Huzhou

Huzhou, in its general aspect, is in the center of the Yangtze River Delta Economic Area, with the city center south of the Chinese third largest freshwater lake Lake Tai. The city borders Jiaxing City to the east, Hangzhou City to the south, Xuancheng City, Anhui Province to the west, Taihu Lake to the north, and borders Dajiao Mountain, Changzhou City, Wuxi City, and Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. There are transportation links to the provincial capital of Hangzhou away in the south, Jiangsu and Anhui province in the west, and the metropolitan municipality of Shanghai to the northeast. Flowing quietly through the city is the Changxing-Huzhou-Shanghai Channel, it is also referred to as the "Eastern Rhine River" for the continuous barge transportation that goes on similarly in the more internationally known Rhine River in Germany. The State Way 318 passes through Huzhou in an east–west direction and the State Way 104 in a north–south direction; the Nanjing-Huzhou-Hangzhou toll expressway and Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Anhui toll expressway offers convenient access to major areas in the region. The Express Xuancheng–Hangzhou Railway Station is located west of the city center. This railway line is part of the "secondary tunnel" in eastern China. == History ==

" and "Hou-tcheou-fou" in Du Halde's 1736 Description of China, based on accounts from Jesuit missionaries • 248 BC, Gucheng County () was set up by the State of Chu. • 222 BC, Qin dynasty, Wucheng County ) was set up. • 266, Kingdom of Wu, set Wuxing Shire (), its administrative area including the modern Huzhou prefecture city and Hangzhou, Yixing in modern-day Jiangsu. • 602, Sui dynasty, changed the name of Wuxing to Huzhou (). • During the Tang dynasty, Huzhou administered 5 counties: Wucheng (), Wukang (), Changxing, Anji, and Deqing. • At the beginning of the Song dynasty, Gui'an county () was divided from the Wucheng county. • During the Qing dynasty, Huzhou administered 7 counties: Wucheng, Guo'an, Wukang, Deqing, Changxing, Anji, and Xiaofeng. • 1949, with the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Huzhou town became the seat of government of the First Special District of Zhejiang, administrative area including the modern Huzhou and Jiaxing prefecture cities. • 1983, Huzhou prefecture level city was set up. ==Climate==

Huzhou has a typical subtropical monsoon climate in Jiangsu South. Summers are hot, winters are mild, and there are four distinct seasons with abundant rainfall. The average annual temperature is 16.3 degrees Celsius and the total annual precipitation is 1303.4 mm. The wind direction in Huzhou changes significantly with each season. The northwest wind prevails in the winter half of the year and the climate is dry and cold. The southeast wind prevails in the summer half of the year and the climate is hot and humid. {{Weather box All-time extreme temperature == Population ==

At the end of 2023, Huzhou City's permanent population will be 3.439 million, with a birth population of 18,000, a death population of 25,000, and a natural population decrease of 7,000. According to the seventh census data, as of midnight on November 1, 2020, the city's permanent population was 3,367,579. At the end of 2011, Huzhou had a registered population of 2,611,700, of which 1,31,700 were men and 1,38,800 were women; 851,700 were non-farmers, up 22,700 from the previous year; and 511,200 were over 60. For the whole year, the birth rate was 7.96 per thousand, the death rate was 6.79 per thousand, the natural growth rate was 1.17 per thousand and the family planning rate was 98.08 per cent. The rate of population growth is at or below replacement rate, and the population shrinkage is approximately 7,000 people per year. According to the sixth national census in 2010, the city's resident population stood at 2893,542, an increase of 267,753 or 10.20 percent over the fifth national census, with an average annual growth rate of 0.98 percent. Of these, the male population was 1470,472, or 50.82 per cent, and the female population was 1423,070, or 49.18 per cent. The sex ratio of the total population (100 females) is 103.33.The population aged 0–14 years is 337,688, or 11.67 per cent; the population aged 15–59 years is 2086,891, or 72.12 per cent; and the population aged 60 years and over is 468,963, or 16.21 per cent; of the population aged 65 years and over is 3150,37 or 10.89 per cent. The population living in urban areas is 1530,418, or 52.89 per cent, and the population living in rural areas is 1,363,124, or 47.11 per cent. ==Administration==

The prefecture-level city of Huzhou administers six county-level divisions, including one economic development zone and two districts and three counties. These are further divided into 66 township-level divisions, including 50 towns, 10 townships and six subdistricts. == Economy ==

• Huzhou is known as the City of Silk, is one of the Four Capital-cities of Silk in China. • Huzhou is one of the 14 key cities in the Yangtze River Delta region, which has been opened to the outside world for development and development. In 2019, Huzhou's gross domestic product (GDP) stood at 312.24 billion yuan, up 7.9% from the previous year at comparable prices, exceeding the province's target of 8% set at the beginning of the year. Of this total, the value-added of primary industries rose 2.8 percent to 13.38 billion yuan, the value-added of secondary industries rose 7.6 percent to 159.54 billion yuan, and the value-added of tertiary industries rose 8.7 percent to 139.32 billion yuan. The value-added structure of tertiary industries was 4.3:51.1:44.6 and the proportion of tertiary industries was 0.8 percentage points higher than the previous year. GDP per capita is 102,593 yuan, or 14,900 dollars. • Total fiscal revenue was 17.235 billion yuan, of which local revenue was 9.727 billion yuan, up 17.5 percent and 21.6 percent respectively over the previous year. Total fiscal revenue as a share of GDP is 13.2%. == Military ==

Huzhou is headquarters of the 1st Group Army of the People's Liberation Army, one of the three group armies that comprise the Nanjing Military Region. ==Transportation==

Huzhou is served by Huzhou railway station, situated to the west of the city. Both conventional and high-speed trains stop at the station. ==International relations==

Twin towns—Sister cities Huzhou is twinned with: • Radom, Poland • Kalmar County, Sweden • Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil == Notable people ==

• Zhu Zhi (; 156–224) and Zhu Ran (; 182–248), military general for the Kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China. • Shen Yue (; 441–513), prominent scholar of the Liang dynasty and author of the Book of Song. • Chen Baxian (; 503–559), founder and Emperor Wu of Chen dynasty during Northern and southern dynasties era. • Lu Yu (; 733–804), sage of tea, author of the Classic of Tea. • Zhao Mengfu (; 1254–1322), great calligrapher and high officer in Yuan dynasty. • Guan Daogao (1262 - 1319?), calligrapher and author. • Yu Yue (; 1821–1906), scholar. • Shen Jiaben (; 1840–1913), Late Qing Chinese scholar and jurist. • Wu Changshuo (; 1844–1927), great calligrapher. • Chen Qimei (; 1878–1916), revolutionary, member of Chinese Tongmenghui. Chen Guofu () and Chen Lifu () are nephews of Chen Qimei. • Lei Zhen (; 1897–1979), politician and political analyst of the Republic of China. • Dai Jitao (; 1891–1949), politician of the Republic of China. • Zhu Jiahua (; 1893–1963), politician of the Republic of China. • Zhao Jiuzhang (; 1907–1968), (ancestral roots in Wuxing) meteorologist and physicist. • Qian Sanqiang (; 1913–1992), scientist in Chinese atomic bomb study; and his father Qian Xuantong (; 1887–1939), scholar. • Tu Shou'e (; 1917–2012), scientist and rocket designer. • Yao Yongchen (; 1880–1915), revolutionary and writer. ==See also==