History of Guangdong in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: February 25, 2026

Guangdong is a coastal province in South China, located on the northern shore of the South China Sea. Guangzhou serves as its capital city. With a population of approximately 127.06 million, Guangdong is the most populous province in China and ranks as the third-most populous country subdivision globally. It covers an area of about 179,800 square kilometers, making it the 15th-largest province in China by area.

1952: Purge of Fang Fang and Cadres in Guangdong

In 1952, Mao Zedong purged Fang Fang and thousands of cadres from Guangdong in response to Fang's moderate land reform policies. Tao Zhu was sent to implement a harsher program.

1952: Guangdong Transfers Coastline to Guangxi

In 1952, a small section of Guangdong's coastline, including Qinzhou, Lianzhou, Fangchenggang, and Beihai, was given to Guangxi.

1955: Coastline Returned to Guangdong

In 1955, the coastline previously given to Guangxi was returned to Guangdong.

1965: Coastline Returned to Guangxi Again

In 1965, the coastline was restored to Guangxi again.

1978: Start of Deng Xiaoping Reforms

Until the start of the Deng Xiaoping reforms in 1978, Guangdong was an economic backwater.

1988: Hainan Separated from Guangdong

In 1988, Hainan Island was separated from Guangdong to become its own province.

1989: Guangdong Becomes Largest Province by GDP

In 1989, Guangdong became the largest province by GDP in Mainland China.

January 2005: Guangdong Becomes China's Most Populous Province

In January 2005, Guangdong surpassed Henan and Shandong to become China's most populous province, with 79.1 million permanent residents and 31 million migrants.

2005: Guangdong Officially Becomes Most Populous Province

Guangdong officially became the most populous province in 2005, with an influx of migrants, temporary workers, and newly settled individuals numbering around 30 million.

2007: Ancestor Veneration in Guangdong

According to a 2007 survey, 43.71% of the population in Guangdong believes in and is involved in ancestor veneration.

2009: Gender Imbalance Study in Guangdong

According to a 2009 study published in The British Medical Journal, Guangdong has a highly unbalanced gender ratio, with over 130 boys for every 100 girls in the 1-4 age group.

2012: Religion Survey in Guangdong

According to a 2012 survey, only around 7% of Guangdong's population belongs to organised religions, with Buddhists being the largest group at 6.2%.

2013: Research on Neolithic Era in Guangdong

According to Jiao's research in 2013, the Neolithic was likely introduced to coastal Guangdong from the middle Yangtze River area.

2015: Service Industry Target for Guangdong

By 2015, the local government of Guangdong aimed for the service industry to account for more than 50 percent of the province's GDP and high-tech manufacturing another 20 percent.

2020: Guangdong's Population in 2020

In the 2020 Chinese census, Guangdong's total population was 126,012,510, accounting for 8.93 percent of mainland China's population.

2021: Guangdong's Industry Values in 2021

In 2021, Guangdong's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries were worth 534 billion RMB (US$79.4 billion), 5.28 trillion RMB (US$785.6 billion), and 7.09 trillion RMB (US$1.05 trillion), respectively.

2022: Higher Education Institutions in Guangdong

As of 2022, Guangdong hosts 160 institutions of higher education, ranking first in South Central China and second among all Chinese provinces/municipalities after Jiangsu.

2022: Guangdong's GDP in 2022

In 2022, Guangdong's GDP was 13.57 trillion RMB ($1.9 trillion nominal, $3.78 trillion PPP). Guangdong has been the largest province by GDP since 1989 in Mainland China.

2023: Guangdong's Population

As of 2023, Guangdong had a population of 127.06 million, making it China's most populous province.

2024: Guangdong's Economy in 2024

In 2024, Guangdong's GDP reached CN¥14.16 trillion (US$2.0 trillion), contributing approximately 10.5 percent of mainland China's economic output.

2024: Urban and Rural Population in Guangdong

In 2024, Guangdong's population was 75.9% urban and 24.1% rural.

2024: Dissent Events and Political Rights Rating in Guangdong

In the first quarter of 2024, Guangdong accounted for 17% of dissent events in China, as monitored by Freedom House. In 2024, Freedom House rated China below zero on political rights.