Ezhou (鄂州)

1. Introduction

Ezhou City, formerly known as Echeng, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the eastern part of Hubei Province, on the southern bank of the Yangtze River. The city borders Wuhan to the west, Huangshi to the southeast, and faces Huanggang across the Yangtze River to the northeast. Situated in the hilly lakeside region along the southern bank of the Yangtze River, the southeastern part of the city is characterized by the foothills of the Mufu Mountains, with undulating terrain. The central area lies within the lake district of the Jianghan Plain, featuring numerous lakes such as Liangzi Lake, Ya'er Lake, Honglian Lake, Sanshan Lake, Huama Lake, and Yanglan Lake. The northwestern part consists of alluvial plains formed by the Yangtze River. The city covers a total area of 1,596 square kilometers, with a population of 1.0795 million. The municipal government is located in Echeng District. Ezhou is a member of the Wuhan Metropolitan Circle and an important industrial base in eastern Hubei. It is also known as the "Hometown of Ancient Bronze Mirrors" and the place of origin of the "Wuchang Fish." The city is often referred to as the "City of a Hundred Lakes" and the "Land of Fish and Rice."

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2. Historical Evolution

2.1 Ancient Times

During the Shang and Yin dynasties, it was the State of E. In 879 BC (the seventh year of King Yi of the Western Zhou Dynasty), the Chu monarch Xiong Qu attacked the Yangyue region and reached the State of E. He established the City of the King of E and enfeoffed his son, Xiong Hong, as the King of E. After Xiong Qu's death, Xiong Hong succeeded him and continued to reside in the City of the King of E. The throne was passed down through six kings until Xiong E, who still lived there. The City of the King of E served as the capital of the State of Chu and is the origin of Hubei's abbreviation "E."

In 221 BC (the 26th year of Qin Shi Huang's reign), E County was established under the jurisdiction of Nan Commandery. In 201 BC (the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu of Han), E County was placed under Jiangxia Commandery. In April 221 AD (the second year of the Huangchu era of Wei), Sun Quan moved from Gong'an to E County. Taking the meaning of "prospering through military might," he renamed E County to Wuchang County, established his capital there, and divided Jiangxia Commandery to create Wuchang Commandery, with Wuchang County under its jurisdiction. In March 280 AD (the fourth year of the Tianji era of Wu and the first year of the Taikang era of the Western Jin Dynasty), Wang Jun led the army from Bashu to capture Wuchang County and divided it to re-establish E County. In 589 AD (the ninth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty), E County and Xiling County were merged into Wuchang County. In 607 AD (the third year of the Daye era of the Sui Dynasty), the western part of Wuchang County was divided to establish Chengtang County. In 613 AD (the ninth year of the Daye era of the Sui Dynasty), Chengtang County was merged back into Wuchang County.[2]

In 1221 AD (the 14th year of the Jiading era of the Song Dynasty), the Wuchang Army was established, and Wuchang County was renamed Shouchang County. In 1277 AD (the 14th year of the Zhiyuan era of Emperor Shizu of Yuan), the Wuchang Army was elevated to a Sanfu. In 1301 AD (the fifth year of the Dade era of Yuan), the Sanfu was abolished, and Wuchang County was placed under the jurisdiction of Wuchang Lu.

2.2 Republican Era

In 1913 (the second year of the Republic of China), Wuchang County was renamed Shouchang County under the jurisdiction of the Wuhan Huangde Circuit. In 1914 (the third year of the Republic of China), Shouchang County was renamed Echeng County under the jurisdiction of the Edong Circuit. On October 23, 1938 (the 27th year of the Republic of China), Echeng County was captured by the Japanese army until Japan announced its surrender on August 15, 1945.

2.3 People's Republic of China Era

On May 14, 1949, the 43rd Army of the Fourth Field Army of the People's Liberation Army crossed the Yangtze River, liberating Echeng. In June, the People's Government of Echeng County and the Communist Party Committee of Echeng County were established. Echeng belonged to the Daye Special District. In 1952, the Daye Special District was abolished, and Echeng County was placed under the Huanggang Special District. In 1960, Echeng County was abolished and Echeng City was established. In 1961, Echeng City was abolished and Echeng County was re-established. In 1965, Echeng County was transferred to the Xianning Prefecture. In 1979, the Chengguan Town of Echeng County and five nearby rural production brigades were separated to establish Echeng City under the jurisdiction of the Huanggang Prefecture.

In 1983, Echeng City, Echeng County, and Huangzhou Town of Huanggang County were merged to establish the prefecture-level Ezhou City, with Echeng District, Huangzhou District, and the dispatched districts of Huarong, Changgang, Chengchao, and Liangzihu established under it. In 1986, Zuoling Town was transferred to the Hongshan District of Wuhan City. In 1987, Huangzhou District was returned to Huanggang County, and the dispatched districts of Huarong, Changgang, Chengchao, and Liangzihu were abolished, with Echeng District, Huarong District, and Liangzihu District established.

In 1990, Ezhou City established the Hubei Province Gedian Economic and Technological Development Zone as a county-level institution. In 1998, the Binhu Building was completed, and the Communist Party Committee of Ezhou City, the Municipal People's Congress, the Municipal Government, and the Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference moved in to work. In July 2006, based on the Fankou Industrial Park, preparations began to establish a development zone. In November 2008, with the approval of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, the Ezhou Economic Development Zone was officially established with Fankou Subdistrict as its center, as a county-level institution.

3. Geography

Ezhou City is located in the eastern part of Hubei Province, on the southern bank of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It borders Wuhan City to the west, Huangshi City to the east, and Huanggang City to the north. The city covers an area of 1,594 square kilometers, of which 40,100 hectares are arable land. The terrain is high in the southeast and low in the northwest, with a low and flat central area. The highest point is Sifeng Mountain, with an elevation of 485.8 meters, while the lowest point is Liangzi Lake, with an elevation of 11.7 meters.

Ezhou City lies in the transitional zone of a subtropical monsoon climate. The average annual temperature is 17°C, with a frost-free period of 268 to 272 days. The average annual precipitation ranges from 1,200 to 1,500 millimeters, and the annual sunshine duration is between 2,038 and 2,083 hours.

Ezhou City is renowned for its numerous lakes, boasting 133 lakes of various sizes, including Liangzi Lake, Ya'er Lake, Sanshan Lake, Huama Lake, Mue Lake, Honglian Lake, and Yanglan Lake, with a total water area of 43,000 hectares. Among them, Liangzi Lake is an important natural wetland reserve in China, the second-largest freshwater lake in Hubei Province, and the original habitat of the authentic Wuchang fish.

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual | |-----------|------|------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|------|-------|-------| | Avg High °C | 8.2 | 10.8 | 15.1 | 21.8 | 27.0 | 30.0 | 33.3 | 32.8 | 28.7 | 23.1 | 16.9 | 11.0 | 21.6 | | Avg High °F | 46.8 | 51.4 | 59.2 | 71.2 | 80.6 | 86.0 | 91.9 | 91.0 | 83.7 | 73.6 | 62.4 | 51.8 | 70.8 | | Daily Mean °C | 4.6 | 7.0 | 11.1 | 17.5 | 22.6 | 26.0 | 29.3 | 28.6 | 24.5 | 18.8 | 12.6 | 6.9 | 17.5 | | Daily Mean °F | 40.3 | 44.6 | 52.0 | 63.5 | 72.7 | 78.8 | 84.7 | 83.5 | 76.1 | 65.8 | 54.7 | 44.4 | 63.4 | | Avg Low °C | 1.9 | 4.2 | 7.9 | 13.9 | 19.0 | 22.7 | 25.9 | 25.3 | 21.2 | 15.5 | 9.2 | 3.8 | 14.2 | | Avg Low °F | 35.4 | 39.6 | 46.2 | 57.0 | 66.2 | 72.9 | 78.6 | 77.5 | 70.2 | 59.9 | 48.6 | 38.8 | 57.6 | | Avg Precipitation mm | 56.5 | 76.4 | 106.7 | 144.1 | 168.6 | 228.7 | 234.7 | 134.7 | 72.6 | 83.0 | 60.2 | 35.9 | 1,402.1 | | Avg Precipitation inches | 2.22 | 3.01 | 4.20 | 5.67 | 6.64 | 9.00 | 9.24 | 5.30 | 2.86 | 3.27 | 2.37 | 1.41 | 55.19 | | Avg Relative Humidity (%) | 77 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 76 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 76 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Ezhou City administers 3 municipal districts: Liangzihu District, Huarong District, and Echeng District. Among these, the Fenghuang Subdistrict, Gulou Subdistrict, and Xishan Subdistrict within Echeng District are directly managed by Ezhou City. Ezhou City has also established 2 economic development zones: Gedian Economic and Technological Development Zone and Ezhou Economic Development Zone.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (sq km) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 420700 | Ezhou City | Èzhōu Shì | 1,596.46 | 1,079,353 | Echeng District | 436000 | 4 | 18 | 3 | | 420702 | Liangzihu District | Liángzǐhú Qū | 495.96 | 126,822 | Taihe Town | 436000 | | 5 | | | 420703 | Huarong District | Huáróng Qū | 492.75 | 256,834 | Huarong Town | 436000 | | 4 | 2 | | 420704 | Echeng District | Èchéng Qū | 607.74 | 695,697 | Fenghuang Subdistrict | 436000 | 4 | 9 | 1 |

5. Economy

In 2019, Ezhou City achieved a regional GDP of 114.007 billion yuan, an increase of 7.8%. In 2020, Ezhou City achieved a regional GDP of 100.523 billion yuan, a decrease of 9.8% compared to 2019.

6. Transportation

6.1 Railway

• Wuhan-Huangshi Intercity Railway

6.2 Rail Transit

• Wuhan Metro Line 11 Gedian Section

6.3 Aviation

• Ezhou Huahu International Airport

7. Education

• Ezhou Vocational University
• Echeng Iron and Steel Plant Staff University

8. Population

According to the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 1,048,672. Among them, males numbered 551,443, accounting for 52.58% of the total population; females numbered 497,229, accounting for 47.42% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 110.90. The population aged 0–14 was 161,405, accounting for 15.39% of the total; the population aged 15–64 was 804,830, accounting for 76.75% of the total; and the population aged 65 and above was 82,437, accounting for 7.86% of the total.

By the end of 2018, the city's permanent resident population was 1.0777 million, of which the urban population was 710,300 and the rural population was 367,400. The annual number of births was 12,147, with a birth rate of 11.27‰; the number of deaths was 6,311, with a mortality rate of 5.86‰. The natural population growth rate was 5.41‰.

According to the 2020 Seventh National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 1,079,353. Compared with the 1,048,668 from the Sixth National Population Census, the population increased by 30,685 over the ten-year period, a growth of 2.93%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.29%. Among them, the male population was 561,880, accounting for 52.06% of the total population; the female population was 517,473, accounting for 47.94% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 108.58. The population aged 0–14 was 194,254, accounting for 18% of the total; the population aged 15–59 was 685,023, accounting for 63.47% of the total; and the population aged 60 and above was 200,076, accounting for 18.54% of the total, of which the population aged 65 and above was 147,084, accounting for 13.63% of the total. The population residing in urban areas was 715,268, accounting for 66.27% of the total population; the population residing in rural areas was 364,085, accounting for 33.73% of the total population.

By the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 1.0712 million, of which the urban population was 719,000 and the rural population was 352,200. The urbanization rate reached 67.1%.

8.1. Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group numbered 1,075,022, accounting for 99.6%; various ethnic minorities numbered 4,331, accounting for 0.4%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han population increased by 27,680, a growth of 2.64%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.27 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 3,005, a growth of 226.62%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.27 percentage points.

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Echeng District

Echeng District

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Camphor tree

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