Ezhou

Ezhou 鄂州
—  Prefecture-level city  —
鄂州市
Yanglan Lake in central Ezhou
Location in Hubei and the PRC
Ezhou Location in Hubei
Coordinates: 30°24′N 114°53′E
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Hubei
Area
• Prefecture-level city	1,504 km2 (581 sq mi)
• Urban	520 km2 (200 sq mi)
• Metro	873.2 km2 (337.1 sq mi)
Population (2010 census)
• Prefecture-level city	1,048,672
• Density	700/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
• Urban	603,412
• Urban density	1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
• Metro	900,272
• Metro density	1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi)
Time zone	China Standard (UTC+8)
Website	http://www.ezhou.gov.cn/

Ezhou (Chinese: 鄂州; pinyin: Èzhōu) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Hubei province, People's Republic of China.

Geography and climate

Ezhou is located in southeastern Hubei province, on the southern bank of the Yangtze River east of Wuchang (the southern section of Wuhan), and across the river from the city of Huanggang, to which it is connected by the Ehuang Bridge. Sandwiched between the prefecture-level cities of Wuhan and Huangshi, the prefecture-level city of Ezhou has a relatively small area of 1,504 square kilometres (581 sq mi). This is, however, reported by the city government as 1,594 square kilometres (615 sq mi) 鄂州地理位置</ref>)

Its population was 1,048,672 at the 2010 census whom 603,412 urban (Echeng district). The Ezhou - Huanggang built up area is home to 900,272 inhabitants (Echeng district with Huangzhou district of Huanggang prefecture).

History

This 1915 map shows a small Wuchang (today's Ezhou) across the river from Hwang-Chow (Huangzhou in Pinyin - today's central urban area of Huanggang), along with a much bigger Wuchang further west (next to Hanyang and Hankou)

Ezhou has a long rich history. Its Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) name derives from the ancient Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE) vassal State of E located nearby. Its administrative region was changed several times but the name stayed the same until the Three Kingdoms (220–280 CE). During this period it was made the capital of the Wu Kingdom by Sun Quan and was named Wuchang. This name was attested in use as late as 1915, which in that era proved confusing to travellers, as it was also applied to the much larger city of Wuchang, which was soon to become one of the constituent parts of Wuhan.

Throughout China's history it has remained an important city politically, economically, and militarily with its strategic position along the middle part of the Yangtze River. It is also an important place in the history of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism.

Administration

On the streets of Ezhou

Ezhou has 3 districts.

Districts:

• Echeng District (鄂城区) (where Ezhou's central urban area is located)
• Huarong District (华容区）
• Liangzihu District (梁子湖区）

Demographics

The population of Ezhou as of the end of 2007 was estimated at 1,064,400 people.

Economy

Ezhou television company tower

Ezhou has 6 ports on the Yangtze including one than can handle up to 10,000 ton vessels. Many important rail lines and national highways cross through the area. This infrastructure make it a major logistics and distribution center. Important industries include metallurgy, construction materials, textiles, chemicals, and machinery.

The passenger train station, located southwest of downtown, is served by a large number of long-distance passenger trains that pass Ezhou on their way from Wuhan to cities in the east. In Hubei, there are no commuter trains per se, but it takes only about 1 hour (usually, with a stop at Huarong) to reach Wuhan's Wuchang train station from Ezhou using any of those trains. The distance from the Ezhou station to Wuchang by rail is 82 kilometres (51 mi).

Transportation

Ezhou is served by the E-Huang Expressway, China National Highways 106 and 316, and the Wuhan–Jiujiang Railway.

Tourism

Ezhou has several sites famous for their natural beauty. The West Hill is in the heart of the city and Lotus Hill is nearby. There are also three lakes, Liangzhi, Yanglang, and Honglian.

External links

• Official Website(Chinese)