Pingxiang (萍乡)

1. Introduction

Pingxiang City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China, located in the western part of Jiangxi Province. It borders Yichun City to the northeast, Ji'an City to the southeast, Zhuzhou City of Hunan Province to the west, and Changsha City of Hunan Province to the north. Situated in the low mountainous and hilly region of the middle section of the Luoxiao Mountains, the Wugong Mountain range stretches across the central and southern parts of the city. The Pingshui River traverses the urban area, dividing it into two parts. The People's Government of Pingxiang is located on Yuhu East Road, Guangfeng Street, Anyuan District.

Pingxiang is known as the "Western Gateway" of Jiangxi and holds a central position in the economic development pattern of western Jiangxi. It has long been referred to as the "Thoroughfare between Hunan and Jiangxi" and the "Throat of Wu and Chu." Pingxiang lies within the radiation core area of the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan Economic Circle and is simultaneously influenced by the Pan-Pearl River Delta Economic Zone and the Southeast Fujian Economic Zone.

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2. History

The history of human habitation in the Pingxiang area can be traced back to the Paleolithic Age, with a Paleolithic site discovered at Zhushanyuan in Xuanfeng Town, Luxi County. Neolithic sites have been found in locations such as Xinquan, Xuanfeng, and Hongqiao in Luxi County, as well as Shijiatai, Tongmujingping, and Chishan Dabaoshan in Shangli County. A Shang and Zhou dynasty ancient city, known as "Tantai," was discovered within the territory of Tianzhong Management Office in the present-day Pingxiang Economic Development Zone. The Jiangxi Provincial Gazetteer lists it as one of the three ancient cities in Jiangxi during the Shang dynasty.

The old county seat in Luxi was previously known as "Ganzhuo Fort." In the first year of the Taixing era of Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin dynasty (318 AD), Chen Min usurped the title of king in the Jiangdong region. Emperor Yuan of Jin, Sima Rui, dispatched General Zhennan Tao Kan to attack by both land and water routes and ordered Ganzhuo to lead troops to build fortifications east of Pingxiang County, connecting five locations. Hence, the old county seat was also called Ganzhuo Fort.

During the late Yuan dynasty, the Pingxiang monk Peng Yingyu spread the teachings of Maitreya Buddhism at places like Yaojinshan Temple (located in present-day Jinshan Town, Shangli County, Pingxiang). In the fourth year of the Zhiyuan era (1338 AD), he led an uprising against the Yuan dynasty at Cihua Temple in Yichun and Yaojinshan Temple in Pingxiang.

During the late Qing dynasty, the Pingxiang Coal Mine began operations, making Pingxiang one of China's earliest heavy industrial bases. Later, the Pingxiang Coal Mine merged with the Hanyang Ironworks and Daye Iron Mine to form the Hanyeping Coal and Iron Company Limited. In December 1906, the Tongmenghui, led by Sun Yat-sen, launched the Ping-Liu-Li Uprising, marking the prelude to the Xinhai Revolution. In September 1922, Liu Shaoqi, Li Lisan, and others led the world-famous Anyuan Railway and Mine Workers' Strike here, establishing Pingxiang as a cradle of the Chinese labor movement. It was also the birthplace of the Autumn Harvest Uprising.

3. Geography

3.1 Resources

Over 30 types of metallic minerals and 22 types of non-metallic minerals have been discovered to date. The main ones include coal, iron ore, copper, aluminum, mercury, antimony, chalcopyrite, kaolin, refractory clay, limestone, quartz sand, marble, sulfur, etc. Among these, coal is the most abundant. Consequently, it enjoys the reputation of being the "Coal Capital of Southern China." However, after more than 100 years of large-scale mechanized mining, Pingxiang's coal resources are nearing depletion. It is reported that Pingxiang's proven coal reserves can only support coal production for another 10 years. It was listed by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as one of the three typical resource-depleted cities in central China in the first batch of resource-depleted cities in 2008. Additionally, minerals such as limestone and quartz sand are not only of high grade but also abundant in reserves.

3.2 Climate

Pingxiang has a subtropical monsoon climate, characterized by hot summers, mild winters, four distinct seasons, ample sunshine, and abundant rainfall. The annual average temperature is 17.2°C, and the annual average precipitation is 1,577 mm. The terrain is high in the north and southeast and low in the middle, resembling a saddle shape. There are five rivers within its territory: the Yuanshui, Pingshui, Lishui, Caoshui, and Lianjiang. The topography is predominantly hilly and mountainous, with hills covering about 33%, mountains about 25%, and river valley plains about 20%. The forest coverage rate is 46%.

Meteorological Data for Pingxiang City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Record High (°C / °F) | 25.8 (78.4) | 30.5 (86.9) | 35.0 (95.0) | 35.7 (96.3) | 37.3 (99.1) | 37.6 (99.7) | 40.1 (104.2) | 41.0 (105.8) | 39.2 (102.6) | 35.9 (96.6) | 31.8 (89.2) | 25.5 (77.9) | 41.0 (105.8) | | Average High (°C / °F) | 9.3 (48.7) | 11.6 (52.9) | 15.7 (60.3) | 22.5 (72.5) | 27.6 (81.7) | 30.5 (86.9) | 34.2 (93.6) | 33.4 (92.1) | 29.4 (84.9) | 24.3 (75.7) | 18.5 (65.3) | 12.6 (54.7) | 22.5 (72.4) | | Daily Mean (°C / °F) | 5.5 (41.9) | 7.7 (45.9) | 11.4 (52.5) | 17.6 (63.7) | 22.5 (72.5) | 25.8 (78.4) | 29.0 (84.2) | 28.0 (82.4) | 24.3 (75.7) | 19.0 (66.2) | 13.2 (55.8) | 7.6 (45.7) | 17.6 (63.7) | | Average Low (°C / °F) | 2.9 (37.2) | 5.0 (41.0) | 8.4 (47.1) | 14.1 (57.4) | 18.7 (65.7) | 22.3 (76.6) | 24.8 (75.7) | 24.3 (69.3) | 20.7 (59.5) | 15.3 (49.1) | 9.5 (39.6) | 4.2 (39.6) | 14.2 (57.5) | | Record Low (°C / °F) | -3.9 (25.0) | -3.9 (25.0) | -1.7 (28.9) | 1.5 (34.7) | 9.0 (48.2) | 13.4 (56.1) | 17.4 (63.3) | 18.1 (64.6) | 12.6 (54.7) | 2.7 (36.9) | -1.1 (30.0) | -9.3 (15.3) | -9.3 (15.3) | | Average Precipitation (mm / inches) | 83.5 (3.29) | 108.3 (4.26) | 178.5 (7.03) | 204.0 (8.03) | 221.1 (8.70) | 238.2 (9.38) | 150.1 (5.91) | 132.9 (5.23) | 85.1 (3.35) | 81.2 (3.20) | 83.7 (3.30) | 58.2 (2.29) | 1,624.8 (63.97) | | Average Relative Humidity (%) | 84 | 84 | 84 | 83 | 82 | 83 | 77 | 80 | 80 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 81 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Pingxiang City currently administers 2 municipal districts and 3 counties.

• Municipal Districts: Anyuan District, Xiangdong District
• Counties: Shangli County, Luxi County, Lianhua County

The Pingxiang Economic and Technological Development Zone is a national-level economic and technological development zone established by Pingxiang City.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (sq km) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 360300 | Pingxiang City | Píngxiāng Shì | 3,831.01 | 1,804,805 | Anyuan District | 337000 | 7 | 28 | 19 | | 360302 | Anyuan District | Ānyuán Qū | 212.70 | 553,293 | Anyuan Town | 337000 | 6 | 4 | | | 360313 | Xiangdong District | Xiāngdōng Qū | 857.79 | 304,423 | Xiangdong Town | 337000 | 1 | 8 | 2 | | 360321 | Lianhua County | Liánhuā Xiàn | 1,072.01 | 216,938 | Qinting Town | 337100 | | 5 | 8 | | 360322 | Shangli County | Shànglì Xiàn | 727.34 | 469,957 | Shangli Town | 337300 | | 6 | 4 | | 360323 | Luxi County | Lúxī Xiàn | 961.17 | 260,194 | Luxi Town | 337200 | | 5 | 5 |

5. Economy

In 2004, the GDP was 17.2 billion yuan, with a total fiscal revenue of 1.888 billion yuan. By 2007, the GDP reached 31.628 billion yuan, and the total fiscal revenue was 3.308 billion yuan. In 2011, the GDP amounted to 65.81 billion yuan, with a total fiscal revenue of 8.23 billion yuan.

As a significant industrial and mining city in Jiangxi Province, it boasts over 30 industries including coal, metallurgy, electricity, machinery, building materials, light industry, chemicals, and ceramics. Among these, the coal industry is the most developed. It can be said that Pingxiang is a city "established by coal" and "developed through coal," with the saying "Kaiping in the north, Pingxiang in the south." However, due to resource depletion, the coal mining industry has shifted to developing value-added non-coal sectors, such as automobile manufacturing, glass, and engineering pipelines. This has gradually reduced the coal industry's role in the city's national economy, significantly decreased the number of employees in the coal sector, and ushered the city's economy into a transition period.

Agriculture is highly developed, with research and promotion of hybrid rice and high-quality conventional rice leading the way in China. The development of efficient and distinctive agriculture is also at a high level.

6. Transportation

Pingxiang currently has 1 long-distance bus station, 1 first-class conventional railway station (Pingxiang Station), and 1 high-speed railway station (Pingxiang North Station), offering convenient transportation. Trains from Pingxiang Station depart for destinations such as Shanghai, Kunming, Guangzhou, and Beijing. Pingxiang North Station is a second-class station on the Shanghai-Kunming Passenger Dedicated Line. The city center of Pingxiang is approximately 120 km from Changsha Huanghua International Airport and about 60 km from Yichun Mingyueshan Airport. Within its territory, there are the G60 Shanghai-Kunming Expressway, G72 Quannan Expressway, Changli Expressway, Shanglian Expressway, National Highway 319, and National Highway 320.

7. Education

• Pingxiang Normal University Affiliated Primary School
• Pingxiang Middle School
• Xiangdong Middle School
• Lianhua Middle School
• Shangli Middle School
• Luxi Middle School
• Anyuan Middle School
• Pingxiang University
• Jiangxi Vocational College of Industry & Engineering
• Pingxiang No. 6 Middle School

8. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 1,804,805. Compared with the 1,854,515 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a decrease of 49,710 people over the past ten years, a decline of 2.68%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.27%. Among them, the male population was 915,937, accounting for 50.75% of the total population; the female population was 888,868, accounting for 49.25% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 103.05. The population aged 0–14 was 362,833, accounting for 20.1% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,092,674, accounting for 60.54% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 349,298, accounting for 19.35% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 244,699, accounting for 13.56% of the total population. The urban population was 1,223,774, accounting for 67.81% of the total population; the rural population was 581,031, accounting for 32.19% of the total population.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 1,799,389, accounting for 99.7%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 5,416, accounting for 0.3%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic group population decreased by 51,629, a decline of 2.79%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.11 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 1,919, a growth of 54.88%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.11 percentage points.

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9. Sister Cities

• Changning District, Shanghai, China
• Copiapó, Chile
• Franklin, New Jersey, USA

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It was named so because the land was abundant with duckweed.

Anyuan District

Anyuan District

Han Chinese account for 99.7% of the population; ethnic minorities make up 0.3%.

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