Zhaoqing 肇庆市 | |
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 Panoramic view of Duanzhou District from Seven Star Crags | |
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 Location of Zhaoqing City jurisdiction in Guangdong | |
  Zhaoqing Location in China | |
| Coordinates (Zhaoqing government):23°3′N112°28′E / 23.050°N 112.467°E /23.050; 112.467 | |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Province | Guangdong |
| County-level divisions | 8 |
| Municipal seat | Duanzhou District |
| Area | |
| 14,891.23 km2 (5,749.54 sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 2,892 km2 (1,117 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,892 km2 (1,117 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Population (2020 census)[1] | |
| 4,113,594 | |
| • Density | 276.2427/km2 (715.4654/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,553,109 |
| • Urban density | 537.0/km2 (1,391/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 1,553,109 |
| • Metro density | 537.0/km2 (1,391/sq mi) |
| GDP[2] | |
| • Prefecture-level city | CN¥ 265 billion US$ 41 billion |
| • Per capita | CN¥ 64,269 US$ 9,962 |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
| Postal code | 526000 |
| Area code | 0758 |
| ISO 3166 code | CN-GD-12 |
| License Plate | 粤H |
| MajorNationalities | Han |
| Website | Zhaoqing official site |
| Zhaoqing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.svg) "Zhaoqing" inSimplified (top) andTraditional (bottom) Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 肇庆 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 肇慶 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | Zhàoqìng | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CantoneseYale | Siuhhing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Postal | Shiuhing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Beginning Auspiciousness" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Former names | |||||||||||||||||
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| Gaoyao | |||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 高要 | ||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | Gāoyào | ||||||||||||||||
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| Duanzhou | |||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 端州 | ||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | Duānzhōu | ||||||||||||||||
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Zhaoqing (Chinese:肇庆),alternatelyromanized asShiuhing,[note 1] is aprefecture-level city inGuangdong, China. As of the2020 census, its population was 4,113,594, with 1,553,109 living in the built-up (or metro) area made ofDuanzhou,Dinghu andGaoyao.[1] The prefectural seat—except theSeven Star Crags—is fairly flat, but thickly forested mountains lie just outside its limits. Numerous rice paddies and aquaculture ponds are found on the outskirts of the city.Sihui and the southern districts of the prefecture are considered part of thePearl River Delta.
Formerly one of the most important cities insouthern China, Zhaoqing lost its importance during the contemporary era and is now primarily known for tourism and as a provincial "college town".[citation needed] Residents fromGuangzhou,Shenzhen, and the other cities of thePearl River Delta often visit it for weekend excursions. It is also a growing manufacturing center.
Zhaoqing was known to theQin asSihui（四会） andHan asGaoyao (高要). It was renamedDuanzhou (端州) from its role as the seat ofDuan Prefecture under theSui.[4] The present name, meaning "Beginning Auspiciousness", was bestowed on the area byEmperor Huizong of theSong in 1118. "Zhaoqing" is thepinyin romanization; the earlierPostal Map form "Shiuhing" derives from the name'sCantonese pronunciation.
Gaoyao was located on the south bank of theXi River, named for its district's principal feature: the river'sLingyang Gorge (then known as "Gaoyao"). In the late 6th and early 7th centuries, the administration was relocated toDuanzhou on the opposite bank of the river, which became an important administrative and military center of the southernSui Empire.[citation needed]
Thecity wall of Zhaoqing [zh] was built in Duanzhou during the reign ofEmperor Renzong of Song (1022–1063).[citation needed]
When thePortuguese arrived in the 16th century, Zhaoqing was still an important center, serving as the seat of theViceroy of Liangguang (Guangdong andGuangxi).[5]Matteo Ricci'sOn the Christian Expedition among the Sinae tells of the early visits ofMacanese-based Europeans to Zhaoqing. The ViceroyChen Rui (陈瑞)[note 2] summoned Macao'sgovernor andbishop in the early 1580s, but the town sent its auditorMattia Penella and theItalianJesuitMichele Ruggieri in their place in 1582.[6] After several false starts, Ruggieri andMatteo Ricci were allowed to establish their residence in the city, the first Jesuit mission house onmainland China, after Zhaoqing's governorWang Pan learned of Ricci's skill as a mathematician and cartographer. Ricci drew the first modern Chinese map of the world in Zhaoqing in 1584. Ruggieri left for Rome in 1588 but Ricci remained until the next year, when a new viceroy expelled him from the city and obliged the Jesuits to relocate to Shaozhou (nowShaoguan).[7]
During mid-17th century, Zhaoqing served as the capital of the Southern Ming empire ruled by Emperor Yongli. The town fell in 1650 and the prince relocated toGuilin and then various locations inGuangxi,Yunnan,Kokang andBurma. The JesuitsAndreas Wolfgang Koffler and, later,Michał Boym stayed for some time at his court.[8][9]
The Qing viceroy of Liangguang relocated toGuangzhou but Zhaoqing remained acommandery seat, overseeing the counties ofGaoyao,Guangning,Deqing,Sihui, andKaijian andFengchuan (since combined intoFengkai);Gaoming (now part ofFoshan);Xinxing (now part ofYunfu);Heshan,Kaiping, andEnping (now part ofJiangmen); andYangchun andYangjiang (now part of Yangjiang's separate prefecture).[3]
Zhaoqing is located 110 km (68 mi) west ofGuangzhou, in the westPearl River Delta. It lies on the north shores of theXi River, which flows from west to east, and opposite ofGaoyao. A plain area lies to the south and west of Zhaoqing, with mountains to the east and north.
The city has amonsoon-influencedhumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa). The yearly average temperature is 22.69 °C (72.8 °F), and annual precipitation is 1,633 mm (64.3 in).
| Climate data for Zhaoqing (Gaoyao District) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 28.7 (83.7) | 31.4 (88.5) | 32.4 (90.3) | 35.7 (96.3) | 36.1 (97.0) | 37.9 (100.2) | 38.5 (101.3) | 38.7 (101.7) | 38.3 (100.9) | 35.8 (96.4) | 33.1 (91.6) | 30.0 (86.0) | 38.7 (101.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.9 (66.0) | 20.9 (69.6) | 23.5 (74.3) | 27.9 (82.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 33.2 (91.8) | 34.2 (93.6) | 33.9 (93.0) | 32.3 (90.1) | 29.6 (85.3) | 25.6 (78.1) | 20.8 (69.4) | 27.7 (81.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 13.9 (57.0) | 16.0 (60.8) | 19.2 (66.6) | 23.4 (74.1) | 26.5 (79.7) | 28.2 (82.8) | 28.9 (84.0) | 28.6 (83.5) | 27.2 (81.0) | 24.2 (75.6) | 19.9 (67.8) | 15.2 (59.4) | 22.6 (72.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.6 (51.1) | 12.7 (54.9) | 16.1 (61.0) | 20.3 (68.5) | 23.3 (73.9) | 25.1 (77.2) | 25.6 (78.1) | 25.3 (77.5) | 23.9 (75.0) | 20.3 (68.5) | 16.0 (60.8) | 11.5 (52.7) | 19.2 (66.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 2.3 (36.1) | 1.7 (35.1) | 4.4 (39.9) | 9.2 (48.6) | 14.9 (58.8) | 19.3 (66.7) | 22.7 (72.9) | 20.7 (69.3) | 15.9 (60.6) | 10.9 (51.6) | 5.3 (41.5) | 1.0 (33.8) | 1.0 (33.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 51.8 (2.04) | 43.9 (1.73) | 76.2 (3.00) | 130.3 (5.13) | 189.2 (7.45) | 212.3 (8.36) | 189.1 (7.44) | 188.8 (7.43) | 150.6 (5.93) | 56.6 (2.23) | 41.9 (1.65) | 37.8 (1.49) | 1,368.5 (53.88) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 7.9 | 10.3 | 14.8 | 14.9 | 18.0 | 19.7 | 16.8 | 16.0 | 11.8 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 146.6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 78 | 79 | 81 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 79 | 80 | 79 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 79 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 99.7 | 75.9 | 58.2 | 77.2 | 124.5 | 147.0 | 191.8 | 183.8 | 173.3 | 182.9 | 156.3 | 140.5 | 1,611.1 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 30 | 24 | 16 | 20 | 30 | 36 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 51 | 48 | 42 | 36 |
| Source 1:China Meteorological Administration[10][11] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather China[12] | |||||||||||||
Zhaoqing has jurisdiction over 3districts, 4counties and 1County-level city:
| Map | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2010 census) | Area (km2) | Density (/km2) |
| Duanzhou District | 端州区 | Duānzhōu Qū | 479,342 | 153.99 | 3,113 |
| Dinghu District | 鼎湖区 | Dǐnghú Qū | 164,690 | 552.39 | 298 |
| Gaoyao District | 高要区 | Gāoyào Qū | 753,120 | 2,185.62 | 345 |
| Guangning County | 广宁县 | Guǎngníng Xiàn | 423,941 | 2,455.46 | 173 |
| Huaiji County | 怀集县 | Huáijí Xiàn | 813,032 | 3,554.07 | 229 |
| Fengkai County | 封开县 | Fēngkāi Xiàn | 398,258 | 2,723.93 | 146 |
| Deqing County | 德庆县 | Déqìng Xiàn | 341,211 | 2,002.8 | 170 |
| Sihui | 四会市 | Sìhuì Shì | 542,873 | 1,262.96 | 430 |
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Located in the Pearl River Delta, Zhaoqing is one of the 9 prefecture-level cities in thePearl River Delta Economic Zone (include Zhaoqing urban area, Dinghu, Gaoyao and Sihui only).[13]
The rich local resources within the mountainous regions includecoal,limestone,copper,lead,zinc,granite,gold,sulfur,gypsum and other minerals.
In theagriculture sector, the fertile plains yield paddyrice,sugar cane, aquatic products,fruits,rosin andcassia bark.Horticulture and farming contribute greatly to the local economy. The industries ofPoultry farming andanimal husbandry are also seeking to modernize their technology and management.
The forests in the mountainous regions of the city provide a rich source forherbal medicines and other materials likerosin and casia bark that are harvested from various forest plants.
Food and beverages, building materials, electronics, micro bioengineering, chemicals, equipment and machinery, textile and garments are the pillar industries. Duanzhou, Gaoyao and Sihui area being developed as the export-oriented industrial bases.Yunfu is a major area for the production of sulfur and iron.
To facilitate industrial development in Zhaoqing, the local government has made great efforts in establishing various industrial zones / parks in the city. The largest one is the Guangdong Zhaoqing High-tech Industrial Development Zone, with an area of 109 km2 (42 sq mi), that consists of two industrial parks, Sanrong Industrial Park and Dawang Industrial Park, of areas 9 and 100 km2 (3.5 and 38.6 sq mi) respectively. Dawang is facilitated as an export processing and trade zone.
A city with a long history, Zhaoqing has numerous cultural relics designated as Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection sites, six of them National Key Cultural Relic Protection Sites. Of the six, two are located inDeqing County (theDeqing Academy [zh] and the Yuecheng LongmuAncestral Shrine) and four are located inDuanzhou District (Mei'an Temple, ZhaoqingSong City Walls, Seven Star Crags Carvings, and the Yuejiang Tower). These sites are open to the public for most of the time.[14][15][16]
In addition to Cultural Relic Protection Sites, Zhaoqing contains many scenic attractions and landmarks, including the Xinghu Sightseeing Area, anAAAAA tourist attraction. The Xinghu Sightseeing Area is composed of theSeven Star Crags (containing the Seven Star Crags Carvings) and theDinghu Mountain, the first established nature reserve in China. Other scenic spots include the Piyun Tower, Jiulong Lake, Baozheng Temple,Chongxi Pagoda, Zhenshan Mountain, andPanlong Gorge [zh].
The city government of Zhaoqing is currently seeking to improve its higher education system and preserve cultural resources. Zhaoqing has a university and is also home to a campus of Guangdong University of Finance. There is also Zhaoqing Foreign Language College, a Canadian-American School and numerous other schools including those specializing in foreign language study.
Zhaoqing is served by railways and highways. Direct train and bus services connect it toGuangzhou,Hong Kong and other cities inGuangdong. Major roadways include Interstates 321 and 324 and the Guang-Zhao and Guang-Wu Expressways. TheSanmao Railway also runs through Zhaoqing. It is connected with Hong Kong via theKCRCGuangdong Through Train service fromZhaoqing railway station. Hong Kong owned and basedChu Kong Passenger Transport Co., Ltd also runs daily express catamaran ferries between Zhaoqing and Hong Kong.
Within the city, the primary form of public transportation is the 32 public bus routes and 2 sightseeing routes.
Zhaoqing was the hosting city of the 15th Games of Guangdong Province[17] on August 8, 2018.
Zhaoqing has held 3 marathons since 2016. The first two-year consisted only half-marathon. In 2018, the event for the first time consisted both full marathon and half marathon. In 2019, Zhaoqing will hold the 4th Zhaoqing International Marathon[18] estimably in Q2.
In 2018, the Zhaoqing Yingxiong High Diving Training Center, which contains the first year-round regulation-sizehigh diving platform,[19] opened at the Zhaoqing Sports Center. This venue would go on to host the FINA High Diving World Cup 2019.[20]
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{citation}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help), reprinted 2000.
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