Jian (吉安)

1. Introduction

Ji'an City, abbreviated as Ji, historically known as Luling and Jizhou, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China, located in the southwestern part of Jiangxi Province. The city borders Pingxiang City to the northwest, Yichun City and Xinyu City to the north, Fuzhou City to the east, Ganzhou City to the south, and Chenzhou City and Zhuzhou City of Hunan Province to the west. Situated on the eastern foothills of the middle section of the Luoxiao Mountains, it is surrounded by mountains, with the Jitai Basin (Jitai Plain) in the central area. The western part features the Wugong Mountain, Wanyang Mountain, and Zhuguang Mountain, while the eastern part includes Yuhua Mountain and Yu Mountain. The Gan River flows from south to north through the entire territory, converging with tributaries such as the Suichuan River, Shu River, He River, and En River. The municipal government is located at No. 1 Luzhou East Road, Jizhou District.

Ji'an is home to the Buddhist sacred site—Mount Qingyuan, which gave rise to the Qingyuan sect of Chan Buddhism. The city has been honored with titles such as National Civilized City, National Hygienic City, Provincial Civilized City, Provincial Hygienic City, and Jiangxi Province's First Ecological Livable City.

2. Origin of the Names

• Luling (庐陵): In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Luling Commandery was separated from Yuzhang Commandery, with its seat in Xichang County, which was originally Luling County.
  • Luling County (庐陵县): According to the Commentary on the Water Classic, the county was named after the Lu River within its territory. However, the character "陵" (ling) also carries the meaning of "mountain." The names Lu River and Luxiao Mountain are suspected to be interrelated.
    • Lu River (泸水): This river originates from Wugong Mountain in present-day Anfu County. The mountain was anciently known as Luxiao Mountain, hence the river's name.
    • Luxiao Mountain (泸潇山): Luxiao Mountain is "located 120 li northwest of Anfu County, spanning the border of Pingxiang County. According to Zhao Yike's Record of Ge Xian Altar from the Yuan Dynasty: 'The mountain winds its way from Pingxiang, rising prominently into two peaks, named Lu and Xiao. Wugong Mountain lies between these two peaks, and the waters from both peaks originate from its foothills. The Lu River flows east into Pengli, while the Xiao River flows south into Dongting. Only the waters of Wugong Mountain emerge from its summit.' Note: Luxiao is also written as Luxiao or Luoxiao."
• Jizhou (吉州): "In the 10th year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (590 CE), Luling Commandery was renamed 'Jizhou,' derived from the place name Jishui within its jurisdiction.
  • Jishui (吉水): This name originates from the geographical feature in the former Jiayang County (present-day Jishui County), which had been abolished and merged into Luling County. The confluence of the Gan River and En River in this area formed sandbars resembling the Chinese character '吉' (jí), hence the name Jishui.
• Ji'an (吉安): In the first year of the Yuanzhen era (1295 CE), Jizhou was renamed Ji'an Route, combining one character each from Jishui Zhou and Anfu Zhou. The name carries the meaning of "auspiciousness and peace for the people" (吉泰民安), marking the beginning of the name "Ji'an."
  • Jishui (吉水): Source as above.
  • Anfu (安福): During the Western Jin Dynasty, in the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty, Anfu County was renamed from its homophone "Anfu" and has retained this name to this day. "Anfu" conveys the meaning of "peace and happiness."
    • Anfu (安复): In the 18th year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (598 CE), Ancheng County was renamed Anfu County. However, the origin of this place name remains unknown.

3. History

As early as the Neolithic period over 5,000 years ago, human activity was already present in this area. During the Xia and Shang dynasties, it was part of the southwestern territory of Yangzhou, one of the nine provinces of the Central Plains. In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it successively belonged to the states of Wu, Yue, and Chu.

In the 26th year of Qin Shi Huang's reign (211 BCE), Luling County was first established, belonging to Jiujiang Commandery. During the Han Dynasty, it was reassigned to Yuzhang Commandery. In the first year of the Xingping era of the Eastern Han Dynasty (194 CE), Sun Ce divided Yuzhang Commandery to establish Luling Commandery, with its seat at Xichang County (present-day Taihe County). In the first year of the Yuankang era of the Western Jin Dynasty (291 CE), the commandery seat was moved to Shiyang County (8 kilometers northeast of present-day Jishui County town). In the eighth year of the Xiankang era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (342 CE), it was finally moved to the site of present-day Ji'an city proper.

In the tenth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (590 CE), Luling Commandery was renamed Jizhou. In the third year of the Daye era (607 CE), it was restored as Luling Commandery. In the fifth year of the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty (622 CE), it was changed back to Jizhou. In the first year of the Tianbao era (742 CE), it was again renamed Luling Commandery. In the first year of the Qianyuan era (758 CE), it was once more changed to Jizhou.

In the eighth year of the Kaibao era of the Song Dynasty (975 CE), the Jizhou Luling Commandery Military Administration was established. In the fourteenth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1277 CE), it was reorganized into the Jizhou Route General Administration. In the first year of the Yuanzhen era (1295 CE), taking one character each from Jishui and Anfu subprefectures, it was renamed Ji'an Route, carrying the meaning of "auspiciousness and peace for the people" (吉泰民安). The name "Ji'an" began from this time. In the first year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1368 CE), the Ji'an Route was abolished and replaced by Ji'an Prefecture, governing nine counties. The Qing Dynasty followed the Ming system.

In the first year of the Republic of China (1912 CE), Ji'an Prefecture was abolished, and the area came directly under Jiangxi Province. In 1914, Luling Circuit was established in Yichun, governing 21 counties, and Luling County was renamed Ji'an County. In 1916, the Luling Circuit office moved to Ji'an. In 1926, the Luling Circuit was abolished, and the area again came directly under Jiangxi Province. In 1932, the Ninth Administrative District Office was established in Ji'an. In 1939, the Ninth Administrative District was renamed the Third Administrative District.

On July 16, 1949, the Chinese People's Liberation Army entered Ji'an and established the Ji'an Subdistrict. In September, the Ji'an Subdistrict was changed to the Ji'an Special District, under the jurisdiction of the Southwest Jiangxi Administrative District. After the dissolution of the Southwest Jiangxi Administrative District in July 1951, it came directly under Jiangxi Province. In May 1968, it was renamed the Jinggangshan Region. In July 1979, it was changed to the Ji'an Region. On May 11, 2000, the Ji'an Region and the county-level Ji'an City were abolished, and the prefecture-level Ji'an City was established. The former county-level Ji'an City was reorganized into two municipal districts: Jizhou and Qingyuan. It currently administers 2 districts, 10 counties, and 1 county-level city (namely Jizhou District, Qingyuan District, Ji'an County, Xingan County, Yongfeng County, Xiajiang County, Jishui County, Taihe County, Wan'an County, Suichuan County, Anfu County, Yongxin County, and Jinggangshan City).

4. Geography

Geographically, Ji'an is situated in the middle section of the Luoxiao Mountains, commanding the strategic throat connecting Hunan and Jiangxi, with extremely rugged terrain. Jinggangshan is located to its west.

Ji'an City is located in the central-western region of Jiangxi Province, at the confluence of the middle reaches of the Gan River and its tributary, the He River, serving as the natural gateway to Jinggangshan. It borders Yanling County and Chaling County of Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province to the west, Ganzhou City to the south, Yichun City and Xinyu City to the north, and Fuzhou City to the east. Ji'an City stretches approximately 218 kilometers from north to south and 208 kilometers from east to west, with a total area of 25,271 square kilometers. The central urban area covers about 80 square kilometers.

The topography is predominantly mountainous, hilly, and small plains. Mountains account for 51% of the city's area, plains and low hills for about 23%, mountains and hills combined for about 23%, and water bodies for about 4%. The municipal government is located in Jizhou District, which is 219 kilometers by road from the provincial capital, Nanchang, and 1,805.6 kilometers by rail from the national capital, Beijing.

Ji'an is rich in natural resources, with a forest coverage rate of 65.3%. It is home to over 4,000 species of plants and nearly a thousand species of wild animals, ranking among the top in Jiangxi Province.

4.1 Central Urban Area Topography

The area is high on all sides and lower in the center and south, resembling a basin. The Luoxiao Mountains lie to the west. Luozishan is located north of the city, Zhenjunshan to the west, and Qingyuan Mountain in the eastern part of Qingyuan District. The Gan River runs north-south through the area, featuring Bailuzhou (Egret Islet). Historically the site of the Bailuzhou Academy, it is now the location of Jiangxi Bailuzhou Middle School. The highest point in the urban area is in the southwest of Yangming West Road, and the lowest point is on Bailuzhou.

4.2 Climate

Ji'an City has a subtropical monsoon climate. Winters are relatively mild, occasionally cold. Summers are long and very hot. Spring and autumn are relatively comfortable. The coldest month (January) has an average temperature of 6.5°C, with an extreme minimum of -8.0°C (February 9, 1972). The hottest month (July) has an average temperature of 29.5°C, with an extreme maximum of 40.9°C (July 16, 2003, and July 30, 2003). The annual average temperature is 18.4°C, and the average annual precipitation is about 1,519 mm.

Meteorological Data for Ji'an County, Ji'an City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Record High (°C / °F) | 26.8 (80.2) | 31.0 (87.8) | 32.6 (90.7) | 36.2 (97.2) | 36.8 (98.2) | 38.1 (100.6) | 40.9 (105.6) | 40.8 (105.4) | 39.6 (103.3) | 36.7 (98.1) | 32.9 (91.2) | 29.4 (84.9) | 40.9 (105.6) | | Average High (°C / °F) | 10.2 (50.4) | 12.5 (54.5) | 16.5 (61.7) | 23.1 (73.6) | 27.9 (82.2) | 30.8 (87.4) | 34.5 (94.1) | 33.9 (93.0) | 30.0 (86.0) | 25.1 (77.2) | 19.1 (66.4) | 13.4 (56.1) | 23.1 (73.6) | | Daily Mean (°C / °F) | 6.6 (43.9) | 8.8 (47.8) | 12.5 (54.5) | 18.7 (65.7) | 23.5 (74.3) | 26.6 (79.9) | 29.8 (85.6) | 29.0 (84.2) | 25.4 (77.7) | 20.3 (68.5) | 14.4 (57.9) | 8.7 (47.7) | 18.7 (65.6) | | Average Low (°C / °F) | 4.0 (39.2) | 6.2 (43.2) | 9.6 (49.3) | 15.5 (59.9) | 20.1 (68.2) | 23.5 (74.3) | 26.0 (78.8) | 25.4 (77.7) | 21.9 (71.4) | 16.7 (62.1) | 10.8 (51.4) | 5.3 (41.5) | 15.4 (59.8) | | Record Low (°C / °F) | -7.1 (19.2) | -8.0 (17.6) | -1.6 (29.1) | 2.7 (36.9) | 10.6 (51.1) | 15.5 (59.9) | 19.0 (66.2) | 19.3 (66.7) | 12.5 (54.5) | 3.3 (37.9) | -3.0 (26.6) | -6.7 (19.9) | -8.0 (17.6) | | Average Precipitation (mm / inches) | 74.0 (2.91) | 106.0 (4.17) | 172.7 (6.80) | 222.6 (8.76) | 210.3 (8.28) | 246.0 (9.69) | 129.6 (5.10) | 129.3 (5.09) | 89.4 (3.52) | 69.8 (2.75) | 71.3 (2.81) | 45.2 (1.78) | 1,566.2 (61.66) | | Average Precipitation Days (≥0.1mm) | 13.7 | 15.0 | 18.9 | 19.2 | 18.3 | 16.0 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 9.0 | 9.4 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 158.8 | | Average Relative Humidity (%) | 81 | 83 | 84 | 82 | 80 | 81 | 73 | 76 | 78 | 75 | 77 | 76 | 79 | | Mean Monthly Sunshine Hours | 76.4 | 67.9 | 71.4 | 96.2 | 131.1 | 153.6 | 247.8 | 226.9 | 165.4 | 145.8 | 129.9 | 128.1 | 1,640.5 | | Percentage of Possible Sunshine (%) | 23 | 22 | 19 | 25 | 32 | 37 | 59 | 56 | 45 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 37 |

5. Administrative Divisions

Ji'an City currently administers 2 municipal districts, 10 counties, and manages 1 county-level city on behalf of a higher authority.

• Municipal Districts: Jizhou District, Qingyuan District
• County-level City: Jinggangshan City
• Counties: Ji'an County, Jishui County, Xiajiang County, Xingan County, Yongfeng County, Taihe County, Suichuan County, Wan'an County, Anfu County, Yongxin County

Jinggangshan Economic and Technological Development Zone is a national-level economic and technological development zone established by Ji'an City.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Including: Ethnic Townships | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 360800 | Ji'an City | Jí’ān Shì | 25,283.80 | 4,469,176 | Jizhou District | 343000 | 14 | 120 | 89 | 3 | | 360802 | Jizhou District | Jízhōu Qū | 424.49 | 402,669 | Wenshan Subdistrict | 343000 | 7 | 4 | | | | 360803 | Qingyuan District | Qīngyuán Qū | 916.31 | 240,730 | Hedong Subdistrict | 343000 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | | 360821 | Ji'an County | Jí’ān Xiàn | 2,122.16 | 469,513 | Dunhou Town | 343100 | 2 | 13 | 6 | | | 360822 | Jishui County | Jíshuǐ Xiàn | 2,506.33 | 421,849 | Wenfeng Town | 331600 | | 15 | 3 | | | 360823 | Xiajiang County | Xiájiāng Xiàn | 1,297.75 | 149,954 | Shuibian Town | 331400 | | 6 | 5 | 1 | | 360824 | Xingan County | Xīngàn Xiàn | 1,244.90 | 286,077 | Jinchuan Town | 331300 | 1 | 7 | 6 | | | 360825 | Yongfeng County | Yǒngfēng Xiàn | 2,710.28 | 388,464 | Enjiang Town | 331500 | | 8 | 13 | 1 | | 360826 | Taihe County | Tàihé Xiàn | 2,495.25 | 467,807 | Chengjiang Town | 343700 | | 15 | 6 | | | 360827 | Suichuan County | Suíchuān Xiàn | 3,100.94 | 512,109 | Quanjiang Town | 343900 | | 12 | 11 | | | 360828 | Wan'an County | Wàn’ān Xiàn | 2,038.15 | 250,991 | Furong Town | 343800 | | 9 | 7 | | | 360829 | Anfu County | Ānfú Xiàn | 2,793.29 | 329,053 | Pingdu Town | 343200 | | 7 | 12 | | | 360830 | Yongxin County | Yǒngxīn Xiàn | 2,180.96 | 393,984 | Hechuan Town | 343400 | 1 | 10 | 13 | | | 360881 | Jinggangshan City | Jǐnggāngshān Shì | 1,453.01 | 155,976 | Hongxing Subdistrict | 343600 | 1 | 8 | 6 | |

6. Economy

Primarily based on agriculture and commerce, while also encompassing industry and tourism.

7. Transportation

7.1 Aviation

Jinggangshan Airport (also known as Taihe Airport or Ji'an Airport) is located in Taihe County. It offers flights to and from Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai Pudong, Xiamen, Chengdu, and Xi'an. Jinggangshan Airport is 80 kilometers away from Jinggangshan and 35 kilometers from downtown Ji'an.

7.2 Highway

• G45 Da-Guang Expressway
• G72 Quan-Nan Expressway
• S69 Zhang-Ji Expressway
• S50 Tai-Jing Expressway
• National Highway 105
• G319 National Highway 319

7.3 Railway

• Beijing–Kowloon Railway
• Fen-Wen Railway
• Ji-Heng Railway
• Hao-Ji Railway
• Nanchang–Ganzhou Passenger Dedicated Line

7.4 Waterway

The Gan River is navigable year-round, connecting to the Pearl River and Yangtze River waterways. Ji'an Port has 36 berths.

7.5 Urban Transportation

Large and medium-sized air-conditioned public buses operate daily to various parts of the central urban area (Route 2 and 10 for the large loop, Route 9 for the small loop).

Additionally, there are large public buses available for rent, with daily services connecting districts, counties, and townships. Long-distance buses run daily to Yongxin, Taihe, Suichuan, and Jinggangshan.

8. Education

8.1 Universities

There are two universities:

• Jinggangshan University
• Ji'an Vocational and Technical College

8.2 Secondary Schools

There are 8 specialized secondary schools, 304 regular secondary schools, and 49 vocational secondary schools. Notable ones include:

• Ji'an No. 1 Middle School
• Jiangxi Province Bailuzhou Middle School
• Jinggangshan University Affiliated Middle School (EN)
• Ji'an County Middle School

8.3 Libraries

• Ji'an City Library

9. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 4,469,176. Compared with the 4,810,339 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a decrease of 341,163 people over the ten years, a decline of 7.09%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.73%. Among them, the male population was 2,303,071, accounting for 51.53% of the total population; the female population was 2,166,105, accounting for 48.47% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 106.32. The population aged 0–14 was 1,115,904, accounting for 24.97% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 2,558,305, accounting for 57.24% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 794,967, accounting for 17.79% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 559,738, accounting for 12.52% of the total population. The urban population was 2,339,591, accounting for 52.35% of the total population; the rural population was 2,129,585, accounting for 47.65% of the total population.

9.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 4,448,818, accounting for 99.54%; the total population of ethnic minorities was 20,358, accounting for 0.46%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic group population decreased by 336,634, a decline of 7.03%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.06 percentage points; the total population of ethnic minorities decreased by 4,529, a decline of 18.2%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.06 percentage points.

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Luling: In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Luling Commandery was separated from Yuzhang Commandery, with its seat at Xichang County, which was originally Luling County.
Jizhou: In the tenth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (590 AD), Luling Commandery was renamed Jizhou, within which the original Jiyang County was located.
Ji'an: In the Yuan Dynasty (1312 AD), the name was derived from the first characters of Jishui and Anfu prefectures, symbolizing the meaning of "auspiciousness, peace, and the well-being of the people."

Jizhou District

Suichuan County

Han Chinese population accounts for 99.54%; ethnic minorities account for 0.46%.

Camphor tree

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