Sanyi


The Sanyi, Three Counties, or Nanpanshun also known by various Cantonese romanizations such as Sam Yup and Nam Pun Shun refers to the three former counties of Nanhai, Panyu, and Shunde surrounding Guangzhou and Foshan.

Geography

The former counties and the corresponding modern districts are
;Nanhai
;Panyu
;Shunde

Dialects

The area gave rise to the Yuehai dialects, the most prominent of which is Cantonese. Standard Cantonese is base on the Yuehai dialects belong to the Yue branch of Chinese, Cantonese speakers easily understand throughout Chinese part of Lingnan area.

Emigration

Many of the Chinese immigrants to the United States in the late 19th century came from this part of the Pearl River Delta, together with the coastal region of Siyi to the southwest.