Zhangzhou
Zhangzhou
漳州 Chiang-chiu, Lung-ch'i | |
|---|---|
| Chinese transcription(s) | |
| • Simplified | 漳州 |
| • Traditional | 漳州 |
| • Pinyin | Zhāngzhōu |
| • POJ | Chiang-chiu |
| Zhangzhou City Zhangzhou City | |
 | |
| Country | China |
| Province | Fujian |
| Area | |
| • Prefecture-level city | 12,888 km2 (4,976 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 366 km2 (141 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 3,257 km2 (1,258 sq mi) |
| Population (2010)[1] | |
| • Prefecture-level city | 4,809,983 |
| • Density | 370/km2 (970/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 596,165 |
| • Urban density | 1,600/km2 (4,200/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 4,984,482 |
| • Metro density | 1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
| Postal code | |
| Area code | 596 |
| GDP | 2009[1] |
| - Total | CNY 111.317 billion (USD 16.31 billion) |
| - Per capita | CNY 23,264 (USD 3,409) |
| - Growth |  13.3% |
| License Plate | 闽E |
| Local dialect | Min Nan: Zhangzhou dialect |
| City trees | Cinnamomum camphora |
| City flowers | Narcissus tazetta |
| Website | www.zhangzhou.gov.cn |
Zhangzhou (Chinese: 漳州; pinyin: Zhāngzhōu; Wade–Giles: Chang1-chou1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chiang-chiu; formerly Lung-ch'i) is a prefecture-level city in southern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. Located on the banks of the Jiulong River (Beixi), Zhangzhou borders the cities of Xiamen (廈門) and Quanzhou (泉州) to the northeast, Longyan City to the northwest and the province of Guangdong to the southwest.
Zhangzhou is home to 4,809,983 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom those of Longwen and Xiacheng districts are considered as urban. The built up area now include these 2 previous districts, the city of Longhai and reaches Xiamen 3,531,147 inhabitants. The 2 cities built up area (ie Metro area) is now home to about 5 millions inhabitants in 2010.
In older English works, its name may appear as Chang-chow or Changchow and in Southeast Asian contexts it appears as Chiang-chew or Chiang Chew from the Hokkien name.
Dialect
The main dialect spoken in Zhangzhou is Hokkien, one of the major Min Nan languages/topolects. But officially, people use Mandarin in government, commerce and official business.
History
In the early 20th century, Zhangzhou-fu was surrounded by 42 miles of wall (in circumference). [2] Its streets were paved with granite, but struck some Western visitors as dirty, as reported in the Enyclopedia Britannica. The Jiulongjiang River was crossed by an 800-foot bridge of wooden planks supported on twenty-five stone piers.[2] At this time, heavy silk trading activity occurred in the city, while brick kilns and sugar-manufactures were among its primary industrial activities.[2] In 1911, its population was estimated around 1,000,000.[2]
Zhangzhou's central urban area (now Xiangcheng District) was occupied in April and May 1932 by a column of Communist guerrillas under Mao Zedong. Due to the presence of Western gunboats in Xiamen Bay, arms shipments from the Soviet Union were unable to get up the Jiulong Jiang River to Mao's forces and on to the main Communist base area. According to some reports, Mao's forces took with them a substantial amount of loot from bourgeois residents when his column retreated from the city.[3]
Climate
| Climate data for Zhangzhou (1971−2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.0 (64.4) |
18.0 (64.4) |
20.3 (68.5) |
24.6 (76.3) |
27.8 (82.0) |
31.0 (87.8) |
33.6 (92.5) |
33.1 (91.6) |
31.2 (88.2) |
28.2 (82.8) |
24.4 (75.9) |
20.3 (68.5) |
25.9 (78.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.0 (50.0) |
10.7 (51.3) |
13.0 (55.4) |
17.1 (62.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
23.8 (74.8) |
25.3 (77.5) |
25.1 (77.2) |
23.5 (74.3) |
20.1 (68.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
11.4 (52.5) |
18.0 (64.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 41.0 (1.61) |
84.8 (3.34) |
114.0 (4.49) |
168.4 (6.63) |
207.2 (8.16) |
278.6 (10.97) |
171.9 (6.77) |
232.8 (9.17) |
170.0 (6.69) |
63.0 (2.48) |
38.2 (1.50) |
34.5 (1.36) |
1,604.4 (63.17) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 8.5 | 12.2 | 14.9 | 15.2 | 16.9 | 17.7 | 12.5 | 14.3 | 11.2 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 139.6 |
| Source: Weather China | |||||||||||||
Administrative divisions
The prefecture-level city of Zhangzhou administers 2 districts, 1 county-level city and 8 counties.
- Longwen District (龙文区)
- Xiangcheng District (芗城区)
- Longhai City (龙海市)
- Changtai County (长泰县)
- Dongshan County (东山县)
- Hua'an County (华安县)
- Nanjing County (南靖县)
- Pinghe County (平和县)
- Yunxiao County (云霄县)
- Zhangpu County (漳浦县)
- Zhao'an County (诏安县)
Universities and colleges
Notable people
- Chen Yuanguang (陳元光), 657 - 711 CE, military leader important in facilitating Han-nationality settlement and control of today's Fujian and northern Guangdong provinces.
- Khaw Soo Cheang, 1786 - 1882, South China Sea merchant and a royally-favoured Governor in Thailand.
- Lin Yutang (林语堂), 1895 - 1976, international author, cultural ambassador and inventor.
References
- ^ a b "漳州市2009年国民经济和社会发展统计公报" (in Simplified Chinese). Zhangzhou Municipal Statistic Bureau. 2010-03-12. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ a b c d Encyclopedia Britannica, 1911 http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Chang-Chow
- ^ Zhang Rong/Jung Chang, Mao: the Unknown Story, 2005, p.117
External links
24°31′N 117°39′E / 24.517°N 117.650°E
