Ganzhou, China

Ganzhou (Simplified Chinese: 赣州; Traditional Chinese: 贛州; pinyin: Gànzhōu) is a municipal unit, equivalent to a prefecture-level city in Jiangxi province, China. Its administrative seat is at Zhanggong (章贡).

History

In 201, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty established a county in the territory of modern Ganzhou. In those early years, ethnic Han settlement and authority in the area was minimal and largely restricted to the Gan River basin. The river provided a route of communication from the north as well as irrigation for rice farming.

During the Sui Dynasty the county administration was promoted to prefecture status and the area called Qianzhou (虔州). During the Song Dynasty immigration from the north bolstered the local population and drove local aboriginal tribes further into the hills. Especially after the fall of the Northern Song capital of Kaifeng, migrants increased dramatically. The name was officially changed to Ganzhou in the Southern Song.

Between 1929 and 1934, Ganzhou formed a part of the Jiangxi Soviet, one of the bases of the Chinese Communist Party. Due to its proximity to the Red capital Ruijin (瑞金), Ganzhou was subject to a number of Kuomintang encirclement campaigns.

Administration

Ganzhou has jurisdiction over 1 district, 2 county-level cities and 15 counties:

• District: Zhanggong (章贡区)
• County-level cities: 南康市, Ruijin (瑞金市)
• Counties: Gan (赣县), 兴国县, Yudu (于都县), 宁都县, 石城县, Huichang (会昌县), 寻乌县, 安远县, 定南县, 龙南县, 全南县, Xinfeng (信丰县), Dayu (大余县), 崇义县, 上犹县

Tourism

Ganzhou receives a small number of domestic tourists each year. Although it is encircled by mountain scenery, it is largely overshadowed by more famous attractions in Jiangxi, such as Lushan and Jingdezhen among others. Some of the places of interest in Ganzhou include:

• Mount Jiulian (九连山), Longnan county
• Mei Pass (梅关), Dayu county
• Cuiwei Peak (翠微峰), Ningdu
• Hakka architecture (赣南客家围屋) Some of the most representative Hakka houses include Fort Xin 新围, Longnan 龙南; Fort Yanji 燕翼围, Yangcun 杨村; Fort Longguang 龙光围, Taojiang 桃江; Fort Dongsheng 东生围, Anyuan 安远 etc.
• Dongjin Bridge (东津桥): Pontoon bridges have been constructed over the Zhang and Gong rivers since the Song Dynasty. One of the bridges, the Dongjin Bridge, can still be seen. It is 400 metres long, made up of wooden planks placed on around 100 wooden boats linked together with iron chains.

The town of Zhanggong has a city wall dating to the Song Dynasty, as well as a number of pavilions and temples from the Ming and Qing. Altogether there are some 17 National Cultural Relic Protection Units in Ganzhou and 48 Provincial-level Cultural Relic Protection Units.