Yangzhou
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| Administration Type | Prefecture-level city |
| City Seat | Guangling District () |
| Area - Total - Urban center |
6,634 km² 988.81 km² |
| Population - Total - Urban center |
4,536,100 (2003) 1,151,300 (2006) |
| GDP - Total - Per Capita |
¥131.1 billion (2007) ¥29,400 (2007) |
| Major Nationalities | Han - 99.57% Hui - 0.28% |
| County-level divisions | 7 |
| Township-level divisions | 98 |
| CPC Committee Secretary | Ji Jianye (季建业) |
| Mayor | Wang Yanwen (王燕文) |
| Area code | 514 |
| Postal Code | 225000, 225100 (Urban center) 225200, 225600, 225800 (Other areas) |
| License Plate Prefix | 苏K |
Yangzhou (simplified Chinese: 扬州; traditional Chinese: 揚州; pinyin: Yángzhōu; former spellings: Yang-chou, Yangchow; literally "Rising Prefecture") is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across the river to the south.
[edit] Administration
The prefecture-level city of Yangzhou administers 7 county-level divisions. There are 3 districts, 3 county-level cities and 1 county:
- Guangling District (广陵区)
- Weiyang District (维扬区)
- Hanjiang District (邗江区)
- Jiangdu City (江都市)
- Gaoyou City (高邮市)
- Yizheng City (仪征市)
- Baoying County (宝应县)
These are further divided into 98 township-level divisions, including 87 towns and townships, and 11 subdistricts.
[edit] History
Yangzhou has a history of almost 2,500 years, being founded in the Spring and Autumn Period when it was called Guangling (廣陵, Kuang-Ling). It was called Hancheng during Warring States Period (403-221 BC) (Perkins). In 590 AD, the city began to be called Yangzhou, which was the traditional name of what was then the entire southeastern part of China.
Under the 2nd Emperor Yangdi (604-617) of the Sui Dynasty (581-617), was the southern capital of China and called Jiangdu upon the completion of the Jinghang (Grand) Canal until the fall of the Dynasty. It has been a leading economic and cultural center and major port of foreign trade and external exchange since the Tang Dynasty (618-907). There lived many Arab and persian merchants, but they were massacred in 760 AD during the An Shi Rebellion (Perkins).
The city, still known as Guangling, was briefly made the capital of the Wu Kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period.
In 1280 AD, Yangzhou was the site of a massive gunpowder explosion when the bomb store of the Weiyang arsenal had caught fire accidentally. This blast killed over a hundred guards, launched debris of the buildings into the air that landed 10 li away from the site of the explosion, and could be felt 100 li away as tiles on roofs shook (refer to gunpowder article).
Marco Polo served there under the Mongol emperor Kubilai Khan in the period around 1282-1287 (to 1285, according to Perkins). Although some versions of Polo's memoirs imply that he was the governor of Yangzhou, it is more likely that he was an official in the salt industry, as it is very unlikely that a foreigner would be made a governor of one of the most important cities in the country. The discovery of the 1342 tomb of Katarina Vilioni, member of an Italian trading family in Yangzhou, suggests the existence of a thriving Italian community in the city in the 14th century.
Yangzhou was the scene of a ten-day massacre in 1645 by the Qing army. An account of the massacre can be found in the Yangzhou shiri ji, recounted by Wang Xiuchu
Until the 19th century Yangzhou acted as a major trade exchange center for salt, (a government regulated commodity), rice and silk. The Mings (1368-1644) are largely responsible for building the city as it now stands and surrounding it with 9 km of walls.
The Yangzhou riot in 1868 was a pivotal moment of Anglo-Chinese relations during the late Qing Dynasty that almost led to war.[1] The crisis was fomented by the gentry of the city who opposed the presence of foreign Christian missionaries there. The riot that resulted was an angry crowd estimated at eight to ten thousand who assaulted the premises of the British China Inland Mission in Yangzhou by looting, burning and attacking the missionaries led by Hudson Taylor. No one was killed, however several of the missionaries were injured as they were forced to flee for their lives. As a result of the report of the riot, the British consul in Shanghai, Sir Walter Henry Medhurst took seventy Royal marines in a Man of war and steamed up the Yangtze to Nanjing in a controversial show of force that eventually resulted in an official apology from Viceroy Zeng Guofan and financial restitution made to the injured missionaries.
From the time of the Taiping Rebellion (1853) to the end of the Communist revolution (1949) Yangzhou was in decline, due to war damage and neglect of the Jinghang Canal as railways replaced it in importance; unfortunately, initial plans for railways connecting Yangzhou were deemed to be unimportant, and its status as the leading economic centre of China declined rapidly into a city of little importance. With the canal now partially restored, Yangzhou is once again an important transportation and market center. It also has some industrial output, chiefly in cotton and textiles. In 2004, a railway linked Yangzhou for the first time with Nanjing.
[edit] Geography and climate
Rivers: the Yangtze River, Jinghang Canal, Baoshe River, Datong River, Beichengzi River, Tongyang Canal, Xintongyang Canal, Baima Lake, Baoying Lake, Gaoyou Lake, Shaobo Lake.
Local landscape: Slender west lake, Ge garden, He garden, Da ming temple, Phoenix island, etc. Subtropical monsoon climate with humid changeable wind; longer winters for about 4 months, summers 3 months and shorter springs and autumns, 2 months respectively; frost-free period of 222 days and annual average sunshine of 2177 hours. Average temperature: 15 °C annually; the hottest in July of 27.6 °C and the coldest in January of 1.7 °C; maximum temperature of 39.8 °C and minimum −19 °C Rainfall: annual average of 1030 mm; rainy season from the middle of June to July
[edit] Culture
Yangzhou dialect is called Yangzhou Hua 扬州话 and is easily understandable by an outsider as it does not differ a lot from Mandarin.
During a period of prosperity and Imperial favour, the arts of storytelling and painting flourished in Yangzhou. The innovative painter-calligrapher Shitao lived in Yangzhou during the 1680s and again from 1697 until his death in 1707. A later group of painters from that time called the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou are famous throughout China.
Former President of China Jiang Zemin was born and raised in Yangzhou. His middle school is located right across from the public notary's office in Yangzhou.
Yangzhou is famous for its carved lacquerware and jade carvings.
Poet Li Bai (c.700-762) wrote in Seeing Meng Haoran off to Yangzhou from Yellow Crane Pavilion:
- At Yellow Crane Pavilion in the west
- My old friend says farewell;
- In the mist and flowers of spring
- He goes down to Yangzhou;
- Lonely sail, distant shadow,
- Vanish in blue emptiness;
- All I see is the great river
- Flowing into the far horizon.
Some of China’s most creative and eye catching dishes come from the Yangzhou school of cuisine called Huaiyang (also commonly known as the Weiyang school). Along with Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, and Shandong cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine (淮扬菜) is a distinctive and masterful skill that locals are quite proud of.
The city is famous for its public bath houses, lacquerware, jadeware, embroidery, paper-cut, art & crafts velvet flavers.
The city was awarded Habitat Scroll of Honour in 2006.
Yangzhou is also very famous for its toy industry (especially stuffed animals). Many tourists from neighboring cities travel to the city for its good-quality and low-priced toys.
[edit] Shopping
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Compared with the neibouring cities like Nanjing or Shanghai,Yangzhou actually cannot be called as a shopping paradise. With a history of more than 2500 years, the city govenrment is strict with new construction proposals in the city center.Consequently, no builing there is higher than 6 levels,which is a big restriction for the development of a large store. Nonetheless, one would still find some grand shopping centers around Wenchangge. For those big fans of brands, Golden Eagle Shopping center, Wanjiafu department store and Times Square are the best choice.
Yangzhou Golden Eagle Shopping Center Located on the most prosperous Wenchang Pavilion Square, Yangzhou Golden Eagle Shopping Center is one of the up-market stores in Yangzhou that features superior appreciation, high-quality commodities and first-class purchasing environment. Best integrated the classic architecture style and modern vogue, it divides into two functional areas: shopping center and leisure plaza.
Wanjiafu Department Store Located on the other side of the Wenchang Pavilion Commercial center, Wanjiafu Department Store boasts a favourable geographical position, the first-class service and easy access by public transport. Its business area reaches 18,000 square meters. The store has a good selection of clothes with its unique operation style. Compared with the competitor on the opposite side of the Pavillion, Wanjiafu has a relatively lower people flow.
Times Square Next to the Golden Eagle Shopping center, Times Squares attracts thousands of citizens which covers an area of 23,000 square meters. Times Square becomes the commercial symbolic architecture of Yangzhou. The entire building is a comprehensive intelligent mansion integrated with the functions of shopping, delicious food ,leisure, recreation, etc. It differentiates from the other two department stores in many aspects. It is more than a department store, many young people will go there to buy some cheap but really in clothes.Also, the store also has a KTV,a big book shop and a five-star cinema.
Not before long, a new department store Living City was built up in the west end of city, 1 kilometers from the railway station. Though the location is not so favorable,it has become a major attraction in the west of city. The market positioning of the Living city is similar to the Times Square, it has an intergrate function of lesiure, dining,shopping and etc. Since a lot of white collars lives in the community, the Living City targets high market with more globe brands there,like starbucks,DQ, and etc.
Besides big stores, there are also many unique design outlet in Wenchang Road, Guangling Road, Qiuyu Road and etc. Here you could bargin with the shopkeeper for a better price. The shopkeepers are always glad to offer a favorable price. Unlike the "greedy" shopkeepers in Shanghai,the price is only a little higher than its original price.No discrimination towards foreigners.
[edit] Tourism
Tourist sights include Slender Western Lake (瘦西湖) and old residences in the moated town, such as the Wang Residence and the Daming temple. Yangzhou is famous for its many well preserved Suzhou style gardens.
[edit] Slender Western Lake
Named after Hangzhou's famous West Lake, this long, narrow stretch of water which meanders through Yangzhou's western limits is a well-known scenic spot. A long bank planted with weeping willows spans the lake; at its midpoint stands a square terrace with pavilions at each of the corners and one in the center. Around the lake is a park in which are found several attractions: Lotus Flower Pagoda (Lianhua SO, a white structure reminiscent of the White Pagoda (Baita) in Beijing's Beihai Park; Small Gold Mountain (Xiao Jin Shan); and the Fishing Platform (Diaoyutai), a favorite retreat of the Qing emperor Qian Long. The emperor was so gratified by his luck in fishing at this spot that he ordered additional stipends for the town. As it turns out, his success had been augmented by local swimmers who lurked in the lake busily attaching fish to his hook.
 Slender West Lake five pavilion bridge |
 Four bridges in rain and mist |
 Imperial birthday celebration stage |
 Mao Zedong's calligraphy of Tang dynasty poet Du Mu poem |
 24 ancient beauties played flute on this bridge |
[edit] Da Ming temple
Located on Shugang Hill, in the city's northwest, is Fajing Temple, formerly known as Daming Temple. The original temple was built by jian Zhen some 1,500 years ago. In the latter years of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), a nine-story pagoda, the Qilingta, was built on the temple grounds. A recent addition to the temple complex is the jian Zhen Memorial Hall, built according to Tang Dynasty methods and financed with contributions raised by Buddhist groups in japan. When Qing Emperor Qian Long visited Yangzhou in 1765, he was troubled by The temple's name Daming (which literally means "Great Ming' fearing that it might revive nostalgia for the Ming Dynasty, which was overthrown by his Manchu predecessors. He had it renamed Fajing Temple. The temple was seriously damaged during the Taiping Rebellion at the beginning of the 20th century. The present structure is a reconstruction dating from the 1930s.
 Da Ming Temple |
 Memorial Hall of monk Jianzhen |
 Da Ming temple pagoda |
Other attractions include:
[edit] Flat Hills (Ping Shan) Hall
Built by the Song Dynasty writer Ouyang Xiu when he served as prefect of the city, this hall stands just west of Faji,g Temple. Looking out from this hall, the mountains to the south of the Yangtsc River appear as a line at the viewer's eye level, hence the name Fiat Hills Hall. When Ouyang Xiu's student Su Dongpo moved to Yangzhou, he too served as prefect of the city. He had a hall built directly behind the one erected by his master, and called it Guling Hall.
[edit] Pavilion of Flourishing Culture (Wenchangge)
This round, three-story pavilion in Yangzhou's eastern sector was built in 1585 and celebrates the city's rich cultural traditions.
[edit] Stone Pagoda (Shita)
Standing west of the Pavilion of Flourishing Culture is a five-story Tang Dynasty pagoda. Built in 837 AD, it is the oldest pagoda still standing in Yangzhou.
[edit] Tomb of Bulhading
The tomb is in the eastern sector of the city and is adjacent to a mosque which houses a collection of valuable materials documenting China's relations with Muslim countries.
[edit] Ge Garden (Ge Yuan)
The entrance to this typical southern style garden with its luxuriant bamboo groves, ponds, and rock grottoes is on Dongguan St. in the city's northeast section. Designed by the great Qing Dynasty landscape painter Shi Tao for Wang Yingtai, an officer of the Qing imperial court, this garden takes its name from the shape of bamboo leaves which resemble the Chinese character ge, meaning "each" or "every."
[edit] He Garden (He Yuan)
Built by He Zhidiao, a 19th century Chinese envoy to France, this garden is famous for a 430m. (1,377 ft.) two storied winding corridor, the walls of which are lined with stone tablets carved with lines of classical poetry, In the garden is also an open air theater set on an island in the middle of a fish pond.
[edit] Yechun Garden (Yechun Yuan)
In this garden, which lies on the banks of the Xiading River at the city's northern limits, the Qing Dynasty poet Wang Yuyang and a circle of friends used to gather to recite their works. The thatched roofs of the pavilions in this garden give it a quaint, rustic air.
[edit] Yangzhou Museum
In the same area is the Yangzhou Museum, which houses about 100 paintings and calligraphy scrolls by the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou and a research institute for the study of their work.
[edit] Jiangdu Water Control Project
Construction of this multiple-purpose water control project, the biggest in China, started in 1961 and was completed in 1975. The project includes facilities for irrigation, drainage, navigation, and power generation. It consists of four large modern electric pumping stations, six medium sized check gates, thrice navigation locks, and two trunk waterways.
[edit] Education
[edit] Sister cities
Yangzhou is twinned with:
Jeju, Jeju, South Korea
Kent, Washington, U.S.
Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Rimini, Italy
Razgrad, Bulgaria.svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png)
Bree, Belgium
Karatsu, Saga, Japan
Porirua, New Zealand
[edit] References
- Austin, Alvyn (2007). China’s Millions: The China Inland Mission and Late Qing Society. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-8028-2975-7.
- "Yangzhou." Encyclopedia of China. ed. Dorothy Perkins. Chicago: Roundtable Press. 1999. ISBN 1-57958-110-2
[edit] Notes
- ^ Austin (2007), p. 129
[edit] External links
- Government website of Yangzhou (available in Chinese and English)
- Yangzhou city guide with open directory (Jiangsu.NET)
- An introduction to a cultural history of Yangzhou
- A trip to Yangzhou
- Yangzhou University Homepage
- Yangzhou Travel
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