China　has　experienced　and　is　experiencing　expeditious　urban　expansion　in　the　recent　decades,　especially　in　the　coastal　areas　and　big　cities.　Rapid　urban　expansion　and　dramatic　changes　of　landscape　have　caused　great　economic,　environmental　and　social　impacts　consequently.　It　is　crucial　to　understand　urban　temporal,　spatial　expansion　patterns　and　their　related　effects.　In　this　paper,　urban　expansion　of　Guangzhou,　a　rapid　growing　city　in　south-east　China,　from　1979　to　2003　is　studied　temporally　and　spatially.　Four　time　ranges　including　1979-1990,　1990-1995,　1995-2000　and　2000-2003　are　designed　and　the　urban　expansion　area,　expansion　rate　and　the　spatial　expansion　pattern　are　discussed　by　using　remote　sensing　data　and　Geographical　Information　System　(GIS)　tool.　Two　transects　are　designed　along　two　axes　of　Guangzhou　expansion　and　the　structural　of　urban　expansion　patches　at　different　orientations　are　compared　in　order　to　quantitively　understand　the　urban　expansion　of　Guangzhou　during　the　past　24　years.　The　gradient　analysis　integrating　multi-temporal　data　is　performed　in　order　to　analyze　and　compare　the　spatial　and　temporal　dynamics　of　urban　expansion.　Two　indices　of　compactness　and　fractal　dimensional　index　are　used　to　describe　the　urban　developing　pattern　in　the　study　time　durations.　And　the　influence　of　different　types　of　traffic　roads　to　urban　expansion　is　evaluated　using　the　buffer　analysis　of　GIS.　The　results　show　that:　(1)　temporally,　urban　area　of　Guangzhou　increase　296.54km2　from　141.15km2　in　1979　to　437.70km2　in　2003　and　the　increasing　rate　is　up　to　210.08%;　(2)　spatially,　Guangzhou　has　different　urban　expanding　directions　in　different　stages　and　the　general　expanding　directions　are　towards　northeast,　north,　southeast　and　north　in　four　studied　time　ranges;　(3)　transportation　lines　play　a　very　important　role　in　urban　expansion　of　Guangzhou,　but　different　types　of　road　have　different　impacts.　National　roads　and　highways　exhibit　stronger　control　to　urban　expansion　than　provincial　roads;　and　(4)　expansion　of　Guangzhou　has　gradually　changed　from　a　compact　pattern　to　leapfrogging　and　disordering　patterns.