During the Tang Dynasty, the largest ports along the coast of China, such as Jiaozhou (Hanoi, Vietnam, which belonged to China in the Western Han Dynasty and remained in the Song Dynasty), Guangzhou, Quanzhou and Mingzhou (Ningbo), were all products of large-scale navigation with the West. Among the ports, Guangzhou is the distribution center. There are six regular air routes to Persia (Iran), Mesopotamia (Iraq), Aden (Arabian Empire), Lion Country (Sri Lanka), South China Sea (Malay Peninsula) and Java.

During the Tang Dynasty, China was the most developed country in the world and the center of economic and cultural exchanges among Asian countries, with frequent foreign exchanges, so Guangzhou became a world-famous port at that time. China's main sea route starts from Guangzhou, goes along the present Vietnamese coast to Kunlun Island at the mouth of Mekong River, passes through Singapore Strait, passes through Java Island, Sumatra Island, Nicobar Islands and Ceylon Island to the west coast of Indian Peninsula, and then divides into two roads: all the way into the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, along the east coast to Uzbekistan (now Basra, Iraq) at the mouth of Euphrates River, and land to Bangda City (now Baghdad), one of the world's commercial centers; The other route crosses the Indian Ocean from the Indian Peninsula, reaches the Sanglan country in eastern Africa (now Dar es Salaam, Tanzania), passes through dozens of small countries in the north, and can also reach Uzbekistan. At that time, it was the longest ocean route connecting Asia and Africa with the world, and a large number of foreign merchant ships came to Guangzhou along the above route. At that time, the Pearl River was full of sails, which was very lively. Most of these merchant ships docked near Boluo Temple in the outer harbor of Guangzhou, mainly to transport silk and porcelain.

The Tang government attached great importance to foreign trade and set up city envoys in Guangzhou to manage foreign trade affairs. In order to encourage foreign businessmen to come to China, in the eighth year of Tang Wenzong Taihe (AD 834), it was ordered that "foreign tourists from Lingnan, Fujian, Yangzhou and other places should be appointed to observe and consult regularly, and allowed to travel and trade on their own, and the rate tax should not be increased." In view of the large number of foreigners living in Guangzhou for a long time, the government has specially set up a "dining room" (in the area of Guangta Street) for foreigners to live in. One of them, Fanchang, was elected by foreigners and approved by our government to be responsible for the management of Fanfang. Schools have also been established to give foreign children the opportunity to receive education. In the second year of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (AD 848), Li Yansheng, an Arab, went from Guangzhou to Chang 'an, the capital city, to study, which shows that foreigners were deeply influenced by China culture at that time. With the arrival of a large number of Arabs, Islam was introduced to Guangzhou. In the first year of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan (AD 627), Huaisheng Temple and Light Tower were established in Guangzhou.

At this time, although Guangzhou's economy is prosperous, the urban area is not very large. Famous officials in the Tang Dynasty, such as Song Jing, Du You, Li Fu and yang yuling, successively advised residents to burn bricks and rebuild houses, which greatly changed the face of the city.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, in the sixth year of Emperor Xuanzong's reign (AD 879), the Huang Chao Uprising Army captured Guangzhou, and the walls of Guangzhou were destroyed by war. Huang Chao issued a proclamation in Guangzhou, denouncing the imperial eunuch's autocratic power, corrupt discipline and brain drain, and put forward the idea that "the secretariat of property is forbidden and the county magistrate is the home of spoilers".

In the Five Dynasties, Ada proclaimed himself emperor in Lingnan area in the third year of Hou Liang Zhen Ming (AD 9 17), with the title of Nanhan and its capital in Guangzhou. Guangzhou was renamed Xing Wang Fu. Nanhai county was abolished and Xianning and Changkang counties were set up instead. He ordered the leveling of Yushan and the expansion of the capital. Seven temples and 28 temples were built in the southeast and northwest of the city. In addition to the original temples, cigarettes filled the sky over Guangzhou every morning and evening, and Brahma bells spread far and wide. Qian Qiu Temple (now Haikuang Temple) is famous for its "Four donkey kong". The luxurious monarch built dozens of palaces, and also built many pavilions and gardens in Yuexiu Mountain in the north and Litchi Bay in the west. At that time, the urban architecture was quite magnificent, but the cost was huge and the treasury was empty, so lead coins were cast, and ten were used as a copper coin, forcing the people to use them and brutally exploiting them.