# Yuexiu, Guangzhou

Yuexiu District is one of 11 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, China, located west of the Tianhe District and east of the Liwan District. It is the commercial, political and cultural centre of Guangdong and noted for its high-quality education. The area has served as a regional administrative center for nearly 2,000 years, and assumed its current boundaries in September 2005. The Guangdong provincial government and the Guangzhou city government are both located in the Yuexiu District. Yuexiu District has 18 subdistricts under its jurisdiction. The total area is 33.8 square kilometres (13.1 sq mi). According to the 2020 Chinese Census, the permanent population of Yuexiu District was 1,038,643.

## Toponymy

The name Yuexiu comes from Yuexiu Hill.

## History

However, according to archaeological discoveries, it has been confirmed that there were inhabitants settled in Guangzhou region at least three to four thousand years ago. The area of present-day Yuexiu District was once the capital of the Nanyue Kingdom. Thirty-three years after the incorporation of Lingnan into the Qin Empire, Qin Shi Huang forced most of the Yue tribes out of Guangzhou and assimilated the rest. In 111 BCE, the area was reorganized as Panyu County, within the Nanhai Commandery. The area of present-day Yuexiu District served as the capital of both.
The area would serve as the seat of government for numerous successive administrative divisions, including Lingnan Circuit [zh] and Xingwang Fu (Chinese: 兴王府). It would continue to form part of Panyu County until 1921, when the it merged with Nanhai County to create Yuexiu District, and placed under the jurisdiction of the city of Guangzhou.

### People's Republic of China

The area came under the control of the People's Republic of China on October 14, 1949. In December 1949, Guangzhou was divided into 28 different districts, with the area of present-day Yuexiu District including Xishan District (Chinese: 西山区), Dexuan District (Chinese: 德宣区), Huifu District (Chinese: 惠福区), Jinghai District (Chinese: 靖海区), Xiaobei District (Chinese: 小北区), Taiping District (Chinese: 太平区), Yonghan District (Chinese: 永汉区), Dongshan District (Chinese: 东山区) Dadong District (Chinese: 大东区), and Qianjian District [zh] (Chinese: 前鉴区). In June 1950, Guangzhou consolidated its 28 districts into 16, resulting in the present-day area being including portions of Huifu District, Taiping District, Yonghan District, and Dadong District. In September 1952, Guangzhou reorganized its urban area into just 6 districts: East District, West District, North District, Central District, Henan District, and Zhujiang District. The former districts which once occupied present-day Yuexiu District were split between Central District, East District, and North District. In July 1960, North District underwent an enlargement, and was renamed to Yuexiu District, while East District was renamed to Dongshan District. In August 1961, five subdistricts from Yuexiu District were transferred to the jurisdiction of Dongshan District. Slight adjustments to the border of Yuexiu District and Dongshan District would continue throughout the 1990s.
In September 2005, Dongshan District was abolished and merged into Yuexiu District.
Beginning in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a number of sub-Saharan Africans began to move to Guangzhou, many of whom settled area of Xiaobei, within Yuexiu District. The area had already been inhabited by a number of Muslim internal migrants from Central and Northwest China since the 1980s. Local crackdowns on visa overstays have sporadically taken place since the early 2010s.

## Geography

Yuexiu District starts from Guangzhou Avenue in the east and borders Tianhe District; it faces the Pearl River in the south and faces Haizhu District across the river; it extends to Renmin Road in the west and is adjacent to Liwan District; it reaches the foot of Baiyun Mountain in the north and is adjacent to Baiyun District and Tianhe District. It is the old central city of Guangzhou. The total area of Yuexiu District is 33.8 square kilometers.

## Administrative subdivisions

Yuexiu has administrative jurisdiction over 18 subdistricts (Chinese: 街道; pinyin: jiēdào), which then in turn administer 222 residential communities (Chinese: 社区; pinyin: shèqū).
| Name | Chinese (S) | Hanyu Pinyin | Canton Romanization | Population (2010) | Area (km$^2$) |
| Baiyun Subdistrict | 白云街道 | Báiyún Jiēdào | bag6 wen4 gai1 dou6 | 46,768 | 3.08 |
| Beijing Subdistrict | 北京街道 | Běijīng Jiēdào | beg1 ging1 gai1 dou6 | 53,135 | 0.51 |
| Dadong Subdistrict | 大东街道 | Dàdōng Jiēdào | dai6 dung1 gai1 dou6 | 83,491 | 1.02 |
| Datang Subdistrict | 大塘街道 | Dàtáng Jiēdào | dai6 tong4 gai1 dou6 | 46,124 | 1.06 |
| Dengfeng Subdistrict | 登峰街道 | Dēngfēng Jiēdào | deng1 fung1 gai1 dou6 | 92,218 | 4.98 |
| Dongshan Subdistrict | 东山街道 | Dōngshān Jiēdào | dung1 san1 gai1 dou6 | 74,299 | 2.30 |
| Guangta Subdistrict | 光塔街道 | Guāngtǎ Jiēdào | guong1 tab3 gai1 dou6 | 68,128 | 0.44 |
| Hongqiao Subdistrict | 洪桥街道 | Hóngqiáo Jiēdào | hung4 kiu4 gai1 dou6 | 42,258 | 1.52 |
| Huale Subdistrict | 华乐街道 | Huálè Jiēdào | wa4 log6 gai1 dou6 | 47,126 | 1.28 |
| Huanghuagang Subdistrict | 黄花岗街道 | Huánghuāgāng Jiēdào | wong4 fa1 gong1 gai1 dou6 | 99,569 | 4.43 |
| Jianshe Subdistrict | 建设街道 | Jiànshè Jiēdào | gin3 qid3 gai1 dou6 | 52,110 | 0.93 |
| Kuangquan Subdistrict | 矿泉街道 | Kuàngquán Jiēdào | kong3 qun4 gai1 dou6 | 90,036 | 3.01 |
| Liuhua Subdistrict | 流花街道 | Liúhuā Jiēdào | leo4 fa1 gai1 dou6 | 17,253 | 1.81 |
| Liurong Subdistrict | 六榕街道 | Liùróng Jiēdào | lug6 yung4 gai1 dou6 | 83,996 | 0.87 |
| Meihuacun Subdistrict | 梅花村街道 | Méihuācūn Jiēdào | mui4 fa1 qun1 gai1 dou6 | 85,400 | 1.73 |
| Nonglin Subdistrict | 农林街道 | Nónglín Jiēdào | nung4 lem4 gai1 dou6 | 50,152 | 1.08 |
| Renmin Subdistrict | 人民街道 | Rénmín Jiēdào | yen4 men4 gai1 dou6 | 69,274 | 1.51 |
| Zhuguang Subdistrict | 珠光街道 | Zhūguāng Jiēdào | ju1 guong1 gai1 dou6 | 56,329 | 0.93 |
* On 15 March 2013 Dongfeng Subdistrict merged into Liurong Subdistrict, Shishu Subdistrict merged into Guangta Subdistrict, Daxin Subdistrict merged into Renmin Subdistrict, and Guangwei Subdistrict merged into Beijing Subdistrict.

## Government

The Guangdong Department of Education is headquartered in Yuexiu District.

## Demographics

The area of Xiaobei, within the district, has been a significant Muslim community in the area for decades. Xiaobei, which has been nicknamed "Little Africa" and "Chocolate City" due to the number of Sub-Saharan Africans who live and work in the area, hosts a diverse population of Muslims from Central and Northwest China, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.

## Economy

As of 2023, Yuexiu District has a gross domestic product of 381.024 billion renminbi.
Creative Power Entertaining is headquartered in the Wuzi Building in the Yuexiu District.
The Mainland China offices of Dairy Farm Group are located at the Guangdong Mechanical Sub-Building in the district.

## Culture

Due to the notable Muslim population within the Xiaobei neighborhood, the area has attracted a cluster of Halal butchers, restaurants, and various stores.

## Transportation
### Metro

Yuexiu is currently served by five metro lines operated by the Guangzhou Metro:
* Line 1 - Yangji ( 5 ), Dongshankou ( 6 ), Martyrs' Park, Peasant Movement Institute, Gongyuanqian ( 2 ), Ximenkou
* Line 2 - Guangzhou Station ( 5 ), Yuexiu Park, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Gongyuanqian ( 1 ), Haizhu Square ( 6 )
* Line 5 - Guangzhou Station ( 2 ), Xiaobei, Taojin, Ouzhuang ( 6 ), Zoo, Yangji ( 1 ), Wuyangcun
* Line 6 - Yide Lu, Haizhu Square ( 2 ), Beijing Lu, Tuanyida Square, Donghu, Dongshankou ( 1 ), Ouzhuang ( 5 ), Huanghuagang
* Line 11 - Liuhua, Yuntai Garden

## Education

The American International School of Guangzhou elementary school campus is on Ersha Island in the district.
Previously the École Française Internationale de Canton, the French international school of Guangzhou, was located at the GoldArch Riverdale development on Ersha Island.