Huzhou (湖州)

1. Introduction

Huzhou City (Wu dialect Huzhou pronunciation: Wu cieu), abbreviated as Hu, historically known as Wucheng and Wuxing, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province, the People's Republic of China, located in the northern part of Zhejiang Province. The city borders Jiaxing City to the east, Hangzhou City to the south, Xuancheng City of Anhui Province to the west, and faces Taihu Lake to the north, bordering Changzhou's Dajiao and Xiaojiao Mountains, Wuxi City, and Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province. Situated on the southern shore of Taihu Lake, it lies at the junction of the hilly region of northern Zhejiang and the Hangjiahu Plain. The East Tiaoxi and West Tiaoxi rivers flow from south to north through the area, converging in the urban district to form the Tiaoxi River, which then empties into Taihu Lake. The Municipal People's Government is located at No. 666 Renhuangshan Road, Wuxing District. Huzhou is a nationally renowned historical and cultural city, famous as a land of fish and rice, a member of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and also a celebrated silk-producing region. It is one of the birthplaces of world silk civilization and one of China's four major silk capitals, often described as "Huzhou silk clothes the world."

2. Etymology

The history of Huzhou can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, when it was part of the territories of Wu and Yue.

During the Qin Dynasty, the Huzhou region belonged to Kuaiji Commandery.

After Huzhou was established as a prefecture in the Sui Dynasty, the name "Huzhou" has been used continuously to this day. Although there were brief adjustments to its administrative divisions, the name "Huzhou" as a place name has remained unchanged.

3. History

In ancient times, the area belonged to the domain of Yangzhou. In the 11th year of King Wu of Zhou (1066 BC), the Huzhou area was part of the Yue State. In the 26th year of King Jing of Zhou (494 BC), after Wu defeated Yue, it came under the control of the Wu State. In the 3rd year of King Yuan of Zhou (473 BC), Yue conquered Wu, and the land returned to Yue. In the 35th year of King Xian of Zhou (334 BC), Chu destroyed Yue, and the territory became part of the Chu State. In the 15th year of King Kaolie of Chu (248 BC), Lord Chunshen Huang Xie was relocated here as his fief. He built a city and established "Gucheng County," named for the abundance of wild rice stems (gu grass) in the marshes. Its ruins are located in Yaotou Village, Yunchao, Wuxing District today.

In the 25th year of King Zheng of Qin (222 BC), Wucheng County was established. In 206 BC, Xiang Yu raised an army in Wuzhong (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu) and proclaimed himself the Hegemon-King of Western Chu. Before his uprising, he built "Xiangwang City" in the center of present-day Hucheng. In the early Western Han Dynasty, Huzhou was within the fief of Liu Bi, the Prince of Wu. In the 2nd year of the Ganlu era of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period (266 AD), Sun Hao, wishing for the prosperity of Eastern Wu, established "Wuxing Commandery," marking the beginning of the name Wuxing. By the Southern Dynasties, Wuxing Commandery's jurisdiction included the entire present-day Huzhou area and counties like Yangxian (present-day Yixing).

In the 2nd year of the Renshou era of the Sui Dynasty (602 AD), it was named "Huzhou" for its location by Lake Tai, marking the beginning of the name Huzhou. During the Tang Dynasty, Huzhou's "Wuxing Commandery" was a superior commandery. Established in the 4th year of the Wude era with Wucheng County as its seat, it had 73,360 households and a population of 477,698. It administered five counties: Wucheng, Wukang, Changcheng, Anji, and Deqing. In the 2nd year of the Kaiping era of Later Liang during the Five Dynasties (908 AD), Qian Liu, the King of Wuyue, changed the name of Changcheng County to Changxing County to avoid the naming taboo of Zhu Cheng, the father of Zhu Wen (Emperor Taizu of Later Liang).

During the Song Dynasty, it was one of the twelve prefectures of the Liangzhe Circuit, known as "Huzhou Wuxing Commandery." In the 1st year of the Jingyou era, it was promoted to "Zhaoqing Army Military Commissioner." In the 1st year of the Baoqing era, it was renamed "Anji Prefecture." During the Chongning era, it had 162,335 households and a population of 361,689. It administered six counties: Wucheng, Gui'an (established in the 7th year of the Taiping Xingguo era), Anji, Changxing, Deqing, and Wukang.

During the Yuan Dynasty, Huzhou belonged to the "Huzhou Route" of the Jiangzhe Branch Secretariat. In the 13th year of the Zhiyuan era, Anji Prefecture was elevated to Huzhou Route. It had 254,345 households. It led one administrative office, five counties, and one sub-prefecture: the Record Affairs Office, Wucheng, Gui'an, Anji, Deqing, Wukang, and Changxing Sub-prefecture (in the 1st year of the Yuanzhen era, Changxing County was elevated to a sub-prefecture).

In the 11th month of the Bingwu year under Emperor Taizu of Ming (1366 AD), it became "Huzhou Prefecture," directly subordinate to the capital. In the 11th month of the 14th year (1381 AD), it was transferred to Zhejiang. It led one sub-prefecture and six counties: Wucheng, Gui'an, Changxing (renamed Changxing Sub-prefecture to Zhangguan Sub-prefecture in 1357, reverted to Changxing in 1362, and demoted to a county in the 2nd year of Hongwu), Deqing, Wukang, and Anji Sub-prefecture (elevated to a sub-prefecture in the 1st year of Zhengde, administering Xiaofeng County).

During the Qing Dynasty's "Huzhou Prefecture": subordinate to the Hang-Jia-Hu Circuit. In the 38th year of the Qianlong era, Anji was changed back to a county. It administered seven counties: Wucheng, Gui'an, Changxing, Deqing, Wukang, Anji, and Xiaofeng.

In the 1st month of the 1st year of the Republic of China (1912 AD), Wucheng and Gui'an counties were merged into "Wuxing County." In the 2nd month, all counties under Huzhou became directly subordinate to the province.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhejiang's First Special District, Jiaxing Special District, and Jiaxing Prefecture were successively established, with their administrative seats long located in Huzhou. In 1949, Wuxing City was established in the urban area of Wuxing County, renamed "Huzhou City" in 1950. It was abolished in 1962 and re-established in 1970. In 1981, Wuxing County was abolished and merged into Huzhou City. In October 1983, the prefecture was abolished to establish two provincial-level cities: Huzhou and Jiaxing. Present-day Huzhou City administers two districts, Wuxing and Nanxun, and three counties: Changxing, Deqing, and Anji.

Chronicle of Major Events

• Records of the Grand Historian records that Xiang Yu and his uncle Xiang Liang "avoided enemies in Wuzhong." Tang Dynasty calligrapher Yan Zhenqing stated in his Inscription on the Back of the Xiangwang Temple Stele: "Wuzhong refers to present-day Huzhou." When Xiang Yu raised an army against the Qin, the troops he gathered were all from guests, disciples, and nearby counties in Wucheng, known as the "Wucheng Troops." He built Xiangwang City north of Xiagucheng and stationed troops on Bian Mountain.
• During the Yonghe era of the Jin Dynasty (around 350 AD), Commandery Administrator Yin Kang mobilized people to dig the Dongtang canal, irrigating thousands of qing of farmland. As the area was abundant with reeds, it was named Ditang (Reed Pond).
• In the 1st year of the Wude era of Tang (618 AD), Shen Faxing, the Sui Dynasty Administrator of Wuxing, under the pretext of punishing Yuwen Huaji, raised an army and captured counties like Yuhang, Piling, and Danyang. He proclaimed himself Grand Commander of the Jiangnan Circuit and established a bureaucracy. He was defeated and died in the 3rd year (620 AD).
• In the 5th year of the Dali era of Tang (770 AD), the Purple Bamboo Shoot Tea from Mount Guzhu in Changxing County, Huzhou Prefecture, was listed as an annual tribute, required to reach the capital before the Qingming Festival each year, known then as "Urgent Journey Tea."
• In the 1st year of the Jianzhong era of Tang (780 AD), Lu Yu compiled The Classic of Tea in Huzhou.
• In the 9th month of the 4th year of the Qianning era of Tang (897 AD), Qian Liu captured Huzhou. The Prefectural Governor (then called Military Commissioner of the Zhongguo Army) Li Jihui fled to Huainan to seek refuge with Yang Xingmi.
• In the 10th month of the 3rd year of the Kaiping era of Later Liang (909 AD), Prefectural Governor Gao Li brutally slaughtered commoners at Kaiyuan Temple, inciting a popular revolt; he wantonly killed 3,000 prefectural residents. Qian Liu, King of Wuyue, intended to execute Gao Li, who rebelled with the prefecture. Qian Liu ordered his brother Qian Biao to suppress the rebellion, and Biao was appointed Prefect of Huzhou.
• In the 2nd year of the Baoyuan era of Song (1039 AD), Prefect Teng Zongliang received approval to establish a prefectural school. Hu Yuan taught in Huzhou, emphasizing both classical studies and practical governance. During the Qingli era, the Song court adopted his methods for the Imperial Academy, later known as the "Huzhou School."
• In the 4th month of the 2nd year of the Yuanfeng era of Northern Song (1079 AD), Su Shi was appointed Prefect of Huzhou. Just three months after taking office, the "Wutai Poetry Case" erupted, and he was imprisoned.
• In the 3rd year of the Jianyan era of Southern Song (1129 AD), Yue Fei fiercely battled Jin troops at Chanling and Jiangjun Mountain in Changxing, achieving "six victories in six battles," capturing over forty Jin commanders and repelling them.
• In the 1st month of the 1st year of the Baoqing era of Southern Song (1225 AD), dissatisfied with Shi Miyuan's arbitrary deposition and installation of an emperor, Huzhou Imperial College students Pan Ren, Pan Bing, and others organized dozens of Taihu fishermen and patrol soldiers. They entered the city at night and forcibly draped the imperial yellow robe on Prince Ji Zhao Hong, who was forced to ascend the throne. The rebellion was suppressed within days, known as the "Zha River Incident."
• In the 10th month of the 1st year of the Deyou era of Southern Song (1275 AD), Yuan general Menggudai captured Hucheng. Song Prefect Zhao Liangchun hanged himself.
• In the 4th month of the 16th year of the Zhizheng era of Yuan (1356 AD), Zhang Shicheng's forces captured Huzhou, renaming it Wuxing Commandery, with Pan Yuanming as Left Assistant Administrator to guard Wuxing. In the 8th month of the 26th year (1366 AD), Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, generals under Zhu Yuanzhang, attacked western Zhexi, fiercely battled Pan Yuanming in the suburbs, and soon captured the city, changing Wuxing Commandery back to Huzhou Prefecture.
• The Southern Ming loyalist force under Jin Gongyu resisted the Qing, twice occupying the Huzhou prefectural city. Qing General Zhang Shiyuan arrived in Huzhou as Assistant Regional Commander of Huzhou. Jin Gongyu retreated to Changxing, where he was defeated and died.
• In the 2nd month of the 10th year of the Xianfeng era of Qing (1860 AD), Li Xiucheng's Taiping forces advanced on Huzhou. Local gentry Zhao Jingxian organized a militia and held firm. From the 1st to the 5th month of the 1st year of the Tongzhi era (1862 AD), Tan Shaoguang's Taiping forces besieged and captured Huzhou; Zhao Jingxian died upholding his principles. Immediately after, Hong Rengan convened the Huzhou Conference to discuss potential retreat routes if the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were defeated. On the 27th day of the 6th month in the 3rd year (1864 AD), the Young Monarch Hong Tianguifu arrived in Huzhou, making it the last stronghold of the Heavenly Kingdom. After major battles between the Taiping forces and the Qing army, including the Ever Victorious Army, Prince Gan Hong Rengan and the Young Monarch were forced to flee, soon captured. The Huzhou Campaign ended on July 27th.
• In the 1st year of the Republic of China (1912 AD), the entire Huzhou area was recovered, establishing the Huzhou Provisional Military-Government Branch headed by Shen Puqin.
• In the 4th year of the Republic of China (1915 AD), the Jili Huzhou Silk from six silk firms in Nanxun, including Mei Hengyu, Qiu Tiancheng, Wu Qichang, and Li Hengde, won the gold medal at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
• On May 18th, the 6th year of the Republic of China (1917 AD), the coffin of former Shanghai Governor Chen Yingshi was transported from Shanghai back to Hucheng and buried at the southern foot of Mount Xian, south of the city.
• On May 9th, the 8th year of the Republic of China (1919 AD), students from seven secondary schools in Huzhou, including the Provincial Third Normal School, Provincial Third Middle School, Haidao Middle School, and Hujun Girls' Middle School, held a rally to support the Beijing "May Fourth" Movement.
• On December 2nd, the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928 AD), the Ministry of Industry and Commerce held the Chinese National Products Exhibition, designating that day as "Huzhou Day" to promote the production and use of domestic goods.
• In the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937 AD), Japanese forces occupied Huzhou, and Huzhou's military and civilians resisted. National Revolutionary Army Major General Deputy Division Commander Xia Guozhang died in battle while leading his troops to block the Japanese advance outside the east gate of Hucheng.
• On January 13th, the 34th year of the Republic of China (1945 AD), the Communist Party of China's Jiangsu-Zhejiang Military District was established, with Su Yu as Commander and Tan Zhenlin as Political Commissar. The headquarters was set up in Wentang, Changxing. On October 8th, a ceremony for accepting the Japanese surrender was held at Haidao in Hucheng.
• In the 38th year of the Republic of China (1949 AD), the 83rd Division of the 28th Army of the Tenth Corps of the People's Liberation Army occupied Hucheng. Yu Shuluan, Commissioner and Security Commander of the First Administrative Supervision District of Zhejiang under the Nationalist Government, surrendered.

4. Geography

Huzhou City is located in northern Zhejiang, on the southern shore of Lake Tai. It is the only city named after Lake Tai, bordering the lake to the north. To the northwest and northeast, it faces Dajiao Mountain and Xiaojiao Mountain in Wujin District of Changzhou, Jiangsu across the lake, and borders Yixing of Wuxi and Wujiang of Suzhou. To the west, it adjoins Xuancheng City of Anhui, to the east, Jiaxing City, and is not far from Shanghai. To the south, it neighbors Hangzhou with the Tianmu Mountains as its backdrop. The eastern part is a typical Jiangnan watertown with a dense river network, the central area consists of hills, and the western part, within Anji County, features majestic mountains, with the highest peak, Longwang Mountain, reaching an elevation of 1,587.4 meters. Its geographical coordinates are 30°23′–31°11′ north latitude and 119°14′–120°29′ east longitude. The plain areas of Huzhou, Jiaxing, and Hangzhou are collectively known as the Hangjiahu Plain, one of the most economically developed regions in Zhejiang Province and even nationwide.

5. Administrative Divisions

Huzhou City administers 2 municipal districts and 3 counties.

Municipal Districts: Wuxing District, Nanxun District
Counties: Changxing County, Deqing County, Anji County
Additionally, Huzhou City has established the following economic functional zones: National-level Huzhou Economic & Technological Development Zone, Huzhou Taihu Tourism Resort, and Huzhou South Taihu High-tech Industrial Park.

On April 30, 2019, the People's Government of Zhejiang Province issued a document approving the establishment of the Huzhou South Taihu New Area. Its scope includes the core area of the Huzhou South Taihu Industrial Agglomeration Zone, the entire Huzhou Economic & Technological Development Zone, and the entire Huzhou Taihu Tourism Resort. The two existing national-level designations (Huzhou Economic & Technological Development Zone, Huzhou Taihu Tourism Resort) are retained, while sub-provincial level industrial platform designations are concurrently revoked.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (sq km) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 330500 | Huzhou City | Húzhōu Shì | 5,820.26 | 3,367,579 | Wuxing District | 313000 | 25 | 39 | 6 | | 330502 | Wuxing District | Wúxīng Qū | 862.72 | 1,015,937 | Yuehe Subdistrict | 313000 | 13 | 5 | 1 | | 330503 | Nanxun District | Nánxún Qū | 702.24 | 542,889 | Dongqian Subdistrict| 313000 | | 9 | | | 330521 | Deqing County | Déqīng Xiàn | 937.92 | 548,568 | Wukang Subdistrict | 313200 | 4 | 8 | | | 330522 | Changxing County | Chángxīng Xiàn | 1,431.34 | 673,776 | Longshan Subdistrict| 313100 | 4 | 9 | 2 | | 330523 | Anji County | Ānjí Xiàn | 1,886.03 | 586,409 | Changshuo Subdistrict| 313300 | 4 | 8 | 3 |

6. Economy

In 2022, Huzhou achieved a regional GDP of 385.0 billion yuan, an increase of 3.3% over the previous year calculated at comparable prices. The value-added structure of the three industries was adjusted to 4.2:51.1:44.7. The per capita GDP calculated based on the resident population was 112,902 yuan, an increase of 2.7%.

Huzhou is one of the 14 key cities in the Yangtze River Delta region, spearheaded by the development and opening of Shanghai's Pudong, that practice "planning first and developing first." In 2019, Huzhou's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 312.24 billion yuan, an increase of 7.9% over the previous year calculated at comparable prices. This growth rate met the expected target set at the beginning of the year (around 8%) and was higher than the provincial average. Specifically, the added value of the primary industry was 13.38 billion yuan, an increase of 2.8%; the secondary industry was 159.54 billion yuan, an increase of 7.6%; and the tertiary industry was 139.32 billion yuan, an increase of 8.7%. The value-added structure of the three industries was adjusted to 4.3:51.1:44.6, with the proportion of the tertiary industry increasing by 0.8 percentage points compared to the previous year (according to China's GDP accounting system and the revised results of the fourth national economic census, Huzhou's GDP in 2018 was 288.12 billion yuan, with a three-industry value-added structure of 4.5:51.7:43.8). The per capita GDP was 102,593 yuan, equivalent to 14,900 US dollars.

The annual fiscal revenue reached 17.235 billion yuan, of which local fiscal revenue was 9.727 billion yuan, representing year-on-year increases of 17.5% and 21.6%, respectively. Fiscal revenue accounted for 13.2% of GDP.

Huzhou has one national-level economic and technological development zone—the Huzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone.

Traditional Industries: Silk, Building Materials Emerging Industries: New Textiles, New Building Materials, Pharmaceutical and Chemical, Specialized Mechanical and Electrical, Electronic Information, Environmental Protection Industry, Aerospace Manufacturing, New Energy Vehicles China Well-known Trademarks: Jinzhou (Steel Pipe), Meixinda (Corduroy), Zhenbei (Cashmere Sweaters), Mihuang (Cashmere Sweaters), Jiuli (Stainless Steel), Nuoli (Machinery), Moganshan (Veneer Panels), Shiyou (Flooring), Jiusheng (Flooring), Haoyun (Flooring). Others: China Zhili Commercial City, Nanxun Building Materials Market, Huaneng Changxing Power Plant, Changguang Coal Mine (Group) Co., Ltd.

7. Transportation

7.1 Provincial Highways

Provincial Highway 04 (Peng'an Line) Provincial Highway 09 (Linmo Line) Provincial Highway 10 (Changniu Line) Provincial Highway 11 (Lutang Line) Provincial Highway 12 (Xiaosi Line)

7.2 National Highways

National Highway 104 National Highway 318

7.3 Railways

Xuanhang Railway (Xuancheng City, Anhui Province - Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province) Xinchang Railway (Xinyi City, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province - Changxing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province) Changniu Railway (Changxing County, Zhejiang Province - Niutoushan Town, Guangde County, Anhui Province) Ninghang Passenger Dedicated Line Huzhou-Suzhou-Shanghai Intercity Railway (Under Construction) Zhajiahu Railway (Planned)

7.4 Huzhou on Rails

The concept of "Huzhou on Rails" was first proposed in the 2020 Huzhou Government Work Report. It encompasses the planning and construction of railway projects including the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou High-Speed Railway, Hangzhou-Deqing Intercity Railway, the Second Channel of the Nanjing-Hangzhou High-Speed Railway, the Rail Transit around Taihu Lake, the Water Town Tourism Line, and metropolitan area and central city rail transit. The goal of this plan focuses on building an integrated "four-network convergence" of trunk railways, intercity railways, metropolitan area railways, and urban rail transit, accelerating the formation of a multi-level integrated rail transit development pattern. In 2020, the Huzhou Rail Transit Group was established. Ma Xiaohui, Secretary of the Huzhou Municipal Committee of the CPC, stated in an interview that the group was established specifically to fully build "Huzhou on Rails." In the same year, the Huzhou Rail Transit Group initiated tenders for the construction and development of "Huzhou on Rails." In 2021, the "Huzhou on Rails" Construction Conference was held, emphasizing the goal of building a strong transportation city, focusing on the integrated "four-network convergence" of trunk railways, intercity railways, metropolitan area railways, and urban rail transit, and accelerating the formation of a multi-level integrated rail transit development pattern. In April, the "Huzhou on Rails" Construction Action Plan (2021-2025) was proposed, outlining the "Four-Three-Two-One" project and planning to advance 10 rail transit projects. In 2022, the Nanxun to Changxing section of the Rutong-Suzhou-Huzhou Intercity Railway commenced construction.

7.5 Expressways

Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway Shanghai-Suzhou-Zhejiang-Anhui Expressway Shanghai-Jiaxing-Huzhou Expressway Hangzhou-Changxing (Yixing) Expressway

7.6 Water Transport

Huzhou Port is one of China's two major inland river ports. Changhu-Shen Line Huzhou Section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal

8. Education

From the Tang Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, Huzhou produced 1,530 Jinshi (imperial examination graduates), including 16 Zhuangyuan (top scorers).
Huzhou is home to 22 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, ranking 19th nationally.
The number of people with college education or above per 10,000 population is 207, ranking 15th nationally.
The average years of education per capita is 7.27 years, ranking 14th nationally.
The Suhu Teaching Method was founded by the Song Dynasty educator Hu Yuan.

8.1 Higher Education

Huzhou University: Huzhou University is a full-time regular undergraduate institution. It was founded in 1958 and began enrolling undergraduate students in 1994. In March 1999, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, the former Huzhou Teachers College, Huzhou Normal School, and Huzhou Teachers' In-Service College merged to establish Huzhou University. In May 2000, the former Huzhou Health School was incorporated into Huzhou University.
Huzhou Vocational & Technical College, Huzhou Radio & Television University.

8.2 High Schools

Urban Area (Wuxing District, Nanxun District): Huzhou High School, Huzhou No. 2 High School, Linghu High School, Wuxing Senior High School, Huzhou No. 1 High School, Huzhou No. 5 High School, Nanxun High School, Shuanglin High School, Lianshi High School, Daixi High School, Huzhou New Century Foreign Language School, Zhejiang Information Engineering School, Huzhou Art & Design School, Huzhou Transportation School, Linghu Secondary Vocational School.

• Huzhou High School: Founded in 1902 as Huzhou Prefecture Middle School, its predecessor was Aishan Academy. It is now a provincial-level key high school in Zhejiang.
• Huzhou No. 2 High School: Founded in 1901, it became affiliated with Soochow University in Suzhou in 1915. In 1932, it was renamed "Soochow University Wuxing Affiliated Middle School," making it the earliest complete secondary school in Huzhou at the time. It merged with Hujun Girls' Middle School in 1952 and adopted its current name in 1958. It is now a provincial-level key high school in Zhejiang.
• Linghu High School: Founded in 1946 by industrialist Zhang Rongchu, it is a provincial key high school in Zhejiang.

Changxing County: Changxing High School, Changxing Jinling High School, Changxing Huasheng High School, Changxing No. 3 High School, Changxing Vocational Education Center, Changxing Technical School.

• Changxing High School: Founded in 1940 as Changxing County Wartime Junior Middle School Supplementary School. It is now a provincial-level key high school in Zhejiang.

Anji County: Anji High School, Anji Changgao High School, Anji Xiaogao High School, Anji Zhenzhong High School.

Deqing County: Deqing Senior High School, Deqing No. 1 High School, Deqing No. 3 High School, Deqing Qiushi High School, Deqing Vocational Secondary School, Huzhou Technical School, Deqing Xinshi Vocational High School, Deqing Comprehensive High School.

9. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 3,367,579. Compared with the 2,893,542 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 474,037 people over the ten years, a growth of 16.38%, with an average annual growth rate of 1.53%. Among them, the male population was 1,746,438, accounting for 51.86% of the total population; the female population was 1,621,141, accounting for 48.14% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 107.73. The population aged 0-14 was 402,018, accounting for 11.94% of the total population; the population aged 15-59 was 2,246,840, accounting for 66.72% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 718,721, accounting for 21.34% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 522,540, accounting for 15.52% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 2,210,571, accounting for 65.64% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 1,157,008, accounting for 34.36% of the total population.

At the end of 2011, Huzhou's registered household population was 2.6105 million, of which 1.3017 million were male and 1.3088 million were female; the non-agricultural population was 851,700, an increase of 22,700 from the previous year; the population aged 60 and above was 511,200, accounting for 19.6% of the total population, an increase of 0.7 percentage points. The annual number of births was 20,700, with a birth rate of 7.96‰; the number of deaths was 17,700, with a death rate of 6.79‰; the natural population growth rate was 1.17‰; the family planning rate was 98.08%.

According to the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the city's permanent resident population was 2,893,542. Compared with the Fifth National Population Census, there was an increase of 267,753 people over the ten years, a growth of 10.20%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.98%. Among them, the male population was 1,470,472, accounting for 50.82%; the female population was 1,423,070, accounting for 49.18%. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 103.33. The population aged 0-14 was 337,688, accounting for 11.67%; the population aged 15-59 was 2,086,891, accounting for 72.12%; the population aged 60 and above was 468,963, accounting for 16.21%, of which the population aged 65 and above was 315,037, accounting for 10.89%. The population living in urban areas was 1,530,418, accounting for 52.89%; the population living in rural areas was 1,363,124, accounting for 47.11%.

9.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 3,267,747, accounting for 97.04%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 99,832, accounting for 2.96%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han population increased by 419,746, a growth of 14.74%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 1.39 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 54,291, a growth of 119.21%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 1.39 percentage points.

9.2 Surnames

Huzhou was anciently known as Wuxing and Wucheng, and is the ancestral home (commandery origin) for surnames such as Shen, Qiu, Gui, Yu, Lu, Shi, Shui, Yao, Ming, Niu, and Wen. The compound surname Ouyang is also generally considered to originate from Shengshan in the eastern suburbs of Huzhou.

Although the surname Shen is currently not the most populous surname in Huzhou, the Wuxing Shen clan has a long and profound historical lineage. It was a prominent gentry clan in Jiangnan during the Six Dynasties period and, due to its numerous famous figures and large population, has always been regarded as the foremost surname of Huzhou. Additionally, surnames such as Lu, Qian, Niu, Qiu, Zhao, and Chen are also locally prestigious families.

9.3 Language

The Huzhou dialect consists of three components: Wu Chinese, Mandarin, and Hakka dialects. The main local dialect is the Huzhou dialect, which belongs to the Tiaoxi sub-group of the Taihu Lake cluster within the Wu language area. It is part of the Northern Wu language area, along with Shanghainese, Suzhounese, and Hangzhounese, and shares the broader Wu language area with Wenzhounese (Southern Wu). Other Wu dialect subgroups with which Huzhou dialect speakers can communicate with minimal difficulty include those from Jiaxing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuxi, and secondly, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Changzhou, etc. The Tiaoxi sub-group dialect is spoken in Wuxing District, Nanxun District, Changxing, most of Anji, Deqing in Huzhou City, and parts of Hangzhou City (including most of Yuhang District, eastern Jianggan District, western Xihu District, northern Gongshu District, etc.).

The Mandarin-speaking population in western Huzhou consists of Central Plains immigrants after the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom War; the Hakka dialect population mostly speaks Southern Min, comprising people from southern Zhejiang and Fujian who were recruited for land reclamation by the Qing government after the war.

10. Religion

Huzhou City is located in the northern part of Zhejiang Province, China, and is a city with a long history and profound cultural heritage. The religious culture in Huzhou is diverse, primarily including Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, and Islam.

11. Culture

Huzhou also has other names such as Gucheng, Xiwu, Tiaoshang, Zhashang, Tiaozha, Shuixiang (Water Cloud Country), and Shuijinggong (Crystal Palace).

The silk fabrics unearthed from the Qianshanyang site in the suburbs are the oldest silk fabrics discovered in the world to date. Nanxun's "Jili Silk" once won the gold medal at the 1910 Panama International Exposition. Huzhou Changxing's Guzhu Mountain once housed the first tribute tea institute in Chinese history, where the "Tea Sage" Lu Yu wrote The Classic of Tea. The Huzhou brush, ranked first among the "Four Treasures of the Study," is produced in Shanlian, Huzhou. Huzhou has the Tangpu Polder System, an ancient water conservancy project praised by Professor Zheng Zhaojing, a leading figure in China's water conservancy field, as "comparable to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System." Linghu's "Mulberry-Dyke Fish Pond" has been hailed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization as the world's most intact and largest ecological agricultural model. Huzhou has always been a hub of culture and was one of the centers of the book carving, book selling, and book collecting industries since the Song and Ming dynasties. The Jiaye Hall Library was once the largest private library in Jiangnan. Huzhou silk merchants were an important merchant group in the late Qing and early Republican periods and a significant branch of Zhejiang merchants.

Poems Describing Huzhou

Mountains emerge in groups from Tianmu,
Waters branch into ports beside Taihu.
Having traveled all over the beautiful lands south of the Yangtze,
One finds life is best lived in Huzhou.
— Dai Biaoyuan (Yuan Dynasty), Huzhou

Four intertwining waters embrace the city at a slant,
Scattering into a thousand streams reaching ten thousand homes.
In deep waters, plant water chestnuts; in shallow, rice;
Where it's neither deep nor shallow, plant lotuses.
— Ruan Yuan (Qing Dynasty), Miscellaneous Poems of Wuxing

11.1 Arts

• Huju Opera
• Huzhou Qin Storytelling
• Huzhou San Tiao

11.2 News and Publishing

On December 9, 2019, two municipal media organizations—Huzhou Daily Press Group (Huzhou Daily) and Huzhou Radio and Television Media Group (Huzhou Radio and Television Station)—were merged to form the Huzhou News Media Center (Huzhou Media Group Co., Ltd.). The Huzhou News Media Center oversees the former Huzhou Radio and Television Media Group's three TV channels, three radio frequencies, Huzhou Daily, and Huzhou Evening News.

11.3 Major Cultural Festivals

• China Huzhou International Huzhou Brush Culture Festival
• China Extreme Sports Competition

11.4 Local Specialties

Huzhou is a nationally renowned silk region and one of the birthplaces of world silk civilization. In 1958, a batch of silk threads, ribbons, and non-carbonized silk fragments over 4,700 years old were unearthed at the Qianshanyang site in the southern suburbs of Huzhou. These are the earliest confirmed finished silk fabrics discovered in the world. Their discovery also overturned the mythological legend that Leizu, the principal wife of the Yellow Emperor (around 2550 BC), invented sericulture. These silk fragments have become the treasure of the Zhejiang Silk Museum.

Huzhou is the birthplace of the Huzhou brush. Chinese history records that "the skill of the Huzhou brush tip is unmatched under heaven." When the famous Qin dynasty general Meng Tian came to Shanlian, Huzhou, he made significant reforms to the writing brush by "inserting the tip into the tube," embedding the brush hairs into a bamboo shaft and improving the brush using the "pi zhu" method. Because of this legend, Meng Tian is revered as the ancestor of China's brush-making industry.

Huzhou is one of the birthplaces of world tea culture. The Tea Sage Lu Yu wrote the world's first specialized work on tea culture, The Classic of Tea, in Huzhou. During the Tang dynasty, Huzhou tea began to be specially supplied to the imperial court, establishing the region as one of the cradles of global tea culture. Huzhou is the location of the first Gongbei Institute in history, established in the Tang dynasty specifically for picking and processing tea for the imperial court. Tang dynasty poet Zhang Wengui once wrote in his poem Huzhou's New Tribute Tea: "The imperial carriage returns half-drunk from seeking spring, / As palace maidens draw the curtain to bring water in. / Peonies smile as golden hairpins tremble, / Word is passed: Huzhou's Purple Bamboo Shoot tea has arrived." The "Huzhou Purple Bamboo Shoot" in the poem refers to the tribute purple bamboo shoot tea from Guzhu Mountain in Changxing, Huzhou. As the practice of drinking tea flourished, the term "tea ceremony" also appeared. It was first found in the tea poem Drinking Tea Song Mocking Envoy Cui Shi by the famous Tang dynasty poet-monk and tea monk Jiaoran, predating Japan's use of the term "tea ceremony" by over 800 years.

Huzhou is an important production area for Chinese green tea, with many varieties. Besides Purple Bamboo Shoot tea, the most famous is the white tea uniquely produced in Anji. White tea has a slightly translucent light green color and gets its name from the fine white down on its buds and leaves. Its rarity lies in having remained in a wild state for centuries, with only sparse specimens. The mother plant of present-day Anji white tea is a solitary tea bush growing in a deep mountain col at an altitude of 800 meters on Daxi Mountain. Having endured 150 years of wind and frost, it is called the "White Tea King" and hailed as a "Unique Wonder of China." Emperor Huizong of Song evaluated it in his Da Guan Treatise on Tea: "The color of whisked tea is best when pure white," and thus "imperially bestowed white tea is considered the finest."

Huzhou boasts many culinary delights. These include Zhulaoda's zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), hailed as the "Zongzi Champion"; Ding Lianfang's Qianzhang Baozi (thin tofu skin dumplings); Zhou Shengji's wontons; Zhen Yuan Tong's "Three Tea Delicacies"; Si'an Crispy Candy; Shuanglin Sister-in-Law Cake; Nanxun Dingsheng Cake; the astonishing "Hundred-Fish Banquet"; delicacies like Braised Shredded Eel, Taihu Quick-Boiled White Shrimp, Lianshi Soy-Stewed Mutton, Shuanglin Board Mutton, Fish Head with Tofu, Post-Rain Slippery Moss (Mushroom); Snail Stuffed with Meat; Yamai Flat Cake; Embroidered Brocade Vegetable; Clear Bamboo Shoot Soup; Water Shield; and famous wines like Ruoxia Chun and Wucheng Wine.

11. Sister Cities

• Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan - May 30, 1987
• Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea - October 10, 2003
• Montargis (also translated as "Mondalji City"), Loiret, Rhône-Alpes, France - February 26, 2006
• Cheongju City, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea - May 2008
• Ararat City, Victoria, Australia - August 27, 2008
• Leganés City, Community of Madrid, Spain - October 21, 2009
• Meknes City, Meknès-Tafilalet Region, Morocco - March 22, 2011
• Columbus City, Indiana, United States - September 20, 2011
• Upper Nazareth, Northern District, Israel - July 26, 2012
• Radom City, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland - September 23, 2012
• Admiralteysky District, Saint Petersburg, Russia - October 13, 2013
• Lane Cove Municipality, New South Wales, Australia

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Named after Lake Tai

Renhuangshan New District, Wuxing District

Wuxing District

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Ginkgo tree

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