Taizhou (泰州)

1. Introduction

Taizhou City, abbreviated as Tai, historically known as Hailing, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. It is a member of the Shanghai Metropolitan Area, located in the central part of Jiangsu Province, on the northern bank of the Yangtze River. The city borders Yangzhou to the west, Yancheng to the northeast, Nantong to the southeast, and faces Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Zhenjiang across the Yangtze River to the south. Situated in the Jianghuai Plain, the southern part of the city is a high-sand area along the river, while the northern part is the Lixiahe Plain. The terrain is generally flat, with only a few hills such as Gushan in Jingjiang. The area is crisscrossed by a dense network of rivers, including the Xintongyang Canal, Tongyang Canal, and Rutai Canal. The municipal government is located at No. 58 Fenghuang East Road, Hailing District.

Taizhou is a vital land and water transportation hub connecting the north and south, serving as the gateway to central Jiangsu. Since ancient times, it has been known as a "key land and water thoroughfare and strategic gateway." Over 700 years ago, Marco Polo visited Taizhou and praised it as "not a very large city, but abundant in worldly happiness." Taizhou is a nationally renowned historical and cultural city.

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2. History

• For history prior to August 12, 1996, please refer to the history of Taizhou as a county-level city.
• On August 12, 1996, with the approval of the State Council, Yangzhou underwent an administrative division adjustment. Parts of the former county-level cities under the jurisdiction of Yangzhou were separated to establish the prefecture-level city of Taizhou, which governs Hailing District, Jingjiang City, Taixing City, Jiangyan City, and Xinghua City.
• In 1997, parts of the administrative divisions of Hailing District, Jiangyan City, and Taixing City were adjusted to establish Gaogang District.
• In December 2012, Jiangyan District of Taizhou was established, with its administrative region being the former administrative region of the county-level Jiangyan City.

3. Geography

3.1. Topography

The city's total area is approximately 5,793 square kilometers, of which land area accounts for about 82.74%, water area for about 17.26%, and the urban area is about 640 square kilometers. Except for the independent hill, Gushan, in Jingjiang, the rest of the city is an alluvial plain formed by the erosion of the Yangtze and Huai River systems. The terrain is higher in the middle and lower in the north and south: the true elevation in the southern riverside areas generally ranges from 2 to 5 meters; in the central high-sand areas, it is generally 5 to 7 meters; and in the northern Lixiahe area, it ranges from 1.5 to 5 meters.

3.2. Water Systems

Taizhou has a dense network of rivers. The Yangtze-Huai River watershed runs from west to east through the central part of Taizhou. The rivers within its territory are roughly divided by the Tongyang Highway: those north of the highway belong to the Huai River system, while those south belong to the Yangtze River system. Conventionally, the rivers belonging to the Yangtze River system, including the old Tongyang Canal and its connected waterways, are referred to as the "Upper River," while those belonging to the Huai River system, including the new Tongyang Canal and its connected waterways, are called the "Lower River." Due to the low-lying terrain in the northern region, the water network exhibits a centripetal pattern, converging from the periphery toward the central low-lying areas, with numerous lakes distributed throughout. Consequently, during high-water periods, the water level of the Upper River in the south is approximately 1.2 meters higher than that of the Lower River in the north, with an average water level difference of 0.9 meters.

3.3. Climate

Taizhou is located in the northern subtropical humid climate zone and the East Asian monsoon climate region, characterized by a subtropical monsoon climate. Influenced by monsoon circulation, it exhibits distinct monsoon features. The four seasons are clearly defined: summers are dominated by the plum rains and mid-summer droughts, while winters experience frequent cold air activity and are prone to cold wave invasions. The area enjoys a long frost-free period, abundant heat, plentiful precipitation, and concurrent rainfall and heat. The prevailing wind direction year-round is southeasterly, with southeasterly winds common in spring and summer, northeasterly winds in autumn, and predominantly northerly winds in winter. Typhoons often affect the area in summer and autumn.

In the Taizhou region, spring generally begins in late March or early April, summer starts in early to mid-June, autumn begins in mid-September, and winter sets in by mid-November. Roughly, winter lasts over four months each year, summer over three months, and spring and autumn each over two months. Temperatures peak in July and reach their lowest in January. The temperature difference between the northern and southern parts of the region is not significant during winter and summer. The annual average temperature is around 15°C. The average annual precipitation is 1,037.7 mm, with 113 rainy days per year. However, influenced by the monsoon, precipitation variability is considerable, and differences exist between the northern and southern areas.

Average Meteorological Data for Taizhou City, 1981–2010

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|------|------|------|------| | Avg high °C (°F) | 6.6 (43.9) | 8.8 (47.8) | 13.2 (55.8) | 19.6 (67.3) | 25.4 (77.7) | 28.4 (83.1) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.0 (87.8) | 27.2 (81.0) | 22.1 (71.8) | 15.7 (60.3) | 9.4 (48.9) | 19.9 (67.8) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.4 (36.3) | 4.4 (39.9) | 8.4 (47.1) | 14.4 (57.9) | 20.1 (68.2) | 24.0 (75.2) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.0 (80.6) | 22.9 (73.2) | 17.4 (63.3) | 10.9 (51.6) | 4.9 (40.8) | 15.4 (59.6) | | Avg low °C (°F) | -0.7 (30.7) | 1.1 (34.0) | 4.7 (40.5) | 10.0 (50.0) | 15.6 (60.1) | 20.4 (68.7) | 24.3 (75.7) | 23.9 (75.0) | 19.7 (67.5) | 13.7 (56.7) | 7.2 (45.0) | 1.4 (34.5) | 11.8 (53.2) | | Avg precip mm (in) | 42.3 (1.67) | 45.7 (1.80) | 77.3 (3.04) | 69.6 (2.74) | 84.7 (3.33) | 143.1 (5.63) | 185.1 (7.29) | 152.6 (6.01) | 94.9 (3.74) | 55.0 (2.17) | 56.9 (2.24) | 30.1 (1.19) | 1,037.3 (40.85) | | Avg humidity (%) | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 79 | 83 | 84 | 81 | 76 | 75 | 73 | 77 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Taizhou City currently administers 3 municipal districts and manages 3 county-level cities on behalf of the province.

• Municipal Districts: Hailing District, Gaogang District, Jiangyan District
• County-level Cities: Xinghua City, Jingjiang City, Taixing City

Additionally, Taizhou City has established the following economic management zones: National-level Taizhou Medical Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone (operating under a "district-government integration" system with Gaogang District, formerly known as Taizhou Economic and Technological Development Zone), National-level Taizhou Export Processing Zone, and Hailing Industrial Park.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (sq km) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|------------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 321200 | Taizhou City | Tàizhōu Shì | 5,787.36 | 4,512,762 | Hailing District | 225300 | 23 | 65 | 2 | | 321202 | Hailing District | Háilíng Qū | 422.54 | 799,707 | Chengzhong Subdistrict | 225300 | 10 | 4 | | | 321203 | Gaogang District | Gāogǎng Qū | 286.84 | 258,590 | Kou'an Subdistrict | 225300 | 4 | 5 | | | 321204 | Jiangyan District | Jiāngyàn Qū | 857.76 | 668,408 | Sanshui Subdistrict | 225500 | 4 | 10 | | | 321281 | Xinghua City | Xīnghuà Shì | 2,395.00 | 1,128,204 | Zhaoyang Subdistrict | 225700 | 3 | 24 | 1 | | 321282 | Jingjiang City | Jìngjiāng Shì | 655.58 | 663,408 | Jingcheng Subdistrict | 214500 | 1 | 8 | | | 321283 | Taixing City | Tàixīng Shì | 1,169.65 | 994,445 | Yanling Subdistrict | 225400 | 1 | 14 | 1 |

Note: The figures for Hailing District include the Sixiang and Mingzhu subdistricts under the jurisdiction of the Taizhou Medical Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, as well as the Hongqi and Fenghuang subdistricts under the Hailing Industrial Park. The figures for Gaogang District include the Yanjiang Subdistrict and Yexu Town under the jurisdiction of the Taizhou Medical Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone.

5. Economy

In 2020, Taizhou City achieved a regional GDP of 531.277 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.6%. The growth rate was 1.9 percentage points higher than that of the first three quarters, ranking sixth in the province and moving up five places compared to the first three quarters. Specifically: the primary industry achieved an added value of 30.710 billion yuan, an increase of 3.0%; the secondary industry achieved an added value of 254.110 billion yuan, an increase of 3.3%; and the tertiary industry achieved an added value of 246.457 billion yuan, an increase of 4.1%.

6. Transportation

6.1. Major Highways

• G2 Beijing-Shanghai Expressway
• G40 Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway
• G1515 Yancheng-Jingjiang Expressway
• S1 Nanjing-Yancheng Expressway
• S28 Qidong-Yangzhou Expressway
• S30 Rugao-Changzhou Expressway
• S35 Fuyang-Liyang Expressway
• National Highway 328
• National Highway 344
• National Highway 345
• National Highway 523
• Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge
• Changzhou-Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge
• Jiangyin-Jingjiang Yangtze River Tunnel
• Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge

6.2. Railways

• Xinchang Railway
• Nanjing-Qidong Railway
• Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu High-Speed Railway
• Yancheng-Taizhou-Wuxi-Changzhou-Yixing Railway
• Taizhou Railway Station
• Taizhou South Railway Station
• Taizhou West Railway Station
• Jiangyan Railway Station
• Taixing Railway Station
• Taixing East Railway Station
• Huangqiao Railway Station
• Xinghua Railway Station
• Xinghua East Railway Station
• Jingjiang Railway Station
• Jingjiang South Railway Station
• Jingjiang East Railway Station

6.3. Ports

• Port of Taizhou

6.4. Airports

Yangzhou Taizhou Airport is jointly constructed with Yangzhou City.

7. Education

7.1. Primary Schools

• Taizhou Gulou Road Primary School
• Taizhou Chengdong Central Primary School
• Taizhou Hailing Experimental Primary School
• Taizhou Dapu Central Primary School
• Taizhou Yangqiao Central Primary School
• Taizhou Haiguang Central Primary School
• Taizhou Normal School Affiliated Primary School
• Taizhou Yanhuaqiao Primary School
• Taizhou Experimental School
• Taizhou Hailing School
• Taizhou Jiulong School
• Taizhou Gangyang School
• Taizhou Tangwan School

7.2. Junior High Schools

• Jiangsu Province Taizhou Middle School Affiliated Junior High School
• Jiangsu Province Taizhou No.2 Middle School Affiliated Junior High School
• Taizhou Shenyi Middle School
• Taizhou Navy Middle School
• Taizhou Zhibao Middle School
• Taizhou Minxing Middle School

7.3. Senior High Schools

• Jiangsu Province Taizhou Middle School
• Jiangsu Province Jingjiang Senior High School
• Jiangsu Province Kou'an Middle School
• Jiangsu Province Taizhou No.2 Middle School
• Taizhou No.3 Middle School
• Taizhou Tian Jiabing Experimental Middle School
• Taizhou Experimental Middle School
• Jiangsu Province Huangqiao Middle School
• Jiangsu Province Jiangyan Middle School
• Jiangsu Province Jiangyan No.2 Middle School
• Taizhou Minxing Middle School
• Jiangsu Province Taixing Middle School
• Jiangsu Province Xinghua Middle School

7.4. Higher Education Institutions

• Nanjing Normal University Taizhou College
• Taizhou University
• Jiangsu Vocational College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Technology
• Taizhou Polytechnic College
• Nanjing University of Science and Technology Taizhou College of Science and Technology
• Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Taizhou Campus

8. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 4,512,762. Compared with the 4,618,937 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the total number decreased by 106,175 over the past ten years, a decline of 2.3%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.23%. Among them, the male population was 2,261,512, accounting for 50.11% of the total population; the female population was 2,251,250, accounting for 49.89% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 100.46. The population aged 0–14 was 557,720, accounting for 12.36% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 2,680,050, accounting for 59.39% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 1,274,992, accounting for 28.25% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 993,142, accounting for 22.01% of the total population. The urban population was 3,071,179, accounting for 68.06% of the total population; the rural population was 1,441,583, accounting for 31.94% of the total population.

By the end of 2022, Taizhou City had a permanent resident population of 4.5056 million, a decrease of 16,200 compared to the end of 2021. The urbanization rate of the permanent resident population was 69.24%, an increase of 0.60 percentage points from the end of the previous year. The registered population at the end of the year was 4.8843 million.

8.1. Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 4,493,974, accounting for 99.58%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 18,788, accounting for 0.42%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic group population decreased by 114,813, a decline of 2.49%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 0.2 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 8,638, a growth of 85.1%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.2 percentage points.

9. Religion

9.1. Buddhism

• Guangxiao Temple
• Jingyin Temple
• Nanshan Temple
• Beishan Temple
• Xishan Temple

9.2. Taoism

• City God Temple

9.3. Islam

• Mosque, located east of the old city in Hailing.

9.4. Catholicism

• Catholic Church, located west of the Wanghai Tower scenic area in Taizhou.

9.5. Protestantism

Protestantism was introduced to Taizhou in 1887, with five denominations subsequently introduced: the China Inland Mission, the Presbyterian Church in the United States (South), the Anglican Church, the Local Church (Christian Assembly), and the True Jesus Church.

10. Culture

Main article: Taizhou School

10.1. Language

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• The Hailing District, Jiangyan District, and Xinghua area use the Taizhou sub-dialect of the Tongtai cluster within the Jianghuai Mandarin dialect.
• The Gaogang District, Taixing, and areas like Xinqiao and Jishi in Jingjiang use the Rugao sub-dialect of the Tongtai cluster within the Jianghuai Mandarin dialect.
• The vast majority of Jingjiang uses the Piling sub-dialect of the Taihu cluster within the Wu Chinese dialect.

10.2. Cuisine

Taizhou cuisine primarily belongs to the Huaiyang cuisine style. Signature dishes mainly include Eight-Treasure Knife Fish, Dragon Eye Rolling Pearls, Steamed Reeves' Shad, Crab Roe with Vermicelli Sheets, Taizhou Dried Shredded Tofu, Huangqiao Sesame Cake, Jingjiang Crab Roe Soup Dumplings, etc. Local snacks mainly include Jinsong Preserved Eggs, Huangqiao Sesame Cake, Zhongzhuang Drunken Crab, Blanched Dried Shredded Tofu, Qintong Fish Cake, Fried Stinky Tofu, Five-Flavor Dried Shredded Tofu, Fish Soup Noodles, Jiangyan Crispy Cake, Farmhouse Buckwheat Noodle Soup Cake, Chaixu Cicada Wing Cake, Xuanbao Small Wontons, Large Stove Cake, etc. In recent years, with increased population mobility, other regional cuisines and some Western fast food have also entered the area.

Ginkgo is a specialty of Taizhou, locally known as white fruit. Taizhou ginkgo nuts are large, full-kerneled, rich in pulp, thin-shelled, heavy in weight, white in color, sweet and glutinous in taste, durable in storage, rich in nutrition, and excellent for both medicinal and culinary purposes.

In 2019, Taizhou will have the football team Taizhou Yuanda participating in the China League Two.

11. Sister Cities and Friendship Cities

• Newport News, USA
• Latrobe, Australia
• Eumseong County, South Korea
• Kotka, Finland
• Barrie, Ontario, Canada
• Huy, Belgium
• Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture, Japan (Archived page, stored at the Internet Archive)

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"Seeking the meaning of peace and stability"—from the "Gazetteer of Weiyang" in the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty

Hailing District

Xinghua City

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Ginkgo tree

Plum blossom