Lianjiang County

Lianjiang (zh-tspw|t=連江|s=连江|p=Liánjiāng|w=Lien²-chiang¹; BUC: Lièng-gŏng) is a county on the coast of Fujian Province, China. Most of the county is controlled by the People's Republic of China (PRC), while a number of outlying islands, collectively referred to as the Matsu Islands, are administered as a separate Lienchiang County (same name but in Wade-Giles Romanization) by the Republic of China (ROC), based in Taiwan since 1949. As a result, the county has two governments governing separate jurisdictions.

See Matsu Islands for a description of ROC-governed Lienchiang County.

PRC jurisdiction:
* Capital: Fengcheng Town
* Population: 620,000
* Area: 1168.1 km²
* Geographic coordinates: 26°03'-26°27' N, 119°17'-120°31' E

Townships

The PRC governs 14 townships (镇) and 7 rural townships (乡):
* Fengcheng Township (凤城镇) "Phoenix City Township"
* Mabi Township (马鼻镇) "Horse Snout Township"
* Danyang Township (丹阳镇)
* Dongdai Township (东岱镇)
* Donghu Township (东湖镇) "East Lake Township"
* Guanban Township (官坂镇) (Traditional: 官阪)
* Tailu Township (苔菉镇)
* Aojiang Township (敖江镇) "Ao River Township"
* Pukou Township (浦口镇) "River Mouth Township"
* Toubao Township (透堡镇)
* Huangqi Township (黄岐镇)
* Xiao'ao Township (晓澳镇)
* Guantou Township (琯头镇 Guàntóu): officially Guāntou (倌头)
* Xiaocheng Township (筱埕镇 Xiǎochéng)
* Xiagong Rural Township (下宫乡)
* Xiaocang She Nationality Rural Township (小沧畲族乡) (Traditional: 小滄佘族鄉)
* Changlong Rural Township (长龙乡) "Long Dragon Township"
* Ankai Rural Township (安凯乡)
* Kengyuan Rural Township (坑园乡)
* Liaoyan Rural Township (蓼沿乡)
* Pandu Rural Township (潘渡乡)

These townships are divided into 266 villages.

History

Lianjiang, in 282, during the Jin Dynasty, was Wenma, named after a shipyard there, Wensha Ship-hamlet (溫麻船屯). It was incorporated into Min Prefecture (閩縣) in 607, during the Sui Dynasty.

Wenma was changed to the present name and made its own county during in 623, during the Tang Dynasty, when Baisha (白沙) or Fusha (伏沙) of Aojiang was the capital of Lianjiang County. The capital was changed to Fengcheng as today in 742.

After the Republic of China was established, Lianjiang switched back and forth numerous times between two special regions:
* Minhou Special Region (閩侯專區) (total 18 years)
* Fu'an (Ningde) Special Region (福安（寧德）專區) (total 16 years)

In 1949, the county was split in two due to the Chinese Civil War, as it remains today.

Beginning on July 1, 1983, the PRC side reverted control to Fuzhou Municipality.

Culture

Residents of Lianjiang, both mainland and Matsu speak Fuzhou dialect, a branch of Eastern Min. The dialect is also known as Bàng-uâ (平話).

Geography

Coastline length: 209 km

Economy

Food products:
* Farm: loquats, rice, sweet potato, bean, cotton, sugar cane, tea plant, jasmine, watermelon, mushroom, grapes.
* Sea: rhubarb, hairtail, shad, pomfret, cuttlefish, garoupa, prawn, crab, clam.
* Other: Yuanhong wine (“元紅”)

Transportation

104 national roads in 500,300 metres. 42,600-metre navigable river length.

Guantou and Kemen (可門) are the largest seaports in Lianjiang with national access.

Tourism

There are hot springs in Gui'an (貴安) and Tanghui (湯尾) of Pandu. There is a Dragon King Palace-Temple (龍宮廟) in the Xiaocang She Nationality Rural Township.

External links

* [http://www.fjta.com/fuzhou/lianjiang/ Tourism] (in Simplified Chinese)
* [http://www.matzu-nsa.gov.tw/ Tourism] (Matsu National Scienic Area)
* [http://www.matsu.gov.tw/ County Official Website (ROC)] (in Traditional Chinese)