Taoyuan County, Hunan
Encyclopedia
Taoyuan 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. It is 229 kilometers from Zhangjiang Town, the capital of Taoyuan county, to Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province.
during Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period
, and is a portion of Linyuan county during Western Han Dynasty. In AD 50, the 26th year of Jianwu, Eastern Han Dynasty, it is merged to Yuannan county, administered by Wuling prefecture, by set apart from Linyuan county. In AD 783, the third year of Sui Dynasty
, Wuling county is built by annexed three counties of Linyuan, Yuannan and Hanshou, administered by Langzhou prefecture.
In AD 963, the third year of Song Dynasty
, Taoyuan County was officially established by separating a part of Wuling County. It was named after its famous Taohuayuan, a park named after the fable “Peach Blossom Spring”.
Its capital is situated at north bank of Yuanjiang
river, called Zhangjiang town.
, sesame seeds, peanuts, cotton, and tobacco. Manufactured goods produced include machinery, textiles, chemicals, wood products, and leather goods. Local mine extract gold, silver, iron ore, and diamonds.
ages are enrolled in schools, and 93.2% of children with disabilities are enrolled in schools.
Approximate 2000 of high school graduates are admitted by colleges and universities each year.
Taoyuan Yizhong, The First Middle School of Taoyuan, is the most prestigious school in Taoyuan County, composed of high school section and middle school section.
The agricultural landscape consists of 13.4% of the alluvial plains of Yuanjiang
river, 49.3% of hillock and 36.0% of hills and mountains.
with seasonal prevailing winds. The four seasons are distinctive.
The average annual temperature is 16.5 Celsius. The average temperature is 4.5 degrees Celsius in January and 28.5 degrees Celsius in July.
The average annual precipitation is 147 centimeters (58 inches), gradually decreasing from south to north. The annual average relative humidity is 82%, the annual sunshine hour 1531 hours and frost-free period 284 days.
ethnic group and other 12 minority ethnic groups of Hui
, Uyghur
, Tujia, Man
, Dong
, Zhuang and Yao
, among which Uyghur and Hui has more than 3000 population, respectively.
Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang sent to Hunan in the 14th century, (mid 1300s). Along with him came Uyghur soldiers from which the Hunan Uyghurs also descend from. During the 1982 census 4,000 Uyghurs were recorded in Hunan. They have genealogies which survive 600 years later to the present day. Genealogy keeping is a Han chinese custom which the Hunan Uyghurs adopted. These Uyghurs were given the surname Jian by the Emperor. A prominent Hunan Uyghur was Jian Bozan
(1898-1968), they receive Chinese education. He was a member of the Chinese Communist Party. There is some confusion as to whether they practice Islam or not. Some say that they have assimilated with the Han and do not practice Islam anymore, and only that their genealogies indicate their Uyghur ancestry. Chinese news sources report that they are Muslim.
The Uyghur troops led by Hala were ordered by the Ming Emperor to crush Miao rebellions
and were given titles by him. Jian is the predominant surname among the Uyghur in Changde, Hunan. Another group of Uyghur have the surname Sai. Hui
and Uyghur have intermarried in the Hunan area, and the Hui were also used by the Ming Emperor to crush revolts. The Hui are descendants of Arabs and Han chinese who intermarried, and they share the Islamic religion with the Uyghur in Hunan. It is reported that they now number around 10,000 people. The Uyghurs in Changde are not very religious, and eat pork. Older Uygurs disapprove of this, especially elders at the mosques in Changde, and they seek to draw them back to Islamic customs.
In addition to eating pork, the Uygurs of Changde
Hunan practice other Han chinese customs, like ancestor worship at graves. Some Uyghurs from Xinjiang visit the Hunan Uyghurs out of curiosity or interest. Also, the Uyghurs of Hunan do not speak the Uyghur language, instead, they speak Chinese as their native language, and Arabic for religious reasons at the mosque.
and Guizhou
from Song to Qing dynasty passes through Taoyuan and by dialect in central Jiangxi
since substantial residents in Jishui, Zhangshu and Fengcheng of Jiangxi relocate to Taoyuan successively from Ming dynasty to early Qing dynasty.
There are two types of accents in Taoyuan dialect, one of which called native accent, spoken in the central area of Taoyuan, including Zhangjiang Town, Zoushi Town, Qihe Town, Sanyanggang Town and part of Jianshi Town, the other of which called periphery accent, spoken in the strip area bordering other counties.
Taoyuan dialect is a fusion of northern dialect and Jiangxi dialect. Its accent is close to those of Sichuan
dialect, Chongqing
dialect and Hubei
dialect. It is categorized into Southwestern Mandarin.
In diet, Lei Cha, a "five flavors soup" by smashing a mixture of tea leaves, ginger, cornel, green beans and salt into powder, is a popular drink in Taohuanyuan area. According to legend, Lei Cha prevented the soldiers from pestilence caused by the soldiers unable to acclimatize to the environment in Taoyuan during the Eastern Han general Ma Yuan fought southward to Taoyuan.
Taoyuan has unique local operas. Wuling Opera is a popular local opera performed by professionals. Musty Notes received the National Artist Award for its performance and script writing. Nuo Opera drama, called a "living fossil", is still widespread. Sangyanggang Town known as the hometown of Nuo Opera.
Other folk customs include dragon dance and lion dance during Spring Festival. Meanwhile, the Three Bar Drum, Yugu Drum, and String are very popular as well.
Changde
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 .-History:...
, Hunan Province
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...
of the 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...
. The Yuanjiang
Yuanjiang
Yuanjiang can refer to the following places in China:*Yuanjiang, Hunan *Yuanjiang, Yunnan Yuanjiang can also refer to:*The Yuan River in China*The Red River in China and Vietnam...
river, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of Yangtze
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...
, flows through Taoyuan. Taoyuan covers 4441 square kilometer area, among which the arable land is 895 square kilometers. It is 229 kilometers from Zhangjiang Town, the capital of Taoyuan county, to Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province.
History
The area of present Taoyuan county belongs to Chu (state)Chu (state)
The State of Chu was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state in present-day central and southern China during the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period . Its ruling house had the surname Nai , and clan name Yan , later evolved to surname Mi , and clan name Xiong...
during Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period
Warring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
, and is a portion of Linyuan county during Western Han Dynasty. In AD 50, the 26th year of Jianwu, Eastern Han Dynasty, it is merged to Yuannan county, administered by Wuling prefecture, by set apart from Linyuan county. In AD 783, the third year of Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
, Wuling county is built by annexed three counties of Linyuan, Yuannan and Hanshou, administered by Langzhou prefecture.
In AD 963, the third year of 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...
, Taoyuan County was officially established by separating a part of Wuling County. It was named after its famous Taohuayuan, a park named after the fable “Peach Blossom Spring”.
Its capital is situated at north bank of Yuanjiang
Yuanjiang
Yuanjiang can refer to the following places in China:*Yuanjiang, Hunan *Yuanjiang, Yunnan Yuanjiang can also refer to:*The Yuan River in China*The Red River in China and Vietnam...
river, called Zhangjiang town.
Economy
Agricultural products include rice, wheat, edible oilsVegetable fats and oils
Vegetable fats and oils are lipid materials derived from plants. Physically, oils are liquid at room temperature, and fats are solid. Chemically, both fats and oils are composed of triglycerides, as contrasted with waxes which lack glycerin in their structure...
, sesame seeds, peanuts, cotton, and tobacco. Manufactured goods produced include machinery, textiles, chemicals, wood products, and leather goods. Local mine extract gold, silver, iron ore, and diamonds.
Education
Taoyuan has 123,000 students enrolled among its elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. 99.99% of children in their compulsory educationCompulsory education
Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all persons.-Antiquity to Medieval Era:Although Plato's The Republic is credited with having popularized the concept of compulsory education in Western intellectual thought, every parent in Judea since Moses's Covenant with...
ages are enrolled in schools, and 93.2% of children with disabilities are enrolled in schools.
Approximate 2000 of high school graduates are admitted by colleges and universities each year.
Taoyuan Yizhong, The First Middle School of Taoyuan, is the most prestigious school in Taoyuan County, composed of high school section and middle school section.
Geography
Taoyuan County is located in northwestern portion, 28°55′N 111°29′E,, of Hunan Province. It is 118 km from its northernmost point, LaoPeng village, Reshi Town, to its southernmost point, Shizi Ling, Xuejiachong village, Xi'an Town and 75 km from its easternmost post, Caoxiezhou, Renfeng village, Mutangyuan Township, to its westernmost post, Wanjiahe, Gaofeng village, Niuchehe Township. Its total area is 4441.22 km2, which is the fourth largest in Hunan province. The arable land is 895 km2 (221,000 acres), which is the largest in Hunan province.The agricultural landscape consists of 13.4% of the alluvial plains of Yuanjiang
Yuanjiang
Yuanjiang can refer to the following places in China:*Yuanjiang, Hunan *Yuanjiang, Yunnan Yuanjiang can also refer to:*The Yuan River in China*The Red River in China and Vietnam...
river, 49.3% of hillock and 36.0% of hills and mountains.
Climate
Taoyuan county is located in transition zone from subtropical to north subtropical with the humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
with seasonal prevailing winds. The four seasons are distinctive.
The average annual temperature is 16.5 Celsius. The average temperature is 4.5 degrees Celsius in January and 28.5 degrees Celsius in July.
The average annual precipitation is 147 centimeters (58 inches), gradually decreasing from south to north. The annual average relative humidity is 82%, the annual sunshine hour 1531 hours and frost-free period 284 days.
Demographics
Taoyuan County has 976,000 population, which is composed of dominant majority HanHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
ethnic group and other 12 minority ethnic groups of Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
, Uyghur
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
, Tujia, Man
Man
The term man is used for an adult human male . However, man is sometimes used to refer to humanity as a whole...
, Dong
Dong people
The Dong , a Kam–Sui people of southern China, are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They are famed for their native-bred Kam Sweet Rice , carpentry skills, and unique architecture, in particular a form of covered bridge known as the "wind and rain...
, Zhuang and Yao
Yao people
The Yao nationality is a government classification for various minorities in China. They form one of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where they reside in the mountainous terrain of the southwest and south...
, among which Uyghur and Hui has more than 3000 population, respectively.
Taoyuan Uyghurs
Around 5,000 Uyghurs live around Taoyuan County and other parts of Changde. They are descended from a Uyghur leader Hala Bashi, from Turpan, who the Ming dynastyMing Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang sent to Hunan in the 14th century, (mid 1300s). Along with him came Uyghur soldiers from which the Hunan Uyghurs also descend from. During the 1982 census 4,000 Uyghurs were recorded in Hunan. They have genealogies which survive 600 years later to the present day. Genealogy keeping is a Han chinese custom which the Hunan Uyghurs adopted. These Uyghurs were given the surname Jian by the Emperor. A prominent Hunan Uyghur was Jian Bozan
Jian Bozan
Jian Bozan was a prominent Chinese Marxist historian.-Early years and education:...
(1898-1968), they receive Chinese education. He was a member of the Chinese Communist Party. There is some confusion as to whether they practice Islam or not. Some say that they have assimilated with the Han and do not practice Islam anymore, and only that their genealogies indicate their Uyghur ancestry. Chinese news sources report that they are Muslim.
The Uyghur troops led by Hala were ordered by the Ming Emperor to crush Miao rebellions
Miao Rebellions (Ming Dynasty)
The Miao Rebellions were a series of Rebellions of the aboriginal Miao and other aboriginal tribes of southern China. The Ming Dynasty crushed the rebels with overwhelming force...
and were given titles by him. Jian is the predominant surname among the Uyghur in Changde, Hunan. Another group of Uyghur have the surname Sai. Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
and Uyghur have intermarried in the Hunan area, and the Hui were also used by the Ming Emperor to crush revolts. The Hui are descendants of Arabs and Han chinese who intermarried, and they share the Islamic religion with the Uyghur in Hunan. It is reported that they now number around 10,000 people. The Uyghurs in Changde are not very religious, and eat pork. Older Uygurs disapprove of this, especially elders at the mosques in Changde, and they seek to draw them back to Islamic customs.
In addition to eating pork, the Uygurs of Changde
Changde
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 .-History:...
Hunan practice other Han chinese customs, like ancestor worship at graves. Some Uyghurs from Xinjiang visit the Hunan Uyghurs out of curiosity or interest. Also, the Uyghurs of Hunan do not speak the Uyghur language, instead, they speak Chinese as their native language, and Arabic for religious reasons at the mosque.
Language
Taoyuan dialect is profoundly influenced by northern dialect since the commute of government messengers，speaking northern dialect, travelling to YunnanYunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
and 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 :...
from Song to Qing dynasty passes through Taoyuan and by dialect in central Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
since substantial residents in Jishui, Zhangshu and Fengcheng of Jiangxi relocate to Taoyuan successively from Ming dynasty to early Qing dynasty.
There are two types of accents in Taoyuan dialect, one of which called native accent, spoken in the central area of Taoyuan, including Zhangjiang Town, Zoushi Town, Qihe Town, Sanyanggang Town and part of Jianshi Town, the other of which called periphery accent, spoken in the strip area bordering other counties.
Taoyuan dialect is a fusion of northern dialect and Jiangxi dialect. Its accent is close to those of 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...
dialect, Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
dialect and 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...
dialect. It is categorized into Southwestern Mandarin.
Culture and folk customs
Taoyuan has its unique folk custom characteristics since it is located in the transition zone between Han nationality and ethnics.In diet, Lei Cha, a "five flavors soup" by smashing a mixture of tea leaves, ginger, cornel, green beans and salt into powder, is a popular drink in Taohuanyuan area. According to legend, Lei Cha prevented the soldiers from pestilence caused by the soldiers unable to acclimatize to the environment in Taoyuan during the Eastern Han general Ma Yuan fought southward to Taoyuan.
Taoyuan has unique local operas. Wuling Opera is a popular local opera performed by professionals. Musty Notes received the National Artist Award for its performance and script writing. Nuo Opera drama, called a "living fossil", is still widespread. Sangyanggang Town known as the hometown of Nuo Opera.
Other folk customs include dragon dance and lion dance during Spring Festival. Meanwhile, the Three Bar Drum, Yugu Drum, and String are very popular as well.
Notable residents
- Song JiaorenSong JiaorenSong Jiaoren was a Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang . He was assassinated in 1913 after leading his Kuomintang party to victory in China's first democratic elections...
(Chinese: 宋教仁, Apr 5, 1882 - Mar 22, 1913), a Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the KuomintangKuomintangThe 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...
. - Liu KanLiu Kan (general)Liu Kan was a KMT general from Hunan....
(Chinese: 刘戡 1906 – Mar 03, 1948), posthumously awarded GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
of the Republic of China ArmyRepublic of China ArmyThe ROC Army's current operational strength includes 3 armies, 5 corps. As of 2005, the Army's 35 brigades include 25 infantry brigades, 5 armoured brigades and 3 mechanized infantry brigades...
in 1953, was born in Zhengaotian village, Taohuanyuan Town. - Wang Qimei (Chinese: 王其梅, Dec 27, 1914—Aug 15, 1967), awarded Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
of PLAPeople's Liberation ArmyThe People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
in 1955, was born in Wangjiaping village, Sanyanggang Town. - Jian BozanJian BozanJian Bozan was a prominent Chinese Marxist historian.-Early years and education:...
(Chinese: 翦伯赞, 1898-Dec 18, 1968), a prominent Marxist historian, Vice President of Beijing University from 1952 to 1968, was born in Huiwei village, Fengshu Uyghur Autonomous Township.
Tourist attractions
- Peach Blossom Spring, (Chinese: 桃花源), a land then secluded from the outside mortal world depicted as an idyllic shangri-la by Tao Yuanming, (365–427), an Eastern Jin Dynasty poet, in his intriguing proseProseProse is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
of Peach Blossom Spring