Guangzhou was once the most important mercantile city in south China, occupying a remarkable status as a central city for a long period in its history. In the past century, various internal and external factors have challenged the dominance of Guangzhou. By implementing a series of socio-economic and urban development strategies and plans in recent years, Guangzhou has been striving to reshape and consolidate its central city status. In this paper the major development strategies and plans launched by the city are examined. Guangzhou was found to have indeed re-established its status as a central city within Guangdong province and in south China through administrative means, urban planning, and image building. However, the city, which has been benefiting from national policy incentives, needs to selectively strengthen its economic development and emphasize regionally coordinated development in order to better play the role of a national central city in the twenty-first century.

廣州：重塑中心城市之路

歷史上很長一段時間，廣州是華南地區最重要的商貿城市，明顯地具有中心城市的地位。然而，過去一個世紀，眾多內外因素使廣州的中心城市地位和重要性備受挑戰。近年來，廣州通過制定一系列社會經濟和城市發展策略和規劃，力求重拾昔日光輝，再爭中心城市地位。本文研究和分析了相關的發展策略和規劃，認為廣州通過行政手段、城市規劃和城市形象等方面，成功地重塑為廣東省和華南地區的中心城市。廣州雖然得到國家的政策支持，但是必須有選擇性地發展重點產業，並加強區域協調發展，才能在廿一世紀更好地擔當國家中心城市的角色。