Longyan (龙岩)

1. Introduction

Longyan City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. It is a National Experimental Zone for the Protection of Hakka Cultural Ecology, located in the southwestern part of Fujian Province. Situated on the eastern foothills of the southern section of the Wuyi Mountains, the area is predominantly low mountainous and hilly terrain. The city covers a total area of 19,028 square kilometers, with the Municipal People's Government located in Xinluo District. Longyan City is composed of the ancient Longyan Prefecture and five counties from the southern part of the former eight counties of ancient Tingzhou Prefecture, which existed after 1949. Western Fujian is the main gathering area for the Hakka people in Fujian Province.

Longyan is a National Experimental Zone for the Protection of Hakka Cultural Ecology. Changting is known as the "Capital of the Hakka," the Ting River is hailed as the "Mother River of the Hakka," and the Yongding Hakka Tulou (earthen buildings) are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Hakka culture and Minnan (Southern Fujian) culture converge and blend here.

2. Origin of the Name

At the foot of Cuiping Mountain, about 2 kilometers east of Longyan City, there is a karst cave. This cave is named "Longyan Cave" because the rock patterns resemble a dragon, and hence the city derives its name from it.

3. History

During the Qin and Han dynasties, the area was part of the Minyue Kingdom and the Nanhai Kingdom. In the third year of the Tai Kang era of the Jin dynasty (282 AD), Xinluo County was established. In the twenty-fourth year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty (736 AD), Tingzhou was established. In the first year of the Tianbao era of the Tang dynasty (742 AD), Tingzhou was renamed Linting Commandery. In the twelfth year of the Dali era of the Tang dynasty (777 AD), Longyan County was transferred to Zhangzhou. In the first year of the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty (1368 AD), it became Tingzhou Prefecture. In the twelfth year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing dynasty (1734 AD), Longyan County was elevated to Longyan Zhili Prefecture, governing Zhangping and Ningyang counties. By the end of the Qing dynasty, both Tingzhou Prefecture and Longyan Prefecture were part of the Tingzhanglong Circuit. In 1912, the prefectures and circuits were abolished, and Longyan County was restored. During the First Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Communist Party established the Western Fujian Revolutionary Base in the Western Fujian region. From August to November 1949, the People's Liberation Army successively captured various counties and established the Eighth Special Administrative Region. In March 1950, it was renamed Longyan Special Administrative Region. In 1971, it was renamed Longyan Prefecture. In 1981, Longyan County was abolished and replaced by the provincial-administered county-level Longyan City. On May 1, 1997, Longyan Prefecture was abolished, and the provincial-administered prefecture-level Longyan City was established.

4. Geography

Longyan City borders Quanzhou and Zhangzhou cities of Fujian Province to the east, Ganzhou City of Jiangxi Province to the west, Meizhou City of Guangdong Province to the south, and Sanming City of Fujian Province to the north. It is situated with the Wuyi Mountains lying majestically to the west, the Daiyu Mountains stretching across the center, the Boping Range extending through the east, and the Ting River flowing longitudinally through the west. The eastern part features tributaries of the upper reaches of the Jiulong River. It is 142 kilometers from Xiamen (expressway distance, same below), 216 kilometers from Quanzhou, and 376 kilometers from Fuzhou. Longyan has a subtropical maritime monsoon climate, with sunshine hours ranging from 1,804 to 2,060 annually. The climate is mild and humid year-round, with abundant rainfall, making it suitable for the growth of subtropical crops and forests.

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |----------------------------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|---------|----------|---------|---------|---------|--------------| | Record high °C | 27 | 29.8 | 31.5 | 33.8 | 35 | 37.5 | 39 | 37 | 36.6 | 35 | 34.6 | 28.1 | 39 | | Record high °F | 80.6 | 85.6 | 88.7 | 92.8 | 95 | 99.5 | 102.2 | 98.6 | 97.9 | 95 | 94.3 | 82.6 | 102.2 | | Average high °C | 17.8 | 18.3 | 20.9 | 24.8 | 28.1 | 30.5 | 33.2 | 32.5 | 30.4 | 27.5 | 23.7 | 19.5 | 25.6 | | Average high °F | 64 | 64.9 | 69.6 | 76.6 | 82.6 | 86.9 | 91.8 | 90.5 | 86.7 | 81.5 | 74.7 | 67.1 | 78.1 | | Daily mean °C | 12.3 | 13.4 | 16.4 | 20.3 | 23.5 | 26 | 27.7 | 26.9 | 25.3 | 21.9 | 17.6 | 13.4 | 20.4 | | Daily mean °F | 54.1 | 56.1 | 61.5 | 68.5 | 74.3 | 78.8 | 81.9 | 80.4 | 77.5 | 71.4 | 63.7 | 56.1 | 68.7 |

• Average low °C | 8.8 | 10 | 13.3 | 17.1 | 20.2 | 22.9 | 23.9 | 23.4 | 21.8 | 17.9 | 13.4 | 9.2 | 16.8 | | Average low °F | 47.8 | 50 | 55.9 | 62.8 | 68.4 | 73.2 | 75 | 74.1 | 71.2 | 64.2 | 56.1 | 48.6 | 62.3 | | Record low °C | −0.8 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 7.3 | 12.1 | 16.1 | 19.4 | 19.3 | 14.2 | 8.2 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | | Record low °F | 30.6 | 32.7 | 38.1 | 45.1 | 53.8 | 61 | 66.9 | 66.7 | 57.6 | 46.8 | 36 | 26.6 | 26.6 | | Average precipitation mm | 56.6 | 113 | 192.4 | 221.9 | 234.5 | 312.1 | 155.2 | 201 | 132.4 | 43.6 | 37.2 | 38.8 | 1,738.70 | | Average precipitation inches | 2.23 | 4.45 | 7.57 | 8.74 | 9.23 | 12.29 | 6.11 | 7.91 | 5.21 | 1.72 | 1.46 | 1.53 | 68.45 | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 9.5 | 14.7 | 17.5 | 18.1 | 21.1 | 17.8 | 15.2 | 15.7 | 13.9 | 7.4 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 162.9 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 73 | 76 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 74 | 77 | 75 | 69 | 67 | 70 | 75 |

5. Administrative Divisions

Longyan City currently administers 2 municipal districts and 4 counties, and also governs 1 county-level city on behalf of the province.

• Municipal Districts: Xinluo District, Yongding District
• County-level City: Zhangping City
• Counties: Changting County, Shanghang County, Wuping County, Liancheng County

Additionally, Longyan City has established the following administrative management zones: the National-level Longyan Economic and Technological Development Zone and the Longyan High-tech Industrial Development Zone.

| Division Code | Division Name | Hanyu Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | of which: Ethnic Townships | | |-------------------|-------------------|------------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------|-------------------------------|---| | 350800 | Longyan City | Lóngyán Shì | 19,027.62 | 2,723,637 | Xinluo District | 364000 | 14 | 89 | 31 | 2 | | | 350802 | Xinluo District | Xīnluó Qū | 2,673.10 | 841,745 | Dongcheng Subdistrict | 364000 | 10 | 10 | | | | | 350803 | Yongding District | Yǒngdìng Qū | 2,226.45 | 325,880 | Fengcheng Subdistrict | 364100 | 1 | 14 | 9 | | | | 350821 | Changting County | Chángtīng Xiàn | 3,104.16 | 397,470 | Tingzhou Town | 366300 | | 13 | 5 | | | | 350823 | Shanghang County | Shàngháng Xiàn | 2,854.47 | 376,392 | Linjiang Town | 364200 | | 17 | 5 | 2 | | | 350824 | Wuping County | Wǔpíng Xiàn | 2,635.13 | 278,238 | Pingchuan Subdistrict | 364300 | 1 | 14 | 2 | | | | 350825 | Liancheng County | Liánchéng Xiàn | 2,578.59 | 250,518 | Lianfeng Town | 366200 | | 10 | 7 | | | | 350881 | Zhangping City | Zhāngpíng Shì | 2,955.72 | 253,394 | Jingcheng Subdistrict | 364400 | 2 | 11 | 3 | | |

6. Economy

Longyan's economy ranks in the middle tier within Fujian Province and has experienced relatively rapid growth in recent years. Major enterprises include Zijin Mining Group (HKEX: 2899, SSE: 601899), China Longgong Group (HKEX: 3339), Longking Environmental Protection (SSE: 600388), and Longyan Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd.

7. Transportation

7.1 Railway

• Longyan Station
• Longyandong Station
• Zhangping Station
• Changting Station
• Liancheng Station
• Shanghang Station
• Yongding Station
• Guanzhaishan Station
• Longxia Railway
• Ganlong Railway
• Ganruilong Railway
• Nanlong Railway
• Zhanglongkan Railway
• Nansanlong Railway

7.2 Highway

• G76 Xiarong Expressway
• G25 Changshen Expressway
• S10 Ningguang Expressway
• National Highway 235, National Highway 358

7.3 Aviation

• Longyan Guanzhaishan Airport

8. Education

8.1 Higher Education Institutions

Public Undergraduate University: Longyan University Public Vocational College: Minxi Vocational and Technical College

8.2 Key High Schools

Fujian Provincial First-Class Standard Senior High Schools: Longyan No.1 High School, Longyan No.2 High School, Yongding No.1 High School, Zhangping No.1 High School, Shanghang No.1 High School, Wuping No.1 High School, Changting No.1 High School, Liancheng No.1 High School

9. Population

In 2022, Longyan City had a permanent resident population of 2.716 million. Among them, the urban permanent resident population was 1.7423 million, accounting for 64.15% of the total population (urbanization rate of permanent residents), an increase of 0.55 percentage points from the end of the previous year. Throughout the year, the number of births was 20,900, with a birth rate of 7.71‰; the number of deaths was 19,900, with a death rate of 7.34‰; and the natural growth rate was 0.37‰. By the end of the year, the city's registered population was 3.1576 million, a decrease of 12,600 from the end of the previous year.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 2,723,637. Compared with the 2,559,545 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 164,092 people over the ten-year period, representing a growth of 6.41% and an average annual growth rate of 0.62%. Among them, the male population was 1,395,820, accounting for 51.25% of the total population; the female population was 1,327,817, accounting for 48.75% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 105.12. The population aged 0–14 was 595,472, accounting for 21.86% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,631,328, accounting for 59.9% of the total population; and the population aged 60 and above was 496,837, accounting for 18.24% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 363,126, accounting for 13.33% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 1,712,623, accounting for 62.88% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 1,011,014, accounting for 37.12% of the total population.

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10. Culture

10.1 Language

The dialects spoken in Longyan City include:

• Minnan Quanzhang dialect, Western sub-dialect, Longyan variety: Spoken in most of Xinluo District and the northwestern part of Zhangping City.
• Minnan Quanzhang dialect, Western sub-dialect, Zhangping variety: Spoken in most of Zhangping City.
• Minnan Quanzhang dialect, Quanzhou variety, Fucheng accent: Spoken in the northeastern part of Zhangping City.
• Minnan Quanzhang dialect, Zhangzhou variety: Spoken in the southeastern corner of Zhangping City.
• Minnan Datian dialect, Qianlu variety: Spoken in the northeastern corner of Zhangping City.
• Kongfu dialect: Spoken in parts of villages in Peifeng Town of Yongding District, Hongfang Town of Xinluo District, and Sanjie Town of Dongxiao Subdistrict. It is a transitional dialect between the Minnan Quanzhang dialect, Western sub-dialect, Longyan variety and the Hakka Tingzhou dialect, Southern sub-dialect.
• Hakka Tingzhou dialect, Southern sub-dialect: Spoken in Wuping County, most of Shanghang County, most of Yongding District, southern Changting County, southern Liancheng County, and the western end of Xinluo District. Additionally, there are Hakka Tingzhou dialect islands in Xinluo District and Zhangping City.
• Hakka Tingzhou dialect, Central sub-dialect: Spoken in northern and eastern Changting County and western Liancheng County.
• Taoyuan dialect: Spoken in the northeastern corner of Zhangping City. It is a transitional dialect between Central Min and Minnan, leaning towards the Central Min Yong'an variety.
• Gan Fuguang dialect, Zhongshan military variety: Spoken in Zhongshan Town of Wuping County.
• She dialect: Distributed in Xinluo District and Zhangping City.
• Various transitional dialects of uncertain affiliation between Min and Hakka: Distributed in northern and eastern Liancheng County, northwestern Xinluo District, and the eastern end of Shanghang County.

11. Sister Cities

France, Bizancay

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The county is named after the Dragon Rock Mountain within its territory.

No. 1 Longyan Avenue, Xinluo District

Xinluo District

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