The West River is a major tributary of the Pearl River, originating in Yunnan and flowing through Guizhou and Guangxi before entering Guangdong at Sanshui. The exploration of the Xijiang River within Guangdong begins with the Lingnan First Tower. The ancient city of Fengkai, located on the Guangdong-Guangxi border where the Guangxin Tower, the Lingnan First Tower is located. From the tower’s summit, we can gaze westward to Guangxi and eastward to Guangdong, where the Xijiang River connects the two provinces, forming a unique geographical area of Lingnan. Our first trip was in July 2021, we travled from Fengkai to Guangzhou, through Deqing, Zhaoqing and Sanshui. And in Nov. 2024, we continued our visit to in Wuzhou, Guangxi Province. Wu Zhou is the most important city on the West River in Guangxi.
The West River brings continuous water resources to Guangdong and Guangxi from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. As the primary waterway, the West River also serves as the lifeline for Cantonese people moving upstream stop by stop. The footsteps of successive generations of Cantonese settlers could be found along the West River. The West River basin in Guangxi is also the area that Cantonese dialect prevails, the people live here sharing the same language, lifestyle, and economic structure as Guangdong.
Wuzhou
Fengkai
Deqing
Zhaoqing
Sanshui
