The2020 Chinese census counted its population at 4,512,762 of whom 1,504,014 live in the built-up (or metro) area made of three urban districts (Hailing,Jiangyan andGaogang).
At the end of 2019, the total household registration population was 5,005,500, and the birth population was 35,300 (birth rate 7.02%), a decrease of 1.37 thousand points from the previous year. 43,400 people died in 2019 (mortality rate 8.64%), an increase of 0.2 thousand points from the previous year. At the end of each year, the city's permanent population was 4,636,100, an increase of 400 over the previous year. At the end of 2019, the urbanization population of permanent residents reached 66.8%, an increase of 0.8 percentage points over the previous year.
Taizhou lies at the confluence of theYangtze River and theJinghang Canal (Grand Canal of China), in the south-central Jiangsu Province, which is on the north bank of lower reaches of theYangtze River, the south end ofJianghuai Plain. Its latitude ranges from about 32° 02′ — 33°11′ N and longitude 119° 38′ — 120° 32′ E, with a total area of 5,793 square kilometres (2,237 sq mi).
As with the rest of central and southern Jiangsu, Taizhou has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa), influenced by theEast Asian Monsoon, with cold, damp, but comparatively dry, winters, and hot, humid summers with copious rain. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 2.4 °C (36.3 °F) in January to 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) in July, while the annual mean is 15.36 °C (59.6 °F).[4] Nearly half of the mean annual rainfall of 1,037 mm (40.8 in) is distributed June to August.[4]
Climate data for Taizhou, Jiangsu, elevation 3 m (9.8 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1955–present)
As a part ofLinhuai Commandery, Hailing (海陵;Hǎilíng; 'sea mound') county was founded in what is modern-day Taizhou, during theWestern Han. Its designation indicates it was a coastal elevated area. Hailing and its neighbourhood were taken away from Yangzhou to create a prefecture, Taizhou, in 937 whenLi Bian of theSouthern Tang reigned over the area. In 939, Li kept the bereaved Yang family under house arrest at Yongning Palace, Taizhou, afterYang Pu's death.
Taizhou was elevated tolu (circuit) status in 1277, but restored and annexed by Yangzhou again, seven years later.
In the very beginning of Republican China, Taizhou was turned into Tai county, taken by the CCP on 21 January 1949. Then the downtown of the county was separated to found Taizhou city, which was the seat of the Administrative Commission for Northern Jiangsu until November. ThePLA Navy was established in Baimamiao, Tai county on 23 April 1949.[9] The county and the city were merged into the new Tai county in May 1950, but restored in October. It was reconverted in 1958, but divided again in 1962.
Taizhou is a center for flour mills, textile works,fishing net manufacturing, and other industries based on local agriculture.[citation needed]
In the past 20 years, the economic growth has remained stable with an average annual growth rate exceeding 10%. It is one of the central cities inside the Yangtse River Delta with its developed industry, convenient transportation and prosperous commerce. In 2019, the GDP reached RMB 474.45 billion yuan, the GDP per capita RMB 110,731 yuan, equals to 16,024 dollars, the fiscal revenue RMB 37.5 billion yuan, the total amount of bank deposits RMB 688 billion yuan. Five county-level cities or districts are ranked among the "China's Top 100 Counties with Greatest Comprehensive Power". It boasts numbers of large-sized enterprises or groups, such asChunlan Group Corp.
Taizhou was among the first few cities in Jiangsu to be recognized as having a famous cultural history. In 1990,Heheng village inJiangyan County was awardedGlobal 500 Roll of Honor by theUnited Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) because of its success in protecting the environment while increasing the grain yield and its wide use of marshbiogas ponds.
Taizhou's China Medical City (CMC) is a specialized development zone located south of downtown Hailing district; it has attracted major international and domestic corporations who have established facilities here since its establishment in 2010. To date, more than 800 pharmaceutical enterprises have located businesses and incubation centers in CMC. Pharma companies includeAstraZeneca,Takeda Pharmaceutical,Boehringer-Ingelheim,CSPC Pharmaceutical Group and Neptunus Pharmaceutical, as well as Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Company.[10]
TheG2 Beijing–Shanghai Expressway and Jiangsu Provincial Highway 29 (S29 Yancheng-Jingjiang Expressway;盐靖高速公路) pass through the city from north to south, and Jiangsu Provincial Highway 28 (S28 Qidong-Yangzhou Expressway;启扬高速公路) from west to east.[citation needed]
Qintong Boat Festival is held inQingming (around April 4–6) every year. During the festival boats from nearby villages and towns converge on Xique Lake for a few days of rejoicing. Theatrical performances, dragon and lion dances, and other folk dances are staged right on board the boats.
Xique Lake, Jiangyan (喜鹊湖)
The lake located in Qingtong town, 15 kilometres (9 miles) north of Jiangyan city. The water comes from the Nanhu (南湖), Xique (喜鹊湖), and Beihu (北湖) rivers. It is part ofQintong Swamp.