Kinder, Gentler Zhongshan

Zhongshan is in the south-central part of the Pearl River Delta. To its north is Guangzhou, and to the south Hong Kong and Macao. At the estuary of the Pearl River, people can easily find the letter A on a map. The top of A is Guangzhou; Shenzhen and Dongguan are to the left of the A, and Zhuhai and Zhongshan are on the right of the A. The line linking them is the Humen Bridge between Dongguan and Panyu. Together they form an A-shaped golden triangle.

Zhang Zhengjie from Jiangsu is optimistic about Zhongshan's potential in development. The businessman has been engaged in logistics here for many years and predicts the city will make good on its broad prospects for development. Traffic saturation of the Humen Bridge prompted the construction of another thoroughfare between Zhongshan and Shenzhen at the estuary of the Pearl River. "This new lifeline between the relatively developed east bank and the economic hinterland of the west bank of the Pearl River will not only lower the cost of logistics between the two cities, but also efficiently move the fruits of production through different areas."

Zhang Zhengjie's foresight has brought him rich rewards. His logistics business is brisk these days. Building on the major projects listed for the Reform and Development Program of the Pearl River Delta in 2009 (the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Around Pearl River Delta Expressway, and the Zhongshan-Shenzhen Pearl River Estuary Thoroughfare) a large A-shaped golden triangle is about to take shape, and Zhongshan stands to benefit from the new round of development opportunities.

Following the completion of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan thoroughfare for example, Zhongshan will become a traffic hub and transfer platform for that large new A from a common node on the west axis, amplifying its geographical and functional advantages at the core of the Pearl River Delta.

Driving Forces

Standing on the mountaintop in downtown Zhongshan Park, one has a panoramic view of the lively urban sprawl.

The Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway and the Zhongshan-Jiangmen Expressway offer vantage points on stretches of fishponds and banana groves. The 1,800 square kilometers under its jurisdiction are dotted with small towns such as Xiaolan, Dayong, Sanjiao, Dongfeng and Shaxi. Each one is characterized by what it manufactures, whether that's lamps, furniture, garments, hardware, or kitchen and sanitation articles.

Zhongshan's history of industrial development can be traced back centuries. Xiangshan County is adjacent to Macao, so its inhabitants were in contact with Western culture earlier than people in the interior, and Xiangshan became the point where Eastern and Western civilizations met. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, a large number of Xiangshan natives ascended to historical significance and left a rich cultural heritage behind them. Xiangshan County was renamed after Sun Yat-sen in 1925 but there are other notables: Rong Hong (the earliest Chinese student studying abroad), Zheng Guanying (the earliest advocate of constitutional monarchy in China), and the famous compradors Tang Tingshu, Xu Run and Mo Shiyang. The comprador culture derived from their accomplishments in turn promoted the industrial civilization of modern times. Many overseas Chinese are natives of Xiangshan, and they have created an overseas Chinese culture which plays an important role in promoting China's global profile.

Its continental economy and culture blended with its marine economy and culture positioned Xiangshan well: a century ago it was the archetype of China's unique salty/freshwater culture, a culture born where inland rivers meet the open sea. This culture has shaped the character of modern Zhongshan people. When reform and opening-up reached this cultural hot bed, new productive forces were unleashed that promoted the city's transformation.