ZhongshanMunicipalityisthehometownofDr.SunYat-sen(1866-1925),forerunneroftheChinesedemocraticrevolution.Situatedinthemid-southofthePearlRiverDelta,andthewestsideoftheestuaryofthePearlRiver,themunicipalityadjoinsGuangzhouMunicipalityinthenorth,linkswithZhuhaiMunicipalityinthesouth,neighborsJiangmenMunicipalityinthewestandliesinthevicinityofHongKongandMacao.Themunicipalityexercisesjurisdictionover19towns,4urbandistrictsandanationalhigh-techindustrialdevelopmentzone.ThemunicipalgovernmentisseatedatNo.1,SongyuanRoadofEasternDistrict.ZhongshanisafamousnativeplacetooverseasChinese.Over800,000ChinesenationalsandethnicChineselivingin87countriesandcompatriotsinHongKong,MacaoandTaiwanfindtheirrootsinZhongshan.

　　ZhongshanwascalledXiangshaninancienttimes.ItwaspartofPanyuCountyintheHanDynasty(206BC-220),DongguanPrefecturefromJinDysnasty(265-420)onwardandDonguanCountyintheTangDynasty(618-907).Inthe22ndyearofShaoxingPeriod(1152)intheSouthernSongDynasty(1127-1279),XiangshanCountywasestablishedonthebasisofthecoastalportionsallottedfromNanhaiCounty,PanyuCountyandXinhuiCounty,joiningthejurisdictionofGuangzhouPrefecture.ItcamedirectlyunderGuangdongProvinceafterthefoundingoftheRepublicofChina.CuihengVillageofXiangshanCountyisthehometownofDr.SunYat-sen.In1925,XiangshanCountywasrenamedasZhongshanCounty.WithapprovalbytheStateCouncil,ZhongshanCountywaschangedtoZhongshanCity(county-level)inDecember1983andelevatedtoamunicipalityinJanuary1988.

　　ThegeologicalstructureofZhongshanMunicipalitybelongstoCentralGuangdongColofSouthChinafolding.Theterrainmainlyconsistsofplains,highinthecenterandflataround.Theplainareaslopesdownfromnorthwesttosoutheast.WuguiMountainandZhugaoMountaintowerinthemid-southofthemunicipality.TheleadingpeakofMountWugui531metersabovesealevel,isthehighestinthemunicipality.Zhongshanliesinlowlatitudearea,withtheentireterritoryinthesouthoftheTropicofCancer.Itissubjecttosubtropicalmonsoonclimate,whichischaracterizedbyabundantheatandlight,plentifulrainfallandcleardistinctionofhumidityanddryness.Theannualaveragetemperatureis21.8centigrade.Watervaporizationcarriedbysummermonsoonisthemajorsourceofrainfall.Onemayencountersuchbadweatherliketyphoon,frost,andrainfallinlowtemperature,windofcolddewandrainstormhere.Thetypicalvegetationistheevergreentropicalrainforest.Vegetationmainlyconsistsofover610kindsofplantsandforestcoverageis12.95%.

　　MajortouristattractionsareformerresidenceofDr.SunYat-sen,SunwenMemorialPark,ZhongshanTown,whichisaTVprogram-makingbaseofCCTV,SunwenWestRoad,whichisapedestrianshoppingstreetfeaturinglocalhistoryandculture.ThereareSunYat-senMemorialHall,ZhongshanHotSprings,Spring&ForestValley,SeasideResort,ariver-crisscrossingareawithstrongSouthChinafeatures,ZimalingPark,WenToweratopBufengPeakandHappyValley.TheformerresidenceofSunYat-senisanationalAAAAattraction.

　　FolkcultureisrichinZhongshan.AmongtheartformsareZhongshanfolksong,danceofdragon,lion,craneandphoenixandHuangpuParade(aparadewherechildrenwithstrongmake-upimitat