Fuling, Chongqing
Template:Redirect Template:Infobox settlement Template:Infobox Chinese Fuling District (Template:Lang-zh) is a district in central Chongqing, China. As the second largest city in Chongqing, the area is known for zha cai, a hot pickled mustard tuber,<ref>United States Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Daily Report: People's Republic of China, Issues 224–231. National Technical Information Service, 1990. p. 31. "Fuling is famous for its hot pickled mustard tubers and Comrade Qiao Shi showed a keen interest in the production and processing of these tubers. Early the next morning, he went to Fuling's Zhaxi Hot Pickled Mustard Tuber Factory by car.[...]"</ref> as well as serving as the location of former U.S. Peace Corps teacher Peter Hessler's best-selling memoir River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze.
The district spans an area of Template:Convert,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> and has a population of 1,115,016, per the 2020 Chinese Census.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> The district's area spans from latitude 29°21' to 30°01' north, and longitude 106°56' to 107°43' east.<ref name=":0" />
History
According to the district's government, the area comprising contemporary Fuling District has been inhabited since approximately 3000 BCE.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>
During the Spring and Autumn period, the area was inhabited by the Template:Interlanguage link.<ref name=":2" /> From the middle and late part of Spring and Autumn period, through to the middle of the Warring States period, the area belonged to the State of Ba.<ref name=":2" /> The area was at some point the site of one of the Ba's capitals, and a Ba king is buried within the area.<ref name=":2" /> During the middle and latter part of the Warring States period, the area belonged to the State of Chu.<ref name=":2" />
Following the State of Chu, the area was incorporated into the Qin dynasty as the Ba Commandery.<ref name=":2" /> The area reorganized in 227 BCE, under the rule of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, as Template:Interlanguage link.<ref name=":2" />
During the Eastern Han, Zhi County was merged into Template:Interlanguage link.<ref name=":2" />
In the Three Kingdoms period, the area was ruled by the Shu Han, and organized as Hanping County (Template:Lang-zh).<ref name=":2" /> Hanping County was subordinate to the Template:Interlanguage link, whose capital was located in present-day Template:Interlanguage link in the nearby Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, to the southeast of Fuling District.<ref name=":2" />
In 347 CE, under the Eastern Jin, the area was again reorganized as Fu Commandery (Template:Lang-zh), which was also known as Zhicheng Commandery (Template:Lang-zh).<ref name=":2" />
The area's administrative divisions were reorganized dramatically during the Northern and Southern dynasties.<ref name=":2" />
The Sui dynasty would reorganize the area into three counties: Fuling County (Template:Lang-zh), which belonged to the Ba Commandery, Fengdu County (Template:Lang-zh), which belonged to the Template:Interlanguage link, and Dianjiang County (Template:Lang-zh), which belonged to the Dangqu Commandery.<ref name=":2" />
In 618 CE,Template:Citation needed during the Tang dynasty, the area was reorganized as Template:Interlanguage link, which governed Template:Interlanguage link, Fuling County, and Template:Interlanguage link.<ref name=":2" />
Under the Northern Song, Longhua County was changed to Template:Interlanguage link.<ref name=":2" /> During the Southern Song, Fu Zhou was reestablished to govern the area, and administered Fuling County and Wulong County.<ref name=":2" />
Fu Zhou remained intact during the Yuan dynasty and the Ming dynasty, and governed Wulong County.<ref name=":2" /> Fu Zhou would continue intact during the Qing dynasty, but was not divided into counties.<ref name=":2" /> During this time, Fu Zhou was under the jurisdiction of Template:Interlanguage link.Template:Citation needed
In 1913, shortly after the establishment of the Republic of China, Fu Zhou was reorganized as Fuling County.<ref name=":2" /> Fuling County initially fell under the jurisdiction of Template:Interlanguage link, then directly under the jurisdiction of Sichuan Template:Citation needed span, and finally under the Eight Administrative Inspectorate of Sichuan.<ref name=":2" />
Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the area saw administrative reforms in early 1950.<ref name=":2" /> Fuling County was reorganized as Template:Interlanguage link, under the jurisdiction of Template:Interlanguage link.<ref name=":2" /> Fuling Area governed seven counties: Fuling, Nanchuan, Fengdu, Shizhu, Wulong, Changshou and Pengshui.<ref name=":2" /> In Template:Citation needed span 1952, Template:Interlanguage link was merged into Fuling Area, adding the counties of Dianjiang, Qianjiang, Youyang, and Xiushan.<ref name=":2" /> Changshou County was absorbed into Chongqing, which then had a prefecture-level status instead of its present provincial-level status, in 1958.<ref name=":2" />
Fuling Area was replaced by Template:Interlanguage link in 1968.<ref name=":2" /> Fuling County became a county-level city in 1983.<ref name=":2" /> The prefecture became a Three Gorges provincial planning region (Template:Lang) the following year.Template:Citation needed In 1988, Qianjiang, Youyang, Xiushan, Pengshui, and Shizhu counties were transferred to the jurisdiction of the newly organized Template:Interlanguage link.<ref name=":2" /> Nanchuan County was re-designated as a county-level city in 1994.<ref name=":2" /> On November 5, 1995, the State Council passed legislation to abolish the county-level city of Fuling and replace it with two districts: Zhicheng District (Template:Lang-zh) and Lidu District (Template:Lang-zh).<ref name=":2" /> This change would come into effect in January 1996.<ref name=":2" /> In March 1996, Fuling Prefecture was re-designated as a prefecture-level city, which governed Zhicheng District, Lidu District, Nanchuan City, Dianjiang County, Fengdu County and Wulong County.<ref name=":2" />
On September 15, 1996, legislature passed by the State Council placed the prefecture-level city of Fuling under the administration of Chongqing.<ref name=":2" /> On March 14, 1997, the National People's Congress changed Chongqing to become a direct-administered municipality.<ref name=":2" /> This was followed by legislation by the State Council on December 20, 1997 which abolished Fuling's prefecture-level status, revoking Zhicheng District and Lidu District, and placing Nanchuan City, Wulong County, Fengdu County, and Dianjiang County all under the direct jurisdiction of Chongqing.<ref name=":2" /> The now-defunct Zhicheng District and Lidu District became contemporary Fuling District.
Geography
Fuling District is located on the southeastern edge of the Sichuan Basin, between latitude 29°21' to 30°01' north, and longitude 106°56' to 107°43' east, covering an area of Template:Convert.<ref name=":0" /> The easternmost point is Baijibao (Template:Lang-zh) in the town of Template:Interlanguage link, the westernmost point is Dachayuan (Template:Lang-zh) in the town of Template:Interlanguage link, the southernmost point is Jinjiadian (Template:Lang-zh) in the town of Template:Interlanguage link, and the northernmost point is Hongqiangyuan (Template:Lang-zh).<ref name=":0" /> Fuling District spans Template:Convert from west to east, and Template:Convert from north to south.<ref name=":0" /> Fuling City is located at the confluence of the Wu River and the Yangtze, in the heart of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region.<ref name=":0" />
Located in the central part of Chongqing, Fuling District is bordered by Fengdu County to the east, Wulong District and Nanchuan District to the south, Banan District to the west, and Changshou District and Dianjiang County to the north.<ref name=":0" />
Climate
Fuling District has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), with four distinct seasons and ample rainfall: winters are short, mild, and comparatively dry, while summers are long, hot, and humid. Monthly daily average temperatures range from Template:Convert in January to Template:Convert in July, while the annual mean is Template:Convert. The diurnal temperature variation is Template:Convert and is especially small during winter. Around 87% of the annual precipitation falls from April to October.
Demographics
Template:Historical populations Fuling District has a population of 1,115,016, according to the 2020 Chinese Census.<ref name=":1" /> This represents a 4.53% increase from the 1,066,714 recorded in the 2010 Chinese Census.<ref name=":1" /> As of 2022, the population of Fuling District was reported to be 1,115,200, with a slight decrease of about 816 people compared to 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As of 2020, 71.85% of the district's population is urbanized, up from 55.80% in 2010.<ref name=":1" />
Age and household structure
14.93% of the district's population is 14 years old or younger, 63.91% is between 15 and 59 years old, and 21.16% is 60 years old or older.<ref name=":1" /> 18.02% of the district's population is 65 years or older.<ref name=":1" /> Compared to 2010, the proportion of people age 14 or younger dropped 0.96%, the proportion of people age 15 to 59 fell 2.10%, and the proportion of people age 60 or older rose 3.06%.<ref name=":1" /> The proportion of people age 65 or older rose 5.63% from 2010 to 2020.<ref name=":1" /> The average household size in Fuling District totaled 2.44 people, a decrease from the 2.91 size recorded in 2010.<ref name=":1" />
Educational attainment
12.85% of the district's population had attained a tertiary education, according to 2020 figures.<ref name=":1" /> An additional 16.97% of the district's population had attained a secondary education, an additional 34.88% attained a junior high education, an additional 28.44% attained a primary education, and the remaining 6.86% of the population had no formal education.<ref name=":1" /> People above the age of 14 in the district have attained an average of 9.68 years of formal education, an increase from the 8.73 years average recorded in 2010.<ref name=":1" /> Fuling District had a literacy rate of 98.57% as of 2020, an increase from 94.82% in 2010.<ref name=":1" />
Administrative divisions
Fuling District administers 11 subdistricts, 14 towns, and 2 townships.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> These township-level divisions in turn administer 719 administrative villages and 80 residential communities.Template:Citation needed
2010 divisions
Economy
Fuling District had a total gross domestic product (GDP) of 140.274 billion renminbi (RMB) as of 2021, an 8.7% increase from 2020.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> As of the latest available data, Fuling District's economic performance has been notable. The materials industry plays a significant role in Fuling's economy, with a 2023 production value of 120.4-billion-yuan, accounting for one-fifth of Chongqing's total.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This industry leads all districts and counties in Chongqing, highlighting its importance to the region's economic development.
The district's primary sector accounted for 6.48% of total GDP in 2021, and grew at a rate of 6.4% from 2020; the secondary sector accounted for 55.80% of GDP, and grew 6.7% from 2020; the tertiary sector accounted for 37.72% of GDP, and grew 12.0% from 2020.<ref name=":4" />
Moreover, Fuling District has been actively developing industrial clusters in key sectors such as chemical new materials, power batteries, lightweight automotive materials, and advanced new materials. The district's strategic location along the Yangtze River and its involvement in the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) have significantly boosted its export economy. In fact, Fuling's foreign trade volume reached 7.68 billion yuan from January to May 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 3.8%, and ranking fifth in Chongqing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Transportation
Historically, Fuling was primarily served by Yangtze river boats, as the development of ground transportation was slow, due to the difficult terrain.
Railways arrived to the Fuling area only in the 21st century. First was the Chongqing–Huaihua Railway, completed in 2005. Its Fuling Railway Station is located a few kilometers west of town (Template:Coord).
The high-speed Chongqing−Lichuan Railway, opened on December 28, 2013, serves Fuling as well, with its Fuling North Railway Station. This railway crosses the Yangtze near the city over the Hanjiatuo Bridge. The railway's Caijiagou Bridge (Template:Lang-zh; Template:Coord), located in Fuling District, is said to be the world's tallest railway bridge, as measured by the height of the bridge's tallest pillar (139 m).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Nanchuan–Fuling Railway, completed in 2012, forms part of Chongqing's outer railway ring.
As of 2015, Fuling had five Yangtze River bridges.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
Yangtze Normal University (formerly Fuling Teachers College) is in Fuling. The university hosted Peace Corps volunteers from 1996 until 2020, when the last volunteers were evacuated from the Peace Corps China program in the wake of COVID-19.
Culture
The White Crane Ridge (Baiheliang), a rock outcrop on the Yangtze River, has been used as a hydrological station recording water levels since the Tang Dynasty. It includes many rock carvings. With the flooding of the Yangtze as part of the Three Gorges Dam project, the White Crane Ridge Underwater Museum was opened in 2009 to protect the carvings and allow viewing by visitors under the new water level of the river.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cuisine
Fuling is well known for its Wu River brand zha cai pickled mustard tuber. The Fuling Zhacai company is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and in 2021 celebrated selling 15 billion packets.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
According to Peter Hessler, as of 1998, most residents of Fuling are genetically incapable of being alcoholics. When imbibing large amounts of alcohol many people became so sick and they could not drink heavily all the time. Therefore, according to Hessler, consumption of alcohol was not habitual but instead was a ritual, and therefore drinking patterns were "abusive with light consequences."<ref>Hessler, p. 80.</ref>
See also
- River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze
- Fuling Catholic Church
- White Crane Ridge
- Baiheliang Underwater Museum
- 816 Nuclear Military Plant
Notes
Bibliography
- Hessler, Peter. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (ebook edition). HarperCollins e-books.
External links
Template:Chongqing Template:Three Gorges Reservoir Region Template:Major cities along the Yangtze River