The area has a prominent history, dating back to the Qin dynasty, and hosts a number of major historic sites.

Liwan District spans an area of 62.4 square kilometres (24.1 sq mi), and as of the end of 2023, has a population of about 1,113,000.

[citation needed] In the months following the proclamation of the People's Republic of China, the area of present-day Liwan District changed administrative organization a number of times.

[1] On October 14, 1949, the government organized the area as Fangcun District (Chinese: 芳村区; pinyin: Fāngcūn Qū).

[1] Liwan district has a well-developed transport network connecting with the railway station and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in the north.

Renmin Bridge and Zhujiang Tunnel link the banks of the Pearl River in the southern part of Liwan.

[citation needed] In addition, there are historic sites where Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Zhan Tianyou, Chen Shaobai and Tang Tingguang lived or worked.

[citation needed] There are Guangya School setup by Zhang Zhidong, a member of the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty and relic site of Xicun Industrial Zone developed by Chen Jitang when was in power during PC period.

[1] Of these, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and Shamian Island are designated as national key protected cultural relic units.

[citation needed] The area of the Thirteen Factories was the sole legal site of foreign trade within China for nearly one hundred years.

There are several municipality-level relic spots: Hualin Temple, one of Guangzhou's Buddhist “five jungles”,[clarification needed] Taoist Zhenwudi Renwei Temple, Jiang Guangding’s former residence, Li Wentian’s Taihua Building and Xiguan big house.