Economy

Situated in the fertile Pearl River Delta, its economy was once dominated by agriculture, fisheries and silk farming. Since the implementation of policies related to reform and openness began in 1978, the people of this area were given full control over their geographical position and culture. This has allowed Shunde to gradually develop into a modern industrial boomtown, especially the manufacturing of furniture and electric appliances. Major mainland Chinese product brands are headquartered in Shunde with major production facilities. Recently a new technology industrial park has also been opened in this area, featuring car manufacturers such as Toyota.

Major Chinese companies such as Galanz, Kelon, Country Garden and Midea, has its headquarters in Shunde District.

Shunde was approved as a pilot city for the comprehensive reform of Guangdong in 1993,

Today, this area has become one of the most affluent counties in Guangdong and mainland China (according to official information from the Chinese government and the United Nations). The GDP reached 127.5 billion yuan in 2007, an annual increase of 18%, and GDP per capita reached 107,991 yuan (ca. US$14,200).

Tourism

Tourist attractions include the Qinghui Garden, which features fish ponds surrounded by osmanthus, bamboo and mulberry bushes, as well as the Bruce Lee Memorial Museum located in Jun'an. Shunfengshan Park was opened to the public in 2004 and has a memorial archway which is wide and high. Baolin Temple is accessible through the park.

Travelling from Shunde is easy with many different options. There are ferries and buses that go directly to Hong Kong, including an option to Hong Kong International Airport. Bus tickets can be purchased at the New World Centre Hotel. Macau is easily accessible by train, taking less than an hour. Guangzhou is accessible by train, taxi or bus.

UNESCO Creative Cities

China's southern city of Shunde joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as the city of gastronomy on Monday. Another 27 cities from 19 countries were also added to the list.

Shunde has long been widely regarded as the basis for exquisite Cantonese cuisine and the cradle of Cantonese cuisine chefs. While the cuisine of Guangzhou has been historically very minimalist in terms of flavorings, food from Shunde is known for its liberal use of ingredients such as sun dried tangerine peel and dates, resulting in simple but powerful flavors.

Launched in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The network aims to foster international cooperation between cities committed to investing in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and enhanced cultural influence in the world.

By joining the network, cities commit to collaborate and develop partnerships with a view to promoting creativity and cultural industries, to share best practices, to strengthen participation in cultural life and to integrate culture in economic and social development plans.

The network covers seven thematic areas: craft and folk arts, design, film, gastronomy, Literature, media arts and music. It aims to promote international cooperation and encourage the sharing of experiences and resources to promote local development through culture and creativity.

With these new designations, the number of UNESCO Creative Cities Network members now totals 69.

Population

According to the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, Shunde District had a total population of 2,461,701, including 1,984,989 registered residents. There were 706,870 households, with an average of 2.81 people per household. The male population stood at 1,329,396, accounting for 54 percent of the total, with a sex ratio of 117.41.

In terms of age composition, people aged 14 and below numbered 296,391, making up 12.04 percent of the population; those aged between 15 and 64 reached 2,051,665, accounting for 83.34 percent; and people aged 65 and above were 113,645, taking up 4.62 percent.

In terms of educational attainment, there were 8,786 people with college education or above and 19,984 people with senior high school education or above per 100,000 residents, and the illiteracy rate was 1.54 percent.

Compared with the Fifth National Population Census in 2000, the total population rose by 45.31 percent with an average annual growth rate of 3.81 percent. The average household size decreased by 0.67 people, and the sex ratio went up by 5.79.

The proportion of people aged 14 and below dropped by 5.3 percentage points, that of people aged 15 to 64 increased by 5.6 percentage points, and that of people aged 65 and above fell by 0.3 percentage points.

The number of people with college education or above and senior high school education or above per 100,000 residents increased by 5,547 and 5,031 respectively, while the illiteracy rate decreased by 1.53 percentage points.

Based on the results of the Seventh National Population Census taken at zero hour on November 1, 2020, the basic permanent population data of Shunde District are as follows:

Permanent Population

The permanent population of the district reached 3,229,090.

Population Growth

Compared with the figure of 2,461,701 recorded in the Sixth National Population Census, the permanent population increased by 767,389 over the past decade, representing a growth of 31.17 percent and an average annual growth rate of 2.75 percent.

Household Population

There were 1,154,560 family households and 129,680 collective households in the district. The population of family households was 2,812,637, and that of collective households was 416,453. The average size of each family household was 2.44 people, a decrease of 0.37 people compared with 2.81 people recorded in the Sixth National Population Census in 2010.

Famous residents and people from the area

Martial artist Bruce Lee's ancestral roots are traced to Gwan'on (Jun'an) in Seundak (Shunde). A street in the village is named after the actor, and his ancestral home is open to the public.

Other notable figures who are natives or trace their ancestry to Shunde include:

  • Ou Shizi (區適子) (1234–1324), scholar of Southern Song dynasty
  • John So, former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Australia
  • Lee Shau Kee, Real estate developer, and, as of January 2025, the 85th richest person in the world
  • Yang Guoqiang, Real estate developer
  • Law Kar Ying, Famous actor
  • Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, Chinese-American cookbook writer
  • Brandon Lee, Chinese-American film actor
  • Lee Heung-kam (1932–2021), Hong Kong Cantonese opera and TV actress

References

  • Government of Shunde
  • Destination guide
  • Information about Shunde