Loudi (娄底)

1. Introduction

Loudi City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Hunan Province, People's Republic of China, located in the central part of Hunan Province. The city borders Huaihua City to the west, Yiyang City to the north, Changsha City and Xiangtan City to the northeast, Hengyang City to the southeast, and Shaoyang City to the south. Situated in the northwestern part of the central Hunan hilly region and on the eastern edge of the Xuefeng Mountains, the terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east. The Lianshui River in the east flows from west to east into the Xiang River, while the Zishui River in the west flows from south to north into Dongting Lake. The Zexi Reservoir is located in the northwest. The city covers a total area of 8,110 square kilometers, with a population of 3.7601 million. The municipal people's government is located on Xiangzhong Avenue in Louxing District. Loudi is a major hub for steel, energy, minerals, and chemicals in Hunan, as well as an important railway junction in the province, where the Luozhan Railway, Shanghai-Kunming Railway, and Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway intersect.

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2. History

The name "Loudi" first appeared in the "Xiangxiang County Annals" compiled in the 12th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1673). During the Song Dynasty, it was known as "Lou Di" and later refined to "Loudi." According to local folklore, Loudi derived its name from being situated at "the place where the Lou Star and the Di Star shine upon each other." However, scholars hold different views on this. Scholar Liu Daofeng believes that the name Loudi originated from "Nao Di," which was later refined to "Loudi" due to the beautification of place names. "Nao Di" means "at the foot of a small hill," and the main street in Loudi's urban area, Leping Street, was originally a small hilltop, aligning with the geographical characteristics.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the area belonged to Changsha Prefecture and Baoqing Prefecture. In 1914, it fell under the Xiangjiang Circuit, and in 1922, it came directly under Hunan Province. In early 1950, the eastern part belonged to the Yiyang Special District, while the western part belonged to the Shaoyang Special District. In 1952, it was incorporated into the Shaoyang Special District, and in 1968, it became part of the Shaoyang Region. In 1977, the northern part of the Shaoyang Region was separated to establish the Lianyuan Region, with the regional administrative office located in Lantian Town. In 1978, the regional administrative office moved to Loudi Town. In 1980, Loudi Town was upgraded to Loudi City (county-level). In 1982, the Lianyuan Region was renamed the Loudi Region. In January 1999, the Loudi Region and the county-level Loudi City were abolished, and the prefecture-level Loudi City was established. The former county-level Loudi City was reorganized into the Louxing District.

3. Geography

Loudi City is located in the central hinterland of Hunan Province, between 110°45′40"–112°31′07" east longitude and 27°12′31"–28°14′27" north latitude. Its western and southwestern parts belong to the mountainous region of western Hunan, while the eastern part falls within the hilly region of central Hunan, characterized by gentle undulating terrain. The Lianshui River in the east flows from west to east into the Xiang River, and the Zishui River in the west runs from south to north into Dongting Lake. It borders Xiangtan City and Changsha City to the east, Hengyang City to the south, Yiyang City to the north, Shaoyang City to the southwest, and Huaihua City to the northwest.

3.1 Climate

It lies within the mid-subtropical monsoon climate zone, with an annual average temperature ranging from 16°C to 17.3°C and an average annual sunshine duration of 1,538 hours. | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|------|------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|------|------|----------| | Record High °C | 23.4 | 29.7 | 33.6 | 35.5 | 36.7 | 37.9 | 39.7 | 41.2 | 38.5 | 36 | 32.4 | 24.2 | 41.2 | | Record High °F | 74.1 | 85.5 | 92.5 | 95.9 | 98.1 | 100.2 | 103.5 | 106.2 | 101.3 | 96.8 | 90.3 | 75.6 | 106.2 | | Avg. High °C | 8.7 | 10.9 | 15.2 | 21.8 | 26.8 | 29.8 | 33.4 | 32.9 | 28.8 | 23.2 | 17.7 | 11.9 | 21.8 | | Avg. High °F | 47.7 | 51.6 | 59.4 | 71.2 | 80.2 | 85.6 | 92.1 | 91.2 | 83.8 | 73.8 | 63.9 | 53.4 | 71.2 | | Daily Mean °C | 5.4 | 7.5 | 11.3 | 17.5 | 22.4 | 25.8 | 29.1 | 28.4 | 24.3 | 18.9 | 13.3 | 7.8 | 17.6 | | Daily Mean °F | 41.7 | 45.5 | 52.3 | 63.5 | 72.3 | 78.4 | 84.4 | 83.1 | 75.7 | 66 | 55.9 | 46 | 63.7 | | Avg. Low °C | 2.8 | 4.9 | 8.3 | 14.1 | 18.9 | 22.6 | 25.6 | 24.9 | 21 | 15.7 | 10 | 4.6 | 14.4 | | Avg. Low °F | 37 | 40.8 | 46.9 | 57.4 | 66 | 72.7 | 78.1 | 76.8 | 69.8 | 60.3 | 50 | 40.3 | 58 | | Record Low °C | −5.1 | −4.7 | −1.6 | 3.1 | 9.8 | 14.7 | 19 | 16.6 | 12.6 | 4.2 | −1.3 | −9.2 | −9.2 | | Record Low °F | 22.8 | 23.5 | 29.1 | 37.6 | 49.6 | 58.5 | 66.2 | 61.9 | 54.7 | 39.6 | 29.7 | 15.4 | 15.4 | | Avg. Precipitation mm | 66.8 | 85.7 | 126.1 | 176.7 | 201.4 | 219.5 | 133.9 | 119.1 | 59.2 | 80.4 | 67.9 | 46.2 | 1,382.90 | | Avg. Precipitation inches | 2.63 | 3.37 | 4.96 | 6.96 | 7.93 | 8.64 | 5.27 | 4.69 | 2.33 | 3.17 | 2.67 | 1.82 | 54.44 | | Avg. Relative Humidity (%) | 77 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 80 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 76 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Loudi City administers 1 district, 2 counties, and oversees 2 county-level cities on behalf of the province.

• District: Louxing District
• County-level cities: Lengshuijiang City, Lianyuan City
• Counties: Shuangfeng County, Xinhua County Additionally, Loudi City has established the following economic management zones: Loudi Economic Development Zone, Wanbao New Area.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 431300 | Loudi City | Lóudǐ Shì | 8,109.59 | 3,826,996 | Louxing District | 417000 | 17 | 55 | 14 | | 431302 | Louxing District | Lóuxīng Qū | 628.42 | 752,530 | Changqing Subdistrict | 417000 | 7 | 5 | 1 | | 431321 | Shuangfeng County | Shuāngfēng Xiàn | 1,593.54 | 685,917 | Yongfeng Subdistrict | 417200 | 2 | 11 | 3 | | 431322 | Xinhua County | Xīnhuà Xiàn | 3,619.94 | 1,196,538 | Shangmei Subdistrict | 417600 | 3 | 18 | 7 | | 431381 | Lengshuijiang City| Lěngshuǐjiāng Shì | 437.9 | 329,912 | Lengshuijiang Subdistrict | 417500 | 4 | 5 | 1 | | 431382 | Lianyuan City | Liányuán Shì | 1,829.80 | 862,099 | Lantian Subdistrict | 417100 | 1 | 16 | 2 |

5. Economy

Loudi City, located in central Hunan Province, is an important prefecture-level city in the province and has achieved remarkable results in economic development in recent years. According to data from 2023, Loudi City achieved a regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 199.05 billion yuan for the year, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.0% and accounting for 3.98% of Hunan Province's total GDP. In terms of the three major industries, the added value of the primary industry was 22.491 billion yuan, the secondary industry was 76.242 billion yuan, and the tertiary industry was 100.318 billion yuan, accounting for 11.3%, 38.3%, and 50.4% of the GDP, respectively.

Regarding economic structure, Loudi's industry and manufacturing sectors have developed rapidly, with significant growth particularly in high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing. Additionally, the service sector has performed prominently, with growth in wholesale and retail trade, transportation, accommodation, and catering. Fixed asset investment continued to grow, increasing by 6.1% year-on-year in 2023, with non-state investment growing by 8.5% and private investment growing by 10.8%.

Loudi City has also made significant progress in optimizing the business environment and promoting high-quality development. By implementing platform constructions such as the "Policy Supermarket" and "Financial Supermarket," the city has improved administrative efficiency and injected momentum into economic and social development. Simultaneously, Loudi has accelerated the construction of new infrastructure, driving high-quality economic and social development.

In terms of people's livelihoods, Loudi City has strengthened social security, elderly care, and follow-up support for poverty alleviation through relocation, thereby enhancing the level of public services. Among fiscal expenditures, spending on people's livelihoods accounted for the largest proportion, reaching 74.9%, with increases in expenditures on education, science and technology, social security and employment, health, and housing security.

The economic development of Loudi City demonstrates a positive trend of steady progress and high-quality growth. The structure of the three major industries has been gradually optimized, with industry and services becoming the main driving forces. Significant achievements have also been made in improving people's livelihoods and optimizing the business environment.

6. Transportation

6.1 Railway

• Shanghai–Kunming Railway
• Luoyang–Zhanjiang Railway
• Shanghai–Kunming High-Speed Railway

6.2 Highway

• G60 Shanghai–Kunming Expressway
• S70 Lou–Huai Expressway
• G55 Er–Guang Expressway
• S70 Chang–Shao–Lou Expressway
• S71 Yi–Lou–Heng Expressway
• Long–Lang Expressway
• National Highway 207
• National Highway 234
• National Highway 320

7. Education

7.1 Higher Education

• Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology
• Loudi Vocational and Technical College
• Xiaoxiang Vocational College

7.2 Secondary Education

• Shuangfeng County No. 1 Middle School
• Loudi No. 1 Middle School
• Loudi No. 2 Middle School
• Loudi No. 3 Middle School
• Loudi No. 4 Middle School
• Loudi No. 5 Middle School
• Loudi No. 6 Middle School
• Loudi No. 7 Middle School
• Loudi No. 8 Middle School
• Loudi Chunyuan Middle School
• Loudi Lanpu School
• Loudi Chuying School

8. Population

According to the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the permanent resident population of Loudi City was 3,785,627, accounting for 5.76% of Hunan's population and ranking 11th, with a population density of 467 persons/km². The registered population was 4,323,497, accounting for 6.11% of the province's registered population. The net population outflow was 537,869, accounting for 12.44% of the registered population. The sex ratio was 106.32 males per 100 females. By educational attainment, those with a university degree or above accounted for 6.08% of the total population, those with a junior high school education or above accounted for 62.53%, and the illiterate population accounted for only 3.20%. There were 1,091,256 family households in the jurisdiction, with a family household population of 3,631,452, accounting for 95.93% of the total population; the average family size was 3.33 persons. In terms of age composition, the population aged 14 and below was 726,941, accounting for 19.20% of the total population; the population aged 15–64 was 2,681,995, accounting for 70.85%; and the elderly population aged 65 and above was 376,691, accounting for 9.95% of the total population.

According to the 2020 Seventh National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 3,826,996. Compared with the 3,784,634 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 42,362 people over the ten years, a growth of 1.12%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.11%. Among them, the male population was 1,960,551, accounting for 51.23% of the total population; the female population was 1,866,445, accounting for 48.77%. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 105.04. The population aged 0–14 was 861,343, accounting for 22.51% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 2,226,697, accounting for 58.18%; the population aged 60 and above was 738,956, accounting for 19.31% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 565,860, accounting for 14.79%. The urban population was 1,796,776, accounting for 46.95% of the total population; the rural population was 2,030,220, accounting for 53.05%.

At the end of 2022, the city's total registered population was 4.467 million, and the permanent resident population was 3.7601 million. Among them, the urban population was 1.8237 million, and the rural population was 1.9364 million. The urbanization rate of the permanent resident population was 48.50%, an increase of 0.74 percentage points from the previous year.

8.1. Ethnic Groups

Loudi is predominantly Han Chinese, with ethnic minorities scattered throughout. Data from the 2000 Fifth National Population Census shows that Loudi City had a Han population of 3,778,014, accounting for 99.86% of the regional population. Ethnic minorities numbered 5,219, accounting for only 0.14% of the regional population, making it the area with the smallest ethnic minority population in Hunan Province, ranking 14th. Among China's 55 ethnic minorities, 33 are represented in Loudi. The ethnic minorities with over a thousand people in Loudi are the Miao and Tujia, with 1,670 and 1,332 people respectively, accounting for 32% and 25.52% of the regional ethnic minority population. The third-largest minority, the Dong, had 681 people, accounting for 13.05% of the ethnic minority population. The remaining 30 ethnic minorities had a total population of 1,536, accounting for 29.43% of the regional ethnic minority population. Among these, six ethnic groups—Hui, Yao, Zhuang, Bouyei, Manchu, and Mongol—each had populations over one hundred, while the remaining 24 ethnic groups had populations below ten.

In 2020, among the city's permanent resident population, the Han population was 3,809,635, accounting for 99.55%; various ethnic minority populations totaled 17,361, accounting for 0.45%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han population increased by 33,472, a growth of 0.89%, but its share of the total population decreased by 0.23 percentage points. The various ethnic minority populations increased by 8,890, a growth of 104.95%, and their share of the total population increased by 0.23 percentage points.

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9. Sister Cities

• Jing'an District, Shanghai, China (December 9, 1984)
• Ramsey, USA (November 17, 2005)
• Amberg-Sulzbach, Germany (August 12, 2005)
• Eden, USA (March 27, 2009)
• Lodi, USA (December 6, 2012)
• Foshan, China (July 29, 2013)

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Where Lou and Di stars shine in mutual splendor

Louxing District

Xinhua County

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Camphor tree

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