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Like Italy, Foshan also boasts a long history and a splendid culture. In the age of the Roman Empire, ancient people of Foshan already created primitive civilization with fishing, farming and pottery. The Hedang Beiqiu Relic, which records the living and reproduction of people at that time, locates in Shiwan Town; during the Renaissance, Shiwan became one of the "Four Renown Towns" of China, and its ceramic, textile, foundry and pharmaceutical industries reached peak prosperity in the South; the Ancient Nanfeng Kiln built in 1506 is still used to burn unique ceramics, becoming the oldest firewood kiln in use in the world. As the cradle of the Renaissance, Italy has influenced the whole Eorpe; and as an important representative of Lingnan culture, Foshan also has profound influence on the whole Southeast Asia: Foshan is the cradle of folk art of the Pearl River Delta. Currently, 13 of its projects have been listed among the Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the Ancestral Temple is referred to as “Palace of Oriental Folk Art”; Foshan is the main cradle of South School of Martial Art, and Huang Feihong, Ye Wen and Bruce Lee enjoy high reputation in the world as representatives of Chinese Kung Fu; Foshan is also a “city of delicacies”and enjoys the reputation of “good food in Guangdong, good chefs from Foshan”. In the 2010 Shanghai Expo, Foshan has been selected as a case in Urban Best Practice Area with “Foshan’s Mode of Civilization Transmission—Foshan Pottery Culture in the Past, Present and Future”as its theme.
佛山同意大利一样，拥有悠久的历史和灿烂的文化。在古罗马帝国时期，佛山的先民已经用渔耕和制陶开创原始文明，记录当时人类生存、繁衍历史的河宕贝丘遗址就位于石湾镇内;在文艺复兴时期，石湾成为中国的“四大名镇”之一，陶瓷、纺织、铸造、医药四大行业鼎盛南国，1506年建立的南风古灶至今仍在烧制独具风味的陶器，成为世界上仍在使用的最古老柴烧龙窑。意大利作为文艺复兴的发源地影响了整个欧洲，而佛山作为岭南文化的重要代表对整个东南亚也有深远的影响：佛山是珠三角民间艺术的摇篮，现有13个项目入选中国非物质文化遗产名录，祖庙被称为“东方民间艺术之宫”;佛山市中国南派武术的主要发源地，佛山的黄飞鸿、叶问、李小龙作为中国武术的代表人物在世界上拥有很高声誉;佛山是“美食之乡”，素有“食在广东，师出佛山”的美誉。在2010年上海世博会中，“文明传承的佛山模式——陶文化在佛山的过去、现在、将来”案例入选城市最佳实践区。
Michael runs an American restaurant in Guangzhou.With his business in Guangzhou, he somehow lives in Foshan. Michael explains that it is because Foshan provides him with a comfortable life, while the pace of life in Guangzhou is too fast. He says, “Foshan is an ancient city. I like the Lingnan architecture here.”In his opinion, Lingnan architecture maintains classical features while combining Eastern and Western elements, which reflects the tolerance of the local culture.
Gianni runs an authentic Italian restaurant in Foshan, and has married a Chinese wife. According to Gianni, there are about 200 some Italians living and working in Foshan, and many of them frequently gather in his restaurant. His customers also include foreigners from the USA, Britain, Indonesia and other countries who are living in Foshan. Of course, the largest consumer group is Chinese. Gianni highly appreciates the Cantonese Cuisine of Foshan. He thinks it pays much attention to quality and taste. Being light while seeking freshness and delicacy, the cuisine is to his liking and is good for the health.
Talking about Foshan, Daniel, an Italian, first thinks of Chinese Kung Fu and Huang Feihong. “Foshan Kung Fu is very famous.”said Daniel excitedly. According to him, he met a Kung Fu trainer from Foshan when he was in Italy, and was then impressed by the Chinese Kung Fu of the trainer and also became interested in the city of Foshan.
