Changle, Fuzhou
Changle
长乐 Diongloh; Changlo | |
---|---|
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Nickname: Hometown of Overseas Chinese | |
Coordinates: 25°55′N 119°33′E / 25.917°N 119.550°E | |
Country | People's Republic of China |
Province | Fujian |
Prefecture-level city | Fuzhou |
Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
simplified Chinese: 长乐; traditional Chinese:
Located 30 kilometers (19 mi) outside downtown Fuzhou, Changle has a total population of 680,000 and is the hometown of more than 700,000 overseas Chinese.
Transportation
[edit]Air
[edit]The Fuzhou Changle International Airport is a major airport located in the Zhanggang Subdistrict (formerly, Zhanggang Town) of Changle. This airport services the entire northern Fujian area, and it has regular scheduled flights to many domestic and international destinations.
Major highways
[edit]Airport Express Way (Toll Road), Shenghai Express Way and Fujian Provincial Highways S201 and S203
Railways
[edit]Presently, there are no railways in Changle. (The Fuxia Railway skirts the western edge of the district, but has no stations there). The closest railway stations are in Fuzhou.
However, in November 2012 a plan has been approved for an 88.5-km-long railway from Fuzhou to Pingtan Island. The railway will run across Changle, and will have 3 stations within the district (Changle, Changle East, and Songxia (
Demographics
[edit]Overseas Changle
[edit]Natives of Changle receive large amount of financial support from overseas, due to there being a significant population of immigrants from Changle overseas, particularly in the US and Canada. The focal point for the US is in New York City with Fuzhouese ethnic enclaves present in all five boroughs. Notable enclaves include Little Fuzhou in East Broadway of Chinatown, Manhattan and more recently, due to gentrification, in Flushing, Queens and 8th avenue of Sunset Park, Brooklyn. A 2001 study by the Changle government found that about 400,000 people from Changle and their descendants were living abroad.[2]
The area has been nicknamed the "Hometown of Overseas Chinese" due to the large number of natives that have move abroad.
Notable natives and residents
[edit]- One well known Changle native is author Shie Wan Yin, whose pen name is Bing Xin
- Changle is the ancestral home of Zheng Zhenduo, a master of literature.
- Naval explorer, Admiral Zheng He
Migrant workers
[edit]Currently, there are about 200,000 non-native migrant workers working in Changle.[citation needed] Many of them come from Sichuan province.
Climate
[edit]Climate data for Changle (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 27.5 (81.5) |
27.7 (81.9) |
31.6 (88.9) |
33.2 (91.8) |
35.1 (95.2) |
36.5 (97.7) |
38.0 (100.4) |
37.6 (99.7) |
37.8 (100.0) |
34.4 (93.9) |
32.0 (89.6) |
29.0 (84.2) |
38.0 (100.4) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 14.9 (58.8) |
15.7 (60.3) |
18.3 (64.9) |
23.0 (73.4) |
26.9 (80.4) |
30.2 (86.4) |
33.3 (91.9) |
32.8 (91.0) |
30.2 (86.4) |
26.0 (78.8) |
22.0 (71.6) |
17.3 (63.1) |
24.2 (75.6) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 11.3 (52.3) |
11.7 (53.1) |
14.1 (57.4) |
18.6 (65.5) |
22.9 (73.2) |
26.5 (79.7) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.8 (83.8) |
26.5 (79.7) |
22.5 (72.5) |
18.6 (65.5) |
13.7 (56.7) |
20.4 (68.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 9.0 (48.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
11.3 (52.3) |
15.6 (60.1) |
20.1 (68.2) |
23.9 (75.0) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.1 (79.0) |
24.0 (75.2) |
19.9 (67.8) |
16.1 (61.0) |
11.2 (52.2) |
17.7 (63.9) |
Record low °C (°F) | 0.1 (32.2) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
6.4 (43.5) |
10.7 (51.3) |
15.2 (59.4) |
20.1 (68.2) |
21.7 (71.1) |
16.2 (61.2) |
9.7 (49.5) |
4.8 (40.6) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 57.6 (2.27) |
77.4 (3.05) |
116.1 (4.57) |
131.6 (5.18) |
168.0 (6.61) |
237.2 (9.34) |
163.2 (6.43) |
224.9 (8.85) |
170.6 (6.72) |
61.5 (2.42) |
54.3 (2.14) |
44.4 (1.75) |
1,506.8 (59.33) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 9.6 | 12.6 | 15.7 | 14.7 | 16.2 | 15.2 | 9.6 | 13.0 | 12.8 | 7.8 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 144.6 |
Average snowy days | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 74 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 79 | 81 | 76 | 77 | 76 | 71 | 73 | 71 | 76 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 88.3 | 81.7 | 99.5 | 119.4 | 130.9 | 148.0 | 241.0 | 209.8 | 168.3 | 154.1 | 100.4 | 95.7 | 1,637.1 |
Percent possible sunshine | 27 | 26 | 27 | 31 | 31 | 36 | 58 | 52 | 46 | 43 | 31 | 29 | 36 |
Source: China Meteorological Administration[3][4] |
Tourist attractions
[edit]One of the attractions in Changle is the natural environment.[citation needed] Situated on the banks of the Min River, the region is surrounded by mountains and hills. There are many parks and trails which are destinations for locals and tourists alike.[citation needed] However, industrialization of the region has impacted these areas.[citation needed]
Some of the tourist attractions include Xiasha Seaside Vocational Center, Jingang Leg, Bing Xing Literacy Archives, and Nanshan Park. A number of overseas remittances, particularly from the US, has been used to construct some of these areas, particularly the parks, over the last few years.[when?] Because of this, many of these areas are essentially new and attract a considerable number of visitors.[citation needed]
Some attractions are:
- Zheng He Museum and Park (郑和
博物 馆) - Jin Gang Tui Park (A Buddhist's Giant Leg) (
金 刚腿公 园)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Buddhist%27s_Giant_Leg_%28%E9%87%91%E5%88%9A%E8%85%BF%E5%85%AC%E5%9B%AD%29.jpg/220px-Buddhist%27s_Giant_Leg_%28%E9%87%91%E5%88%9A%E8%85%BF%E5%85%AC%E5%9B%AD%29.jpg)
- Bin Xin Museum (冰心
博物 馆) - Qinjiang Manzu Jie (Manchurian Vallige) (
琴江 满族村 ) - Xiasha Beach Resort (
下 沙 海 滨度假 村 ) - Xianyin Palace (显应宫)
- Tianfei Palace (
天 妃 宫) - Hexia Street (Beneath River Street) (
河下 街 )
Culture
[edit]Local language
[edit]Most locals are capable of speaking both Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) and the Fuzhou dialect, though Mandarin is spoken in more formal settings such as schools.
At home, Fuzhou dialect is the norm. Older generations typically have a strong accent when speaking in Mandarin due to their mother tongue being the Fuzhou dialect, which does not distinguish between z and zh, c and ch, s and sh initials or n and ng finals.
The Fuzhou dialect (Changle dialect
The younger generation prefers pop culture, arts, music and other forms of entertainment from Hong Kong and the West. The older generation of Changleners enjoy Min Opera, a form of Chinese opera.
Cuisine
[edit]Due to geographic location, Changle cuisine consists of a lot of seafood, such as clams, shrimps, conch, sea snails, etc.
- Fish balls (鱼丸) A ball-shaped food made from minced fish meat, egg whites, and sweet potato starch. It is known for its chewy texture and umami taste. Some fish balls contain no fillings, while others contain a filling made from minced pork and scallions.
- Fish Noodles (鱼面) A noodle made from fish and starch.
- Bian Rou (
扁 肉 ) Literally means "ground meat." It is Fujian style wonton soup. It features a thin wonton skin and a pork filling. - Rou Yan (
肉 燕 ) It literally translates to “Meat Swallow”, as in the passerine birds. It is very similar to Bian Rou, but the wrapper of Rou Yan is made from pork meat. The locals use lean pork and pound it with a wooden stick, then combine sweet potato starch with the pork to make the wrapper. The fillings consist of ground pork, scallion, and sometimes small dried shrimp. The name Rou Yan or “Meat Swallow” comes from the fact that the food resembles a swallow. - Ban Mian (拌面) Noodles with a peanut butter like sauce. Although not native to Changle, Ban Mian is still common all over the district. Another common ingredient in ban mian is lard or pork fat. Although proven unhealthy, the lard adds a special fragrance to the dish. When the dish is presented to the customer, the customer is expected to mix the sauce and the noodle themselves. Because the sauce is made from a combination of soy sauce, peanut butter, and lard, it can solidify very quickly. So before eating the dish, the customer has to mix the noodle with the sauce thoroughly. Hence the dish is called Ban Mian, because Ban means mix in Chinese, and Mian means noodles.
- Jia Yu Wan (
假 鱼丸) Another very common and popular Changle food. The translation means "fake fish ball". It is like the traditional fish ball, with similar fillings, but the difference is from the exterior. Unlike Yun Wan or fish balls, which contain an exterior made of fish meat, the exteriors of Jia Yu Wan are made from mashed potatoes combine with sweet potato starch. Many people prefer “fake fish balls” over “fish balls” because of the contrast between the sweet exterior from the potato and the savory interior pork filling. - Ice Rice (冰饭) is a traditional dessert that originated from Changle, China. It's made with a base of sweetened water and sticky rice, a layer of bean paste, and different toppings.
Administration
[edit]Changle is divided among four subdistricts, twelve towns, and two townships:[5]
- Wuhang Subdistrict (吴航
街道 ) - Hangcheng Subdistrict (
航 城 街道 ) - Zhanggang Subdistrict (漳港
街道 ) - Yingqian Subdistrict (营前
街道 ) - Meihua Town (
梅花 镇), across from Juguang, Lienchiang, Taiwan (ROC)[6] - Jinfeng Town (
金峰 镇) - Tantou Town (潭头镇)
- Yutian Town (
玉田 镇) - Jiangtian Town (
江田 镇) - Guhuai Town (
古 槐 镇) - Heshang Town (鹤上镇)
- Shouzhan Town (
首 占 镇) - Wenwusha Town (
文武 砂 镇) - Hunan Town (
湖南 镇) - Wenling Town (
文 岭镇) - Songxia Town (
松下 镇) - Luolian Township (罗联乡)
- Houyu Township (猴屿乡)
Education system
[edit]Colleges
[edit]- Fuzhou College of Foreign Studies and Trade, Changle Campus (Shouzhan Town)
福 州 外 语外贸学院 长乐校区 ,首 占
High schools
[edit]- No.1 Junior High School (Wuhan Town) 长乐
一 中 ,吴航 - Huaqiao Junior High and Senior School (Wuhan Town) 长乐侨中,吴航
- No.2 Junior High School (Jinfeng Town) 长乐
二 中 ,金峰 - Changle Junior High School (formerly known as 'Changle Normal School', Wuhan Town) 长乐
高 级中学 (原 为长乐师范学校 ) - No.3 Junior High School (Guhuai Town) 长乐
三 中 ,古 槐 - No.7 Junior High School (Jiangtian Town) 长乐
七 中 (或 称 长乐智 化 中学 ),江田 - No.4 Junior High School (Yutian Town) 长乐
四 中 ,玉田 - No.6 Junior High School (Yingqian Town) 长乐
六 中 ,营前 - No.5 Junior High School (Tantou Town) 长乐
五 中 ,潭头
K
Notes
[edit]- ^
福 州 至 平 潭铁路 可 研 报告获发改 委 批复, 2012-11-10 - ^ Zhao, Xiaojian (2010). The New Chinese America : Class, Economy, And Social Hierarchy. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press.
- ^
中国 气象数 据 网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 23 June 2023. - ^
中国 气象数 据 网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 23 June 2023. - ^ Changle's Government. (in Chinese)
- ^
梅花 镇入选第六批省级历史文化名镇名村.福 州 市 长乐区 人民 政府 (in Simplified Chinese). 9 January 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2020.梅花 镇地处长乐东北角 ,闽江口 南岸 突出 部 ,东濒台湾 海峡 ,与 白 犬 列 岛海域 相 邻,与 马祖列 岛互望 ,
Further reading
[edit]- Gao Yutong (
高 宇彤), ed. Changle City Annals (长乐市 志 ).中 华人民 共和 囯地方 志 . 2001.
External links
[edit]- Changle News (Chinese)