Zhaoqing

Zhaoqing 肇庆 Siu Hing
—  Prefecture-level city  —
City of Zhaoqing · 肇庆市
Chinese transcription(s)
- Simplified	肇庆
- Traditional
- Pinyin	Zhàoqìng
Location of Zhaoqing Prefecture within Guangdong
Country	China
Province	Guangdong
County-level divisions	8
Township divisions
City seat	Duanzhou District
Area
- Total	22,322 km2 (8,618.6 sq mi)
Population (2002)
- Total	3,910,000
- Density	175.2/km2 (453.7/sq mi)
Time zone	China Standard (UTC)
Area code(s)	758
GDP
GDP per capita
License Plate	粤H

Zhaoqing (肇庆) is a prefecture-level city of Guangdong province in southern China.

Contents 1 Administration 2 Geography 3 History and Name 4 Economy 4.1 Primary Industries 4.2 Secondary Industries 4.3 The 10 Projects 5 Highlights 6 Education 6.1 Colleges and universities 7 Transportation 8 See also 9 External links

Administration

Zhaoqing has jurisdiction over 2 districts, 4 counties and 2 county-level cities:

• Deqing County (德庆县), 2,258 km², pop. 350,000
• Dinghu District (鼎湖区), 506 km², pop. 150,000
• Duanzhou District (端州区), 152 km², pop. 320,000
• Fengkai County (封开县), 2,723 km², pop. 470,000
• Gaoyao City (高要市), 2,206 km², pop. 730,000
• Guangning County (广宁县), 2,380 km², pop. 540,000
• Huaiji County (怀集县), 3,573 km², pop. 930,000
• Sihui City (四会市), 1,258 km², pop. 420,000

Geography

Zhaoqing is located 110 km northwest of Guangzhou, in the west Pearl River Delta. It lies on the north shores of the Xijiang River, which is flows from west to east, and opposite of Gaoyao. A plain area lies to the south and west of Zhaoqing, with mountains to the east and north.

The city lies in a south subtropical monsoon climatic zone. The yearly average temperature is 21.9 °C, and annual precipitation is 1605 mm.

History and Name

The date of Zhaoqing's founding is uncertain, but it existed as early as the Qin (221-206 B.C.) and Han (206 B.C. - 220 C.E.) Dynasties, when it was known as Gaoyao (高要). In the Sui Dynasty (581-618 C.E.), Zhaoqing became known as Duanzhou (端州) and served as an important administrative region and military base.

In C.E. 1118, Northern Song Dynasty Emperor Huizong bestowed its current name upon the city. "Zhaoqing" means "beginning of auspiciousness".

The first evidence of westerners in Zhaoqing appears to have occurred in the late sixteenth century with the arrival of the Italian Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci in 1583. Ricci moved to the city after receiving an invitation from the governor of Zhaoqing at the time, Wang P'an, who had heard of Ricci's skill as a mathematician/cartographer. Ricci stayed there from 1583-1589 before having to leave after a new viceroy decided to expel them. It was in Zhaoqing that Ricci drew up the first ever map of the world in Chinese in 1584.

There is now a memorial plaque in Zhaoqing to commemorate his six-year stay there as well as a building set up as a 'Ricci Memorial Centre' although the building itself does not date back to the time of the priest as it was built in the 1860s.

Economy

Primary Industries

The rich local resources within the mountain region include coal, limestone, copper, lead, zinc, granite, gold, sulfur, gypsum and other minerals.

For agriculture sector, the fertile plain yields paddy rice, sugar cane, aquatic products, fruits, rosin, cassia bark. Horticulture possesses a large sector in farming industries. Poultry and animal husbandry are also seeking modern development and management.

The forest in mountain region is a rich source for herbal medicine in southern China, and other materials like rosin and casia bark from different forest plants.

Secondary Industries

Food and beverages, building materials, electronics, micro bioengineering, chemicals, equipments 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 sulphur 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 109km², that consists of two industrial parks, Sanrong Industrial Park and Dawang Industrial Park, of areas 9km² and 100km² respectively. Dawang is facilitated as an export processing and trade zone.

The 10 Projects

The Zhaoqing local government attracts capital investment by promoting the city to private and foreign investors, and by developing industrial parks in modern standard. Making the best use of its natural environment, Zhaoqing aims to become a garden city, ecological city and modernized large city in China.

In five year's time (2003-2007), the city government will implement 10 big projects:

• Expansion of urban proper towards the east and the south with the best urban planning, construction, and management.
• Developing the eastern and southern industrial areas to become a modern manufacturing base of the world.
• Promoting economic development in the hilly areas and counties and upgrade their industrial zones.
• Construction of an industrial corridor of science, technology, education and culture to nurture knowledge economy, through developing technology park and university park, and inter-university cooperation
• Increasing capital investment for infrastructure construction.
• Promoting the reform and development of state owned enterprises.
• Developing tourism spots and industry.
• Construction of an "education city" and a "cultural city" to enhance the quality of human resources.
• Construction of "digital Zhaoqing".
• Enhancing environmental protection.

Highlights

• Limestone peaks at Seven Star Crags
• Dinghu Mountain
• Song Township city walls, over 800 years old
• Chongxi Pagoda
• Tower for Reviewing the River
• Baogong Memorial Temple

Education

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 a Canadian-American School and numerous other schools including those specialising in foreign language study.

Colleges and universities

• Zhaoqing University

Transportation

Zhaoqing is served by railways and highways. Direct train and bus services connect it to Guangzhou, Hong Kong and other cities in Guangdong. Major roadways include Interstates 321 and 324 and the Guang-Zhao and Guang-Wu Expressways. The Sanmao Railway also runs through Zhaoqing. It is connected with Hong Kong via the KCRC Guangdong Through Train service from Zhaoqing Railway Station.

Within the city, the primary form of public transportation are the 21 public bus routes.

See also

• Matteo Ricci

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zhaoqing

• Zhaoqing Government website
• Zhaoqing University website (in Chinese and English)
• Guangdong University of Finance website (in Chinese and English)
• News Guangdong Zhaoqing page
• The Zhaoqing Ricci center
• Matteo Ricci and his contributions to science in China
• Map of the city center

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Coordinates: 23°03′N 112°27′E / 23.05°N 112.45°E / 23.05; 112.45