Changde
Encyclopedia
Changde is a city in the north of Hunan
Province, China
, with a population of 5,717,218 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,232,182 in the built up area made of 2 urban districts (Dingcheng and Wuling
).
and New Stone Age
sites. About 500 of them have been discovered to date.
In historical times it was also a centre from which governments controlled the mountain tribes of western Hunan. A county, named Linyuan, was established there in the 2nd century BC.
In 589 its name was changed to Wuling, and under the Tang Dynasty
(618–907) it became the seat of Lang prefecture. Under the Song Dynasty
(960–1279) the name of the prefecture was changed to Tingzhou, and in 1164–74 it became a superior prefecture called Changde. This status was retained until 1912, when the superior prefecture was abolished and the city became a county seat.
, cotton
, tung oil
, and timber
, so that Changde's economic influence reached out into northern Guizhou
, southwestern Hubei
, and parts of southeastern Sichuan
province. The merchants of the Taho quarter of the city controlled much of the northwestern Hunan economy, and early in the 20th century Changde was the second city of Hunan, after Changsha.
In the 1943 Battle of Changde
, the Kuomintang
's National Revolutionary Army
attempted to stop the invading Japan Imperial troops from completing their invasion of Sichuan
. Frustrated, the Japanese side employed chemical and biological weapons to clear their way.
During the Khabarovsk War Crime Trials
, proof was presented of operations to contaminate the area with plague
as early as 1941 and 1942.
rule in 1949, the city remained an important center of trade, with the majority of its population engaged either in commerce
or in transportation.
In 1975, Changde was hit by Typhoon Nina
.
above its junction with the Lake Dongting system, Changde is a natural center of the northwest Hunan plain. It has a monsoon
-influenced, four-season humid subtropical climate
(Köppen
Cfa), with cool, often chilly, winters, and hot, humid summers. Monthly mean temperatures range from 4.7 °C (40.5 °F) in January to 28.6 °C (83.5 °F) in July.
is in Wuling District
(武陵区), together with the CPC
and Public Security
bureau. Wuling sits on the left bank of the Yuanjiang River (沅江); opposite is the administrative centre for Dingcheng District
(鼎城区).
Changde Municipality also oversees 2 districts, one county-level city and 6 counties :
, oil
, cotton
, and other commodities are loaded into medium-sized ships and taken to Yueyang
, Changsha, or Hankou
(Wuhan
, Hubei province) for onward shipment. Timber is also rafted there and floated across Lake Dongting to Hueyang, and thus to the Yangtze River
. After 1949 the city developed some light industry
, mostly based on such local products as wood
, leather
, and bristle
s.
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, with a population of 5,717,218 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,232,182 in the built up area made of 2 urban districts (Dingcheng and Wuling
Wuling
Wuling may refer to the following of dynastic or the People's Republic of China:* Wuling District , Changde, Hunan* Wuling Mountains , mountain range covering an area from western Hunan to eastern Guizhou and Chongqing...
).
History
Changde is known for its many Old StonePaleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
and New Stone Age
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
sites. About 500 of them have been discovered to date.
In historical times it was also a centre from which governments controlled the mountain tribes of western Hunan. A county, named Linyuan, was established there in the 2nd century BC.
In 589 its name was changed to Wuling, and under the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(618–907) it became the seat of Lang prefecture. Under the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
(960–1279) the name of the prefecture was changed to Tingzhou, and in 1164–74 it became a superior prefecture called Changde. This status was retained until 1912, when the superior prefecture was abolished and the city became a county seat.
Qing
In the late 19th century Changde became a prosperous commercial center and the chief agricultural central market of the Yuan River basin. Many Chinese firms, and — after 1905, when it was opened to foreign trade — foreign firms as well, maintained branches there to buy riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, tung oil
Tung oil
Tung oil or China wood oil is a drying oil obtained by pressing the seed from the nut of the tung tree . As a drying oil, tung oil hardens upon exposure to air. The resulting coating is transparent plastic-like and is exploited in most of its applications, which include wood finishing and the...
, and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
, so that Changde's economic influence reached out into northern Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, southwestern Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, and parts of southeastern Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
province. The merchants of the Taho quarter of the city controlled much of the northwestern Hunan economy, and early in the 20th century Changde was the second city of Hunan, after Changsha.
Unification & Japanese Occupation
Battle of Changde
- Sources :* Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War 2nd Ed., 1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China. Pg...
, the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
's National Revolutionary Army
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
attempted to stop the invading Japan Imperial troops from completing their invasion of Sichuan
Sichuan invasion
The Szechwan Invasion, also known as the Chongqing Operation, Chongqing Campaign or Operation 5, was the Imperial Japanese Army's failed plan to destroy the Chongqing-based Chiang Kai-shek government during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
. Frustrated, the Japanese side employed chemical and biological weapons to clear their way.
During the Khabarovsk War Crime Trials
Khabarovsk War Crime Trials
Khabarovsk War Crime Trials were a series of hearings held between December 25 - 31st, 1949 in the Soviet Union's industrial city of Khabarovsk situated on the Russian Far East...
, proof was presented of operations to contaminate the area with plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
as early as 1941 and 1942.
People's Republic
Although the commercial dominance of Changde firms disappeared with the advent of communistCommunist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
rule in 1949, the city remained an important center of trade, with the majority of its population engaged either in commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
or in transportation.
In 1975, Changde was hit by Typhoon Nina
Typhoon Nina (1975)
Super Typhoon Nina was a short-lived but intense super typhoon that caused catastrophic damage and loss of life in China after causing the Banqiao Dam to collapse...
.
Geography
Situated on the north bank of the Yuan RiverYuan River
The Yuan River is one of the four largest rivers in Hunan province in southeast-central China, and is a tributary of Yangtze River.It is long and rises in Guizhou province in the Miao Mountains near Tu-yün and is navigable. The upper stream is called the Lung-t'ou River, and downstream it is...
above its junction with the Lake Dongting system, Changde is a natural center of the northwest Hunan plain. It has a monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
-influenced, four-season humid subtropical climate
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa), with cool, often chilly, winters, and hot, humid summers. Monthly mean temperatures range from 4.7 °C (40.5 °F) in January to 28.6 °C (83.5 °F) in July.
Administration
The municipal executive, legislature and judiciaryIntermediate people's court
An intermediate people's court is the second lowest local people's court in the People's Republic of China. According to the Organic Law of the People's Courts of the People's Republic of China, the intermediate people's courts handle relevant important local cases in the first instance and hear...
is in Wuling District
Wuling District
Wuling District is a district of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Changde city....
(武陵区), together with the CPC
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
and Public Security
Public Security Bureau
In the People's Republic of China, a public security bureau refers to the government offices while the smaller offices are called Police posts which are similar in concept to the Japanese Kōban system) present in each province and municipality that handles policing , public security, and...
bureau. Wuling sits on the left bank of the Yuanjiang River (沅江); opposite is the administrative centre for Dingcheng District
Dingcheng District
Dingcheng District is a district of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Changde city....
(鼎城区).
Changde Municipality also oversees 2 districts, one county-level city and 6 counties :
- Wuling DistrictWuling DistrictWuling District is a district of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Changde city....
- Dingcheng DistrictDingcheng DistrictDingcheng District is a district of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Changde city....
- Jinshi CityJinshi CityJinshi is a city district of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Changde city....
(津市市) - Shimen CountyShimen CountyShimen County is a county of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Changde city....
(石门县) - Lixian CountyLi County, HunanLi or Lixian is a county under the municipal region of Changde, Hunan.-Administration:The county executive, legislature and judiciary are in Liyang Town , together with the CPC and PSB branches.-Special Status:...
(澧县) - Linli CountyLinli CountyLinli County is a county of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Changde city....
(临澧县) - Anxiang CountyAnxiang CountyAnxiang County is a county of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Changde city....
(安乡县) - Hanshou CountyHanshou CountyHanshou County is a county of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Changde city....
(汉寿县) - Taoyuan CountyTaoyuan County, HunanTaoyuan County is located in Changde, Hunan Province of the People's Republic of China. The Yuanjiang river, a tributary of Yangtze, flows through Taoyuan. Taoyuan covers 4441 square kilometer area, among which the arable land is 895 square kilometers...
(桃源县)
Economy
Today Changde is now an administrative centre and a storage and shipping point for tung oil, grain, cotton, medicinal herbs, and wood. Manufactures include ceramics, machine tools, textiles, leather, and processed foods. GrainGRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
, oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, and other commodities are loaded into medium-sized ships and taken to Yueyang
Yueyang
Yueyang is a prefecture-level city at the northeastern corner of Hunan province, South Central China, on the southern shores of Dongting Lake.The Yueyang metropolitan area occupies 14,896 km². and the city proper occupies 304 km²...
, Changsha, or Hankou
Hankou
Hankou was one of the three cities whose merging formed modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han falls into the Yangtze...
(Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, Hubei province) for onward shipment. Timber is also rafted there and floated across Lake Dongting to Hueyang, and thus to the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. After 1949 the city developed some light industry
Light industry
Light industry is usually less capital intensive than heavy industry, and is more consumer-oriented than business-oriented...
, mostly based on such local products as wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, and bristle
Bristle
A bristle is a stiff hair or feather. Also used are synthetic materials such as nylon in items such as brooms and sweepers. Bristles are often used to make brushes for cleaning uses, as they are strongly abrasive; common examples include the toothbrush and toilet brush...
s.