Chongzuo (崇左)

1. Introduction

Chongzuo City (Zhuang language: Cungzcoj) is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, located in the southwestern part of Guangxi. The city borders the autonomous region's capital, Nanning City, to the east; Fangchenggang City to the southeast; Baise City to the north; and Vietnam to the west and south.

Chongzuo is situated in the hilly and mountainous region of southwestern Guangxi along the Zuo River, with terrain sloping from high in the west to low in the east. The western part features the Daqing Mountains, while the southern part includes the Gongmu Mountains and the Shiwan Mountains. The Zuo River traverses the city and flows through the urban area, merging with the You River to the east to form the Yong River. Over 80% of the city's population is of Zhuang ethnicity. The Municipal People's Government is located at No. 1 Xincheng Road, Jiangzhou District. The Xianggui Railway and the Nanping High-Speed Railway pass through the city. The Pingxiang Port and the Friendship Pass on the China-Vietnam border are located in the southwestern part of the city, serving as important land routes connecting China to Vietnam and ASEAN countries.

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2. History

The name "Chongzuo" is derived from the first characters of the former Chongshan County and Zuo County. In the first year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (627 AD), the Left River Garrison (Zuojiang Zhen) was established within the region. By the late Tang Dynasty, two loosely administered prefectures (jimi zhou), Taiping Zhou and Zuo Zhou, were established. In the fifth year of the Huangyou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1053 AD), Chongshan County was established, belonging to Yongzhou. In the twenty-ninth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1292 AD), the Taiping Route (Taiping Lu) was established, with its seat in present-day Chongzuo urban area. In the second year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1369 AD), the Taiping Route was changed to Taiping Prefecture (Taiping Fu), subordinate to the Left River Circuit (Zuojiang Dao). During the Qing Dynasty, Taiping Prefecture served as the seat of the Taiping-Sishun Circuit.

In the second year of the Republic of China (1913 AD), the prefecture was abolished while the counties were retained, with the jurisdiction belonging to Zhennan Circuit, administered from present-day Longzhou County. On February 1, 1930, the Communist Party of China launched the Longzhou Uprising and established the Left River Revolutionary Committee. In 1949, the People's Liberation Army successively occupied Chongshan County and Zuo County, establishing the Longzhou Special District, with its administrative office located in Longzhou Town, Longjin County, overseeing 14 counties including Chongshan County and Zuo County. In 1951, the Longzhou Special District was renamed the Chongzuo Special District, and its administrative office was moved to Chongshan County.

On August 11, 1952, Chongshan County and Zuo County were merged to form Chongzuo County. In 1953, the Chongzuo Special District was abolished and merged into the Yongning Special District. Soon after, the Yongning Special District was also abolished, and its counties were placed under the direct jurisdiction of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (then called Guixi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu). In 1957, the Yongning Special District was re-established, with the counties of the region belonging to it, and its administrative office was located in Nanning City. In 1958, the Yongning Special District was abolished, and its counties and cities were transferred to the Nanning Special District. In 1971, it was reorganized into the Nanning Prefecture, with the counties of the region belonging to it.

On August 6, 2003, Nanning Prefecture was officially abolished, and the prefecture-level Chongzuo City was newly established. Chongzuo County was transformed into Jiangzhou District of Chongzuo City. Chongzuo City administers the former counties of Nanning Prefecture: Fusui County, Ningming County, Longzhou County, Daxin County, and Tiandeng County, and also manages the county-level city of Pingxiang on behalf of the higher administration.

3. Geography

3.1 Climate

|Month|Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec|Annual| |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| |Average High °C (°F)|18.6(65.5)|20.0(68.0)|23.2(73.8)|28.4(83.1)|31.9(89.4)|33.4(92.1)|33.8(92.8)|33.6(92.5)|32.4(90.3)|29.4(84.9)|25.3(77.5)|21.3(70.3)|27.6(81.7)| |Average Low °C (°F)|11.2(52.2)|12.9(55.2)|16.1(61.0)|20.4(68.7)|23.3(73.9)|25.1(77.2)|25.4(77.7)|25.2(77.4)|23.8(74.8)|20.7(69.3)|16.1(61.0)|12.1(53.8)|19.4(66.8)| |Average Precipitation mm (inches)|32.1(1.26)|33.2(1.31)|52.8(2.08)|85.2(3.35)|145.0(5.71)|186.3(7.33)|214.5(8.44)|184.0(7.24)|113.6(4.47)|57.7(2.27)|47.8(1.88)|17.2(0.68)|1,169.4(46.02)|

Data source: China Meteorological Administration Meteorological Data Center

3.2 Resources

• Sugarcane cultivation area is 3.4 million mu, with an annual sugar production of approximately 2 million tons, accounting for about 35% of Guangxi's and 21% of the national total, making it the largest sugar-producing city in China.
• Sisal hemp cultivation area is 161,000 mu, making it the largest sisal raw material production base in Guangxi.

4. Administrative Divisions

Chongzuo City currently administers 1 district, 5 counties, and has jurisdiction over 1 county-level city.

District: Jiangzhou District
County-level City: Pingxiang City
Counties: Fusui County, Ningming County, Longzhou County, Daxin County, Tiandeng County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin (Official Transcription) | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |---------------|---------------|-----------------------------------------|------------|----------------------------------|-----------------|-------------|--------------|-------|-----------| | 451400 | Chongzuo City | Chóngzuǒ Shì Cungzcoj Si | 17332.08 | 2088692 | Jiangzhou District | 532200 | 3 | 41 | 34 | | 451402 | Jiangzhou District | Jiāngzhōu Qū Gyanghcouh Gih | 2917.83 | 435438 | Jiangnan Subdistrict | 532200 | 3 | 6 | 2 | | 451421 | Fusui County | Fúsuí Xiàn Fuzsuz Yen | 2841.08 | 408921 | Xinning Town | 532100 | 8 | 3 | 0 | | 451422 | Ningming County | Níngmíng Xiàn Ningzmingz Yen | 3704.80 | 319386 | Chengzhong Town | 532500 | | 7 | 6 | | 451423 | Longzhou County | Lóngzhōu Xiàn Lungzcouh Yen | 2310.99 | 232068 | Longzhou Town | 532400 | 0 | 5 | 7 | | 451424 | Daxin County | Dàxīn Xiàn Dasinh Yen | 2747.50 | 282563 | Taocheng Town | 532300 | 0 | 5 | 9 | | 451425 | Tiandeng County | Tiānděng Xiàn Denhdwngj Yen | 2164.90 | 280473 | Tiandeng Town | 532800 | 0 | 6 | 7 | | 451481 | Pingxiang City | Píngxiáng Shì Bingzsienghz Si | 644.97 | 129843 | Pingxiang Town | 532600 | 0 | 4 | 0 |

5. Economy

The economic development overview of Chongzuo City, Guangxi, can be analyzed from multiple aspects, including economic structure, industrial characteristics, foreign trade performance, and challenges faced.

• The economic structure of Chongzuo City is based on agriculture, led by industry, with coordinated development of the service sector. According to data from the first half of 2024, Chongzuo City's regional GDP reached 55.264 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.6%. Among this, the added value of the primary industry grew by 3.4%, the secondary industry by 13.4%, and the tertiary industry by 2.2%. Agriculture in Chongzuo City is primarily focused on farming, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries, with a total output value of 7.776 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.8%. Additionally, the under-forest economy has been vigorously developed, with 80 demonstration bases for under-forest economy established in the city, generating an annual output value exceeding 8 billion yuan.

• In terms of industry, Chongzuo City has seen significant industrial growth, particularly in sectors such as non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling, wood processing and wood, bamboo, rattan, palm, and grass products, papermaking and paper products, and food manufacturing. The added value of industries above a designated size increased by 15.4% year-on-year, with non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling contributing the most to this growth. Furthermore, Chongzuo City is rich in mineral resources, such as manganese and bauxite, which provide a solid foundation for industrial development.

• Chongzuo City's foreign trade performance is also remarkable. From January to November 2024, the city's total foreign trade value reached 247.94 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.9%, which is 10.6 percentage points higher than the overall foreign trade growth rate of Guangxi. This accounted for 37.2% of Guangxi's total foreign trade value, ranking first in the region in terms of foreign trade scale. This indicates that Chongzuo City holds a significant competitive advantage in foreign trade.

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6. Education

6.1 Higher Education Institutions

• Public Undergraduate Universities: Guangxi Minzu Normal University, Guilin University of Technology Nanning Branch (Airport Campus)
• Private Vocational Undergraduate University: Guangxi City Vocational University
• Public Vocational Colleges: Chongzuo Preschool Education College, Guangxi Vocational College of Natural Resources
• Private Vocational Colleges: Guangxi Vocational College of Technology, Guangxi Vocational College of Science and Technology, Guangxi Zhongyuan Vocational College

7. Population

By the end of 2022, the total number of registered households in Chongzuo City was 717,960, an increase of 4,113 households (or 0.58%) compared to 2021 (713,847 households). The total registered population of the city at the end of 2022 was 2,507,146.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's resident population was 2,088,692. Compared with the 1,994,285 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 94,407 people over the ten-year period, representing a growth of 4.73% and an average annual growth rate of 0.46%. Among them, the male population was 1,088,841, accounting for 52.13% of the total population; the female population was 999,851, accounting for 47.87% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 108.9. The population aged 0–14 was 436,694, accounting for 20.91% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,277,101, accounting for 61.14% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 374,897, accounting for 17.95% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 276,699, accounting for 13.25% of the total population. The urban population was 917,760, accounting for 43.94% of the total population; the rural population was 1,170,932, accounting for 56.06% of the total population.

7.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's resident population, the Zhuang ethnic group numbered 1,756,280, accounting for 84.09%; the Han ethnic group numbered 307,779, accounting for 14.74%; and other ethnic minorities numbered 24,633, accounting for 1.18%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han population increased by 70,666, a growth of 29.8%, and its share of the total population increased by 2.85 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 23,741, a growth of 1.35%, but their share of the total population decreased by 2.85 percentage points. Among them, the Zhuang population increased by 9,047, a growth of 0.52%, but its share of the total population decreased by 3.53 percentage points. |Ethnic Group|Zhuang|Han|Yao|Miao|Dong|Bouyei|Mulam|Tujia|Yi|Maonan|Other Ethnic Groups| |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| |Population|1,756,280|307,779|11,937|5,820|1,720|758|675|612|493|371|2,247| |Percentage of Total Population (%)|84.09|14.74|0.57|0.28|0.08|0.04|0.03|0.03|0.02|0.02|0.11| |Percentage of Ethnic Minority Population (%)|98.62|-|0.67|0.33|0.10|0.04|0.04|0.03|0.03|0.02|0.13|

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8. Culture

8.1 National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

• Huashan Rock Paintings
• Liancheng Fortress Ruins and Youyi Pass
• Former Site of the Secret Agency of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Longzhou

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Named after the first characters of Chongshan and Zuo County.

Jiangzhou District

Jiangzhou District

Among the city's resident population, the Zhuang ethnic group comprises 1,756,280 people, accounting for 84.09%; the Han ethnic group has 307,779 people, making up 14.74%; and other ethnic minorities total 24,633 people, representing 1.18%.

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