Yangzhou
Yangzhou (; 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.
The
prefecture-level city of Yancheng administers 7
county-level divisions, including 3
districts, 3
county-level cities and 1
counties.
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Guangling District (广陵区)
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Weiyang District (维扬区)
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Hanjiang District (邗江区)
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Jiangdu City (江都市)
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Gaoyou City (高邮市)
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Yizheng City (仪征市)
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Baoying County (宝"县)
These are further divided into 98
township-level divisions, including 87
towns and
townships, and 11
subdistricts.
Yangzhou has a history of almost 2,500 years, being founded in the
Spring and Autumn Period when it was called Kuang-Ling (or Guangling; 廣陵). In 590 AD, Kuang-Ling began to be called
Yangzhou, which was the traditional name of the entire southeastern part of China.
Located by the Yangtze river and
Jinghang (Grand) Canal, it has been a leading economic and cultural center and major port of foreign trade and external exchange since the
Tang Dynasty (618-907).
Marco Polo served there under the
Mongol emperor
Kubilai Khan in the period around 1282-1287. 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.
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.
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. 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.
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 °CRainfall: annual average of 1030 mm; rainy season from the middle of June to July
Yangzhou dialect is classified as Lower Yangtze
Mandarin.
During a period of prosperity and Imperial favour, the arts of storytelling and painting flourished in Yangzhou. A group of painters from that time called the
Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou are famous throughout China.
Former President of China
Jiang Zemin was born only 14 km from Yangzhou, in a town called
Jiangdu. 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.
Yangzhou pickles, sticky candy, ginkgo, Qionghuayu liquor, Nanshan green tea, Baoying lotus root starch, Jiangdu short pastry, lacquerware, jadeware, embroidery, paper-cut, art & crafts velvet flavers.
The city is famous for its public bath houses.
"
Yangzhou fried rice" () is a dish popular all over China.
* Slender Western Lake
* Old residences in the moated town, including the Wang Residence
Yangzhou is
twinned with ten cities around the world.
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Atsugi,
Japan *
Bree,
Belgium*
Greater Green Triangle Region,
Australia*
Karatsu,
Japan*
Kent,
USA*
Offenbach,
Germany*
Rimini,
Italy*
Westport,
USA*
Yangon,
Myanmar*
Yongin,
South KoreaYangzhou Social Welfare Institute is located in the eastern suburbs of Yangzhou. The orphanage is combined with the Yangzhou Recuperation Center for the Aged, which also treats mentally handicapped adults.
Address:Yangzhou Social Welfare Institute, Zhuyuwan, Wantou Town, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China 225006
Address in Chinese: |
Address of Yangzhou Social Welfare Institute |
Map showing location of Yangzhou Social Welfare Institute:
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Government website of Yangzhou (available in Chinese and English)
