Skip to content
中|CHINANETZ

Historic city · Industrial centre · Cultural centre · Guangdong

Foshan

佛山 (Fóshān)

Ceramics, kung fu and Cantonese opera next door to Guangzhou

Foshan is a prefecture-level city in the Pearl River Delta, adjoining Guangzhou to the south-west. One of the Four Great Towns of Ming and Qing China, it was a centre of iron casting, ceramics and handicrafts, and is regarded as the birthplace of Cantonese opera and a heartland of southern kung fu. Its Shunde district is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

ProvinceGuangdong

Key facts

Province
Guangdong
Administrative level
Prefecture-level city
Area
about 3,797 km²[1]
Resident population
9.50 million(as of 2020 census)[2]
UNESCO Creative City
Shunde, Gastronomy (2014)[3]

Overview

Foshan's name, “Buddha Hill”, comes from three bronze Buddha statues said to have been found on a hill here in 628. By the Ming it had become one of the four great manufacturing towns of the empire, casting iron pans and bells and firing the stoneware of Shiwan.

The modern city, which includes the formerly separate counties of Nanhai, Shunde, Sanshui and Gaoming, is a major centre of household appliances, furniture, ceramic tiles and machinery. It is closely integrated with Guangzhou, with a shared metro network.

Names and nicknames

  • 禅城 (Chánchéng)

    “Chan City”

    Name of the central district, recalling the Buddhist origin of the city's name.

History

Foshan grew as a market and craft town without city walls, governed through its guilds and the Ancestral Temple. In the Ming and Qing it was counted with Jingdezhen, Hankou and Zhuxian among the Four Great Towns. The Qionghua guild hall of Cantonese opera performers was founded here in the Ming, and its martial-arts tradition produced Wong Fei-hung and Ip Man, both later legends of Hong Kong cinema.

  1. 628

    Buddha statues found on the hill

    According to tradition, the finding gave the town its name.

  2. 1506

    Nanfeng kiln in continuous use

    The Shiwan dragon kiln traditionally dated to the Zhengde era is said to have been fired without interruption for five centuries.

  3. Ming and Qing

    One of the Four Great Towns

    Foshan's iron foundries, potteries and silk looms made it one of the richest commercial towns in China.

  4. 2014

    Shunde named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy

    Recognition of the district's cooking tradition and its many celebrated chefs.

Landmarks

  1. Temple or shrine

    Foshan Ancestral Temple

    佛山祖庙 (Fóshān Zǔmiào)

    Temple to the Northern Emperor (Beidi), founded in the Song and rebuilt in the Ming, with Shiwan ceramic roof ridges, an opera stage and halls commemorating Wong Fei-hung and Ip Man.

  2. Historic site

    Nanfeng Ancient Kiln

    南风古灶 (Nánfēng Gǔzào)

    Ming dragon kiln in the Shiwan pottery district, still fired.

  3. Park or garden

    Liang Garden

    梁园 (Liáng Yuán)

    Lingnan-style garden of a Qing scholar family, one of the four great gardens of Guangdong.

  4. Park or garden

    Qinghui Garden

    清晖园 (Qīnghuī Yuán)

    Qing garden in Shunde with ponds, pavilions and stained-glass windows.

Neighbourhoods

  • Lingnan Tiandi

    岭南天地 (Lǐngnán Tiāndì)

    Restored quarter of old houses and lanes next to the Ancestral Temple.

  • Shunde

    顺德 (Shùndé)

    Southern district famous for its food and its manufacturing towns.

Food

  • Double-skin milk

    双皮奶 (shuāngpínǎi)

    Buffalo-milk pudding with two layers of skin, invented in Daliang, Shunde.

  • Shunde fish sashimi

    顺德鱼生 (Shùndé yúshēng)

    Thinly sliced raw freshwater fish with many condiments.

  • Lunjiao cake

    伦教糕 (Lúnjiào gāo)

    White, springy fermented rice cake from Lunjiao.

Culture

Foshan is proud of three traditions: Cantonese opera, whose performers' guild began here; southern Chinese martial arts, including Wing Chun and Hung Gar; and the southern lion dance, whose Foshan style is the model for lion troupes worldwide. Shiwan pottery figures and Foshan paper-cutting are among its crafts.

Getting around

  • The Guangfo metro line links Foshan with central Guangzhou; Foshan's own metro lines connect its districts.
  • Foshan West station serves high-speed and intercity trains; Guangzhou South station is close to Shunde.

Day trips

  • Xiqiao Mountain

    西樵山 (Xīqiáo Shān)

    Extinct volcano in Nanhai with Wong Fei-hung's memorial hall and a large Guanyin statue.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

  1. Foshan Municipal People's Government — Foshan Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  2. Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  3. Shunde — Creative Cities Network — UNESCO (retrieved 27 September 2026)

More cities in Guangdong

Related

Cuisine

Cantonese Cuisine →

Cantonese cuisine emphasizes the natural flavors of fresh, high-quality ingredients with minimal seasoning. Known for its delicate preparation…

Art Form

Chinese Opera →

Chinese opera is a comprehensive performing art combining singing, speaking, acting, and acrobatics. With over 300 regional varieties, it presents…

Art Form

Chinese Porcelain →

Chinese porcelain represents the pinnacle of ceramic artistry, combining technical mastery with aesthetic refinement. Known worldwide as 'china,'…