Hezhou (贺州)

1. Introduction

Hezhou City (Zhuang language: Hocouh Si), abbreviated as He, historically known as Linhe, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It is located in the northeastern part of Guangxi, at the junction of the three provinces/regions of Guangxi, Hunan, and Guangdong. It borders Guilin City to the west, Wuzhou City to the south, Yongzhou City of Hunan Province to the north, and Qingyuan City and Zhaoqing City of Guangdong Province to the east.

Hezhou is situated in the transition zone between the mountainous area of northeastern Guangxi and the hilly region of southeastern Guangxi, with a terrain that is high in the north and low in the south. The northeastern part is a mountainous area with continuous mountain ranges, the southwestern part is a low mountain and hilly area, and the southern part is the Xindu Plain. To the north lies the Mengzhu Ridge, to the northwest is the Dupang Ridge, and to the south is the Daguishan Mountain. The He River runs from north to south, passing through the urban area, while the Gui River flows through the western part of the city. The city covers a total area of 11,753 square kilometers, with a population of 2.0259 million. The Municipal People's Government is located in Babu District. Hezhou is rich in forest resources, and the famous Guposhan National Forest Park, located in the northern part of the urban area, is known as the "Natural Oxygen Bar of South China."

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2. History

During the Qin Dynasty, the area belonged to Nanhai Commandery. In the sixth year of the Yuanding era of the Western Han Dynasty (111 BCE), Linhe County was established. According to the Commentary on the Waterways Classic, "The commandery faces the confluence of the Lin and He rivers, hence its name." It belonged to Cangwu Commandery, with the county seat located on the eastern bank of the He River, in present-day Daya Village, Hejie Town. The ruins of the ancient Linhe city remain at this site. In the fifth year of the Huangwu era of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period (226 CE), Linhe Commandery was established by separating it from Cangwu Commandery, with its seat at Linhe, under the jurisdiction of the Jiaozhi Inspectorate. In the third year of the Fenghuang era (274 CE), Linhe Commandery was transferred to Jing Province. During the Liu Song Dynasty, Linhe Commandery was renamed Linqing Commandery. In the second year of the Jianyuan era of the Southern Qi Dynasty (480 CE), it was changed to Linhe Commandery within the Linqing Kingdom.

In the ninth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (589 CE), Linhe Commandery was abolished, and Hezhou was established. In the first year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty (742 CE), Hezhou was renamed Linhe Commandery. In the first year of the Qianyuan era (758 CE), the commandery was abolished, and the prefecture was restored. In the early Song Dynasty, Hezhou belonged to the Guangnan East Circuit. In the second year of the Daguan era (1108 CE), it was transferred to the Guangnan West Circuit. In the early Yuan Dynasty, Hezhou was under the Guangxi Liangjiang Circuit Pacification Commission. In the twenty-third year of the Zhizheng era (1363 CE), Hezhou was placed under the Guangxi Branch Secretariat. In the second year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1369 CE), Linhe County was abolished and merged into Hezhou. In the tenth year of the Hongwu era (1377 CE), Hezhou was renamed Hexian County, belonging to Pingle Prefecture. In the second year of the Republic of China (1913 CE), Hexian County was part of the Lijiang Circuit. In 1940, it belonged to the Second Administrative Inspection District of Guangxi Province. In 1942, it was transferred to the First Administrative Inspection District.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Hexian County was part of Pingle Prefecture, with the Prefectural Commissioner's Office located in Babu Town, Hexian County. In August 1951, Hexian County and Xindu County were merged into Hexian County, with its seat in present-day Hejie Town, under Pingle Prefecture. The seat of the Pingle Prefectural Commissioner's Office was moved from Babu to Pingle. In September 1952, the seat of the Hexian County government was relocated from Hejie Town to Babu Town. In July 1958, Pingle Prefecture was abolished, and Hexian County was transferred to Wuzhou Prefecture. In 1971, Wuzhou Prefecture was renamed Wuzhou Region. In August 1983, Fuchuan County was re-established as the Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County. In January 1984, Cangwu County was placed under the jurisdiction of Wuzhou City.

In March 1997, Hexian County was abolished, and the county-level Hezhou City was established. The administrative seat of Wuzhou Region was moved from Wuzhou City to Babu Town, Hezhou City, and the region was renamed Hezhou Region. Hezhou Region governed the county-level Hezhou City, Zhaoping County, Zhongshan County, and Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County from the former Wuzhou Region. In July 2002, Hezhou Region was abolished, and the prefecture-level Hezhou City was established. The county-level Hezhou City was reorganized into Babu District. In September 2007, the Pinggui Management Area of Hezhou City (formerly the "Pinggui Mining Bureau") was established from parts of Babu District and Zhongshan County, serving as an agency dispatched by the municipal government. In July 2016, the Pinggui Management Area was re-established as Pinggui District.

3. Geography

Hezhou City is located in the northeastern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, between 23°39′0″N to 25°09′0″N and 111°05′0″E to 112°03′0″E. It lies at the junction of Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi provinces (autonomous region). The city covers a total area of 11,855 square kilometers, accounting for approximately 5.01% of Guangxi's total area. This includes 4,062 square kilometers of mountainous terrain, 1,420 square kilometers of plains, and 6,373 square kilometers of hilly land.

3.1 Rivers

The major rivers in Hezhou are the Gui River and the He River, both belonging to the Pearl River system. The Gui River flows through Zhaoping County from Guilin and converges into the Xi River in Wuzhou City. The He River originates from Mingshan in Daba Village, Mailing Town, Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County. It flows through Zhongshan County and Babu District before joining the Xi River in Fengkai County, Guangdong Province. The upper reaches of the He River are called the Fu River.

3.2 Climate

|Month|Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec|Year| |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| |Record high °C (°F)|27.8 (82.0)|32.1 (89.8)|33.3 (91.9)|35.6 (96.1)|35.7 (96.3)|38.7 (101.7)|40.9 (105.6)|39.9 (103.8)|39.2 (102.6)|37.1 (98.8)|34.4 (93.9)|29.0 (84.2)|40.9 (105.6)| |Average high °C (°F)|14.0 (57.2)|15.4 (59.7)|18.7 (65.7)|24.5 (76.1)|29.0 (84.2)|31.5 (88.7)|33.7 (92.7)|33.8 (92.8)|31.7 (89.1)|27.8 (82.0)|22.6 (72.7)|17.3 (63.1)|25.0 (77.0)| |Daily mean °C (°F)|9.6 (49.3)|11.5 (52.7)|14.8 (58.6)|20.5 (68.9)|24.5 (76.1)|27.2 (81.0)|28.8 (83.8)|28.6 (83.5)|26.4 (79.5)|22.1 (71.8)|16.7 (62.1)|11.6 (52.9)|20.2 (68.4)| |Average low °C (°F)|6.6 (43.9)|8.8 (47.8)|12.1 (53.8)|17.5 (63.5)|21.4 (70.5)|24.2 (75.6)|25.3 (77.5)|25.1 (77.2)|22.6 (72.7)|18.1 (64.6)|12.6 (54.7)|7.7 (45.9)|16.8 (62.3)| |Record low °C (°F)|-1.9 (28.6)|-0.5 (31.1)|0.0 (32.0)|5.6 (42.1)|11.4 (52.5)|15.2 (59.4)|19.3 (66.7)|20.1 (68.2)|14.0 (57.2)|6.5 (43.7)|1.2 (34.2)|-3.5 (25.7)|-3.5 (25.7)| |Average precipitation mm (inches)|72.3 (2.85)|91.8 (3.61)|126.4 (4.98)|185.1 (7.29)|263.1 (10.36)|260.5 (10.26)|179.8 (7.08)|157.2 (6.19)|64.3 (2.53)|68.5 (2.70)|55.6 (2.19)|37.1 (1.46)|1,561.7 (61.5)| |Average precipitation days (≥0.1 mm)|13.1|15.0|18.4|18.7|20.0|18.6|15.2|15.8|9.6|8.4|7.6|7.6|168.0| |Average relative humidity (%)|76|79|81|81|79|80|76|76|74|72|72|72|77|

Data source 1: China Meteorological Data Service Center Data source 2: China Weather Network (precipitation days from 1971-2000)

4. Administrative Divisions

Hezhou City administers 2 municipal districts, 2 counties, and 1 autonomous county.

• Municipal Districts: Babu District, Pinggui District
• Counties: Zhaoping County, Zhongshan County
• Autonomous County: Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin Zhuang (Official Transcription) | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Including: Ethnic Townships | |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| | 451100 | Hezhou City | Hèzhōu Shì Hocouh Si | 11,752.57 | 2,007,858 | Babu District | 542800 | 4 | 47 | 10 | 5 | | 451102 | Babu District | Bābù Qū Babbu Gih | 3,666.16 | 655,994 | Babu Subdistrict | 542800 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 1 | | 451103 | Pinggui District | Píngguì Qū Bingzgwz Gih | 1,851.17 | 404,161 | Xiwan Subdistrict | 542800 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | | 451121 | Zhaoping County | Zhāopíng Xiàn Cauhbingh Yen | 3,223.64 | 330,116 | Zhaoping Town | 546800 | 9 | 3 | 1 | | | 451122 | Zhongshan County | Zhōngshān Xiàn Cungzsanh Yen | 1,471.83 | 351,057 | Zhongshan Town | 542600 | 10 | 2 | 2 | | | 451123 | Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County | Fùchuān Yáozú Zìzhìxiàn Fucouh Yauzcuz Swcigih | 1,539.76 | 266,530 | Fuyang Town | 542700 | 9 | 3 | | |

5. Economy

5.1 Agricultural Products

• Plants include Shatian pomelo, water chestnut, and red melon seeds.
• Livestock includes an annual production of 5 million pigs and 100 million chickens, which are sold to distant markets.

5.2 Industry

• Rosin
• Han White Jade Marble, also known as "Hezhou White": Natural reserves amount to 2.6 billion cubic meters, suitable for crafts and building stone.
• Ultra-fine Calcium Carbonate: Taiwan-funded Xuguang Chemical

5.3 Hydropower

• Guangxi Guidong Electric Power Co., Ltd., listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

6. Transportation

Hezhou City is located at the junction of Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi provinces, historically known as the "thoroughfare of three provinces." National Highways 323 and 207 run through the entire area, with the Luozhan Railway, the Guangzhou–Hezhou and Guilin–Wuzhou expressways passing through Hezhou. It is 170 kilometers from Guilin and 260 kilometers from Guangzhou, serving as a convenient corridor for tourism and cargo shipment from Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi to the sea.

• Waterway: He River (though its water transport function has currently diminished)
• Railway: Luozhan Railway, Guiyang–Guangzhou Passenger Dedicated Line
• Highway: G65 Baotou–Maoming Expressway, G78 Shantou–Kunming Expressway, S13 Fuchuan–Zhongshan Expressway, S1301 Hezhou Ring Expressway, Wuzhou–Xinzhou Expressway, Lianzhou–Hezhou Branch of the Erguang Expressway
• Airport: Hezhou Airport (under construction). Nearby airports include Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, and Wuzhou Changzhoudao Airport, all within 200 kilometers.

7. Education

7.1 Higher Education

• Public Undergraduate Institutions: Hezhou University
• Public Vocational Colleges: Guangxi Hezhou Vocational College

7.2 Secondary Education

In 2007, Hezhou City had 17 various secondary vocational schools, with a total enrollment of 19,328 students.

7.3 Basic Education

In 2007, Hezhou City had 127 kindergartens, 765 primary schools, 109 junior high schools, and 17 regular high schools.

8. Population

At the end of 2022, the city's total population was 2.4953 million, an increase of 2,100 people compared to the end of the previous year. The year-end resident population was 2.0310 million, an increase of 4,400 people compared to the end of the previous year. Among them, the urban population was 1.0154 million, resulting in an urbanization rate of 50.00%. The annual birth rate was 7.34‰; the death rate was 4.69‰; and the natural growth rate was 2.65‰.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's resident population was 2,007,858. Compared with the 1,954,072 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the total increase over the ten years was 53,786 people, a growth of 2.75%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.27%. Among them, the male population was 1,031,537, accounting for 51.37% of the total population; the female population was 976,321, accounting for 48.63% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 105.66. The population aged 0–14 was 548,039, accounting for 27.29% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,118,013, accounting for 55.68% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 341,806, accounting for 17.02% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 250,901, accounting for 12.5% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 989,187, accounting for 49.27% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 1,018,671, accounting for 50.73% of the total population.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

The population is predominantly Han Chinese, including the Cantonese-speaking Guangfu people, the Hakka-speaking Hakka people, and the Guiliu people who speak the Southwestern Mandarin dialect. Ethnic minorities include the Yao, Zhuang, Miao, and others.

Among the city's resident population, the Han Chinese population was 1,649,851, accounting for 82.17%; the combined population of various ethnic minorities was 358,007, accounting for 17.83%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han Chinese population increased by 18,985 people, a growth of 1.16%, with its share of the total population decreasing by 1.29 percentage points; the combined population of various ethnic minorities increased by 34,801 people, a growth of 10.77%, with its share of the total population increasing by 1.29 percentage points. Among them, the Yao population increased by 18,649 people, a growth of 7.77%, with its share of the total population increasing by 0.6 percentage points; the Zhuang population increased by 12,333 people, a growth of 15.5%, with its share of the total population increasing by 0.51 percentage points. |Ethnic Group|Han|Yao|Zhuang|Miao|Dong|Tujia|Hui|Bouyei|Manchu|Mulam|Other Ethnic Groups| |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| |Population|1,649,851|258,739|91,883|2,122|1,196|732|689|515|374|350|1,407| |Percentage of Total Population (%)|82.17|12.89|4.58|0.11|0.06|0.04|0.03|0.03|0.02|0.02|0.07| |Percentage of Minority Population (%)|-|72.27|25.67|0.59|0.33|0.20|0.19|0.14|0.10|0.10|0.39|

9. Religion

• Christianity: Babu District Christian Church, Lisong Town Christian Church, Shatian Town Christian Church, Yantang Town Christian Church in Zhongshan County, and the Christian Family Gathering Point in Liansheng Village, Gonghui Town.
• Buddhism: In 2005, over 7,000 registered Buddhist followers were recorded, with temples present in each county and district, such as the Shizi Nunnery in Huilong Town, Zhongshan County.
• Taoism

10. Culture

10.1 Language

Hezhou City is located at the intersection of Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi provinces (autonomous region), earning the title "thoroughfare of three provinces." It is a rare multi-language and multi-dialect region in China. Chinese dialects nationwide are divided into seven major categories, and Hezhou's dialects include five of these, along with some local vernaculars whose classification remains undetermined. The linguistic ecology of Hezhou exhibits characteristics of diversity and complexity, earning it the nickname "language museum" and making it a "natural laboratory" for dialect research. Besides Zhuang and Yao languages, the main Chinese dialects in Hezhou City include: Local Vernacular, Hakka, Pumenhua, Jiuduhua, Baliaohua, Lucihua, Kaijianhua, Huaijihua, Guiliuhua, Zhongshan Tuhua, Tu Baihua, Yangshanhua, Boat People's Vernacular, Fuyanghua, Minjiahua, Qiduhua, Baduhua, Baoqinghua, etc. Each county and district has its prevalent languages: Babu District primarily uses Hakka, Baihua, and Guiliuhua; Zhongshan County mainly uses Zhongshan Tuhua; Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County predominantly uses Fuyanghua; and Zhaoping County primarily uses Zhaoping Tu Baihua.

10.2 Ecotourism

Hezhou City is rich in ecotourism resources:

• Gupo Mountain National Forest Park features 25 peaks over 1,000 meters in altitude, with the highest being Tiantangding at 1,844 meters, the main peak of eastern Guangxi. The park covers a total area of 8,000 hectares with a forest coverage rate of 99.55%. It is a National 4A-level scenic area and one of China's most influential forest parks.
• Dagui Mountain National Forest Park
• Huangyao Ancient Town dates back to 972 AD during the Kaibao era of the Song Dynasty. The local residents are primarily surnamed Huang and Yao. The ancient town preserves over 300 Ming and Qing dynasty residences. It is a National 4A-level scenic area and a famous historical and cultural town in China.
• Jiang Clan Hakka Enclosed House, also known as Dajiangwu, is named after the predominant Jiang surname among the local Hakka people, comprising over 200 households. It exemplifies Hakka enclosed house architecture.
• Zhongshan Shilong Ancient Bridge, located in Shilong Town, Zhongshan County, was built in 1746 AD. It is 40 meters long, 5.2 meters wide, and 12 meters high, featuring a double-arch structure with a main arch span of 14 meters and a secondary arch span of 7 meters. The entire bridge is constructed from bluestone arches.
• Zhongshan Shilong Dadi Ancient Village
• Zhongshan Shilong Old Pan Family Residence
• Fuchuan Ming City
• Datian Stage
• Fuchuan Ruiguang Pagoda
• Xiushui Zhuangyuan Village
• Jade Stone Forest, located in Huangtian Town, Babu District, covers an area of 25 hectares. It is a rare stone forest composed of white marble stone pillars and stalagmites.
• Hezhou Hot Spring
• Luhua Hot Spring
• Huashan Reservoir
• Hezhou Zhongshan Ancient Dwellings
• Linhe Ancient City
• Eastern Guangdong Guild Hall
• Fuchuan Chengbei Rapeseed Flower Fields
• Ten-Mile Gallery

10.3 National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

• Linhe Ancient City
• Mayin Temple
• Fuchuan Yao Ethnic Wind and Rain Bridge Cluster

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Babu District

Babu District

Among the city's permanent residents, the Han Chinese population is 1,649,851, accounting for 82.17%; the ethnic minority population is 358,007, accounting for 17.83%.

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