Pingxiang

For other uses, see Pingxiang (disambiguation).

Pingxiang 萍乡
—  Prefecture-level city  —
萍乡市
Downtown Pingxiang
Location of Pingxiang within Jiangxi
Pingxiang Location in China
Coordinates: 27°38′N 113°51′E
Country	China
Province	Jiangxi
Government
• Mayor	Kuang Xiaoping
Area
• Land	1,477.6 sq mi (3,827 km2)
Population (2006)
• Total	1,829,200
• Density	1,232.8/sq mi (476/km2)
Time zone	China standard time (UTC+8)
Area code(s)	0799
Website	http://www.pingxiang.gov.cn/

Pingxiang (simplified Chinese: 萍乡; traditional Chinese: 萍鄉; pinyin: Píngxiāng; Wade–Giles: P'ing-Shang) is a medium-sized prefecture-level city located in western Jiangxi province, China.

Geography and climate

Pingxiang is located in the remote mountainous region of the border between Jiangxi and Hunan. It is approximately 100 miles from Changsha, the capital of Hunan, and about 200 from Nanchang. Most of the area around the city is hilly and mountainous, though the city itself is relatively flat. The climate is sub-tropical, with mild winters, long, hot summers, and plenty of rain year-round. The annual average temperature is 17°C.

History

Archaeological evidence suggests that Pingxiang was first settled during the Stone Age. During the Han dynasty, it was part of Yichun. In 267, during the time of the Three Kingdoms, it became Pingxiang County, which made it a higher level of administration than what it is today. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it was part of the Jiangnanxi Circuit, and was called Yuanzhou. Its name and area of administration were changed many times until 1970, when it assumed its present form.

Administration

Pingxiang (萍乡) has direct jurisdiction over two urban districts, 1 economic development zone, three counties, 28 towns, 18 townships, and 7 sub-districts.

Urban Districts:

• Anyuan District (安源区)
• Xiangdong District (湘东区)
• (Anyuan Economic Development Zone 安源经济开发区)

Counties:

• Shangli County (上栗县)
• Luxi County (芦溪县)
• Lianhua County (莲花县)

Demographics

The population of the total administrative area of Pingxiang is estimated to be 1,800,000.

Economy

In 2004, the GDP was 17.256 billion RMB, an 18% growth over the previous year. Rural income was 3,322 RMB, and urban income was 7,858 RMB. One of the city's most important industries is coal. Even today, the Pingxiangren or local people proudly refer to their city as the "coal center of southern China."

Pingxiang is also a regional hub for transportation. Several national highways and the main rail line between Changsha and Nanchang run through the city.

External links

• Official Website (Chinese)