Xinyu (新余)

1. Introduction

Xinyu City, abbreviated as Yu, historically known as Xinyu and Xinyu, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China, located in the central-western part of Jiangxi Province. The city borders Yichun City to the east, west, and north, and Ji'an City to the south. It lies in the transitional zone between the mountainous and hilly areas of western Jiangxi and the valley terraces of the middle reaches of the Gan and Fu Rivers. The city is surrounded by mountains on the north, west, and south sides, with the Wugong Mountain to the southwest and the Meng Mountain to the north. The Yuan River flows from west to east across the entire territory, and the Jiangkou Reservoir, also known as the Fairy Lake, is located in the southwest. The Municipal People's Government is located at No. 288, Xianlai Zhong Avenue, Yushui District.

nix

2. History

Artifacts such as stone tools and pottery from the Neolithic period, dating back 5,000 years, have been unearthed at the Shinianshan site in the northeastern part of the urban area. During the Qin Dynasty, the area belonged to Jiujiang Commandery. In the Han Dynasty, it was part of Yichun County under Yuzhang Commandery. In 267 AD, Xinyu County was established by separating from Yichun County and placed under Ancheng Commandery. The name originated from the middle reaches of the Yuan River, which was historically called the Yu River. In 589 AD, it was merged into Wuping County. In 591 AD, Wuping County was incorporated into Yichun County. In 598 AD, Xinyu County was re-established and placed under Yuanzhou. In 607 AD, it came under Yichun Commandery. In 622 AD, Xinyu County was divided, with its northeastern part becoming Shiping County and its southwestern part incorporated into Xiwu Prefecture. In 624 AD, both Shiping County and Xiwu Prefecture were abolished, and Xinyu County was reinstated. In 742 AD, it was renamed Xinyu County and placed under Yichun Commandery. In 758 AD, it came under Yuanzhou. In 992 AD, the third year of the Chunhua era of the Song Dynasty, it was placed under Linjiang Army. In 1295 AD, the first year of the Yuanzhen era of the Yuan Dynasty, it was elevated to Xinyu Prefecture and placed under Linjiang Circuit. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it reverted to a county and was placed under Linjiang Prefecture.

In 1912, it came directly under Jiangxi Province. In 1914, it was placed under Luling Circuit. In 1926, it once again came directly under Jiangxi Province. In 1932, it was placed under the Eighth Administrative District of Jiangxi. In 1935, it was placed under the Second Administrative District of Jiangxi. In 1949, it was placed under Yuanzhou Special District. In 1953, Yuanzhou and Nanchang Special Districts merged to form Nanchang Special District. In 1957, Xinyu was renamed Xinyu. In 1958, Xinyu County was placed under Yichun Special District. In 1960, Xinyu City was established and came directly under Jiangxi Province. In 1963, Xinyu City was abolished, and Xinyu County was reinstated, still under Yichun Special District. In 1983, Xinyu City was restored, and Fenyi County from the Yichun region was placed under its jurisdiction. In October, the former Xinyu County area was established as Yushui District.

3. Geography

Xinyu features a mid-subtropical monsoon climate characterized by distinct seasons, mild temperatures, abundant sunshine, ample rainfall, a long frost-free period, and relatively short severe winters.

Meteorological Data of Xinyu City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Record high °C (°F) | 25.8 (78.4) | 30.1 (86.2) | 33.4 (92.1) | 36.2 (97.2) | 36.3 (97.3) | 37.9 (100.2) | 40.6 (105.1) | 40.3 (104.5) | 38.1 (100.6) | 35.6 (96.1) | 31.9 (89.4) | 23.9 (75.0) | 40.6 (105.1) | | Average high °C (°F) | 9.3 (48.7) | 11.6 (52.9) | 15.7 (60.3) | 22.3 (72.1) | 27.3 (81.1) | 30.3 (86.5) | 34.1 (93.4) | 33.4 (92.1) | 29.4 (84.9) | 24.4 (75.9) | 18.3 (64.9) | 12.5 (54.5) | 22.4 (72.3) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.0 (42.8) | 8.2 (46.8) | 11.9 (53.4) | 18.1 (64.6) | 23.1 (73.6) | 26.3 (79.3) | 29.7 (85.5) | 28.9 (84.0) | 25.3 (77.5) | 20.1 (68.2) | 14.0 (57.2) | 8.3 (46.9) | 18.3 (65.0) | | Average low °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) | 5.6 (42.1) | 9.0 (48.2) | 14.8 (58.6) | 19.7 (67.5) | 23.1 (73.6) | 26.1 (79.0) | 25.5 (77.9) | 22.0 (71.6) | 16.6 (61.9) | 10.5 (50.9) | 5.0 (41.0) | 15.1 (59.2) | | Record low °C (°F) | -4.2 (24.4) | -3.5 (25.7) | -1.4 (29.5) | 3.2 (37.8) | 10.6 (51.1) | 14.9 (58.8) | 18.2 (64.8) | 19.1 (66.4) | 14.6 (58.3) | 4.9 (40.8) | 0.3 (32.5) | -8.2 (17.2) | -8.2 (17.2) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 88.8 (3.42) | 112.0 (4.41) | 179.3 (7.06) | 223.5 (8.80) | 212.8 (8.38) | 257.9 (10.15) | 122.0 (4.80) | 133.1 (5.24) | 81.4 (3.20) | 62.9 (2.48) | 79.9 (3.15) | 51.5 (2.03) | 1,603.1 (63.12) | | Average relative humidity (%) | 80 | 80 | 81 | 80 | 78 | 79 | 71 | 74 | 75 | 72 | 75 | 75 | 77 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Xinyu City administers 1 district and 1 county.

• District: Yushui District
• County: Fenyi County

In addition to the formal administrative divisions, Xinyu City has also established the following administrative management areas: National-level Xinyu High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Fairy Lake Scenic Area, and Kongmu River Ecological Economic Zone.

| Division Code | Division Name | Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 360500 | Xinyu City | Xīnyú Shì | 3,160.43 | 1,202,499 | Yushui District | 338000 | 6 | 17 | 9 | | 360502 | Yushui District | Yúshuǐ Qū | 1,780.95 | 927,950 | Chengnan Subdistrict| 338000 | 4 | 10 | 6 | | 360521 | Fenyi County | Fēnyí Xiàn | 1,379.49 | 274,549 | Lingdong Subdistrict| 336600 | 2 | 7 | 3 |

5. Economy

Xinyu City is the most economically developed and prosperous city in Jiangxi Province. Since Xinyu administers only one county besides its urban area, it has a relatively small total population, a limited land area, and scarce resources. Despite this, Xinyu's economy has grown at a remarkably rapid pace, consistently ranking first in the province for many years. Its economic strength (on a per capita basis) has reached the level of coastal developed provinces such as Guangdong and Jiangsu.

Xinyu is home to a large number of new energy enterprises and has fostered a positive interaction between high-tech talent and the solar photovoltaic industry. Of the three "100-billion-yuan industrial projects" designated by Jiangxi Province, two are located in Xinyu. Most economic indicators for Xinyu's urban area, including regional GDP, industrial output, fixed asset investment, and fiscal revenue, rank second in the province. Per capita GDP and other indicators far exceed those of Nanchang, the provincial capital of Jiangxi. In 2011, Xinyu became the first city in Jiangxi to achieve a per capita GDP exceeding $10,000. Xinyu is the most economically developed and highly urbanized city in Jiangxi.

6. Transportation

6.1 Railway

The Shanghai-Kunming Railway traverses the city center of Xinyu, while the Beijing-Kowloon Railway runs alongside the city.

• Railway Stations
  • Xinyu Railway Station
  • Xinyu North Railway Station (High-speed Rail Station)

6.2 Aviation

Xinyu currently does not have an airport. Since October 2010, a dedicated passenger line to Nanchang Changbei International Airport has been in operation, with a total of four round trips daily. The neighboring city of Yichun has the Yichun Mingyueshan Airport, which offers flights to destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

6.3 Highway

Three expressways and four provincial highways intersect in Xinyu, making it one of the few cities in China with a high density of expressway access.

• Shanghai-Kunming Expressway
• Daqing-Guangzhou Expressway
• Ganzhou-Guangdong Expressway

7. Education

Education in Xinyu has been highly developed since ancient times. Historically, a large number of top scholars and imperial examination graduates came from Xinyu. Lu Zhao, the first top scholar in Jiangxi, was from Xinyu.

7.1 Primary and Secondary Schools

The enrollment and retention rates for primary and junior high schools in the city are nearly 100%. Within the urban area, Jiangxi Xinyu No.1 Middle School and Jiangxi Xinyu No.4 Middle School are nationally renowned key secondary schools, consistently enjoying high prestige in society.

7.2 Higher Education

Higher education in Xinyu is currently in a phase of rapid development. Xinyu University originated from Xinyu Vocational University. In 1986, with the approval of the Jiangxi Provincial People's Government, Xinyu Vocational University was established, marking the beginning of Xinyu's own higher education endeavors. There are also other institutions such as Jiangxi University of Engineering.

8. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 1,202,499. Compared with the 1,138,874 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 63,625 people over the past ten years, representing a growth of 5.59% and an average annual growth rate of 0.55%. Among them, the male population was 628,460, accounting for 52.26% of the total population; the female population was 574,039, accounting for 47.74% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 109.48. The population aged 0–14 was 249,266, accounting for 20.73% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 740,573, accounting for 61.59% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 212,660, accounting for 17.68% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 147,272, accounting for 12.25% of the total population. The urban population was 884,941, accounting for 73.59% of the total population; the rural population was 317,558, accounting for 26.41% of the total population.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 1,198,030, accounting for 99.63%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 4,469, accounting for 0.37%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic group population increased by 63,053, a growth of 5.56%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.03 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 572, a growth of 14.68%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.03 percentage points.

nix

9. Culture

Xinyu boasts cultural resources such as fairy culture, Baoshi culture, Tiangang culture, and steel culture. In 2006, it successfully hosted the 12th Jiangxi Provincial Games, and in November 2007, it successfully held the "Fairy Lake Cup" World Tourism Ambassador Championship Finals. The Chinese Musicians Association has placed 10 graded examination programs in Xinyu, where the average number of pianos per household ranks among the highest in the province. Xinyu is also a key national city for table tennis and has hosted numerous major national and provincial sports events.

10. Sister Cities

• Huludao City, Liaoning Province, China
• Rome, New York, USA
• Coquitlam, Canada
• Bangalore, India

nix

nix

nix

nix

Yushui District

Yushui District

nix

Camphor tree

Rose