Guangzhou, situated on the banks of the Pearl River Dalta, has long been one of China's main commercial and trading centers.
The City of Five Rams has been a nexus(枢纽) of world trade for centuries, from the Maritime(海运的;航海的) Silk Road to the modern Canton Fair.
Indeed, it could be argued that this intermingling(交融;混合) with the world is what has led to the openness, pragmatism(实用主义;独断), and inclusiveness(包容;包容性) of the Cantonese people.
Indigenous(本土的) lingnan architecture is another sign of Guangzhou pragmatism, a design suited for a subtropical(亚热带的) climate.
However, Guangzhou is also home to the dizzyingly-tall Canton Tower, as well as the postmodern(后现代的) Guangzhou Opera House.
Cantonese cuisine(菜肴;菜系) is sparsely (稀疏地;清淡地) seasoned (调味的;有经验的,老手) to bring out the true character of the food.
Guangzhou migrants (移民) took their culinary (烹饪的;食物的) traditions with them to America in the 19th and 20th centuries, forever changing the palate(对美食,美酒的鉴赏力; 味觉) of Americans.
Today, you would be hard pressed to find an urban American who had never head of chow mein (中国炒面), bok choy (白菜), or of course dim sum(点心).