Huzhou is the only city named by lake in Taihu Lake Region, an ancient city on the southern side of Yangtze River with the history of more than 2300 years. In 248 B.C., the King of Chu granted the region to his prime minster Huang Xie, also known as prince Chunshen, he then built a city here named as county Gucheng. In 602 B.C., it was raised to the status of state capital and named as Huzhou because it is close to Taihu Lake. Since New China was founded in 1949, the first special administrative area of Zhejiang, special administrative area of Jiaxing and Jiaxing prefecture were set successively and the seat of the local government was set in Huzhou. In October 1983, the Jiaxing prefecture was cancelled while two municipalities directly under the Provincial Government Huzhou and Jiaxing were set. Huzhou now administers three counties such as Deqing, Changxing, Anji and two districts such as Wuxing and Nanxun. Its total population reaches at 2.58 million, among which, the urban population reaches at 1.08 million. Its total area is 5818 km2, its urbanization level reaches at 51% and central urban built-up area is 71.2 km2.
Huzhou has its own unique advantages. Its transportation is very convenient and location advantage is obvious as it is east to Shanghai, south to Hangzhou, opposite to Wuxi and Suzhou by a lake, lies in the central area of Yangtze River delta, just 75 km away from Hangzhou and while 160 km away from Shanghai, the national highway 104 and 318, Xuancheng-Hangzhou Railway, HangHuNing Intercity Railway and HuJiaZha Railway to be constructed, and Changxing-Huzhou-Shanghai Channel renowned as “Oriental Small Rhine River” all pass Huzhou. The expressway will form the network of “three verticals”(expressways HangChangYang, HangNing, HangHuSu) and “two horizontals”(ShenSuZheWan, ShenJiaHu expressway) in 2010 and it will own the national first-class railway, highway and transit port. It has profound cultural background. Celebrities have come forth in large numbers here. It has been praised as “a land of fish and rice, home to silk, and a place of rich cultural heritage”, the birthplace of Chinese silk culture, tea culture and Huzhou writing brush culture. There are 14 cultural relic protection units here. It has fostered and attracted numerous celebrities and scholars such as Su Dongpo, Wang Xizhi, Meng Jiao, Zhao Mengshun, Lu Yu, Wu Changshuo, Hu Yuan in the history. The world first Tea Classic was written by Lu Yu in Huzhou. It has successfully held the consecutive eight sessions of China Extreme Sports Contest and four sessions of Huzhou Writing Brush Culture Festival and it is renowned as “the Capital of China Extreme Sports” and “the Capital of China Writing Brush”. Its landscape is very beautiful with good entironment. “Hills leaning out in groups from Mount Tianmu, waters weaving a network by vast Lake Taihu. Touring all graceful places south of Yangtze River, Huzhou is the best choice where to reside for ever.”is the praise on Huzhou’s good living environment written by Dai Biaoyuan, the poem of Yuan Dynasty, as well as the real portraiture of today’s Huzhou. It has been assessed as Provincial-level Civilized City, National Health City, National Garden City, National Environmental-protection Model City, China Excellent Tourism City, National Double-support Model City and National Charming City successively. The Southern Taihu Lake Tourist Resort Zone is the tourism, leisure and water entertainment scenic spot. Nanxun, the China Charming Town, keeps Jiayetang Book Collection Building, Xiaolianzhuang and Zhang Shiming Old House. Mount Mogan of Deqing is the famous summer popular resorts in the world. Xiazhu Lake is the largest everglade in north Zhejiang. Changxing has three rare natural heritages such as “Jindingzi” geological heritage, Ten Chinese Mile Long Corridor of Gingko and Chinese Crocodile. Anji, the China Bamboo Hometown, is the first national ecological county in this province, already obtained the Model Prize of Living Environment by U.N. there are Bamboo Exhibition Park and Tianhuangping Storage Power Station. It has a plain way of life and the society is harmonious and stable. The educational level is much higher. Huzhou people pay attention to sincerity, rule following, gentle attitude on getting along with people, good relation between cadres and masses for a long time. The social services development level ranks higher than economy in this province. The urban and rural development is harmonious. The income difference of urban and rural residents is much smaller. In 2007, the ratio of urban resident income and rural resident income is 2.06:1. So it can say that among the city group in Yangtze River Delta, Huzhou has the unique combined advantage of rapid economic development, good ecological conservation and harmonious urban and rural development.
In the recent years, Huzhou economic construction is boosted, the social services are improved completely, the effect of coordinative development of urban-rural area is obvious, opening up is wide, the people’s living level is gradually improved and comprehensive strength is gradually enhanced. In 2007, we implemented the scientific development view deep and according to the arrangement of central government and provincial party committee, persisted in the general requirement of “seeking speed in doing good work, overall coordination, making progress while ensuring stability, benefiting and enriching people ”, widely carried out the activities of big argument and big practice of “opening mind, stimulating vigor, business developing and enriching people, innovating to strengthen city”, promoted each work steadily so that the economic and social fields all obtained new development. In 2007, the annual GDP reached at 89.594 billion RMB Yuan, increased by 14.4%, while GDP per capita reached at 34726 RMB Yuan; the social fixed assets investment 45.832 billion RMB Yuan, increased by 12.5% or so; social consumables retail 31.925 billion RMB Yuan, increased by 16.6%; total financial revenue and local financial revenue 11.406 billion RMB Yuan and 6.168 billion RMB Yuan respectively, increased by 24.3% and 23.9% respectively; the governable income for urban resident per capita and rural resident’s income per capita 19663 RMB Yuan and 9536 RMB Yuan respectively, increment keeps over 10% for consecutive 3 years.
At present, the development of Huzhou has already stood a new point. In the Sixth Municipal Party Representative Congress in March 2007, it put forward the development stratagem of enhancing strength, stimulating vigor, showing charm and striving to develop out among HangHuNing development zone of Yangtze River Delta, and the aim of boosting scientific development, constructing harmonious society and constructing modern ecological big city along lake. To construct modern ecological big city along lake covers three counties and two districts in space, that is 5818 km2; in form, to construct the network city structure of “one belt, two groups and four axes”: one belt refers to construct southern bank city belt of Taihu Lake -Changxing-Huzhou (Wuxing)-Nanxun; two groups refer to Deqing and Anji; while four axes refer to four radial town development axes of urban southeast section, middle section, southwest section, west section; in connotation, to make full use of advantages of transportation, location, ecology, culture, harmonious society, coordinative development of urban and rural areas in the city groups of Yangtze River Delta, boost to construct “four districts and three centers” and create “five-way Huzhou”(“four districts and three centers” is to completely construct the socialistic new countryside experiment and demonstration area, go all out to build the advanced manufacturing industry concentrated area, boost to construct the modern services rising area, actively strive to be the reform and opening prior area, try best to build the important leisure and tourism center, regional traffic center, regional logistics center in Yangtze River Delta. “Five-way Huzhou” refers to boost in constructing “Rich and Popular Huzhou”, “Huzhou Ruled by Law”, “Cultural Huzhou”, “Peaceful Huzhou”and “Ecological Huzhou”).
Natural and Geographical Features
Huzhou lies in longitude 119 degrees 14 minutes-120 degrees 29 minutes east, latitude 30 degrees 22 minutes-31 degrees 11 minutes north, with east-west length 126 km and south-north width 90 km. it lies in north Zhejiang, south of Taihu Lake, close to Jiangsu, Anhui. Now it administers 3 counties such as Deqing, Changxing, Anji and two districts such as Wuxing and Nanxun with total area 5817 km2, population 2572100. Its east is water town and plain, wile west is mainly land and hills, which is called as ““fifty percent of mountains, ten percent of waters and forty percent of fields”.
Huzhou was called as Wucheng in Qin Dynasty, later renamed as Huzhou as it is close to Taihu Lake. Its administrative division was reformed for many times and now is the municipality directly under Zhejiang Province. The terrain is approximately inclined from southwest to northeast, many mountains in the west, the peak Mount Longwang 1587m, east plain and water area with average altitude about 3m. There are many rivers such as Dongtiao Brook and Xitiao Brook. This city belongs to subtropical humid monsoon climate. The annual average temperature 12.2-16.1℃, annual average rainfall about 1300mm, nonfrost period 224-240 days. There are mineral resources such as coal, iron and limestone. Changguang Coal Mine at the conjunction with Anhui is the largest raw coal base in Zhejiang.
Introduction to Main Arts and Crafts of Huzhou
1. Shuanglin ghatpot silk has a history of more than 1800 years, famous for its lightness, thinness, softness and brightness and praised as the rare flower in silks. It is mainly used in mounting a picture with the features of mounting flat and straight without crimples. The rare pictures are more elegant, unsophisticated and refined through mounting, which make people enjoy the consummate art and pictures more valued. The domestic famous painting and calligraphy societies such as Rongbao House, Duoyun Gallery and Xiling Seal-engraving Society all praise and canonize Shuanglin ghatpot silk very much.
2. Shanlian Huzhou Writing Brush Huzhou writing brush is one o f four treasures of the study, originated from Shanlian, Huzhou. As it is said that Meng Tian, the general of the Qin Dynasty, created Huzhou writing brush. There is Marshal Meng Temple built in Shanlian. Shanlian Huzhou writing brush is fine made through careful material choosing with four features such as sharp, tough, neat and round called as four functions and the brush is praised as the First Brush. Huzhou writing brush has many categories and kinds divided into four categories of goat hair brush, weasel hair brush, rabbit hair brush and combination brush and over 200 kinds. It is welcomed by political circles and celebrities in painting and calligraphy field and numerous painting and calligraphy lovers.
3. Huzhou Feather Fan Huzhou feather fan has several thousands years’ history. Rare materials are chosen and then fine made. There are more than 100 categories and kinds. Taohua fan and Banyue fan have already obtained the first prize in national fan assessment and become famous at domestic and abroad. Due to feather fan’s flatness, thinness and softness, it is suitable to be used by the old, the weak, pregnant women and patients with unique use value.
4. Changxing Red Clay Teapot The red clay in Changxing has big reserves with rich colors. There are many potters here and skillful craftsmen are coming forth in great number. Changxing is the only place to produce red clay teapot in Zhejiang. Changxing red clay teapot is formed through hand with elegant sculpt, good carving, precious structure, simple and unsophisticated color. It is beautiful and elegant so that is the unique tourism gift. Dongpo teapot with loop-handled inscriptions, the world biggest red clay teapot with height 160cm and capacity 250kg water, is praised as the unparalleled works in China.
5. Anji Bamboo Fan Zhangwu, Anji is the native place of Wu Changshuo, the maestro in modern history, praised as “Home of Painting and Calligraphy” and “Home of Fan”. Anji bamboo fan is integrated with art, collection, utilization and memory. So it is the ideal gift. There are more than 30 bamboo fan factories. Kinds of art fans are far sold to Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.
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