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Changzhou

Coordinates: 31°48′40″N 119°58′26″E / 31.811°N 119.974°E / 31.811; 119.974
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Zhangzhou, Chongzhou, Hangzhou, Cangzhou, or Guangzhou.
For other uses, see Changzhou (disambiguation).
Changzhou
常州市
Changchow
Prefecture-level city
The Changzhou Municipal Government building (right) and the Modern Media Center (left)
Worker's Cultural Palace
Xintiandi Park
Map
Interactive map of Changzhou
Changzhou is located in Jiangsu
Changzhou
Changzhou
Location of the city center in China
Changzhou is located in Eastern China
Changzhou
Changzhou
Changzhou (Eastern China)
Changzhou is located in China
Changzhou
Changzhou
Changzhou (China)
Coordinates (Changzhou municipal government): 31°48′40″N 119°58′26″E / 31.811°N 119.974°E / 31.811; 119.974
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceJiangsu
Municipal seatXinbei District
Divisions5 districts, 1 city
Government
 • Party SecretaryChen Jinhu(陈金虎)[1]
 • MayorZhou Wei(周伟)
Acting
Area
4,384.58 km2 (1,692.90 sq mi)
 • Urban
1,872.1 km2 (722.8 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 census[2])
5,278,121
 • Density1,203.79/km2 (3,117.81/sq mi)
 • Urban
3,601,079
 • Urban density1,923.6/km2 (4,982.0/sq mi)
 • Metro
[3]
12,400,000
GDP[4]
 • Prefecture-level cityCN¥ 705 billion
US$ 106.7 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥149,275
US$22,600
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
213000, 213100 (Urban center)
213200, 213300 (Other areas)
Area code0519
ISO 3166 codeCN-JS-04
License Plate Prefix苏D
Local dialectWu: Changzhou dialect
Websitechangzhou.gov.cn

Changzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu, China. It was previously known as Yanling, Lanling, and Jinling. Located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Changzhou borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Zhenjiang to the northwest, Wuxi to the east, and the province of Zhejiang to the south. The population of the Changzhou Municipality was 5,278,121 at the 2020 census.[3][2] The city is the birthplace of Zhou Youguang who created the pinyin romanization system.

Changzhou
"Changzhou" in Chinese
Chinese常州
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinChángzhōu
Bopomofoㄔㄤˊ ㄓㄡ
Gwoyeu RomatzyhCharngjou
Wade–GilesCh'ang2-chou1
Tongyong PinyinCháng-jhou
IPA[ʈʂʰǎŋ.ʈʂóʊ]
Wu
RomanizationZaontsei (Changzhounese)

History

[edit]

Human activity in the Changzhou region can be traced back more than 6,000 years to the Neolithic Majiabang culture.[5] The Weidun (previously known as Yudun, 圩墩) site, located in the region, is one of the northernmost major sites of that culture and contains a large cemetery whose use continued into the subsequent Songze culture.[5]

By the Liangzhu period, the region was characterized by the Sidun (寺墩) site, a polity covering approximately 900,000 square meters. The settlement was organized around a central earthen altar, roughly 100 meters in diameter and 20 meters high, surrounded by multiple moats and distinct cemetery clusters.[6] Notably excavations of a high-status burial at the site yielded an assemblage of 57 jade artifacts, including bi discs and cong tubes.[5]

During the late Spring and Autumn period, the walled site of Yancheng (淹城) was constructed in the region.[7] The site, roughly 850 meters across, is noted for its three concentric systems of walls and moats. Because clear evidence of ordinary habitation is limited, scholars have proposed various interpretations of Yancheng's function: as a ritual center, or a stronghold associated with a local chiefdom later absorbed into the Wu sphere. Ancient written accounts, by contrast, identify it as a Wu settlement and sometimes connect it with Prince Jizha (季札) of Wu.[8]

  • A high-status burial (Tomb No. 3) at the Liangzhu Sidun site, showing the ritual arrangement of jade bi and cong.
    A high-status burial (Tomb No. 3) at the Liangzhu Sidun site, showing the ritual arrangement of jade bi and cong.
  • Scale model of Yancheng, illustrating the "three concentric walls and moats" layout.
    Scale model of Yancheng, illustrating the "three concentric walls and moats" layout.
  • The preserved moats and earthen ramparts of the Yancheng site today.
    The preserved moats and earthen ramparts of the Yancheng site today.

Changzhou is traditionally associated with Prince Jizha, who reportedly settled in Yanling (延陵) —an area encompassing modern Changzhou—after declining the Wu throne. While early records focus on his self-imposed exile, later traditions treat Yanling as his formal fief.[9] His reputation for integrity made him a central figure in the city's identity; the veneration of "Master Ji of Yanling" persisted throughout imperial China, as evidenced by numerous local temples dedicated to him.[10]

Following the completion of the Grand Canal in 609, Changzhou prospered as a stop along its course. During the interregnum between the Sui and Tang, the city of Piling (毗陵) was the capital of Shen Faxing's short-lived Liang Kingdom (619–620).

In spring 1275, Mongol forces briefly occupied Changzhou after its surrender on 8 April, but the city reverted to Southern Song control a week later. In autumn, the Mongols launched a siege lasting about 45 days. On 5 December, commander Bayan issued an ultimatum: surrender for amnesty or face annihilation. After one day, the Mongols breached the city on 6 December and ordered a general massacre; only some 400 women and children were reportedly spared.[11][12][13] The operation may have intimidated the Song populace and prompted other cities to surrender smoothly to avoid a similar outcome.[14][15]

Changzhou served as a prefectural seat (fu) of Ming Nanzhili and the Qing provinces of Jiangnan and Jiangsu. In the 1850s and 1860s, the Taiping Rebellion held the area. One of five palaces housing the leaders of Taiping was constructed in Changzhou. Today the ruins of the "King's Palace" can be found near the People's No. 1 Hospital.

In the 1920s, Changzhou started to attract cotton mills. The cotton industry got a boost in the late 1930s when businesses began relocating outside of Shanghai due to its Japanese occupation. On January 1, 1953, Changzhou was set as a provincially administered municipality.

As approved by State Council on June 8, 1995, Wujin County was promoted to Wujin City, with the government set in Hutang Town. In 1999, as approved by the provincial government, Taixiang Town of Jiaoqu District was revoked and incorporated into Xueyan Town of Wujin City.[16]

Geography

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Changzhou is located in the Yangtze Delta region, in the northwestern part of the Taihu Lake Plain. It is bordered by the Yangtze River in the north, Taihu Lake in the south, Anhui province and Nanjing in the southwest, Wuxi in the east and Zhenjiang in the west. It is equidistant from Shanghai and Nanjing, and 144 kilometres from the provincial capital Nanjing. Southwest of the Yili mountains, mountain peaks have Maoshan.[17]

Changzhou has Tao Lake and Ge Lake. Rivers are Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal, Wuyi Canal, Tai Ge Canal, Jingxi, South Canal and so on. Changzhou has a dense network of waterways, and in the 1930s, when flooding broke out in the southern part of the Yangtze River, Zhou Chen went to the southern part of the Yangtze River to control the water, he greatly promoted the enclosure of lakes to create fields. The local government created 37,000 mu (2,500 hectares) of land in 20 years, making Furong Lake, Yang Lake and Linjin Lake gradually shrink to the point of disappearing.[18][19]

Climate

[edit]

The climate is humid subtropical Cfa, with cool winters and hot and humid summers. Changzhou has a wide range of temperature differences throughout the year.

Climate data for Changzhou, elevation 4 m (13 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1955–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 21.2
(70.2) 		26.7
(80.1) 		33.6
(92.5) 		33.6
(92.5) 		37.3
(99.1) 		37.8
(100.0) 		40.6
(105.1) 		40.3
(104.5) 		38.2
(100.8) 		37.7
(99.9) 		29.9
(85.8) 		22.8
(73.0) 		40.6
(105.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.5
(45.5) 		9.9
(49.8) 		14.7
(58.5) 		21.0
(69.8) 		26.3
(79.3) 		29.0
(84.2) 		32.6
(90.7) 		32.1
(89.8) 		28.1
(82.6) 		22.9
(73.2) 		16.8
(62.2) 		10.1
(50.2) 		20.9
(69.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.6
(38.5) 		5.7
(42.3) 		10.1
(50.2) 		16.0
(60.8) 		21.4
(70.5) 		24.9
(76.8) 		28.7
(83.7) 		28.2
(82.8) 		24.0
(75.2) 		18.5
(65.3) 		12.3
(54.1) 		6.0
(42.8) 		16.6
(61.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.7
(33.3) 		2.5
(36.5) 		6.4
(43.5) 		11.8
(53.2) 		17.3
(63.1) 		21.6
(70.9) 		25.6
(78.1) 		25.3
(77.5) 		20.8
(69.4) 		15.0
(59.0) 		8.8
(47.8) 		2.8
(37.0) 		13.2
(55.8)
Record low °C (°F) −15.5
(4.1) 		−11.5
(11.3) 		−7.6
(18.3) 		−1.3
(29.7) 		5.7
(42.3) 		11.5
(52.7) 		17.0
(62.6) 		17.8
(64.0) 		10.4
(50.7) 		1.6
(34.9) 		−5.4
(22.3) 		−11.2
(11.8) 		−15.5
(4.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 59.7
(2.35) 		57.5
(2.26) 		80.6
(3.17) 		86.0
(3.39) 		95.8
(3.77) 		206.8
(8.14) 		217.4
(8.56) 		178.4
(7.02) 		84.0
(3.31) 		59.4
(2.34) 		54.1
(2.13) 		38.9
(1.53) 		1,218.6
(47.97)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 9.8 9.4 11.1 10.4 11.2 12.7 12.9 12.8 8.5 7.7 8.2 7.7 122.4
Average snowy days 3.3 2.8 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 1.0 8.1
Average relative humidity (%) 75 73 71 69 70 77 78 79 77 74 75 72 74
Mean monthly sunshine hours 125.5 128.1 152.3 180.9 189.4 150.8 199.8 202.2 176.3 174.8 147.6 139.7 1,967.4
Percentage possible sunshine 39 41 41 46 44 35 46 50 48 50 47 45 44
Source 1: China Meteorological Administration[20][21] all-time extreme temperature[22][23]
Source 2: Weather China[24]

Administration

[edit]
See also: List of administrative divisions of Jiangsu

The prefecture-level city of Changzhou administers seven county-level divisions, including five districts and one county-level city.

Demographics

[edit]

Its total population was 5,278,121 inhabitants at the 2020 census, a 1.4% annual increase since the previous census.

Population
Subdivision Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population (2020)[25] Area (km2) Density (/km2)
City Proper
Tianning District 天宁区 Tiānníng Qū 668,906 154.84 3,317.50
Zhonglou District 钟楼区 Zhōnglóu Qū 658,537 132.93 3,806.03
Suburban
Xinbei District 新北区 Xīnběi Qū 883,125 508.91 1,172.72
Wujin District 武进区 Wǔjìn Qū 1,277,487 1,065.26 1,571.56
Jintan District 金坛区 Jīntán Qū 585,081 975.68 565.81
Satellite cities (County-level cities)
Liyang City 溧阳市 Lìyáng Shì 785,092 1,534.52 488.35
Total 5,278,121 4,372.15 1,050.28
Dissolved district: Qishuyan District

Education

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Local universities include Hohai University's Changzhou campus. Secondary schools include the Changzhou Senior High School of Jiangsu Province and the newly established Changzhou Songjianhu Senior High School.

Transportation

[edit]

Metro

[edit]
Main article: Changzhou Metro

The city's metro system, Changzhou Metro, started the operation on 21 September 2019 with the opening of Line 1.[26] Line 2 opened on 28 June 2021.[citation needed]

Railway

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Located just south of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River), Changzhou station is situated on the original Beijing–Shanghai railway. Changzhou North station was completed in 2011 and is located in the north of Changzhou in the Xinbei district on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway. Changzhou is also one of the main stops on the busy Shanghai–Nanjing intercity railway, with two stations located in Changzhou (Changzhou station and Qishuyan station).

Airport

[edit]

Changzhou Benniu International Airport in Xinbei District is approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city center.

Highways and expressways

[edit]

Bus rapid transport (BRT) system

[edit]

Use of the BRT System costs two yuan and provides access throughout Changzhou. The BRT stations and road sections have separate bus lanes or bus-only roadways, enhanced station environments (not just simple bus shelters), pre-boarding fare collection and fare verification, centralized system controls, as well as station access for disabled persons.

Tourism

[edit]
Comb Lane

Amusement parks

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Changzhou is the home of the China Dinosaurs Park located in the Xinbei District of the city. The 5A rated Dinosaur Park has a collection of dinosaur bones and fossils from all over China. The park has 50 various fossils and more than 30 amusement programs including the Brontosaurus Roller Coaster and the Whirling Dinosaur Carriage. The fossils are located in a museum housed in a single building and the amusement rides are spread throughout the park which is categorized into six themed areas. Besides fossils and family oriented rides, Dinosaur Park is home to a giant panda and sea lions.[27]

Tianning Temple and Hongmei Park

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The city is also home to the Tianning Temple—one of the largest Zen Buddhist temple and monasteries in China. The city recently rebuilt the Tianning pagoda in the temple grounds, which is adjacent to Hongmei Park. The pagoda, called the Tianning Baota, was first built during the Tang dynasty (AD 618 – 907). Since that time it has been destroyed and rebuilt five times. The current reconstruction is built to the height specification of 153.79 m (504.6 ft). This makes it the tallest pagoda in China and perhaps also the world. Both the Hongmei Park and Tianning Temple are located just to the east of the city centre.[28]

Other attractions

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[edit]

Sister cities

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Notable people

[edit]

Media

[edit]

In the film Pacific Rim, Changzhou is credited as the city the jaeger Crimson Typhoon was assembled in.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "local leadership information". Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  2. ^ a b "China: Jiāngsū (Prefectures, Cities, Districts and Counties) – Population Statistics, Charts and Map". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  3. ^ a b OECD Urban Policy Reviews: China 2015, OECD READ edition. OECD. 18 April 2015. p. 37. doi:10.1787/9789264230040-en. ISBN 9789264230033. ISSN 2306-9341. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.Linked from the OECD here Archived 2017-12-09 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "存档副本". 29 January 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  5. ^ a b c Chang, Kwang-chih (1986). The archaeology of ancient China (4th ed., rev. and enl ed.). New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-03784-5.
  6. ^ Li, Xueqin; Wang, Zhenzhong; Wang, Yuxin, eds. (2007). Zhongguo gudai wenming yu guojia xingcheng yanjiu (中国古代文明与国家形成研究) [Research on Ancient Chinese Civilization and State Formation] (in Chinese). Beijing: China Social Sciences Press. p. 244. ISBN 978-7-5004-6045-9.
  7. ^ Nanjing Museum; Changzhou Museum (2015). 淹城：1958至2000年考古发掘报告 [Yancheng: Archaeological Excavation Report, 1958–2000] (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. ISBN 978-7-03-042632-1.
  8. ^ Peng, Shifan (2009). 中国南方考古与百越民族研究 [Archaeological Research on Southern China and the Baiyue Peoples] (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. pp. 139–50. ISBN 978-7-03-022325-8.
  9. ^ Milburn, Olivia (2004). "Kingship and Inheritance in the State of Wu: Fraternal Succession in Spring and Autumn Period China (771-475 BC)". T'oung Pao. 90 (4): 195–214. doi:10.1163/1568532043628359. ISSN 0082-5433.
  10. ^ Milburn, Olivia (2013). "Commemorating Master Ji of Yanling". Cherishing antiquity: the cultural construction of an ancient Chinese kingdom. Harvard-Yenching Institute monograph series. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Published by the Harvard University Asia Center and distributed by Harvard University Press. pp. 173–217. ISBN 978-0-674-72668-0.
  11. ^ Davis, Richard L. (1996). Wind against the mountain: the crisis of politics and culture in thirteenth-century China. Harvard-Yenching Institute monograph series. Cambridge, Mass: Council on East Asian Studies, Harvard University : Distributed by Harvard University Press. pp. 98–103. ISBN 978-0-674-95357-4.
  12. ^ May, Timothy Michael; Hope, Michael, eds. (2022). The Mongol world. Routledge worlds. Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY: Routledge. pp. 118–36. ISBN 978-1-138-05667-1.
  13. ^ He, Zhongli (2007). 宋代政治史 [A Political History of the Song Dynasty] (in Chinese). Hangzhou: Zhejiang University Press. p. 571. ISBN 978-7-308-05310-5.
  14. ^ Tillman, Hoyt Cleveland (2003-05-01). "因「亂」而致的心理創傷：漢族士人對蒙古人入侵回應之研究" [Experiencing Disorder as Trauma: Research on Responses to the Mongol Invasion] (PDF). 臺大文史哲學報 [NTU Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences] (8): 71–93. doi:10.6258/bcla.2003.58.03.
  15. ^ Zhou, Sicheng (2020). 规训、惩罚与征服：蒙元帝国的军事礼仪与军事法 [Discipline, Punishment, and Conquest: Military Ritual and Military Law in the Mongol Yuan Empire] (in Chinese). Taiyuan: Shanxi People's Publishing House. ISBN 978-7-203-11351-5.
  16. ^ "Historical Changes". Archived from the original on 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2018-12-25.
  17. ^ 常州古桥文化研究及保护 (in Chinese). BEIJING BOOK CO. INC. 2016. p. 27. ISBN 978-7-5506-2394-1. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  18. ^ 常州运河史话. 常州运河文化研究系列 (in Chinese). Phoenix Publishing House. 2013. p. 299. ISBN 978-7-5506-1945-6. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  19. ^ "寻迹江苏老地名｜运河中的小岛，一代豪门传奇曾在此上演". 新华报业网 (in Chinese). 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  20. ^ 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Experience Template" 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  22. ^ "盘点数据，一起了解常州冬天的"性格"_我苏网" (in Simplified Chinese). Our Jiangsu. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  23. ^ "Extreme Temperatures Around the World". Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  24. ^ 常州 – 气象数据 -中国天气网 (in Chinese). Weather China. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  25. ^ "Communiqué of the Seventh National Census of Changzhou". 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  26. ^ 常州地铁1号线今日正式开通初期运营. cz001.com.cn (in Chinese (China)). 2019-09-21. Archived from the original on 2019-09-21. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  27. ^ 中华恐龙园官网. www.cnkly.com. Archived from the original on 2009-01-18. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
  28. ^ "Buddhists gather to inaugurate world's tallest pagoda". China Daily. Xinhua. 2007-04-30. Archived from the original on 2007-12-09. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
  29. ^ Siedzik, Jason (2011-12-16). "Delegates From Torrington's Sister City in China Tour Warner Theatre". CT Insider. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  30. ^ "Wyndham's Sister City Program". Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  31. ^ "Figure Card". Archived from the original on 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2018-12-25.
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