Tianhe, Guangzhou

Tianhe 天河区
District
Zhujiang New Town in Tianhe District
Tianhe in Guangzhou
Coordinates: 23°7′37.737″N 113°21′21.95″E / 23.12714917°N 113.3560972°E / 23.12714917; 113.3560972
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Guangdong
Sub-provincial city	Guangzhou
Area
• Total	96.33 km2 (37.19 sq mi)
Population  (2020 census[1])
• Total	2,241,826
• Density	23,000/km2 (60,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code	510630
Area code	020
Website	http://www.thnet.gov.cn/

Tianhe District (Chinese: 天河区) is one of the eleven districts of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. In Chinese, the name Tianhe literally means "a river in the sky/heavens", which is also a Chinese name for the Milky Way. It is bordered by Yuexiu District on the west, Baiyun District on the north and Huangpu District on the east. Haizhu District is on its south, though they are separated by the Pearl River.

Tianhe became a district in the 1980s as the city expanded its size. Back then, it was east of Dongshan District (which was merged into Yuexiu in 2005) and retained a suburban or even rural atmosphere. A majority of colleges and universities in the city were located in the district. However, Tianhe District has seen a sharp decline in arable land at an average rate of 1,000 mu per year due to urbanization since 1991.^[2] Tianhe has since developed into one of the most desirable areas in Guangzhou.^[3]

Symbolic landmarks of Guangzhou located in Tianhe District are: Citic Plaza, Guangzhou International Finance Center, Guangzhou Opera House, and the Guangdong Museum. The 6th and 9th of The National Games of the People's Republic of China, and the 2010 Asian Games were also held in Tianhe District, Guangzhou.