Qingyuan

Qingyuan, formerly romanized as Tsingyun,[lower-alpha 1] is a prefecture-level city in northern Guangdong province, China, on the banks of the Bei or North River. During the 2010 census, its total population was 3,698,412, out of whom 1,510,044 lived in the urbanized Qingcheng and Qingxin districts. The primary spoken language is Cantonese. Covering 19,015 km2 (7,342 sq mi), Qingyuan is Guangdong's largest prefecture-level division by land area, and it borders Guangzhou and Foshan to the south, Shaoguan to the east and northeast, Zhaoqing to the south and southwest, and Hunan province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to the north.[1] The urban core is surrounded by mountainous areas but is directly connected with Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta by Highway 107.

This article is about the prefecture-level city of Guangdong. For other uses, see Qingyuan (disambiguation).
Qingyuan

清远市
Prefecture-level city
Location of Qingyuan in Guangdong
Qingyuan
Location in China
Coordinates (Qingyuan municipal government): 23°40′55″N 113°03′22″E
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceGuangdong
County-level divisions9
Township-level divisions53
City seatQingcheng District
Area
 • Prefecture-level city19,152.9 km2 (7,395.0 sq mi)
 • Urban
3,652.3 km2 (1,410.2 sq mi)
 • Metro
3,652.3 km2 (1,410.2 sq mi)
Dimensions
 • Length190 km (120 mi)
 • Width230 km (140 mi)
Elevation
14 m (45 ft)
Population
 (2010 Census[2])
 • Prefecture-level city3,698,412
 • Density190/km2 (500/sq mi)
 • Urban
1,510,044
 • Urban density410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
 • Metro
1,510,044
 • Metro density410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Area code(s)0763
ISO 3166 codeCN-GD-18
Licence plate prefixes粤R
Major NationalitiesHan, Zhuang and Yao
Websitewww.gdqy.gov.cn
Qingyuan
"Qingyuan" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Simplified Chinese清远
Traditional Chinese清遠
Hanyu PinyinQīngyuǎn
Cantonese YaleChīngyúhn
PostalTsingyun
Literal meaningClear-&-Distant

History

Qingyuan was a prefecture during Northern and Southern dynasties. However, the administration status of Qingyuan was downgraded to a county in the tenth year of the Kaihuang Era of the Sui dynasty (A.D. 590). Since then, until the formation of the Republic of China in 1911, Qingyuan was governed by Guangzhou prefecture (廣州府).

Under the Qing, the area was known as Qingyuan County.[5] It was later promoted to prefecture-level city status.

Geography

Qingyuan's administrative area ranges in latitude from 23° 26' 56" to 25° 11' 40" N, and in longitude from 111° 55' 17" to 113° 55' 34" E;[1] its urban area is located just north of the Tropic of Cancer, about 60 km (37 mi) from the urban area of Guangzhou and 200 km (120 mi) from both Hong Kong and Macau. Its area of over 19,000 km2 (7,300 sq mi) accounts for 10.6% of the total provincial area.[1] Qingyuan contains part of the southern Nan Ling, and more than half of the area is mountainous, and elevations increase from southeast to northwest. Bordering prefectures are Guangzhou and Foshan to the southeast, Zhaoqing to the southwest, Shaoguan to the north and northeast, Hezhou (Guangxi) to the west, and Yongzhou and Chenzhou (Hunan) to the north.[1]

Qingyuan has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate, with an average annual temperature of 20.7 °C (69.3 °F), 1,900 mm (75 in) of rainfall, 1662.2 hours of sunshine, and a frost-free period of 314.4 days.[6]

Economy

Qingyuan is a major economic and transportation hub. The Beijing–Guangzhou Railway, National Highways 106 and 107, and the Bei or North River cross through the city. The maritime infrastructure in Qingyuan plays a vital role in transporting goods to other regional centers in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. The major ports are Qingyuan Port, Yingde Port, Lianzhou Port, and Yangshan Port.

Demographics

According to the 2010 Census, Qingyuan has a population of 3,698,394 inhabitants,[7] 550,715 more than in 2000 (an annual growth rate of 1.63%). Han Chinese comprise over 95% of the entire population, while there are some areas inhabited by the Zhuang and Yao minorities.

Attractions

Qingyuan's attractions include Niuyuzui, Feilai Temple, Feixia Scenic Spots, Baojing Palace of Yingde, Taihe Ancient Cave of Qingxin, Sankeng Hot Spring in Qingxin County, Huanghua Lake in Fogang, Little Biejiang of Lianyang, Peak Shikengkong in Yangshan County, Underground River of Lianzhou, Huangteng Gorge, Three Gorges of Huangchuan and Yinzhan Hot Springs.

Administration

The provincial and municipal administration is located in Qingcheng District. It oversees one other district, two county-level cities, four counties, and one economic development district.

Map
Name Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population
(2010 census)		 Area
(km2)		 Density
(/km2)
Qingcheng District 清城区 Qīngchéng Qū 811,233 927.22 875
Qingxin District 清新区 Qīngxīn Qū 698,811 2,725.07 256
Fogang County 佛冈县 Fógāng Xiàn 302,906 1,292.92 234
Yangshan County 阳山县 Yángshān Xiàn 356,095 3,418.37 104
Lianshan Zhuang and
Yao Autonomous County		 连山壮族
瑶族自治县		 Liánshān Zhuàngzú
Yáozú Zìzhìxiàn		 90,515 1,164.84 78
Liannan Yao
Autonomous County		 连南瑶族
自治县		 Liánnán Yáozú
Zìzhìxiàn		 129,258 1,239.38 100
Yingde 英德市 Yīngdé Shì 941,952 5,671.02 166
Lianzhou 连州市 Liánzhōu Shì 367,642 2,664.09 138

Climate

Transportation

Qingyuan is served by Qingyuan railway station, opened in 2009 on the Wuhan–Guangzhou high-speed railway. It is located some distance east of the city.

Qingyuan Maglev is expected to open in December 2020.

Notes
  1. Qingyuan has also sometimes been romanized as Tsing-yuan,[3] Tsing-yuen,[3] Ts‘ing-yuen,[4] and Tsing-yuen-heën.[5]

References

Citations
  1. 清远概况 (in Chinese). Qingyuan People's Government. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  2. http://www.citypopulation.de/php/china-guangdong-admin.php
  3. Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed. (1878), Vol. V, "China".
  4. Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed. (1911), Vol. XV, "Kwang-tung".
  5. Gutzlaff (1838), p. 564.
  6. 清远 - 气象数据 -中国天气网 (in Chinese). Weather China. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  7. (in Chinese) Compilation by LianXin website. Data from the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China Archived April 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.