Chenzhou (郴州)

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2. History

Chenzhou boasts a long and profound history, with over two thousand years of documented records. The character "郴" is unique to Chenzhou, composed of the characters for "forest" (林) and "city" (邑), meaning "a city within the forest." It first appeared during the Qin Dynasty when Li Si changed the character "菻" (lǐn) to "郴" and established Chen County.

Since the Qin Dynasty, the administrative divisions of Chenzhou have evolved through successive dynasties, having been established as a commandery, prefecture, military district, and circuit. Historical records document events such as Xiang Yu "relocating Emperor Yi to Chen," Zhao Zilong's great battle in Guiyang Commandery, and Hong Xiuquan stationing troops in Chenzhou. In the fourth year of the Yuanding era of the Western Han Dynasty (113 BCE), Guiyang Commandery was established, governing 11 counties including Chen, Linwu, Nanping, Leiyang, Guiyang, Yangshan, Yinshan, and Qujiang. In the 23rd year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (735 CE), Guiyang Commandery was renamed Chenzhou. In the first year of the Qiande era of the Song Dynasty (963 CE), the Chenzhou Military District was established. On November 25, 1949, Chen County Administrative Region was founded. In November 1950, it was renamed Chenzhou Administrative Region, governing 10 counties. On March 8, 1967, the administrative region was redesignated as a prefecture. On December 17, 1994, Chenzhou Prefecture was abolished, and the prefecture-level Chenzhou City was established.

Tang and Song literati such as Wang Changling, Du Fu, Han Yu, Liu Yuxi, and Qin Guan all left behind widely celebrated poems and writings here.

3. Geography

Chenzhou is located in the southeastern part of Hunan Province, bordering Jiangxi to the east and Guangdong to the south, serving as the southern gateway of Hunan. The topography of Chenzhou is complex and diverse, dominated by hills and mounds, with relatively flat areas and limited water surfaces. Mountains and hills account for approximately three-quarters of the total area. The terrain is higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest, with the southeastern part primarily mountainous, while the northwestern part consists mainly of hills, mounds, and plains.

Chenzhou falls within the two major river basins of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River, encompassing three major water systems: the Gan River, the Xiang River, and the Bei River. Rivers within the region are well-developed and densely distributed in a radial pattern. There are 62 rivers with a catchment area greater than 100 square kilometers and 6 rivers with a catchment area greater than 1,000 square kilometers.

3.1 Climate

Chenzhou City has a subtropical monsoon climate with strong continental characteristics. The four seasons are distinct. In the flatlands and hilly areas, winter and summer are long, while spring and autumn are short. In mountainous areas, winter is long, and spring, summer, and autumn are short. In the flatlands and hilly areas, the transition from winter to spring and from spring to summer occurs 2–4 days earlier in the south than in the north. In the urban area, spring typically begins in early March, summer in early May, autumn in late September to early October, and winter in late November to early December. Spring has the highest precipitation of the year, accounting for 37.3% of the annual total. Sunshine duration ranges from 220 to 290 hours, with a distribution pattern of less in the south and more in the north. The most notable climatic features of spring are an early start, rapid temperature rise, abundant rainfall, and frequent overcast rain, hail, and strong winds. Summer is hot and prone to midsummer droughts as well as heavy rain and floods. Due to an average elevation above 400 meters, the hilly and mountainous areas exhibit a cooler characteristic compared to neighboring cities, with this coolness being even more pronounced in the mountains. Autumn in Chenzhou is mainly characterized by clear, crisp weather, strong sunshine, low precipitation, and many sunny days, making it prone to autumn droughts. In some years, there is continuous autumn rain accompanied by cold dew winds. Winter features little severe cold, scant rain and snow, and temperatures higher than in neighboring cities. The coldest month of the year is January, with an average temperature of 6.5°C, and the coldest periods often occur around Minor Cold and Major Cold. The hottest month is July, with an average temperature of 27.8°C, and the hottest periods usually occur from late July to early August. Temperatures rise rapidly in March and April with the arrival of spring. After midsummer, temperatures drop, especially after the Autumn Equinox, decreasing by as much as 5°C each month from September to December as winter approaches. | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |------------------|------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|------|------|----------| | Record high °C | 27 | 31.5 | 33.7 | 35.6 | 38.6 | 44 | 47.3 | 46.6 | 41.6 | 36.3 | 33.5 | 27.4 | 47.3 | | Record high °F | 80.6 | 88.7 | 92.7 | 96.1 | 101.5 | 111.2 | 117.1 | 115.9 | 106.9 | 97.3 | 92.3 | 81.3 | 117.1 | | Average high °C | 10.3 | 12.4 | 16.7 | 23.3 | 27.8 | 31.1 | 34.4 | 33.2 | 29.1 | 24.1 | 18.8 | 13.4 | 22.9 | | Average high °F | 50.5 | 54.3 | 62.1 | 73.9 | 82 | 88 | 93.9 | 91.8 | 84.4 | 75.4 | 65.8 | 56.1 | 73.2 | | Daily mean °C | 6.4 | 8.6 | 12.6 | 18.7 | 23.3 | 26.8 | 29.6 | 28.3 | 24.6 | 19.4 | 13.9 | 8.5 | 18.4 | | Daily mean °F | 43.5 | 47.5 | 54.7 | 65.7 | 73.9 | 80.2 | 85.3 | 82.9 | 76.3 | 66.9 | 57 | 47.3 | 65.1 | | Average low °C | 3.8 | 6 | 9.6 | 15.4 | 19.8 | 23.5 | 26 | 24.8 | 21.3 | 16 | 10.4 | 5.1 | 15.1 | | Average low °F | 38.8 | 42.8 | 49.3 | 59.7 | 67.6 | 74.3 | 78.8 | 76.6 | 70.3 | 60.8 | 50.7 | 41.2 | 59.2 | | Record low °C | −4.3 | −3.6 | −1.9 | 2.9 | 10 | 13.4 | 18.6 | 18.3 | 13.2 | 4.2 | −1.6 | −6.3 | −6.3 | | Record low °F | 24.3 | 25.5 | 28.6 | 37.2 | 50 | 56.1 | 65.5 | 64.9 | 55.8 | 39.6 | 29.1 | 20.7 | 20.7 | | Average precipitation mm | 80.1 | 116.2 | 155.4 | 190.3 | 186.6 | 191.9 | 123 | 170.6 | 96.1 | 77.5 | 67.9 | 47.9 | 1,503.50 | | Average precipitation inches | 3.15 | 4.57 | 6.12 | 7.49 | 7.35 | 7.56 | 4.84 | 6.72 | 3.78 | 3.05 | 2.67 | 1.89 | 59.19 | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 17.1 | 16.8 | 19.9 | 18.5 | 18.3 | 15.5 | 11.3 | 14 | 12.2 | 13.5 | 11.6 | 10.4 | 179.1 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 82 | 82 | 81 | 79 | 77 | 75 | 67 | 73 | 77 | 78 | 77 | 77 | 77 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Chenzhou City administers 2 municipal districts, 8 counties, and manages 1 county-level city on behalf of the higher administration.

• Municipal Districts: Beihu District, Suxian District
• County-level City: Zixing City
• Counties: Guiyang County, Yizhang County, Yongxing County, Jiahe County, Linwu County, Rucheng County, Guidong County, Anren County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (sq km) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Including: Ethnic Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|-------------------------|------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------|--------------------------------| | 431000 | Chenzhou City | Chēnzhōu Shì | 19,341.85 | 4,667,134 | Beihu District | 423000 | 23 | 99 | 37 | 9 | | 431002 | Beihu District | Běihú Qū | 818.53 | 567,778 | Luoxian Subdistrict | 423000 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | 431003 | Suxian District | Sūxiān Qū | 1,339.91 | 435,836 | Suxianling Subdistrict | 423000 | 6 | 8 | | | | 431021 | Guiyang County | Guìyáng Xiàn | 2,958.29 | 709,372 | Longtan Subdistrict | 424400 | 3 | 17 | 2 | 1 | | 431022 | Yizhang County | Yízhāng Xiàn | 2,117.85 | 567,970 | Yuxi Town | 424200 | | 14 | 5 | 1 | | 431023 | Yongxing County | Yǒngxīng Xiàn | 1,979.88 | 538,532 | Bianjiang Subdistrict | 423300 | 2 | 10 | 4 | | | 431024 | Jiahe County | Jiāhé Xiàn | 699.39 | 343,169 | Zhuquan Town | 424500 | | 9 | 1 | | | 431025 | Linwu County | Línwǔ Xiàn | 1,383.06 | 322,987 | Shunfeng Town | 424300 | | 9 | 4 | 1 | | 431026 | Rucheng County | Rǔchéng Xiàn | 2,400.71 | 344,617 | Luyang Town | 424100 | | 9 | 5 | 2 | | 431027 | Guidong County | Guìdōng Xiàn | 1,451.60 | 160,956 | Oujiang Town | 423500 | | 7 | 4 | | | 431028 | Anren County | Ānrén Xiàn | 1,462.19 | 351,927 | Yonglejiang Town | 423600 | | 5 | 8 | | | 431081 | Zixing City | Zīxīng Shì | 2,730.44 | 322,990 | Tangdong Subdistrict | 423400 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2 |

5. Economy

In recent years, Chenzhou has experienced rapid economic development, with its comprehensive strength significantly enhanced. The following is a brief overview of Chenzhou's economic development:

1. Economic Aggregate and Growth
   Chenzhou's economic aggregate has grown from 1.0 billion yuan in 1949 to 311.06 billion yuan in 2023, with per capita GDP increasing from 75 yuan to 67,347 yuan. In 2023, Chenzhou's regional GDP reached 311.058 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.0%. This includes 32.534 billion yuan from the primary industry, 120.033 billion yuan from the secondary industry, and 158.491 billion yuan from the tertiary industry.

2. Development of the Three Industries
   All three industries in Chenzhou have achieved rapid growth. In agriculture, the total agricultural output value reached 58.897 billion yuan. In industry, the industrial added value amounted to 101.719 billion yuan, becoming the main driver of economic growth. The added value of the service industry reached 158.49 billion yuan. In 2023, the primary industry grew by 3.8%, the secondary industry by 6.3%, and the tertiary industry by 4.2%.

3. Investment and Consumption
   Chenzhou's investment scale continues to expand, and its consumer market is thriving. In 2023, fixed asset investment grew by 4.3%, and total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 7.2%. Chenzhou has also actively undertaken industrial transfers and developed processing trade economies.

4. Infrastructure and Transportation
   Chenzhou's transportation network is increasingly well-developed, with major arteries such as the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and the Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway running north-south, providing crucial support for economic development. Additionally, Chenzhou has vigorously promoted the "Trillion-Yuan Investment Plan" and the "Hundred-Billion-Yuan Urban Construction Plan," achieving significant results in infrastructure development.

5. Social Undertakings and People's Livelihood
   Social undertakings in Chenzhou have developed comprehensively, with notable progress in science, education, culture, and healthcare. The social security system is robust, and the living standards of the people continue to improve. The urbanization rate has risen, and the income levels of urban and rural residents have increased significantly.

6. Opening-Up and Tourism
   Chenzhou has actively integrated into the "Southern Hunan Industrial Transfer Demonstration Zone," achieving remarkable results in opening up. At the same time, Chenzhou boasts abundant tourism resources and has emerged as a new destination for eco-leisure, rafting adventures, and hot spring wellness.

7. Challenges
   Despite rapid economic development, Chenzhou still faces challenges, such as declining corporate profitability, difficulties in capital turnover, and slow progress in industrial transformation and upgrading.

Over the past few decades, Chenzhou has achieved remarkable economic development, gradually optimized its economic structure, made comprehensive progress in social undertakings, and continuously expanded its opening-up. In the future, Chenzhou will continue to promote high-quality development and strive for comprehensive economic and social progress.

6. Transportation

• Railway: Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway
• Highways: National Highway 106, National Highway 107, National Highway 240, National Highway 357, G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway, G76 Xiamen-Chengdu Expressway, G0422 Wuhan-Shenzhen Expressway, S31 Yizhang-Lianzhou Expressway
• Aviation: Chenzhou Beihu Airport

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7. Population

According to the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the permanent resident population of Chenzhou City was 4,581,778, accounting for 6.98% of Hunan Province's population, ranking 8th. The population density was 237 persons/km². The sex ratio was 107.60 males per 100 females. By educational attainment, those with a university degree or above accounted for 5.80% of the total population; those with a junior high school education or above accounted for 58.82%; and the illiterate population accounted for only 2.75%. There were 1,345,619 family households in the jurisdiction, with a population of 4,411,236 persons, accounting for 96.28% of the total population. The average family size was 3.28 persons. In terms of age composition, the population aged 14 and below was 1,003,967, accounting for 21.91% of the total population; the population aged 15-64 was 3,203,996, accounting for 69.93%; and the elderly population aged 65 and above was 373,815, accounting for 8.16% of the total population.

According to the 2020 Seventh National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 4,667,134. Compared with the 4,583,531 persons from the Sixth National Population Census, this represents an increase of 83,603 persons over ten years, a growth of 1.82%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.18%. Among them, the male population was 2,414,249, accounting for 51.73% of the total population; the female population was 2,252,885, accounting for 48.27%. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 107.16. The population aged 0-14 was 1,079,954, accounting for 23.14% of the total population; the population aged 15-59 was 2,759,307, accounting for 59.12%; the population aged 60 and above was 827,873, accounting for 17.74% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 575,203, accounting for 12.32%. The population residing in urban areas was 2,715,350, accounting for 58.18% of the total population; the population residing in rural areas was 1,951,784, accounting for 41.82%.

At the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 4.6368 million, a decrease of 21,100 from the previous year. Among them, the urban population was 2.7605 million, and the rural population was 1.8763 million. The city's urbanization rate was 59.53%, an increase of 0.49 percentage points from the previous year.

7.1. Ethnic Groups

Chenzhou is predominantly Han Chinese, with ethnic minorities exhibiting a pattern of large dispersion and small, mixed settlements. The indigenous ethnic minorities are the Yao and She peoples. Results from the 2000 Fifth Population Census show that the Han population in Chenzhou was 4,247,076, accounting for 98.20% of the regional population. Ethnic minorities numbered 77,736, accounting for 1.21% of the province's ethnic minority population (ranking 7th) and 1.80% of the regional population. Among the 55 ethnic minorities, 41 are represented in the area. The Yao people are the second largest population group in Chenzhou after the Han, totaling 70,513 persons, accounting for 1.63% of the city's total population (ranking 2nd), 10.01% of the province's Yao population, and 90.71% of the regional ethnic minority population. Besides the Yao, the Tujia, Miao, Mongol, and She populations each exceed one thousand persons; eight ethnic groups including Dong and Zhuang have populations over one hundred; and nine ethnic groups including Uyghur have populations over ten. Chenzhou's ethnic minorities are mainly distributed across eight county-level divisions: Rucheng, Suxian, Zixing, Yizhang, Guiyang, Linwu, Beihu, and Guidong. Building upon the previously established Tuanjie Yao Ethnic Township in Zixing City, Mangshan Yao Ethnic Township in Yizhang County, Yuefeng Yao Ethnic Township and Datang Yao Ethnic Township in Beihu District, and Huashan and Yangliu Yao Ethnic Townships in Guiyang County, three Yao Ethnic Townships (Yanshou, Lingxiu, Yingdong) and two Yao Ethnic Towns (Xiaoyuan, Sanjiangkou) were established in Rucheng County in December 1991. Lianping Yao Ethnic Township was established in Zixing City in July 1993. Xishan Yao Ethnic Township was established in Linwu County in November 1994. In total, Chenzhou's jurisdiction has established 13 Yao Ethnic Townships/Towns and 50 ethnic villages.

In 2020, among the city's permanent resident population, the Han population was 4,579,108, accounting for 98.11%; various ethnic minority populations totaled 88,026, accounting for 1.89%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han population increased by 74,440 persons, a growth of 1.65%, but its share of the total population decreased by 0.17 percentage points. The various ethnic minority populations increased by 9,163 persons, a growth of 11.62%, and their share of the total population increased by 0.17 percentage points. Among them, the Yao population increased by 854 persons, a growth of 1.21%, but its share of the total population decreased by 0.01 percentage points.

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8. Culture

The Chenzhou region is home to a variety of dialects. The local Chinese dialects include Southern Hunanese Tuhua, Gan, and Hakka. However, the influence of the later-arriving Southwestern Mandarin has gradually expanded, taking root in the urban areas of Chenzhou City to such an extent that some people refer to Chenzhou Mandarin simply as "Chenzhou dialect." The distribution areas of Southern Hunanese Tuhua and Southwestern Mandarin overlap within Chenzhou, forming a unique bilingual region. Southern Hunanese Tuhua is the undisputed primary language of Chenzhou, spoken in most towns and the vast majority of villages, primarily for internal communication. The accents of Southern Hunanese Tuhua vary significantly across different counties within Chenzhou. Additionally, Southern Hunanese Tuhua is not only entirely different from Southwestern Mandarin but also mutually unintelligible with Xiang, the dominant dialect in Hunan Province. Located at a crucial juncture between northern and southern China, Chenzhou has historically welcomed numerous immigrants from various regions. Southwestern Mandarin dominates the urban areas of Chenzhou City and some towns, serving as the language for external communication and becoming the primary tool for interaction among speakers of different dialects within Chenzhou. What outsiders often refer to as the "Chenzhou dialect" is actually the Southwestern Mandarin spoken in the urban areas of Chenzhou City. Furthermore, Hakka is spoken in areas such as Rucheng in the southeastern part of Chenzhou. The Yao people in Chenzhou use Mien (a Yao language).

10. Sister Cities

Laredo, United States (September 1, 2002)

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9. 名人

薛忆沩（英语：Xue Yiwei）

The City in the Forest, "Forest" + "City" equals "Chen".

Beihu District

Guiyang County

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