Changle
Encyclopedia
ChangLe is a county-level city of suburban Fuzhou
located in east Fujian
province, People's Republic of China
. Administered by Fuzhou city. Changle occupies a land area of 648 square kilometers and a sea area of 1327 square kilometers. Changle was established in the sixth year of Emperor Wu-De (623 AD) during the Tang Dynasty
, and it became a county-level city on February 18, 1994. Changle faces Taiwan
across Taiwan Strait and is connected to Mawei Economic and Technological Zone by Min River. The city may change its present status to a district due to a government proposal.
Located 30 kilometers outside of urban Fuzhou
, Changle has a total population of 680,000 and is the home to 400,000 overseas Chinese.
is a major airport located in the town of Zhanggang, Changle. This airport services the entire northern Fujian area, and it has regular scheduled flights to many domestic and international destinations.
Fujian Provincial Highway S201 and S203
. Also, Fuzhounese is commonly used in
a small section of several blocks in Flushing, Queens
as well as in 8th Avenue of Sunset Park, Brooklyn
.
s who are not born in Changle.
Some of the tourist attractions includes Xiasha Seaside Vocational Center, Jingang Leg, Bing Xing Literacy Archieves, and Nanshan Park. A considerable amount of oversea remittances, particularly from the US, has been used to construct some of these areas, particularly the parks, over the last few years. Because of this, many of these areas are essentially new and attract a considerable amount of visitors.
, though Mandarin is spoken in more formal settings such as schools. Generally, those who have higher education are more capable of standard Mandarin.
Most Changle natives can speak both Mandarin and a variant of the Fuzhou dialect. However, instruction in schools is taught in Mandarin. At home, Fuzhou dialect is the norm. Older generations' Mandarin typically has a strong accent due to their mother tongue of the Fuzhou dialect, which does not distinguish between z and zh, c and ch, s and sh initials and n and ng finals.
The Fuzhou dialect (Changle/Fuzhou Hua-长乐/福州话) faces a high risk of lingual extinction due to the government policy that intended to push for the common use of Chinese Mandarin. Some locals are concerned that this would lead to gradual disappearance of their cultural identity. Though the dialect is expected to remain one of the most spoken languages in the Changle area, it is primarily spoken by the older generation. Though the younger generations are fluent to a degree because of their environment and family, generational attrition of the language will cause a continual drop in the number of capable speakers. The areas where the local dialect is the strongest is primarily in the surrounding towns and areas, which are typically less economically developed than Changle city, the Changle dialect is still the dominant language.
The younger Generation prefer pop culture, arts, music and other forms of entertainment from Hong Kong and the West. The older generation of Changleners enjoy Min Opera (闽剧), a form of Chinese opera
.
, fourteen Towns (镇)
, and two townships (乡):
See also: Changle's Government
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
located in east Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
province, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Administered by Fuzhou city. Changle occupies a land area of 648 square kilometers and a sea area of 1327 square kilometers. Changle was established in the sixth year of Emperor Wu-De (623 AD) during 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...
, and it became a county-level city on February 18, 1994. Changle faces Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
across Taiwan Strait and is connected to Mawei Economic and Technological Zone by Min River. The city may change its present status to a district due to a government proposal.
Located 30 kilometers outside of urban Fuzhou
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
, Changle has a total population of 680,000 and is the home to 400,000 overseas Chinese.
Air
The Fuzhou Changle International AirportFuzhou Changle International Airport
Fuzhou Changle International Airport is an airport in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, China. The airport was inaugurated on June 23, 1997, after being approved to start constructing in 1992. The current handling capacity is approximately 6.5 million people annually. It is one of the...
is a major airport located in the town of Zhanggang, Changle. This airport services the entire northern Fujian area, and it has regular scheduled flights to many domestic and international destinations.
Major Highways
Airport Express Way (Toll Road), Shenghai Express Way,Fujian Provincial Highway S201 and S203
Overseas Changle
Natives of Changle receive large amount of financial support from overseas, due to there is a significant population of Changle immigrants overseas, particularly in the US and Canada. The focal point for the US is in New York City's East Broadway of Chinatown, ManhattanChinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan's Chinatown , home to one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
. Also, Fuzhounese is commonly used in
a small section of several blocks in Flushing, Queens
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
as well as in 8th Avenue of Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Sunset Park is a neighborhood in the western section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Greenwood Heights to the north, Borough Park to the east, Bay Ridge to the south, and Upper New York Bay to the west...
.
Notable Natives & Residents
- One of the well known Changle native is Shie Wan Yin (谢婉莹), whose pen name is Bing XinBing XinBingxin was one of the most prolific and esteemed Chinese writers of the 20th Century. Many of her works were written for young readers...
(冰心),known as "The Grandma in Chinese Literacy Circle".
- Changle is also the ancestral home of Zheng ZhenduoZheng ZhenduoZheng Zhenduo , Chinese courtesy name Xidì , was a journalist, a modern writer, an archeologist and a literature scholar. His pen names were Baofun , Guo Yuanxin and CT....
, a master of literature.
- Naval Explorer, Admiral Zheng HeZheng HeZheng He , also known as Ma Sanbao and Hajji Mahmud Shamsuddin was a Hui-Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the Voyages of Zheng He or Voyages of Cheng Ho from...
(郑和)
- Electrical Engineers Wenguang Zou & Jinyan Zou, Wind Turbine Engineers.
- Chen Zhenlong who was the first person brought sweet potato to China in 1953.
Migrant Worker
Currently, there are about 200,000 migrant workerMigrant worker
The term migrant worker has different official meanings and connotations in different parts of the world. The United Nations' definition is broad, including any people working outside of their home country...
s who are not born in Changle.
Tourism & Attractions
One of the most notable attractions in Changle is the natural environment. Situated on the banks of the Min Jiang River, the region is surrounded by many mountains and hills. This also has led to many parks and trails which is a popular destination for locals. Industrialization of the region has reduced the natural beauty of some of these areas however.Some of the tourist attractions includes Xiasha Seaside Vocational Center, Jingang Leg, Bing Xing Literacy Archieves, and Nanshan Park. A considerable amount of oversea remittances, particularly from the US, has been used to construct some of these areas, particularly the parks, over the last few years. Because of this, many of these areas are essentially new and attract a considerable amount of visitors.
- Zheng He Museum and Park (郑和博物馆)
- Jin Gang Tian (A Buddhist's Giant Leg) 金刚腿
- Bin Xin Museum (冰心博物馆)
- Qinjiang Manzu Jie (Manchurian Vallige)
- Xiasha Beach Resort
- Xianyin Palace
- Tianfei Palace
- Hexiao Street (Beneath River Street) 河下街
Local Language
Most locals are capable of speaking both Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) and Fuzhou dialectFuzhou dialect
Fuzhou dialect , also known as Foochow dialect, Foochow, Foochowese, Fuzhounese, or Fuzhouhua, is considered the standard dialect of Min Dong, which is a branch of Min Chinese mainly spoken in the eastern part of Fujian Province. Native speakers also call it ' , meaning the language spoken in...
, though Mandarin is spoken in more formal settings such as schools. Generally, those who have higher education are more capable of standard Mandarin.
Most Changle natives can speak both Mandarin and a variant of the Fuzhou dialect. However, instruction in schools is taught in Mandarin. At home, Fuzhou dialect is the norm. Older generations' Mandarin typically has a strong accent due to their mother tongue of the Fuzhou dialect, which does not distinguish between z and zh, c and ch, s and sh initials and n and ng finals.
The Fuzhou dialect (Changle/Fuzhou Hua-长乐/福州话) faces a high risk of lingual extinction due to the government policy that intended to push for the common use of Chinese Mandarin. Some locals are concerned that this would lead to gradual disappearance of their cultural identity. Though the dialect is expected to remain one of the most spoken languages in the Changle area, it is primarily spoken by the older generation. Though the younger generations are fluent to a degree because of their environment and family, generational attrition of the language will cause a continual drop in the number of capable speakers. The areas where the local dialect is the strongest is primarily in the surrounding towns and areas, which are typically less economically developed than Changle city, the Changle dialect is still the dominant language.
The younger Generation prefer pop culture, arts, music and other forms of entertainment from Hong Kong and the West. The older generation of Changleners enjoy Min Opera (闽剧), a form of Chinese opera
Chinese opera
Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...
.
Cuisine
Due to geographic location, Changle cuisine consists of a lot of seafood, such as clams, shrimps, conch, sea snails, etc.- Fish balls (鱼丸)
- Fish Noodles（鱼面）A noodle made from fish and starch.
- Bian Rou (扁肉）Literally means "ground meat." It is wonton soup, Fujian style. It features a thin wonton skin and a pork filling.
- Ban Mian (拌面）Noodles with a peanutbutter like sauce. Although not native to Changle, Banmian is still common all over the city.
Administration
As of 2003 Changle has two Street Committees (街道)Subdistrict (China)
The subdistrict , is one of the smallest political divisions of China. It is a form of township-level division which is typically part of a larger urban area, as opposed to a discrete town surrounded by rural areas, or a rural townships known as a xiang .In general, urban areas are divided into...
, fourteen Towns (镇)
Town (China)
When referring to political divisions of China, town is the standard English translation of the Chinese 鎮 . It is a fourth-level administrative unit, i.e...
, and two townships (乡):
- Wuhang Street (吴航街道)
- Hangcheng Street (航城街道)
- Meihua Town (梅花镇)
- Yingqian Town (营前镇)
- Jinfeng Town (金峰镇)
- Tantou TownTantou, ChangleTantou is a town located in the city of Changle, in the province Fujian of China.A big part of its population is living abroad, mainly in New York City , Europe , and Taiwan....
(潭头镇) - Yutian Town (玉田镇)
- Jiangtian Town (江田镇)
- Guhuai Town (古槐镇)
- Heshang Town (鹤上镇)
- Shouzhan Town (首占镇)
- Wenwusha Town (文武砂镇)
- Zhanggang Town (漳港镇)
- Hunan Town (湖南镇)
- Wenfeng Town (文岭镇)
- Songxia Town (松下镇)
- Luolian Township (罗联乡)
- Houyu Township (猴屿乡)
See also: Changle's Government
Education System
-
- No.7 Junior High School（长乐七中，长乐智化中学）
- Fujian Normal University (福建师范长乐)- Changle
- No.1 Junior High School (Wuhan Town 长乐一中 吴航)
- Huaqiao Junior High and Senior School (Wuhan Town 长乐侨中)
- No.2 Junior High School (Jinfeng Town 长乐二中 金峰)
- No.4 Junior High School (Yutian Town 长乐四中 玉田)
- No.6 Junior High School（Ying Qian 长乐六中 营前街道）