Sanming (三明)

1. Introduction

Sanming (Central Min dialect: [sɔ̃ 553 mã 41 sɿ 353]), also known as Minzhong, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Fujian Province, People's Republic of China, located in the western part of Fujian. The city borders Nanping to the north, Fuzhou to the east, Quanzhou and Longyan to the south, and Ganzhou and Fuzhou in Jiangxi Province to the west. Situated on the eastern foothills of the Wuyi Mountains and the western edge of the Daiyun Mountains, with the remnants of the Daimao Mountains in the central area, the terrain is predominantly low mountains and hills. The Sha River, You River, and Jin River, tributaries of the Min River, flow from west to east through the city. The municipal government is located at No. 412 Xinshi North Road. Sanming is an important industrial base in Fujian Province, a regional central city of Fujian, a National Forest City, and a city within the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait. It hosts the nation's only Cross-Strait (Sanming) Modern Forestry Cooperation Experimental Zone.

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2. History

During the Qin and Han dynasties, the territory of Sanming successively belonged to Minzhong Commandery and Ye County.

In the third year of the Yong'an era of the Wu state during the Three Kingdoms period (260 AD), Jiangle County and Sui'an County were established (Sui'an County was renamed Suicheng County in the first year of the Yixi era of the Eastern Jin dynasty, i.e., 405 AD, and was finally abolished in the third year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang dynasty, i.e., 629 AD, never to be reinstated thereafter), both under the jurisdiction of Jian'an Commandery.

In the first year of the Yixi era of the Eastern Jin dynasty (405 AD), the Shashu Fort was elevated to Shacun County, marking the beginning of the establishment of Shaxian County; it was later renamed Shaxian County in the fourth year of the Wude era of the Tang dynasty (621 AD), successively under the jurisdiction of Jian'an Commandery and Jianzhou.

In the thirteenth year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty (725 AD), the Huanglian Town in the original Huanglian Dong area in the western part of Shaxian County was upgraded to Huanglian County, which was later renamed Ninghua County in the first year of the Tianbao era (742 AD), under the jurisdiction of Linting Commandery; in the twenty-ninth year of the Kaiyuan era (741 AD), Youxi County was established in the original Youxi Mountain Dong area, under the jurisdiction of Fuzhou.

In the first year of the Zhongxing era of the Southern Tang state during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (958 AD), the Yong'an Chang and Guihua Chang in the original Suicheng County territory were upgraded to Jianning County and Guihua County respectively (Guihua County was later renamed Taining County in the first year of the Yuanyou era of the Song dynasty, i.e., 1086 AD), both under the jurisdiction of Jianzhou.

In the first year of the Yuanfu era of the Song dynasty (1098 AD), Qingliu County was established from part of Ninghua County, under the jurisdiction of Tingzhou.

In the third year of the Jingtai era of the Ming dynasty (1452 AD), Yong'an County was established from the land south of Xinling in Shaxian County and west of Baoshan in Youxi County, under the jurisdiction of Yanping Prefecture; in the seventh year of the Chenghua era (1471 AD), Guihua County was established from parts of Ninghua, Qingliu, Jiangle, and Shaxian counties, under the jurisdiction of Tingzhou Prefecture (later renamed Mingxi County in April of the 22nd year of the Republic of China, i.e., 1933); in the fourteenth year of the Jiajing era (1535 AD), Datian County was established from parts of Youxi, Yong'an, Zhangping, and Dehua, under the jurisdiction of Yanping Prefecture. In the first year of the Longqing era (1567 AD), Ningyang County was established from parts of Longyan, Datian, and Yong'an, under the jurisdiction of Zhangzhou Prefecture.

The Qing dynasty basically followed the Ming system, establishing the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission, which governed 9 prefectures and 2 subprefectures. In the twelfth year of the Yongzheng era (1734 AD), Datian County was transferred to the jurisdiction of Yongchun Zhili Subprefecture.

In the early years of the Republic of China, prefectures were changed to circuits, and subprefectures and departments were changed to counties. The Sanming territory belonged to the Northern Circuit Observation Commissioner's Office. In the 3rd year of the Republic of China (1914), circuits were changed to dao. Shaxian, Jiangle, Taining, Youxi, Jianning, and Yong'an counties all belonged to Jian'an Dao; Ninghua, Qingliu, Guihua, and Ningyang counties all belonged to Tingzhang Dao; Datian County belonged to Xiamen Dao.

In the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928), the dao system was abolished, and a new province-county system was implemented, with each county directly subordinate to the Fujian Provincial Government.

Starting from the 16th year of the Republic of China (1927), the Chinese Communist Party carried out revolutionary activities in counties such as Ninghua, Qingliu, Guihua, Jianning, Taining, Jiangle, Shaxian, Yong'an, Youxi, and Datian. Entering the early 1930s, red and white regimes and two different administrative regions coexisted within the territory, and workers' and peasants' soviet governments were widely established. The establishment and duration of the county soviets were as follows: The Ninghua County Soviet Government was established in November of the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931) and lasted until December of the 23rd year (1934); the Qingliu County Soviet Government was established in August of the 21st year (1932) and lasted until November 1934; the Pengpai County Soviet Government was established in August of the 22nd year (1933) and lasted until December 1934; the Quanshang County Soviet Government was established in August 1933 and lasted until December 1934; Guihua first established a County Revolutionary Committee in July 1931, then established a County Soviet Government in January 1934, which lasted until October of that year; the Jianning County Soviet Government was established in October 1932 and lasted until May 1934; Taining first established a County Revolutionary Committee in June of the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931), then established a County Soviet Government in November of the 22nd year (1933), which lasted until March 1934; Jiangle first established a County Revolutionary Committee in June of the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931), after August of the 22nd year (1933) district soviet regimes were successively established, and when the Red Army liberated Jiangle county town again in February of the 23rd year (1934), the County Revolutionary Committee was re-established, lasting until March of that year; Shaxian established a County Soviet Government in January of the 23rd year of the Republic of China (1934), lasting two months; Yong'an established a County Revolutionary Committee in early May of the 23rd year of the Republic of China (1934), lasting one month.

In November of the 22nd year of the Republic of China (1933), the "Fujian Incident" occurred. The Kuomintang's Nineteenth Route Army established the People's Revolutionary Government of the Republic of China (i.e., the Fujian People's Government) in Fujian, which governed four provinces—Minhai, Yanjian, Xingquan, and Longting—and two special cities—Fuzhou and Xiamen. Within the Sanming territory, Shaxian, Jiangle, Youxi, Yong'an, Taining, and Jianning counties belonged to Yanjian Province; Qingliu, Mingxi (original Guihua), Ninghua, and Ningyang counties belonged to Longting Province; Datian County belonged to Xingquan Province. In the 23rd year of the Republic of China (1934), the "Fujian Incident" failed, and the four provinces were abolished.

In July of the 23rd year of the Republic of China (1934), the reorganized Fujian Provincial Government implemented the administrative district supervision commissioner system, dividing the entire province into 10 administrative districts. Within the Sanming territory, Shaxian and Youxi belonged to the Third District (called Nanping Commissioner's Office); Datian belonged to the Fourth District (called Xianyou Commissioner's Office); Yong'an, Ningyang, Qingliu, Mingxi, and Ninghua belonged to the Eighth District (called Changting Commissioner's Office); Jiangle, Taining, and Jianning belonged to the Ninth District (called Shaowu Commissioner's Office). In October of the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935), the originally divided 10 administrative supervision districts of the province were reduced and merged into 7 administrative districts. Youxi, Yong'an, Jiangle, and Shaxian counties belonged to the Second Administrative District; Datian and Ningyang counties belonged to the Sixth Administrative District; Ninghua, Mingxi, Qingliu, Jianning, and Taining counties belonged to the Seventh Administrative District.

In April of the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938), the provincial government moved inland to Yong'an. In June, some Kuomintang party, government, and military institutions such as the Provincial Security Department, County Administration Personnel Training Institute, and the Three People's Principles Youth League successively moved to Sanyuan and Meilie. In February of the 28th year of the Republic of China (1939), for ease of management, the Fujian Provincial Government decided to center on Sanyuan Town, carve out townships with a population of over ten thousand, and establish the Sanyuan Special District, governing Sanyuan city proper, Liedong, Liexi, and other areas, still considered part of Shaxian County. In August of the 29th year of the Republic of China (1940), due to the small jurisdiction and fiscal deficits of the Sanyuan Special District, parts of the original territories of Shaxian, Yong'an, and Mingxi counties were merged into the Sanyuan Special District to establish Sanyuan County. The county's land area was 1,031 square kilometers, with a population of about 380,000, subordinate to the Second Administrative District.

In September of the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946), the provincial administrative districts were adjusted to 9 administrative supervision districts. Within the Sanming territory, Shaxian, Jiangle, Taining, Jianning, and Youxi counties still belonged to the Second District (Nanping Commissioner's Office); Ninghua County belonged to the Seventh District (Changting Commissioner's Office); Yong'an, Ningyang, Datian, Qingliu, Mingxi, and Sanyuan counties were transferred to belong to the Ninth District (Yong'an Commissioner's Office). In the 36th year of the Republic of China (1947), the provincial administrative districts were adjusted again to 7 administrative supervision districts, with the Yong'an Commissioner's Office renamed the Sixth District; the affiliation of counties within the Sanming territory remained unchanged.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, from the winter of 1949 to the spring of 1950, various areas of the Sanming territory successively came under the control of the People's Republic of China government, belonging to the Longyan, Yong'an, and Nanping Commissioner's Offices.

In February 1950, the Fujian Provincial People's Government established the provincial supervisory organ at the prefecture (city) level, the Seventh Administrative Commissioner's Office, in Yong'an County. In April of the same year, it was renamed the Yong'an Administrative Commissioner's Office. It governed Sanyuan County, Yong'an County, Mingxi County, Qingliu County, Ninghua County, Datian County, Ningyang County, and Dehua County (transferred to Jinjiang Prefecture on October 27 of the same year).

In June 1956, the Yong'an Commissioner's Office was abolished. In July, Sanyuan and Mingxi counties merged to form Sanming County, subordinate to the Nanping Commissioner's Office. Yong'an, Qingliu, Ninghua, and Ningyang counties (abolished by the decision of the 34th meeting of the State Council on July 9, 1956) were subordinate to the Longyan Prefecture; Datian County was subordinate to the Jinjiang Prefecture.

In April 1958, after Sanming was designated as a heavy industrial base, the Sanming Heavy Industry Construction Committee was established as a unified party-government leadership organization responsible for leading the industrial construction and various municipal construction and management work in the Sanming Industrial Zone. It was directly under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Council, and jointly led Sanming County with the Nanping Prefectural Committee and Administrative Office.

In February 1959, with central approval, the Sanming Heavy Industry Construction Committee and the Sanming County organization merged to form the Sanming People's Commune Preparatory Committee (provincially administered).

In January 1960, the Sanming People's Commune Preparatory Committee was renamed the Sanming City People's Committee (as the provincially administered Sanming City).

In November 1961, the Sanming County建制 was restored, with its jurisdiction being the original administrative area of Mingxi County. In the same month, Qingliu, Ninghua, and Yong'an counties were transferred from Longyan Prefecture to Sanming City, expanding its jurisdiction to 4 counties.

In May 1963, the State Council approved the establishment of the Sanming Commissioner's Office. The Commissioner's Office governed Sanming City (county-level city), Sanming County, Yong'an County, Qingliu County, Ninghua County, and Datian County (transferred from Jinjiang Prefecture in the same month), totaling 1 city and 5 counties.

In April 1964, Sanming County was restored to its original name, Mingxi County.

From February to March 1967, the Sanming Military Subdistrict was ordered to intervene in local affairs to carry out the "Three Supports and Two Militaries"任务, establishing a Production Leadership Group responsible for industrial and agricultural production in the Sanming area. In July of the same year, the Fuzhou Military Region Party Committee decided to establish the Sanming Prefecture Military Control Commission.

In October 1968, the Sanming Prefecture Revolutionary Committee was established as a unified party-government leadership organization, exercising all the functions of the former Prefectural Committee and Commissioner's Office.

On June 18, 1970, the Provincial Revolutionary Committee decided to transfer Youxi, Shaxian, Jiangle, Taining, and Jianning counties to the Sanming Prefecture, formally transferring them in July. The jurisdiction of the Sanming Prefecture expanded to 1 city and 10 counties. In December of the same year, the Sanming Prefecture Revolutionary Committee was changed to the Sanming Region Revolutionary Committee.On March 29, 1978, the Sanming Prefecture Revolutionary Committee was renamed the Sanming Prefecture Administrative Office, with its jurisdiction remaining unchanged.

In April 1983, with the approval of the State Council, the former prefecture-level Sanming City was upgraded to a prefecture-level city, and the Sanming Prefecture Administrative Office was abolished. A city-led county management system was implemented, governing Sanyuan District, Meilie District, Yong'an County, Mingxi County, Qingliu County, Ninghua County, Datian County, Youxi County, Shaxian County, Jiangle County, Taining County, and Jianning County, totaling 2 districts and 10 counties. In September 1984, with the approval of the State Council, Yong'an County was changed to Yong'an City (a county-level city).

On February 3, 2021, the State Council approved the abolition of Meilie District and Sanyuan District in Sanming City and the establishment of a new Sanyuan District in Sanming City, with the administrative regions of the former Meilie District and Sanyuan District serving as the administrative region of the new Sanyuan District. It also approved the abolition of Shaxian County and the establishment of Shaxian District in Sanming City, with the administrative region of the former Shaxian County serving as the administrative region of Shaxian District.

3. Geography

Sanming City borders Fuzhou to the east, Quanzhou to the south, Longyan to the west, Nanping to the north, and Jiangxi Province to the northwest. Located in the west-central part of Fujian Province, along the middle reaches of the Shaxi River and nestled within the Daiyun and Wuyi mountain ranges of northwestern Fujian, it is an inland mountainous city with typical characteristics of southern China. It spans over 230 kilometers from east to west and about 180 kilometers from north to south, covering an area of 22,928.8 square kilometers. The terrain within Sanming is predominantly composed of medium-low mountains and hills. The northwestern part lies within the Wuyi Mountains, the central part is occupied by the Daimao Mountain Range, and the southeastern corner adjoins the Daiyun Mountain Range. The landscape features towering peaks, rolling low hills, dense river networks, and interspersed valleys and basins. Overall, the terrain is higher in the southwest and lower in the northeast, with the highest point being Jianning Baishi Peak at 1,858 meters above sea level and the lowest point at 50 meters. Mountains account for 82% of the total area, cultivated land for 8.3%, and water bodies and other land types for 9.7%, earning it the description "eight parts mountains, one part water, and one part farmland." Major rivers include the Shaxi, Jinxi, and Youxi, with hydropower resources supporting an installed capacity of 1.35 million kilowatts.

3.1 Geology and Geomorphology

The stratigraphic structure within Sanming City is well-developed, encompassing 12 systems from the Lower Proterozoic to the Cenozoic, with 37 stratigraphic units including four major rock types: metamorphic, intrusive, volcanic, and sedimentary rocks. The oldest rock layers are distributed in the Late Archean Tianjingping Formation in the Jianning area, which is part of the Cathaysia ancient continental nucleus and represents the oldest rock layer in Fujian Province. Sanming straddles three major tectonic units of Fujian and contains four fault zones in its geological structure: the Shaxian–Nanri Island NW-trending fault zone, passing through Taining, Jiangle, Shaxian, Youxi, etc.; the Yong'an–Jinjiang NW-trending fault zone, passing through Mingxi, Yong'an, Datian, etc.; the Shaowu–Heyuan NE-trending fault zone, passing through Taining, Jianning, Ninghua, etc.; and the Zhenghe–Haifeng NE-trending fault zone, traversing Youxi, Datian, Yong'an, Shaxian, and the urban area of Sanming.

3.2 Climate

Sanming has a mid-subtropical monsoon climate. The annual average temperature is 19.4°C, with January averaging 8.0°C and July averaging 28.0°C. Annual precipitation is 1,620 mm, the frost-free period is around 300 days, and the elevation across the area ranges from 300 to 800 meters. | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|------|-------|------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|------|------|----------| | Record high °C | 28.5 | 34.4 | 34.7 | 35.5 | 37 | 37.9 | 41.4 | 41 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 34.1 | 29.1 | 41.4 | | Record high °F | 83.3 | 93.9 | 94.5 | 95.9 | 98.6 | 100.2 | 106.5 | 105.8 | 101.5 | 96.4 | 93.4 | 84.4 | 106.5 | | Average high °C | 15.1 | 16.6 | 20 | 25 | 28.5 | 31.2 | 33.9 | 33.9 | 30.7 | 26.7 | 21.7 | 16.8 | 25 | | Average high °F | 59.2 | 61.9 | 68 | 77 | 83.3 | 88.2 | 93 | 93 | 87.3 | 80.1 | 71.1 | 62.2 | 77 | | Daily mean °C | 10 | 11.7 | 14.8 | 19.5 | 23.1 | 25.9 | 28.4 | 27.8 | 25.3 | 21.1 | 16 | 11 | 19.6 | | Daily mean °F | 50 | 53.1 | 58.6 | 67.1 | 73.6 | 78.6 | 83.1 | 82 | 77.5 | 70 | 60.8 | 51.8 | 67.2 | | Average low °C | 6.6 | 8.5 | 11.4 | 15.8 | 19.4 | 22.3 | 23.9 | 23.7 | 21.7 | 17.2 | 12.2 | 7.2 | 15.8 | | Average low °F | 43.9 | 47.3 | 52.5 | 60.4 | 66.9 | 72.1 | 75 | 74.7 | 71.1 | 63 | 54 | 45 | 60.5 | | Record low °C | −3.8 | −2.5 | −1.8 | 4.2 | 9.6 | 14 | 20 | 18.6 | 13.1 | 6 | 0.4 | −5.8 | −5.8 | | Record low °F | 25.2 | 27.5 | 28.8 | 39.6 | 49.3 | 57.2 | 68 | 65.5 | 55.6 | 42.8 | 32.7 | 21.6 | 21.6 | | Average precipitation mm | 63.3 | 114.1 | 205 | 221.4 | 266.3 | 257.8 | 133 | 159.9 | 98.6 | 55.8 | 48.6 | 41.5 | 1,665.30 | | Average precipitation inches | 2.49 | 4.49 | 8.07 | 8.72 | 10.48 | 10.15 | 5.24 | 6.3 | 3.88 | 2.2 | 1.91 | 1.63 | 65.56 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 78 | 80 | 81 | 80 | 80 | 81 | 75 | 77 | 78 | 75 | 77 | 77 | 78 |

3.3 Natural Resources

Sanming is a comprehensive reform pilot zone for collective forest areas in southern China, with a forest coverage rate of 76.8%, a standing timber stock of 115 million cubic meters, and a moso bamboo reserve of 380 million culms. Seventy-nine types of metallic and non-metallic minerals have been discovered, with proven reserves for 49 types. Major resources include coal, iron, tungsten, aluminum, tin, manganese, barite, limestone, marble, and sapphire. The main rivers within the city—Shaxi, Jinxi, and Youxi—all belong to the Min River system, with a total length of 875 kilometers and an annual runoff of 21.58 billion cubic meters. The city's hydropower resources support an installed power generation capacity of 1.7 million kilowatts.

4. Administrative Divisions

Sanming City administers 2 districts, 8 counties, and has jurisdiction over 1 county-level city.

• Districts: Sanyuan District, Shaxian District
• County-level City: Yong'an City
• Counties: Mingxi County, Qingliu County, Ninghua County, Datian County, Youxi County, Jiangle County, Taining County, Jianning County

Additionally, Sanming City has established the following economic management zones: Sanming Economic Development Zone, Sanming High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and Haixi Sanming Ecological Industrial and Trade Zone.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Including: Ethnic Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|-------------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------|--------------------------------| | 350400 | Sanming City | Sānmíng Shì | 22,964.77 | 2,486,450 | Sanyuan District | 365000 | 13 | 77 | 51 | 2 | | 350404 | Sanyuan District | Sānyuán Qū | 1,151.42 | 408,051 | Liedong Subdistrict | 365000 | 7 | 4 | 1 | | | 350405 | Shaxian District | Shāxiàn Qū | 1,798.83 | 250,503 | Fenggang Subdistrict| 365500 | 2 | 6 | 4 | | | 350421 | Mingxi County | Míngxī Xiàn | 1,729.85 | 98,930 | Xuefeng Town | 365200 | | 4 | 5 | | | 350423 | Qingliu County | Qīngliú Xiàn | 1,806.32 | 118,029 | Longjin Town | 365300 | | 7 | 6 | | | 350424 | Ninghua County | Nínghuà Xiàn | 2,407.46 | 261,579 | Cuijiang Town | 365400 | | 11 | 5 | 1 | | 350425 | Datian County | Dàtián Xiàn | 2,233.12 | 299,513 | Junxi Town | 366100 | | 12 | 6 | | | 350426 | Youxi County | Yóuxī Xiàn | 3,420.37 | 341,638 | Chengguan Town | 365100 | | 10 | 5 | | | 350428 | Jiangle County | Jiānglè Xiàn | 2,241.10 | 144,943 | Guyong Town | 363300 | | 8 | 5 | | | 350429 | Taining County | Tàiníng Xiàn | 1,528.81 | 104,071 | Shancheng Town | 364400 | | 3 | 6 | | | 350430 | Jianning County | Jiànníng Xiàn | 1,716.34 | 114,400 | Suixi Town | 364500 | | 4 | 5 | | | 350481 | Yong'an City | Yǒng'ān Shì | 2,931.16 | 344,793 | Yanxi Subdistrict | 366000 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 1 |

5. Economy

5.1 Economic Data of Various Districts (Counties, Cities) in Sanming City (2010)

| Division Name | Gross National Product (100 million yuan) | Per Capita Gross National Product (yuan) | |------|------------|--------------| | Sanming City | 975.1 | 38951 | | Sanyuan District | 227.46 | 60575 | | Shaxian District | 104.29 | 46004 | | Qingliu County | 42.47 | 31182 | | Ninghua County | 58.82 | 21593 | | Datian County | 85.72 | 27510 | | Youxi County | 99.95 | 28287 | | Mingxi County | 31.76 | 30925 | | Jiangle County | 53.59 | 35991 | | Taining County | 45.43 | 41188 | | Jianning County | 42.81 | 35675 | | Yong'an City | 182.81 | 52683 |

5.2 Industry

Sanming City is one of the primary raw material industrial bases in Fujian Province. It primarily consists of high-energy-consumption industries such as metallurgy and chemicals, with forestry also being a significant component. It is also home to Fujian Province's largest steel processing plant—Sanming Steel Plant.

Fujian Sangang Mingguang Co., Ltd. was approved and registered by the Fujian Provincial People's Government on December 26, 2001.

6. Transportation

• Yingtan-Xiamen Railway, Changzhou-Fuzhou Railway
• Road mileage of nearly 10,000 kilometers: G70 Fuzhou-Yinchuan Expressway (passing through Sanming City, Shaxian, Youxi, Jiangle, Taining County), Quanzhou to Nanning Expressway, G25 Changchun-Shenzhen Expressway, National Highway 205 connecting Yong'an–Sanming–Shaxian, Provincial Highway 212 to Xiamen Port and Meizhou Bay
• Implementation of the comprehensive development of the Shaxi River navigation and power project, enabling navigation of 2×300-ton ships from Sanming to Fuzhou in the near future
• Sanming has Sanming Shaxian Airport and also utilizes the nearby Fuzhou Changle International Airport, with airport shuttle buses available from the urban area.

7. Education

7.1 Higher Education Institutions

Public Undergraduate University: Sanming University Public Vocational Colleges: Fujian Vocational College of Water Conservancy and Electric Power, Sanming Vocational College of Medical Science and Technology

7.2 Key High Schools

Fujian Provincial First-Class Standard High Schools: Sanming No.1 High School, Sanming No.2 High School, Sanming No.9 High School, Shaxian No.1 High School, Yong'an No.1 High School, Yong'an No.9 High School, Datian No.1 High School, Youxi No.1 High School, Taining No.1 High School, Ninghua No.1 High School, Qingliu No.1 High School Sister Cities

8. Population

By the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 2.455 million. Among them, the urban permanent resident population was 1.581 million, accounting for 64.4% of the total population (the urbanization rate of permanent residents), an increase of 0.7 percentage points from the end of the previous year. By the end of the year, the total number of registered households in the city was 803,500, with a registered population of 2.8561 million, a decrease of 10,900 people from the end of the previous year.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 2,486,450. Compared with the 2,503,388 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the total decrease over the ten years was 16,938 people, a decline of 0.68%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.07%. Among them, the male population was 1,283,874, accounting for 51.63% of the total population; the female population was 1,202,576, accounting for 48.37% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 106.76. The population aged 0–14 was 512,887, accounting for 20.63% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,496,746, accounting for 60.2% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 476,817, accounting for 19.18% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 341,318, accounting for 13.73% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 1,571,500, accounting for 63.2% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 914,950, accounting for 36.8% of the total population.

8.1. Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic population was 2,456,090, accounting for 98.78%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 30,360, accounting for 1.22%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic population decreased by 14,606 people, a decline of 0.59%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.08 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities decreased by 2,332 people, a decline of 7.13%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.08 percentage points.

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9. Culture

9.1 Language

The central area of Sanming City primarily uses the Central Min dialect of the Min language group. However, some of its subordinate counties and cities are located at the intersections of the Eastern Min, Central Min, Southern Min, Northern Min dialects, the Tingzhou dialect of Hakka, and the Fuguang dialect of Gan. Due to frequent historical changes in administrative divisions, the linguistic composition is extremely complex, making it the most diverse in Fujian Province. Notably, the complexity of dialects in Youxi County is the highest within Sanming City.

• Central Min Dialect (subdivided into Southern, Northern, and Central-Northern Transitional sub-dialects): Spoken in Sanyuan District, Yong'an City, Shaxian District, and the eastern end of Mingxi County.
• Houlu Dialect: Spoken in northern Datian County, western Youxi County, and eastern Yong'an City. It is a transitional dialect between Central Min and Southern Min, leaning towards Central Min.
• Taoyuan Dialect: Spoken in western Datian County. It is a transitional dialect between Central Min and Southern Min, leaning towards the Yong'an dialect of Central Min.
• Northern Tingzhou Dialect of Hakka: Spoken in most of Ninghua County, western and northern Qingliu County, southern Mingxi County, and southern Taining County. Additionally, there are Hakka dialect islands in Jiangle County, Sanyuan District, Yong'an City, and Datian County.
• Qianlu Dialect of the Datian Sub-dialect, Southern Min Dialect: Spoken in most of Datian County and the southwestern corner of Youxi County.
• Fucheng Accent of Quanzhou Dialect, Quanzhang Sub-dialect, Southern Min Dialect: Spoken in southeastern Yong'an City, southeastern and western Datian County, and the southwestern corner of Youxi County. Additionally, there are Southern Min dialect islands (mostly the Fucheng accent of Quanzhou dialect) in Sanyuan District, Shaxian District, Yong'an City, and Youxi County.
• Zhangping Dialect, Western Sub-dialect, Quanzhang Sub-dialect, Southern Min Dialect: Spoken in the southernmost part of Yong'an City.
• Youxi Chengguan Dialect: Spoken in central Youxi County. It is a transitional dialect among the Houguan sub-dialect of Eastern Min, Central Min, and Southern Min, leaning towards Eastern Min.
• Yangzhong Dialect, Houguan Sub-dialect, Eastern Min Dialect: Spoken in eastern Youxi County.
• Xibin Dialect: Spoken in northeastern Youxi County. It is a transitional dialect between the Yangzhong dialect (Houguan sub-dialect, Eastern Min) and the Youxi Chengguan dialect, leaning towards Eastern Min.
• Tangchuan Dialect: Spoken in eastern Youxi County. It is a transitional dialect between the Tingzhou dialect of Hakka and the Houguan sub-dialect of Eastern Min.
• Zhongxian Dialect: Spoken in southeastern Youxi County. It is a transitional dialect among the Youxi Chengguan dialect, the Houguan sub-dialect of Eastern Min, and the Puxian dialect, leaning towards the Youxi Chengguan dialect.
• Jianning Sub-dialect, Fuguang Dialect of Gan: Spoken in most of Jianning County and the northern end of Ninghua County.
• Taining Sub-dialect, Fuguang Dialect of Gan: Spoken in most of Taining County, northeastern Jianning County, and northwestern Jiangle County.
• Jiangle Sub-dialect, Shaojiang Dialect of Min: Spoken in most of Jiangle County, central Mingxi County, and northeastern Qingliu County.
• Shaowu Sub-dialect, Shaojiang Dialect of Min: Spoken in northeastern Taining County and the northern end of Jiangle County.
• Shehua (She Dialect): Distributed in Sanyuan District, Shaxian District, Yong'an City, Ninghua County, and Youxi County.
• Various Unclassified Min-Hakka Transitional Dialects: Distributed in eastern and southern Qingliu County and western Yong'an City.

9.2 Traditional Culture

Yong'an Daqiang Opera, Datian County Board Lantern Dragon, Jiangle County Bamboo Paper Making Techniques, and Taining County Meilin Opera have been included in China's National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

10. Sister Cities

Sanming City has established 2 pairs of international sister city relationships with 2 countries. | Sister City | Date of Establishment | Signing Location | |------------------|----------|------| | Lansing (Michigan, USA) | 9/10/97 | Sanming | | Budapest District 15 (Pest County, Hungary) | 12/22/09 | Sanming |

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Take the first characters of Sanyuan County and Mingxi County

Sanyuan District Liedong Subdistrict

Sanyuan District

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