Jiangyan, Taizhou

Jiangyan 姜堰区
District
Jiangyan Location in Jiangsu
Coordinates: 32°30′06″N 120°08′09″E
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Jiangsu
Prefecture-level city	Taizhou
Area
• Total	927.53 km2 (358.12 sq mi)
Population  (2010)
• Total	728,645
• Density	790/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code	2255XX

Jiangyan District (simplified Chinese: 姜堰区; traditional Chinese: 姜堰區; pinyin: Jiāngyàn Qū) is one of three urban districts of the city of Taizhou, Jiangsu province, China, having been, until December 2012, a county-level city. Jiangyan is noted for being the birthplace of the former General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Hu Jintao.

History

Formerly called Taixian or Taihsien (Traditional Chinese: 泰縣, Simplified Chinese: 泰县, pinyin: tāixīan), Jiangyan was a county by the end of the Western Han Dynasty. It has relics from the Zhou Dynasty and a Buddha statue from the Tang Dynasty. It was a town in the Qing Dynasty

Jiangyan has previously also been called Hailu (Chinese: 海陆), Wuling (Chinese: 吴陵), and Taizhou (Chinese: 泰州). In July 1994, the name was changed to Jiangyan and city status obtained.

The Qintong Boat Festival (Chinese: 溱潼会船) has a long history going back to the Ming Dynasty, and is growing in importance as a tourist destination in eastern China.

The Baima Temple (Chinese: 白马庙, meaning white horse temple) in Jiangyan (now in Taizhou) is the birthplace of the Navy of the People's Liberation Army.

The first Soviet base in northern Jiangsu was founded in Jiangyan by the No. 14 Red Army.

Jiangyan has been working to modernize the district through enhanced education and technology opportunities. Many technologies have been developed in Jiangyan, and more than 70 patents have been registered. Jiangyan has been among the "Top 100 most economically competitive counties in China" since 1995.

In 1990, Jiangyan was awarded the Global 500 Roll of Honor by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for its success in protecting the environment and increasing grain yield through wide use of marsh biogas ponds.

Administrative divisions

Jiangyan District is divided into 15 towns:

• Jiangyan Town (姜堰镇)
• Qintong (溱潼镇)
• Jiangduo (蒋垛镇)
• Gugao (顾高镇)
• Dalun (大伦镇)
• Zhangdian (张甸镇)
• Liangxu (梁徐镇)
• Qiaotou (桥头镇)
• Yuxi (淤溪镇)
• Baimi (白米镇)
• Leizhuang (娄庄镇)
• Shengao (沈高镇)
• Xingtai (兴泰镇)
• Yuduo (俞垛镇)
• Huagang (华港镇)

Geography

Located in the center of Jiangsu province, Jiangyan is bordered on the east by Hai'an and Dongtai. To the west lie the districts of Hailing and Gaogang. Taixing is to the south and Xinghua to the north.

Transportation

The Nanjing-Jinjiang-Yancheng Highway passes runs north-south through the district, and National Highway 328 runs east-west. Water transportation is by the Yangzhou Canal, and the Zhonggan, Jiangyan-Qintong, and Jiangyan-Huangqiao rivers.

There is bus service to Jiangyan from Shanghai or Nanjing via National Highway 328 and the Nanjing-Jinjiang-Yancheng Highway.

Shanghai can be reached from Jiangyan in under three hours.

Tourism

Qintong Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Racing in Qintong Boat Festival

The Qintong Boat Festival is held every year in Qingming, around April 4–6. During the festival, boats from nearby villages and towns converge on Xique lake for a few days of celebration. Theatrical performances, dragon and lion dances, and other folk dances are held on the boats.

A highlight of the festival is the racing of boats using long poles instead of paddles.

The boat festival is an important tourist attraction and attracts foreign investment to the area.

Xique Lake

Xique Lake is located in Qintong, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Jiangyan, and makes up part of the Qintong Swamp.

Museums

Gao Ershi Museum is in Jiangyan.

Schools

There are 233 kindergartens, 280 primary schools, 50 middle schools, and 2 provincial special high schools. Jiangyan High School was named a model high school and promoted to be a provincial high school.

Notable people

Jiangyan is known for a number of notable people:

• General Chen Yi commanded the Battle of Huangqiao in Qujiang Tower, in downtown Jiangyan.
• Ming dynasty general Tang Shunzhi (唐顺之) fought the Japanese wokou in Jiangyan.
• Yue Fei (岳飞) and Wen Tianxiang (文天祥) were both stationed in Jiangyan to fight against the Jin and Mongol invaders during the Song dynasty.
• Wang Dong (王栋), one of the founders of the 'Taizhou clique' philosophy, taught in Jiangyan for decades in the Wanggong Temple ("王公祠"). The temple is now preserved as a museum.
• Liu Jingting (Chinese: 柳敬亭) was Master of Yangzhou Pingtan, a form of traditional Chinese opera.
• The artist Tang Zhique (唐志契), along with his brother Tang Zhiyi (唐志尹) and nephew Tang Riyin (唐日艮), the so-called 'Three Tangs', were from Jiangyan during the Ming dynasty.
• Huang Longshi (Chinese :黄龙士) was a Master of go in the Qing Dynasty.
• Gao Ershi (Chinese: 高二适) was a calligrapher in modern times.
• Lu Fubao (卢福保) was the consule of Taiwan.
• Hu Jintao(胡锦涛, the former General Secretary of the Communist Party, was born in Jiangyan.

External links

• Official website of Jiangyan, Jiangsu
• Jiangyan English guide (Jiangsu.NET)
• Official website of Qintong Boat Festival