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Yangtze Delta 长江三角洲 | |
|---|---|
 Satellite view of Yangtze Delta and East China Sea | |
![Yangtze River Delta Economic Region (in cyan)[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aYangtze_River_Delta.gif) Yangtze River Delta Economic Region (in cyan)[1] | |
| Coordinates:32°10′33″N119°25′51″E / 32.1759°N 119.4307°E /32.1759; 119.4307 | |
| Provincial | |
| Major cities | Shanghai,Nanjing,Hangzhou,Suzhou,Ningbo,Wuxi,Nantong,Shaoxing,Changzhou,Jinhua,Jiaxing,Taizhou,Yangzhou,Yancheng,Taizhou,Zhenjiang,Huzhou,Huai'an,Zhoushan,Quzhou,Jiujiang,Hefei |
| Government | |
| • Shanghai | Gong Zheng[2] |
| • Jiangsu | Xu Kunlin |
| • Zhejiang | Wang Hao |
| • Anhui | Wang Qingxian |
| Area | |
• Total | 110,755 km2 (42,763 sq mi) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 123,295,839 |
| • Density | 1,113.23/km2 (2,883.25/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | CN¥22.708 trillion (US$3.169 trillion) (2024)[3] |
| • Per capita | CN¥184,176 (US$25,700) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (CST) |
| Yangtze Delta | |
|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 长江三角洲 |
| Traditional Chinese | 長江三角洲 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Chángjiāng sānjiǎozhōuⓘ |
| Romanization | Zankaon Saekohtseu |
TheYangtze Delta orYangtze River Delta (YRD[a]), once known as theShanghai Economic Zone, is amegalopolis generally comprising most parts ofShanghai, southernJiangsu, northernZhejiang, and southernAnhui. The area lies in the heart of theJiangnan region (literally meaning "south of the Yangtze"), where theYangtze drains into theEast China Sea. Historically, the fertiledelta fed much of China's population, allowing cities and commerce to flourish. Today, it is one of China's most important metropolitan areas and is home to China's financial center, as well being as a tourist destination and a hub for manufacturing ranging from textile to automaking. In 2024, the Yangtze Delta had aGDP of approximatelyUS$3.2 trillion[3] (about the same size asFrance).
The urban buildup in the area has given rise to what may be the largestconcentration of adjacent metropolitan areas in the world. It covers 111,000 km2 (43,000 sq mi) and is home to over 123 million people or about 9% of China's population and 17% of the country's GDP.
TheNeolithicLiangzhu culture was based in this region, and in theEastern Zhou period it was home to the powerful states ofWu, based inSuzhou, andYue, based in theShaoxing area.Nanjing first served as a capital in theThree Kingdoms period as the capital ofEastern Wu (AD 229–280). In the fourth century CE theEastern Jin dynasty (AD 317–420) moved its capital here after losing control of the north and its capitalJiankang (present-dayNanjing) became a major cultural, economic, and political hub. During the mid to late period of theTang dynasty (618-907), the region emerged as an economic hub, and by the late Tang the Delta became the Empire's foremost important agricultural, handicraft industrial and economic hub.
Hangzhou served as the Chinese capital during theSouthern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Then called Lin'an, it became the biggest city in East Asia with a population more than 1.5 million, and one of the most prosperous cities in the world, which it remained after the Mongol conquest. At the same time,Ningbo became one of the two biggest seaports in East Asia along withQuanzhou (inFujian province). Nanjing was the early capital of theMing dynasty (1368–1644) and the region remained the most important economic region of the empire even after theYongle Emperor moved the capital toBeijing in 1421.
During the mid-lateMing dynasty (1368–1644), the first bud of capitalism[4] of East Asia was born and developed in this area, although it was disrupted by theManchu invasion and controlled strictly and carefully by the Confucian central government inBeijing, it continued its development slowly throughout the rest of theQing dynasty (1644-1911). During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the delta again blossomed into a large socioeconomic hub.[5]
During theQianlong era (1735-1796) of the Qing dynasty,Shanghai began developing rapidly and became the largest port in the Far East. From late 19th century to early 20th century, Shanghai was the foremost commercial hub in the Far East. The Yangtze Delta became the first industrialized area in China.[6] In the middle and late feudal society of China, the Yangtze River Delta region initially formed a considerable urban agglomeration.
After thereform and opening up program which began in 1978, Shanghai again became the most important economic region inMainland China.[7] In modern times, the Yangtze Delta metropolitan region is anchored by Shanghai, and also flanked by the major metropolitan areas ofHangzhou,Suzhou,Ningbo, andNanjing, home to nearly 105 million people (of which an estimated 80 million are urban residents). It is the heart of China's economic development, surpassing other concentrations of metropolitan areas (including thePearl Delta) in China in terms of economic growth, productivity and per capita income.
In 1982, the Chinese government set up the Shanghai Economic Area. BesidesShanghai, four cities inJiangsu (Suzhou,Wuxi,Changzhou,Nantong) and five cities inZhejiang (Hangzhou,Jiaxing,Shaoxing,Huzhou,Ningbo) were included. In 1992, a 14-city cooperative joint meeting was launched. Besides the previous 10 cities, the members includedNanjing,Zhenjiang andYangzhou inJiangsu, andZhoushan inZhejiang. In 1997, the regular joint meeting resulted in the establishment of the Yangtze Delta Economic Coordination Association, which included a new memberTaizhou inJiangsu in that year. In 1997,Taizhou inZhejiang also joined the association. In 2003, the association accepted six new members after a six-year observation and review, includingYancheng andHuai'an inJiangsu,Jinhua andQuzhou inZhejiang, andMa'anshan andHefei inAnhui. In 2019, the area expanded to include the entirety ofAnhui,Jiangsu,Zhejiang, andShanghai.[8]
The delta is one of the most densely populated regions on earth, and includes one of the world's largest cities on its banks —Shanghai, with a density of 2,700 inhabitants per square kilometre (7,000/sq mi). Because of the large population of the delta, and factories, farms, and other cities upriver, theWorld Wide Fund for Nature says the Yangtze Delta is the biggest cause ofmarine pollution in thePacific Ocean.[9]
Most of the people in this region speakWu Chinese (sometimes calledShanghainese, although Shanghainese is actually one of the dialects within the Wu group of Chinese) as theirmother tongue, in addition toMandarin. Wu ismutually unintelligible with other varieties of Chinese, including Mandarin.
| Metropolitan area | Chinese | Cities | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Shanghai Metropolitan Area[10] | 上海大都市圈[11] | Shanghai | [8] |
| Nanjing Metropolitan Area | 南京都市圈 | Nanjing | [8] |
| Hangzhou Metropolitan Area | 杭州都市圈 | Hangzhou | [8] |
| Suxichang Metropolitan Area | 苏锡常都市圈 | Suzhou,Wuxi,Changzhou | [8] |
| Hefei Metropolitan area | 合肥都市圈 | Hefei | [8] |
| Ningbo Metropolitan Area | 宁波都市圈 | Ningbo | [8] |
Central areas include Shanghai, Nanjing,Jiujiang, Wuxi, Changzhou, Suzhou,Nantong,Yangzhou,Zhenjiang,Yancheng,Taizhou (Jiangsu),Hangzhou, Ningbo,Wenzhou,Huzhou,Jiaxing,Shaoxing,Jinhua,Zhoushan,Taizhou (Zhejiang), Hefei,Wuhu,Maanshan,Tongling,Anqing,Chuzhou,Chizhou,Xuancheng.[8]
| City | Area km2 | Population (2020) | GDP 2024 (CN¥)[12] | GDP 2024 (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | 6,341 | 24,870,895 | CN¥ 5,393 billion | US$ 757.2 billion |
| Suzhou | 8,488 | 12,748,252 | CN¥ 2,673 billion | US$ 375.3 billion |
| Hangzhou | 16,821 | 11,936,010 | CN¥ 2,186 billion | US$ 306.9 billion |
| Nanjing | 6,587 | 9,314,685 | CN¥ 1,850 billion | US$ 259.8 billion |
| Ningbo | 9,816 | 9,618,000 | CN¥ 1,815 billion | US$ 254.8 billion |
| Wuxi | 4,628 | 7,462,135 | CN¥ 1,626 billion | US$ 228.4 billion |
| Nantong | 8,544 | 7,726,635 | CN¥ 1,242 billion | US$ 174.4 billion |
| Changzhou | 4,385 | 5,278,121 | CN¥ 1,081 billion | US$ 151.8 billion |
| Shaoxing | 8,279 | 5,270,977 | CN¥ 839 billion | US$ 117.5 billion |
| Yangzhou | 6,626 | 4,559,797 | CN¥ 781 billion | US$ 109.7 billion |
| Jiaxing | 4,009 | 5,400,868 | CN¥ 757 billion | US$ 106.3 billion |
| Taizhou (Jiangsu) | 5,787 | 4,512,762 | CN¥ 702 billion | US$ 98.6 billion |
| Taizhou (Zhejiang) | 9,411 | 6,662,888 | CN¥ 666 billion | US$ 93.5 billion |
| Zhenjiang | 3,837 | 3,210,418 | CN¥ 554 billion | US$ 75.9 billion |
| Huzhou | 5,818 | 3,367,579 | CN¥ 320 billion | US$ 41.1 billion |
| Zhoushan | 1,378 | 1,157,817 | CN¥ 223 billion | US$ 17.6 billion |
| Yangtze River Delta Economic Region | 110,755 | 123,295,839 | CN¥ 22.708 trillion | US$ 3.169 trillion |
TheThree Gorges Dam has huge impacts on both upstream and downstream. Since 2003, the Yangtze River delta front has experienced severe erosion and significant sediment coarsening.[13]
The Yangtze River derived sediment has not really dispersed across the East China Sea continental shelf, instead, an elongated (~800 km) distal subaqueous mud wedge (up to 60 m thick) extending from the Yangtze River mouth southward off the Zhejiang and Fujian coasts into theTaiwan Strait.[14][15]
The Yangtze River Delta is both a geographical and a socio-economic region, characterised by shared or similar cultural traditions and historical experiences. Distinct regional cultures, such asHui,Huaiyang,Wuyue,Shanghai-style, andChu-Han, each retain their own identities while also influencing and merging with one another, contributing to the diverse culture of the Delta. The region's rich cultural heritage has played a role in supporting its economic development, helping it become one of China's most economically dynamic areas, with high levels of openness and innovation.[16]
The area of the Yangtze Delta incorporates more than twenty relatively developed cities in three provinces. The term can be generally used to refer to the entire region extending as far north asLianyungang, Jiangsu and as far south asWenzhou, Zhejiang.
The Yangtze Delta contains the most fertile soils in all of China.[17] Rice is the dominant crop of the delta, but further inland fishing rivals it. In Qing Pu, 50 ponds, containing five different species of fish, produce 29,000 tons of fish each year. One of the biggest fears of fish farmers in this region is that toxic water will seep into their man-made lagoons and threaten their livelihood.
Yangtze Delta regional cooperation requires effort from governments ofShanghai,Zhejiang,Jiangsu,Anhui andJiangxi.[18]
They've gradually established a three-tier model of governance on increased regional cooperation:
There is also a conference with longer history for economical cooperation:
The region has a well-developed transport infrastructure, with one of the highest rates of private vehicle ownership in China. Traffic regulations in Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang are also comparatively stricter than in other parts of the country.[20] Major shipping and trade hubs, such as thePort of Shanghai and the Port ofNingbo-Zhoushan, are located here; these ports are the largest in the world for container and cargo handling, respectively. The area is also home to theHangzhou Bay Bridge, the world's longest cross-sea bridge at 36 km, and has the densest network of rapid transit railways, spanning 12 lines.
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The Yangtze Delta has a marinemonsoonsubtropical climate, with hot and humid summers, cool and dry winters, and warm spring and fall. Winter temperatures can drop as low as -10 °C (a record), however, and even in springtime, large temperature fluctuations can occur.
Yangtze Delta metropolitan regions | ||
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| Shanghai Metropolitan Area | | |
| Jiangsu Yangtze Metropolitan Belt | ||
| Zhejiang Hangzhou Greater Bay Area | ||
| Anhui | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
