[2] It is known for the "Samsui women", emigrants who labour in Singapore, and for a large fireworks explosion in 2008.

According to archaeology sites discovered within the region, there were human beings inhabited in the town of Baini (白坭鎮) Sanshui District about four thousand years ago.

Sanshui administers 2 subdistricts and 5 towns:[4] Oil, coal, and slate are found in the surrounding area.

The mainstay of the former city's economy was the Jianlibao Company, which produced a soft drink made from oranges and honey.

Despite Sanshui's proximity to Guangzhou and other Pearl River Delta cities, it remains a relatively poor place with many people only earning a few hundred yuan a month.