Changzhi () is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi Province, China, bordering the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the northeast and east, respectively. Historically, the city was one of the 36 administrative areas (see Administrative Divisions of Qin Dynasty) extant under the reign of Qin Shi Huang.

Changzhi is a transportation centre in Shanxi. Transportation is facilitated by four controlled-access highways (Taiyuan-Changzhi, Changzhi-Jincheng, Changzhi-Linfen, and Changzhi-Handan); two railways (Taiyuan–Jiaozuo Railway and Handan–Changzhi Railway); three national highways (China National Highway 207, 208 and 309); and Changzhi Wangcun Airport (ITAT Code: CIH, ICAO Code: ZBCZ). Internal transportation also includes a bus and taxi network.

The city is a rising commercial and industrial centre in the southeastern area of Shanxi. In 2011, its GDP ranked 1st out of 11 prefecture-level cities in the province. According to the latest census, in 2020 the city was home to 3,180,884 residents whom 1,214,940 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of Luzhou and Shangdang Districts. The other 2 urban districts Tunliu and Lucheng are not conurbated yet.

History

In ancient times, the area around Changzhi (Including Jincheng) was known as Shangdang. In the twenty-first year of King Xian of Zhou (348 BC), the Shangdang Commandery was established in roughly the area of modern-day city.

Changzhi was the site of the 1945 Shangdang Campaign, the first battle between the Kuomintang and the People's Liberation Army after the end of World War II. The campaign, which happened from August to October 1945, when the local Shanxi warlord, Yan Xishan, attempted to retake the region from Communist forces. Yan's forces were eventually defeated by an army led by Liu Bocheng, who was later named one of China's Ten Great Marshals. Liu's political commissar was Deng Xiaoping, who later became China's "paramount leader". The campaign ended with the complete destruction of Yan's army (Jinsui army, 晋绥军), most of which joined the Communists after surrendering. Following the Shangdang Campaign, the Communists remained in control of the region until they won the civil war in 1949.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" align="center"

!colspan="8" align="center" | Map

|-

|colspan="8" align="center" | <div style="position: relative" class="center">

</div>

|-

! Name

! Hanzi

! Hanyu Pinyin

! Population (2003 est.)

! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)

! Density (/km<sup>2</sup>)

|-

|Luzhou District

|

|Lùzhōu Qū

|706,000

|340.6

|2072.8

|-

|Lucheng District

|

|Lùchéng Qū

|210,000

|615

|341

|-

|Shangdang District

|

|Shàngdǎng Qū

|320,000

|483

|663

|-

|Tunliu District

|

|Túnliú Qū

|240,000

|1,042

|230

|-

|Xiangyuan County

|

|Xiāngyuán Xiàn

|250,000

|1,158

|216

|-

|Pingshun County

|

|Píngshùn Xiàn

|160,000

|1,550

|103

|-

|Licheng County

|

|Líchéng Xiàn

|160,000

|1,166

|137

|-

|Huguan County

|

|Húguān Xiàn

|280,000

|1,013

|276

|-

|Zhangzi County

|

|Zhǎngzǐ Xiàn

|340,000

|1,029

|330

|-

|Wuxiang County

|

|Wǔxiāng Xiàn

|210,000

|1,610

|130

|-

|Qin County

|

|Qìn Xiàn

|170,000

|1,297

|131

|-

|Qinyuan County

|

|Qìnyuán Xiàn

|150,000

|2,556

|59

|}

  • Defunct – Jiao District () is largely made up of suburban surround the city center of the metropolitan area.

Geography

thumb|A view of the [[Taihang Mountains in Changzhi]]

Changzhi is located in southeastern Shanxi province, along the southern section of the Taihang Mountains. The majority of the city's area is mountainous, and much of the remaining geography is hilly in nature. with cold and very dry winters, and very warm, somewhat humid summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from in January to in July, and the annual mean is . Typifying the influence of the East Asian Monsoon, a majority of the annual of precipitation occurs from June to August.The annual sunshine hours are 2400–2600 hours, and the average annual frost-free period is 160–180 days.

Pollution

Changzhi's air quality index is monitored by China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and its city government. A record of daily air quality is published by the local government.

In 2013, a major chemical spill occurred at a fertilizer plant in Changzhi operated by Tianji Coal Chemical Industry Group, polluting major waterways in the region, and impacting areas downstream, such as the city of Handan. Government officials in Handan blamed the city government of Changzhi for covering up the spill for five days, and remaining silent on the spill for the subsequent two months.

Education

Higher education

  • Changzhi Medical College
  • Changzhi College

High schools

  • Changzhi No.1 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.2 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.3 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.4 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.5 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.6 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.7 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.8 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.9 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.10 Middle School
  • Changzhi Experimental Middle School
  • Changzhi No.12 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.13 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.14 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.15 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.16 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.17 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.18 Middle School
  • Changzhi No.19 Middle School
  • Tai-Hang Middle School (Subsidiary Middle School of Changzhi College)

Transportation

Expressways

Portions of three National Highways run through Changzhi: China National Highway 207, China National Highway 208, and China National Highway 309.

Railway

  • Taiyuan–Jiaozuo high-speed railway
  • Taiyuan–Jiaozuo Railway
  • Handan–Changzhi Railway

Airport

  • Changzhi Wangcun Airport Changzhi Wangcun Airport is a civil-military airport located 7.5 kilometers north of Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, China, and is operated and managed by Shanxi Civil Aviation Airport Group. It is an important aviation port in Shanxi Province and a national second-class civil aviation airport. It plays a very prominent role in the great practice of transformation and leapfrog development of the city and even the province.

Notable people

  • Faxian (334–420), a native of Wuyang, Pingyang County, Sizhou, Eastern Jin Dynasty (now Linfen area, Shanxi Province), was a famous monk in the history of Chinese Buddhism, an outstanding Buddhist reformer, the first Chinese master to go overseas to seek Buddhist scriptures and Dharma, and an outstanding traveler and translator.
  • Li Yueru, WNBA center for the Los Angeles Sparks
  • Official website of Changzhi Government

Notes and references