Guangzhou, or Canton as it is sometimes known, is the major urban settlement in south China. Guangdong is the province of which Guangzhou is the capital. Guangzhou and Guangdong have a long settlement history that can be traced to the Zhou dynasty, eight centuries before the Christian era. TheHistorical Dictionary of Guangzhou (Canton) and Guangdong is a comprehensive, up-to-date dictionary of the geography, politics, and society of this premier city in south China and its surrounding province. TheDictionary focuses upon the contemporary history of Guangzhou and Guangdong. The authors present the Dictionary in two distinct sections: the first is for the city of Guangzhou, the second for the province of Guangdong. Though the city and province are two distinct entities, it is impossible to fully understand one without understanding the other. The dictionary is an alphabetical listing of the people, places, events and cultural activities significant to the modern history of Guangzhou and Guangdong. There is an introductory essay for each of the two sections to provide context for what follows. Two bibliographies follow the dictionary, primarily made up of English-language sources.