Shaoguan City, Guangdong August Tourist Guides for China. Shaoguan City is an ancient historic centre and this guide refers to the whole of Shaoguan City District covering some 7, square miles. Shaoguan is known as the Gateway to Guangdong Province, and features the only overland mountain pass connecting Guangdong with northern China.
Meiguan pass was so treacherous in olden times that it was deemed unsuitable for mules! Shaoguan region can be dated back to , BC with the discovery of 'Maba Man', making this area one of the cradles of Chinese civilisation. The place was named 'Shao' in the Sui Dynasty , and in Ming and Qing dynasties it gained the name 'Shaoguan' for the government established passes here to collect taxes. However, today the main industry is tourism with Danxiashan Dan Xia Mountain , Nanhua Temple, and hot springs being the main attractions.
Most visitors are Chinese as this lovely area has not yet been discovered by western tour operators. Lying in the south part of the Nanling Mountains, Shaoguan has vast areas of karst landforms. Hilly areas constitute the main land of the city.
The Danxia Landform is revered for the red sandstone of Mt. Danxia in Renhua County. Generally the terrain is higher in the north and lower in the south. Enjoying a subtropical humid monsoon climate, the city is affected by the seasonal winds all the year round. Spring is overcast and rainy, while precipitation in autumn is less.
March to August is the rainy season and September to February the next year is the dry season. Shaoguan has abundant rainfall and moderate weather, so visitors can get there at anytime, especially in spring and autumn. Transportation Shaoguan does not have a civilian airport, but is linked to Guangzhou and all major Chinese cities by rail.
