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Changzhou

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Changzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu, China. It sits within the Yangtze Delta region. This area is part of the northwestern Taihu Lake Plain. The city is positioned on the southern bank of the Yangtze River. It lies equidistant from the major cities of Shanghai and Nanjing. The city is 144 kilometres from Nanjing, the provincial capital. Changzhou borders Wuxi to the east and Zhenjiang to the northwest. To the south, it borders the province of Zhejiang. In the southwest, it meets Anhui province and Nanjing.

Comb lane
Comb lane

The geography of Changzhou is defined by a dense network of waterways. This includes the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal. Other important waterways are the Wuyi Canal, the Tai Ge Canal, the Jingxi, and the South Canal. The region also contains Tao Lake and Ge Lake. To the southwest of the Yili mountains, you can find the Maoshan peaks. The climate is classified as humid subtropical, or Cfa. This means the area experiences hot and humid summers. It also has cool winters. Because of this, the city sees a wide range of temperature differences throughout the year.

Human activity has changed the local landscape over time. During the 1930s, flooding occurred in the southern Yangtze River. A man named Zhou Chen worked to control the water in that region. He promoted the enclosure of lakes to create new fields for farming. This process lasted for 20 years. As a result, several lakes began to shrink. Furong Lake, Yang Lake, and Linjin Lake gradually disappeared due to these changes.

Changzhou has a very long and layered history. The area was known by several different names in the past. These included Yanling, Lanling, and Jinling. The city's administrative structure has also evolved through official changes. In 1995, the State Council approved the promotion of Wujin County to Wujin City. The government for this city was set in Hutang Town. In 1999, the provincial government revoked Taixiang Town. This town was then incorporated into Xueyan Town within Wujin City.

The city is home to many famous and influential people. One notable figure was Zhou Youguang. He was a linguist known as the "father of Hanyu Pinyin." This is the romanization system used to write Chinese sounds with the Latin alphabet. Other famous residents include the mathematician Hua Luogeng. The city also produced the poet Su Dongpo. Many other scholars, artists, and athletes have called Changzhou home. These people have contributed to fields ranging from biomechanics to professional badminton.

Demographics show that Changzhou is a very large and growing urban area. According to the 2020 census, the population was 5,278,121 inhabitants. This represented a 1.4% annual increase since the previous census. The municipality administers seven county-level divisions. These include five districts and one county-level city, Liyang. The population density varies greatly between these areas. For example, the Tianning District is very crowded. It has a density of 3,317.50 people per square kilometre. In contrast, the Jintan District is much less dense at 565.81 people per square kilometre.

Transportation in Changzhou is modern and highly connected. The Changzhou Metro began operations on 21 September 2019. Line 1 opened first, followed by Line 2 on 28 June 2021. For long-distance travel, the city uses several railway systems. Changzhou station sits on the original Beijing–Shanghai railway. The Changzhou North station was completed in 2011. This station is located in the Xinbei district on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway. The city also uses a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. This system uses separate bus lanes and specialized stations to move people efficiently.

There are many significant cultural and tourist sites in the city. The China Dinosaurs Park is a famous 5A-rated attraction in the Xinbei District. It features a collection of dinosaur bones and fossils from across China. The park includes over 30 amusement programs, such as the Brontosaurus Roller Coaster. Another major site is the Tianning Temple. This is one of the largest Zen Buddhist monasteries in China. The temple grounds contain the Tianning pagoda, or Tianning Baota. This structure was first built during the Tang dynasty. The current version is the tallest pagoda in China and may be the tallest in the world.

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