrict
- Chajiao Subdistrict
- Chongkou Subdistrict
- Baihedong Subdistrict
- Dongjiao Subdistrict
- Dongsha Subdistrict
- Zhongnan Subdistrict
- Hailong Subdistrict
Bai'etan
Howl of a Stone Lion
Dongshenfang
Weaving Machine-underlying Stone
Li Wentian
Songs
- The Song Xiguan Xiaojie by Dongshan Shaoye
- The Album Xiguan by Liao Weili
Mainland China
- Wailai Xifu Bendi Lang
- Fengyu Xiguan
Hong Kong
- Xiguan Dashao
- When Easterly Showers Fall On The Sunny West
Current situation
Xiguan is densely populated and its transportation is convenient. There are plenty of buildings with Guangzhou characteristics. Its folk atmosphere is rich and unique. Xiguan is something of an area which embodies Guangzhou local culture.然而，隨著城市化的發展，西關居民逐漸遷往其他地區，而大量外來人口遷入(老城區空心化)，城市化致使西關部分地區遭拆遷。廣州電視臺新聞頻道新聞日日睇曾報導某街道以雨天路滑為由拆除部分麻石街，遭到居民強烈反對。西村一帶也於2008年開始清拆。老四區的傳統地位開始慢慢讓位於廣州新城區。
Annals
Further reading
Accents
- Research Into Cantonese Teaching & Pronunciation (by Mok Chiu Hung , Hong Kong Education Publishing House , 1961 edition)