# Sanshui, Foshan

Sanshui District, formerly romanized as Samshui, is an urban district of the prefecture-level city of Foshan in Guangdong province, China. It had a population of 803,226 as of the 2020 census. It is known for the "Samsui women", emigrants who labour in Singapore, and for a large fireworks explosion in 2008.

## History

According to archaeology sites discovered within the region, there were human beings inhabited in the today town of Baini (白坭鎮) Sanshui District about four thousand years ago. Sanshui County was established in the fifth year of Jiajing (1526) in the Ming Dynasty. It was temporarily merged into Nanhai County in 1959, revoked and restored in 1960, and reorganized into a county-level city in 1993. In 2002, it was reorganized into a district and belonged to Foshan City.
In February 2008, twenty fireworks warehouses exploded in Sanshui. In total, over 15,000 cartons of fireworks were set off over a period of 24 hours. The loss of inventory was extensive enough that U.S. markets faced real shortages of supply.

## Administration divisions

The neighbouring cities, counties and districts are Gaoyao, Dinghu District and Sihui in the west, Qingxin County and Qingyuan in the north, Huadu District and Nanhai District in the east and Gaoming District in the south-west. Sanshui administers 2 subdistricts and 5 towns:
| Name | Chinese (S) | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2020) | Area (km$^2$) |
| Xinan Subdistrict | 西南街道 | Xīnán Jiēdào | 327,518 | 178.00 |
| Yundonghai Subdistrict | 云东海街道 | Yúndōnghǎi Jiēdào | 98,702 | 56.00 |
| Lubao town | 芦苞镇 | Lúbāo Zhèn | 46,169 | 105.00 |
| Datang town | 大塘镇 | Dàtáng Zhèn | 64,968 | 98.23 |
| Leping town | 乐平镇 | Lèpíng Zhèn | 179,081 | 198.50 |
| Baini town | 白坭镇 | Báiní Zhèn | 64,408 | 66.46 |
| Nanshan town | 南山镇 | Nánshān Zhèn | 24,380 | 115.62 |

## Economy

Oil, coal, and slate are found in the surrounding area. However, Sanshui is also an important producer of food for Guangdong Province, especially fruit. The mainstay of the former city's economy was the Jianlibao Company, which produced a soft drink made from oranges and honey.
The Budweiser Foshan Production Base in Sanshui District is a key AB InBev brewing facility in China. Established in the early 2000s, this modern brewery produces Budweiser products for the South China market. It represents significant foreign investment in the region, provides local employment, and contributes substantially to Sanshui's industrial economy.
The Red Bull Sanshui Factory manufactures the popular energy drink for distribution throughout southern China. This modern facility has created local jobs and strengthened Sanshui's position in the beverage manufacturing sector. As a prominent international brand operating in the district, Red Bull has contributed to Sanshui's economic development and industrial diversification.
While Sanshui District is geographically integrated within the Greater Bay Area region, its wage levels remain moderate compared to core urban centers. According to the 2024 Guangdong Provincial Minimum Wage Standards (粤人社规[2023]25号), Foshan's monthly minimum wage stands at 1,900 RMB (Class II area), with hourly rates at 18.1 RMB for non-full-time employment.

## Transportation

Sanshui is on the railway line from Guangzhou to Maoming. The district is served by G15 Shenyang–Haikou Expressway (which provides access to Kaiping and the southern suburbs of Foshan), G55 Erenhot–Guangzhou Expressway (which provides direct access to downtown Guangzhou), China National Highway 321 (which provides access to Zhaoqing) and China National Highway 324.
Sanshui District is witnessing transformative transportation upgrades, most notably the Foshan Metro Line 4 currently under construction. This critical infrastructure, with its elevated section traversing Sanshui's urban core (including Xiqing Boulevard and Sanshui Hospital stations), is progressing toward its scheduled 2026 operational target as outlined in the Foshan Rail Transit Phase II Construction Plan (2021-2026).

## Climate

Climate data for Sanshui, elevation 24 m (79 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.2 (81.0) | 29.0 (84.2) | 32.2 (90.0) | 34.1 (93.4) | 35.5 (95.9) | 37.4 (99.3) | 39.1 (102.4) | 38.7 (101.7) | 37.7 (99.9) | 35.0 (95.0) | 32.7 (90.9) | 28.8 (83.8) | 39.1 (102.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.3 (63.1) | 19.5 (67.1) | 21.7 (71.1) | 26.0 (78.8) | 30.2 (86.4) | 32.4 (90.3) | 33.7 (92.7) | 33.5 (92.3) | 32.1 (89.8) | 28.9 (84.0) | 24.4 (75.9) | 19.2 (66.6) | 26.6 (79.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) | 15.5 (59.9) | 18.2 (64.8) | 22.4 (72.3) | 26.2 (79.2) | 28.3 (82.9) | 29.4 (84.9) | 29.1 (84.4) | 27.9 (82.2) | 24.8 (76.6) | 20.1 (68.2) | 14.9 (58.8) | 22.5 (72.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.5 (50.9) | 12.7 (54.9) | 15.6 (60.1) | 19.6 (67.3) | 23.4 (74.1) | 25.6 (78.1) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.0 (78.8) | 24.9 (76.8) | 21.6 (70.9) | 17.1 (62.8) | 11.9 (53.4) | 19.6 (67.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.3 (34.3) | 2.2 (36.0) | 3.1 (37.6) | 8.7 (47.7) | 14.4 (57.9) | 18.5 (65.3) | 21.6 (70.9) | 22.8 (73.0) | 15.8 (60.4) | 10.6 (51.1) | 4.1 (39.4) | 0.3 (32.5) | 0.3 (32.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 53.1 (2.09) | 53.1 (2.09) | 103.2 (4.06) | 183.5 (7.22) | 258.6 (10.18) | 291.6 (11.48) | 218.9 (8.62) | 246.9 (9.72) | 174.3 (6.86) | 71.9 (2.83) | 43.5 (1.71) | 38.7 (1.52) | 1,737.3 (68.38) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 7.6 | 10.2 | 15.7 | 15.7 | 18.1 | 18.9 | 17.0 | 15.8 | 11.8 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 147.2 |
| Average snowy days | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 72 | 77 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 78 | 78 | 75 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 76 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 98.1 | 71.7 | 55.1 | 69.6 | 109.4 | 131.8 | 182.4 | 176.4 | 169.8 | 177.7 | 148.8 | 134.4 | 1,525.2 |
| Percentage possible sunshine | 29 | 22 | 15 | 18 | 27 | 33 | 44 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 45 | 41 | 35 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration ||||||||||||||