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China
China
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 3.7x larger than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 1.1x more people than Shenzhen
Guangzhou is significantly larger, covering 3.7 times the area of Shenzhen. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Shenzhen covers 1,997 km² (771 mi²) — a difference of 5,437 km². You could fit Shenzhen inside Guangzhou approximately 3 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
A major port city and trade hub in southern China. Known as "Canton", Guangzhou covers 7,434 km² with a population of 18.7 million. The city was founded around 214 BC. Guangzhou is known for Canton Tower, Cantonese cuisine (dim sum), Canton Fair, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou has been a major trading port for over 2,000 years and was a key stop on the Maritime Silk Road
China's tech capital and a major innovation hub. Often called "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. It was established in 1979. Visitors come for Tech industry (Huawei, Tencent, DJI), Shenzhen Bay, Window of the World theme park, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a fishing village of 30,000 people to a megacity of 17 million in just 40 years
Looking beyond city limits, the Guangzhou metropolitan area covers 7,434 km², which is 3.7x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 17.6 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is dramatically more crowded, with 3.5x the population density.
Both Guangzhou and Shenzhen are in China, making this a domestic size comparison that reveals how differently cities can develop within the same nation.
Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each.
Size Ratio
Shenzhen fits inside Guangzhou ~3 times
Density Gap
Shenzhen is 3.5x more densely populated
History
Guangzhou is ~2,193 years older
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Shenzhen is 104 km (65 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~37m. See full distance details, including timezone difference and city facts.
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