Changzhou

【Location】 Changzhou, located in southern Jiangsu in the middle of the Yangtze River Delta, extends from 31°09' to 32°04' north latitude and 119°08' to 120°12' east longitude. With Taihu Lake and Wuxi on the east, Nanjing and Zhenjiang on the west, it borders Wuxi of Jiangsu and Xuancheng of Anhui on the south and the Yangtze River on the north.

【Population】 In 2013, the population was stable. At the end of the year, the registered population was 3.6591 million, up 0.3% over 2012. There are 1.8186 million men and the ratio of males to females is 98.8:100. 

【Administrative Divisions】 At the end of 2013, Changzhou administered the two county level cities of Jintan and Liyang, and the five districts of Wujin, Xinbei, Tianning, Zhonglou, and Qishuyan which are divided into 37 towns and 21 sub-districts.

【Land and mineral resources】 At the end of 2014, the total area was 438,500 hectares including 361,800 hectares of land, 73,300 hectares of water and 148,200 hectares of arable land.

【Climate】 In 2013, the annual average temperature of Changzhou was slightly higher than normal.  The sunshine duration was slightly longer and the annual precipitation was slightly less. Severe weather mainly included cold waves, long periods of rain, snowstorms, rainstorms, strong winds, high temperatures, as well as fog and haze. Strong convective weather and heavy rainfall were less than usual.

【Temperature】 In 2013, the average annual temperature was 17.1℃, 1.0℃ higher than usual. Throughout the year, March, July and August experienced unusually high temperatures, 1.5℃, 3.2℃, and 3.5℃ higher respectively. The temperature of December was 0.5℃ lower than usual. The rest of the months were 1 ℃ higher than average.

【Rainfall】 In 2013, the annual rainfall was 881.9 mm, 222.1 mm less than usual.

【History and Culture】Changzhou's (常州) ancient name is Yanling. With a history of 3,000 years, it was also named Piling, Pitan, Jinling, Changchun, Wujin, and Changzhou (尝州) which is a homonym of (常州), and others. In the late Spring and Autumn Period (547 BC), Jizha, the fourth son of the King of Wu, Shoumeng, was granted the land of Yanling by the King.

In the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu in the Western Han dynasty (202 BC), it was renamed Piling. In the second year of Taikang of Emperor Wu in the Western Jin Dynasty (281 AD), the “Diannong Xiaowei” (a prefecture chief in feudal China) was abolished and Pilin County was set up to dominate 7 counties.  These were Dantu, Qu’e, Wujin, Yanling, Piling, Jiyang and Wuxi. After this, Changzhou had been dominated by Jun, Zhou, Lu and Fu (County or State in feudal China). In the ninth year of Kaihuang of Emperor Suiwen (589 AD), it got its present name Changzhou. In the fourth year of Yongzheng in the Qing dynasty (1726 AD), Changzhou Fu managed eight counties, namely Wujin, Yanghu, Wuxi, Jinkui, Yixing, Jingxi, Jiangyin and Jingjiang, and was known as the "Famous City of Eight Counties".

In 1912 after the Xinhai Revolution (the Revolution of 1911), the Changzhou government was abolished. Yanghu County was merged into Wujin County and the urban area, once named Wujin City, was renamed Changzhou under the administration of the Jiangsu province. On April 23, 1949 after the liberation of Changzhou, Changzhou and Wujin became a city and county respectively. In 1953, Changzhou was promoted to be a provincially administered city.

【Symbols of the City】City Tree: Southern Magnolia

City Flower: Chinese Rose