Neijiang (内江)

1. Introduction

Neijiang City (Sichuan dialect pinyin: Nuei4jiang1; IPA: [nuei213tɕiaŋ55]) is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China, located in the central-southeastern part of Sichuan Province. The city borders Chongqing Municipality to the east, Zigong City to the south, Meishan City to the west, and Ziyang City to the north. Situated in the central part of the Sichuan Basin, the area is mostly hilly, with the Tuo River flowing from north to south through the entire region, passing through the main urban area. The total area of the city is 5,385 square kilometers. At the end of 2016, the registered population was 4.200 million, the permanent population was 3.747 million, and the urbanization rate was 46.70%[1]. Neijiang is one of the central cities in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone and is often referred to as the "Throat of Southern Sichuan" and the "Center of Chengdu-Chongqing." It has developed a comprehensive transportation network that connects north to south, east to west, and integrates land, water, and air transport. Due to its long history of sugarcane cultivation and sugar production, Neijiang is also known as the "Sweet City."

nix

2. History

Before the Shang Dynasty, the area was inhabited by Shu tribe settlements. From the Western Zhou to the Warring States period, it was part of the eastern territory of the Shu state. During the Qin Dynasty, it fell under the jurisdiction of Shu Commandery. In the sixth year of the Jianyuan era of the Western Han Dynasty (135 BCE), Zizhong County was established. During the reign of Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty (126–144 CE), Han'an County was carved out from Zizhong County, with the name symbolizing the long-term peace and stability of the Han regime. Its administrative seat was located west of the present-day urban area and it belonged to Qianwei Commandery. During the Shu Han and early Western Jin periods, it was part of Jiangyang Commandery. Han'an County was abolished in the later years of the Yongjia era. In the second year of the Tianhe era of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (567 CE), Han'an County was reestablished. In the same year, due to its location along the Zhongshui River (now the Tuo River), it was renamed Zhongjiang County and placed under Zizhong Commandery.

In the first year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (581 CE), Emperor Wen of Sui, to avoid the taboo of his father Yang Zhong's name, changed Zhongjiang County to Neijiang County. According to the Junxian Shiming ("Explanation of Commandery and County Names"): "Upon viewing the maps and seeing the river water encircling from Sandui to Huangshi, he changed Zhongjiang to Neijiang." It belonged to Ziyang Commandery. Toward the end of the Sui Dynasty, Niupi County was established by dividing Neijiang County. In the early Tang Dynasty, Niupi County was renamed Qingxi County. From the Tang Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty, both Neijiang and Qingxi counties were under the jurisdiction of Zizhou. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Qingxi County was abolished and merged into Neijiang County. In the early Southern Song Dynasty, Neijiang County was relocated to its present administrative seat. In the early Yuan Dynasty, the population of Neijiang drastically declined, leading to the county's abolition. It was reestablished during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty and placed under Chengdu Prefecture. In the fifth year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty (1727), it was transferred to Zizhou Directly Administered Prefecture. In the second year of the Republic of China (1913), Neijiang County was placed under the Lower Southern Sichuan Circuit, and the following year, it was transferred to the Yongning Circuit. The circuit system was abolished in 1928. In the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935), Neijiang County became part of the Second Administrative Inspection District of Sichuan Province.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Zizhong Special District of the Southern Sichuan Administrative Region was established. In 1950, the administrative office moved to Neijiang, and the district was renamed Neijiang Special District. In 1951, the county seat and its suburbs of Neijiang County were separated to establish the county-level Neijiang City, with the special district, city, and county governments all located in the same city. In 1952, Neijiang Special District was placed under the direct leadership of Sichuan Province. In 1968, Neijiang Special District was renamed Neijiang Prefecture. In 1985, Neijiang Prefecture and the county-level Neijiang City were abolished and replaced by the prefecture-level Neijiang City; the former county-level Neijiang City became the Shizhong District. In July 1989, Neijiang County was abolished and Dongxing District was established. In January 1993, Ziyang County was abolished and replaced by Ziyang City. In April 1994, Jianyang County was abolished and replaced by Jianyang City. In February 1998, the Ziyang Prefecture was established by separating from Neijiang City, with Ziyang City, Jianyang City, and Anyue and Lezhi counties placed under Ziyang Prefecture. In April 2017, Longchang County was abolished and replaced by the county-level Longchang City, administered by Neijiang City on its behalf. In 2018, Neijiang City and Zigong City officially signed the "Cooperation Agreement on Promoting the Integrated Development of Neijiang and Zigong." The provincial party committee and government made the decision to "support the integrated development of Neijiang and Zigong, and collaboratively build industrial parks and new urban areas." On October 20, 2021, the Sichuan Provincial Government approved the "Overall Plan for the Integrated Development of Neijiang and Zigong," covering the entire areas of both cities. The plan aims to significantly enhance the economic strength of both cities by 2025, with the combined GDP of the integrated region exceeding 420 billion yuan.

3. Geography

3.1 Topography

The terrain is predominantly hilly, with higher elevations in the northwest and lower elevations in the southeast. The main stream of the Tuo River traverses the city from northwest to south.

3.2 Climate

Meteorological Data for Dongxing District, Neijiang City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |--------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------| | Record high °C (°F)| 17.6 (63.7) | 23.9 (75.0) | 31.9 (89.4) | 34.6 (94.3) | 36.6 (97.9) | 38.0 (100.4) | 38.8 (101.8) | 40.5 (104.9) | 39.1 (102.4) | 32.4 (90.3) | 25.0 (77.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 40.5 (104.9) | | Average high °C (°F) | 9.9 (49.8) | 13.6 (56.5) | 18.6 (65.5) | 23.3 (73.9) | 27.3 (81.1) | 28.5 (83.3) | 32.0 (89.6) | 31.1 (88.0) | 27.6 (81.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 16.7 (62.1) | 11.2 (52.2) | 21.8 (71.2) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.9 (44.4) | 9.8 (49.6) | 13.8 (56.8) | 18.2 (64.8) | 22.1 (71.8) | 24.1 (75.4) | 27.0 (80.6) | 26.2 (79.2) | 23.2 (73.8) | 18.0 (64.4) | 13.2 (55.8) | 8.3 (46.9) | 17.6 (63.6) | | Average low °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) | 7.2 (45.0) | 10.4 (50.7) | 14.6 (58.3) | 18.3 (64.9) | 21.0 (69.8) | 23.5 (74.3) | 22.9 (73.2) | 20.2 (68.4) | 15.8 (60.4) | 11.0 (51.8) | 6.3 (43.3) | 14.7 (58.4) | | Record low °C (°F)| -1.7 (28.9) | -0.8 (30.6) | 1.4 (34.5) | 5.9 (42.6) | 11.1 (52.0) | 15.6 (60.1) | 17.4 (63.3) | 16.8 (62.2) | 14.6 (58.3) | 8.5 (47.3) | 0.8 (33.4) | -2.4 (27.7) | -2.4 (27.7) | | Average relative humidity (%)| 86 | 80 | 76 | 77 | 76 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 89 | 87 | 86 | 83 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Neijiang City administers 2 districts, 2 counties, and 1 county-level city on behalf of the higher-level government.

• Districts: Shizhong District, Dongxing District
• County-level City: Longchang City
• Counties: Weiyuan County, Zizhong County

Additionally, Neijiang City has established the following economic functional zones: National Neijiang Economic and Technological Development Zone, National Neijiang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and National Neijiang Agricultural Science and Technology Park.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------| | 511000 | Neijiang City | Nèijiāng Shì | 5,384.72 | 3,140,678 | Shizhong District | 641000 | 13 | 69 | 1 | | 511002 | Shizhong District | Shìzhōng Qū | 386.11 | 425,020 | Chengdong Subdistrict | 641000 | 6 | 9 | | | 511011 | Dongxing District | Dōngxīng Qū | 1,180.13 | 754,120 | Dongxing Subdistrict | 641100 | 5 | 13 | 1 | | 511024 | Weiyuan County | Wēiyuǎn Xiàn | 1,289.56 | 547,059 | Yanling Town | 642400 | | 14 | | | 511025 | Zizhong County | Zīzhōng Xiàn | 1,734.82 | 845,579 | Shuinan Town | 641200 | | 22 | | | 511083 | Longchang City | Lóngchāng Shì | 794.10 | 568,900 | Guhu Subdistrict | 642100 | 2 | 11 | |

5. Economy

5.1 Regional Gross Domestic Product

In 2016, the regional GDP reached 129.767 billion yuan. The primary industry contributed 20.452 billion yuan, accounting for 15.76%; the secondary industry contributed 74.162 billion yuan, accounting for 57.15%; and the tertiary industry contributed 35.153 billion yuan, accounting for 27.09%. The per capita regional GDP was 34,667 yuan.

5.2 Agriculture

Neijiang enjoys a mild climate, abundant rainfall, fertile land, and rich natural resources. It is a major producer of grain, oil, pigs, sugarcane, hemp, silk, and various agricultural by-products. It is also the production area of China's fine local pig breed, the "Neijiang Pig." Longchang City under its jurisdiction is a national waterfowl base county, while Dongxing District and Zizhong County are provincial waterfowl base counties. Agricultural industrialization bases have begun to take shape, including vegetable and aquaculture in Shizhong District and Dongxing District, waterfowl and grass cloth in Longchang, loquats in Zizhong, and lemons in Weiyuan.

Neijiang has a long history of sugarcane cultivation. After the Ming and Qing dynasties, the main sugarcane cultivation area gradually shifted from the Fujiang River basin (centered on Suining) to the Tuojiang River basin (centered on Neijiang and Zizhong), which offered superior climate, rainfall, and transportation compared to Suining. Wang Guo, who served as prefect during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, privately compiled the local chronicle "Neijiang County Annals Essentials," which provides a detailed description of the thriving sugarcane planting and sugar-making scene in Neijiang during the Jiaqing period: "Zhongchuan lies at the intersection of east and west in Shu Province, bordering north and south, with rivers winding through and a temperate climate, thus all things flourish... Along both banks of the river, from west to east, people are especially engaged in sugarcane cultivation. Usually, many laborers work, with households employing tens to hundreds. With long hoes and short shovels, they almost reshape mountains and fill valleys. In winter, they extract juice and boil it day and night in shifts. The costs for soil enrichment and wages are tenfold... Selling far and wide, profits are often doubled." See: From west to east along both banks of the Tuojiang River, all land was planted with sugarcane. Operators hired laborers numbering "tens to hundreds," and when they went to work, "with long hoes and short shovels, they almost reshaped mountains and filled valleys." The "Zizhou County Annals" records: "Zizhong has more soil than farmland. During the Xianfeng and Tongzhi periods of the Qing Dynasty, many grew poppies. Following the ban, they switched to sugarcane, sweet potatoes, and various other grains."

5.3 Industry

Leveraging its traditional industrial foundation and through industrial restructuring and upgrading, Neijiang has formed five pillar industries: metallurgy & building materials, machinery & auto parts, food & beverages, electric power & energy, and pharmaceuticals & chemicals. In 2008, the output value of these five industries accounted for 83% of the city's large-scale industrial output. A number of new and strong enterprise groups have emerged, such as Fangxiang Optoelectronics, Neijiang Ezhai, Yinshan Chemical, Chuanwei, Kangda, and Baita. There are also a group of backbone enterprises with strong radiating and supporting capabilities and significant development potential, such as Neijiang Lanjian, Neijiang Chia Tai, Neijiang Huacheng, Zhongtou Pharmaceutical, General Power Plant, and Songlin Silk Factory. A large number of superior and competitive products, such as small diesel engines, glass marbles, wall and floor tiles, steel products, cement, ammonium phosphate, rare earth products, high-count high-density fabrics, feed and additives, erythromycin series, and doupion silk, hold a high market share domestically and are also exported abroad.

Historically, Neijiang was an important sugar industry base. During the Qing Dynasty, manual sugar production was already quite developed. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, modern sugar factories were built in Neijiang, and its prosperity continued until the 1990s. Due to market saturation in the sugar industry, Neijiang's sugar sector faced increasing competitive pressure and experienced a severe decline. In 2001, the last sugar factory in Neijiang went bankrupt, marking the complete silence of Neijiang's sugar industry, and the name "Sweet City" faded into history.

6. Transportation

Neijiang is a crucial transportation hub in southeastern Sichuan, featuring an extensive network of railways and expressways. Key railway lines include the Chengdu–Chongqing Railway, Chengdu–Chongqing High-Speed Railway, Longchang–Luzhou Railway, Zizhong–Weiyuan Railway, Guihua–Lianjiechang Railway, Neijiang–Kunming Railway, and Mianyang–Luzhou High-Speed Railway. Major expressways traversing the area comprise the G93 Chengdu–Chongqing Ring Expressway, G85 Neijiang–Yibin Expressway, G76 Longchang–Naxi Expressway, Suining–Yibin–Bijie Expressway, Neijiang–Weiyuan–Rongxian Expressway, Zigong–Longchang Expressway, and the Neijiang Ring Expressway. As a vital transportation junction, Neijiang ranks second in the province for expressway network density and serves as a key logistics and distribution center in south-central Sichuan.

• National Highway 321 passes through the area.

nix

7. Population

According to the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the city's registered household population was 4,278,501, while the permanent resident population was 3,702,847. Compared with the Fifth National Population Census, the permanent resident population decreased by 457,458 over the decade, a reduction of 11.0%, with an average annual decrease of 1.16%. Among the permanent resident population, by gender, the male population was 1,878,205, accounting for 50.72%; the female population was 1,824,642, accounting for 49.28%. The sex ratio (with females as 100) was 102.94. By age group, the population aged 0–14 was 615,740, accounting for 16.63%; the population aged 15–64 was 2,648,468, accounting for 71.53%; and the population aged 65 and above was 438,639, accounting for 11.84%.

At the end of 2017, the total registered household population of Neijiang City was 4.1473 million, a decrease of 53,300 from the previous year. The birth rate was 10.67‰, the death rate was 10.93‰, and the natural growth rate was -0.26‰. The permanent resident population at year-end was 3.7537 million, an increase of 6,700 from the end of the previous year. The urbanization rate was 47.9%, an increase of 1.2 percentage points from the previous year.

According to the 2020 Seventh National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 3,140,678. Compared with the 3,702,847 from the Sixth National Population Census, this represents a decrease of 562,169 over the decade, a decline of 15.18%, with an average annual growth rate of -1.63%. Among them, the male population was 1,578,533, accounting for 50.26% of the total population; the female population was 1,562,145, accounting for 49.74% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 101.05. The population aged 0–14 was 488,236, accounting for 15.55% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,859,882, accounting for 59.22% of the total population; and the population aged 60 and above was 792,560, accounting for 25.24% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 629,108, accounting for 20.03% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 1,572,595, accounting for 50.07% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 1,568,083, accounting for 49.93% of the total population.

7.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han Chinese population was 3,124,107, accounting for 99.47%; the combined population of various ethnic minorities was 16,571, accounting for 0.53%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han Chinese population decreased by 572,066, a decline of 15.48%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 0.35 percentage points; the combined population of various ethnic minorities increased by 9,897, a growth of 148.29%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.35 percentage points.

nix

8. Culture

The region currently has 1 undergraduate normal university, 13 secondary specialized schools, and 214 regular secondary schools, including provincial key high schools. The city has achieved universal nine-year compulsory education, with the admission rate and enrollment rate of regular higher education institutions consistently ranking among the top in the province for many years. There are 3 scientific research institutions and 3 major hospitals in the city, with over 20,000 professionals of various intermediate and senior levels, including more than 3,000 personnel engaged in technological development and scientific research. The city boasts over 800 sports stadiums, gymnasiums, halls, and pools. It has successively contributed more than 100 outstanding athletes to provincial and national teams, including Tang Lin, the Olympic women's judo 78 kg champion; Wu Dan, a key player of the national women's volleyball team; Liu Xiaomei, the Asian Games women's 100-meter sprint champion; and Qiu Bo, the Olympic men's 10-meter platform diving silver medalist. The city has been designated by the National Sports Commission as the "Hometown of Track and Field."

nix

nix

nix

9. 名人

赵逵；顾汝修；赵贞吉；骆成骧；龚懋贤；张潮；喻培伦；余燮阳；张善子；晏济元；张大千；范长江；杨崇俊；李华梅；刀郎（罗林）；刘晓梅；邓家佳；苌弘

nix

Shizhong District

Zizhong County

The Han ethnic group accounts for 99.47% of the population; ethnic minorities account for 0.53%.

nix

nix