Yangtze River Delta

Yangtze River Delta 长江三角洲
Shanghai
Nanjing
Country	CHN
Major Cities	Shanghai Nanjing Hangzhou Ningbo Suzhou Wuxi Changzhou Zhenjiang Yangzhou Taizhou Nantong Huzhou Jiaxing Shaoxing Zhoushan
Population
- Total	~92,582,426

Yangtze River Delta
Simplified Chinese	长江三角洲
Traditional Chinese	長江三角洲
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin  Chángjiāng sānjiǎozhōu (help·info) Wu - Romanization Tsankaon Saekohtseu

The Yangtze River Delta, Yangtze Delta or YRD, also called Yangzi, or Chang Jiang Delta, Rive Chang Delta Tai Lake Region or the Golden Triangle of the Yangtze, generally comprises the triangular-shaped territory of Wu-speaking Shanghai, southern Jiangsu province and northern Zhejiang province of China. The area lies at the heart of the region traditionally called Jiangnan (literally, "south of the Yangtze River"). The Yangtze river drains into the East China Sea. The urban build-up in the area has given rise what may be the largest concentration of adjacent metropolitan areas in the world. It covers an area of 99600 km² and is home to over 80 million people as of 2007, of which an estimated 50 million are urban.

Early history

Since the fourth century, when the national capital was moved to Jiankang (near today's Nanjing) at the start of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Yangtze River Delta has been a major cultural, economic, and political center of China. Hangzhou served as China's capital during the Southern Song Dynasty and Nanjing was the early capital of the Ming Dynasty before the Yongle Emperor moved the capital to Beijing. Other key cities of the region in pre-modern times include Suzhou and Shaoxing.

Population

The delta is one of the most densely populated regions on earth, and includes one of the world's largest cities on its banks—Shanghai, with a density of 2,700 inhabitants/km². Because of the large population of the delta, and factories, farms, and other cities upriver, the World Wide Fund for Nature says the Yangtze Delta is the biggest cause of marine pollution in the Pacific Ocean.

Most of the people in this region speak Wu Chinese (sometimes called Shanghainese, although Shanghainese is actually one of the dialects within the Wu group of Chinese) as their mother tongue, in addition to Mandarin. Wu is mutually unintelligible with other varieties of Chinese, including Mandarin.

The area of the Yangtze Delta incorporates twenty relatively developed municipalities in three provinces. The term can be generally used to refer to the entire region extending as far north as Lianyungang, Jiangsu and as far south as Taizhou, Zhejiang. The region includes some of the fastest-growing economies in China in recent years, and as of 2004 has occupied over 21% of China's total gross GDP^[1].

The Metropolitan Areas

Since the 9th century, the Yangtze Delta has been the most populous area in China, East Asia, and one of the most densely populated areas of the world. During the mid to late period of Tang Dynasty (618-907), the region emerged as an economic centre, and the Yangtze River Delta became the most important agricultural, handicraft industrial and economic center for the late Tang China.

Shanghai Jiaxing Huzhou Hangzhou Shaoxing Ningbo Zhoushan Suzhou Wuxi Changzhou Zhenjiang Nanjing Nantong

In Song Dynasty, especially during the South Song Dynasty period (1127–1279), with its capital situated in Lin'an (Now Hangzhou), Hangzhou became the biggest city in the East Asia (and some claim, in the world) with a population more than 1.5 million, and the economic status of the Yangtze Delta became more enhanced. Ningbo became one of the two biggest seaports in East Asia along with Quanzhou (in Fujian Province)

During the mid-late Ming Dynasty period (1368–1644), the first capitalism bud of the East Asia was born and developed in this area, although it was disrupted by the Manchurian invasion and controlled strictly and carefully by the Confucian central government in Beijing, it continued its development slowly throughout the rest of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the delta became a large financial centre for the country. And also played the most important role in Agriculture and handicraft industry.

During the Qianlong Era (1735-1796), Shanghai began developing rapidly and became the largest port in the Far East. From late 19th century to early 20th century, Shanghai was the biggest commercial center in the Far East. And the Yangtze River Delta became the first industrialized area in China. After the Chinese economic reform program, which began in 1978, Shanghai again became the most important economic center in mainland China, and is emerging to become one of Asia's centres for commerce. In modern times, the Yangtze Delta metropolitan areas are centred at Shanghai, and also flanked by the major metropolitan areas of Hangzhou, Suzhou, Ningbo, and Nanjing, home to nearly 90 million people (of which an estimated 80 million are urban residents), is the center of Chinese economic development, and surpasses other concentrations of metropolitan regions (including the Pearl River Delta) in the People's Republic of China in terms of economic growth, productivity and per capita income.

Cities

• Urban cores: Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Ningbo, Wuxi
• Jiangsu Province: Suzhou (including county-level urban centres of Changshu, Taicang, Kunshan, and Zhangjiagang), Wuxi (including county-level urban centers of Yixing and Jiangyin), Nantong (including County-level urban cores of Qidong and Tongzhou), Changzhou, Zhenjiang (including county-level urban centre of Danyang), Yangzhou, Taizhou
• Zhejiang Province: Hangzhou's county-level urban centres of Jiande, Fuyang and Lin'an; Ningbo (including county-level urban centre of Cixi), Shaoxing, Jiaxing, Huzhou, Zhoushan, Taizhou, Jinhua (including urban centre of Yiwu)
• In addition, the Shanghai districts of Minhang, Jinshan, Jiading and Pudong, although nominally "districts", are all municipal-level in administration (Pudong is sub-provincial in administrative status), and all have de facto separate urban planning systems.

City	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Wu	Population	Image	Information
Shanghai	上海	Shànghǎi	Zaonhe	23,019,148		the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people. Located on China's central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the city is administered as a municipality of the People's Republic of China with province-level status.
Nanjing (Jiangsu)	南京	Nánjīng	Noecin	8,001,680		capital of China's Jiangsu Province, and a city with a prominent place in Chinese history and culture. Nanjing (literally: 'Southern capital') served as the capital of China during several historical periods and is listed as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Nanjing was the capital of the Republic of China (ROC) before the Chinese Civil War. Nanjing is also one of the fifteen sub-provincial cities in the People's Republic of China's administrative structure, enjoying jurisdictional and economic autonomy only slightly less than that of a province.
Hangzhou (Zhejiang)	杭州	Hángzhōu	Ghaontseu	8,700,400		is a sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River Delta in the People's Republic of China, and the capital of Zhejiang province. Located 180 kilometres (112 mi) southwest of Shanghai, as of 2004 the entire Hangzhou Region ("shì", 杭州市) or Prefecture-level city had a registered population of 6.4 million people.
Suzhou (Jiangsu)	苏州/ 蘇州	Sūzhōu	Soutseu	10,465,994		is a city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction.
Ningbo (Zhejiang)	宁波/ 寧波	Níngbō	Nyinpou	7,605,689		is a seaport with sub-provincial administrative status. The city has a population of 2,182,000 and is situated in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. Lying south of the Hangzhou Bay, and facing the East China Sea to the east, Ningbo borders Shaoxing to the west and Taizhou to the south, and is separated from Zhoushan by a narrow body of water.
Nantong (Jiangsu)	南通	Nántōng	Noethon	7,282,835		is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River near the river mouth, Nantong is a vital river port bordering Yancheng to the north, Taizhou to the west, Suzhou to the south across the river, and the East China Sea to the east.
Wuxi (Jiangsu)	无锡/ 無錫	Wúxī	Vusih	6,372,624		an old city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Split into halves by Lake Taihu, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou to the north over the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south. Because of its recent development, Wuxi has been dubbed the "little Shanghai".
Changzhou (Jiangsu)	常州	Chángzhōu	Zantseu	4,591,972		a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It was also known as Yanling, Lanling, Jinling, and Wujin previously. Located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Changzhou borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Zhenjiang to the northwest, Wuxi to the east, and the province of Zhejiang to the south. The city is situated in the affluent Yangtze Delta region of China.
Zhoushan (Zhejiang)	舟山	Zhōushān	Tseuse	1,121,300		formerly transliterated as Chusan, is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. The only prefecture-level city consisting solely of islands, it lies across the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay, and is separated from the mainland by a narrow body of water.
Jiaxing (Zhejiang)	嘉兴/ 嘉興	Jiāxīng	Ciashin	4,501,700		is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Lying on the Grand Canal of China, Jiaxing borders Hangzhou to the southwest, Huzhou to the west, Shanghai to the northeast, and the province of Jiangsu to the north.
Zhenjiang (Jiangsu)	镇江/ 鎮江	Zhènjiāng	Tsenkaon	3,113,384		Once known as Jingjiang (京江, Wade-Giles Chingkiang) or Jingkou (京口 Wade-Giles Chingk'ou), Zhenjiang is today an important transportation hub owing to its location near the intersection of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal.
Huzhou (Zhejiang)	湖州	Húzhōu	Ghoutseu	2,893,500		a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Lying south of the Lake Tai, it borders Jiaxing to the east, Hangzhou to the south, and the provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu to the west and north respectively.
Shaoxing (Zhejiang)	绍兴/ 紹興	Shàoxīng	Zaushin	4,912,200		a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Lying on the south bank of the Qiantang River mouth, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west.

Transportation

The area is home to a very extensive transport network that include railways and expressways. The area has one of the highest private vehicle ownership rates in the country, and traffic rules governing Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang are relatively strict compared to the rest of the country.

Main bridges

• Donghai Bridge, Shanghai-Yangshan deep water port (Port of Shanghai), 32.5km.
• Hangzhou Bay Bridge, Ningbo-Shanghai, 36km,the world's longest cross-sea bridge
• Runyang Bridge
• Jiangyin Suspension Bridge
• Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge
• Lupu Bridge, Puxi-Pudong
• Sutong Bridge

Sea

The region is served by some of the country's largest seaports:

• Port of Shanghai, sea & river, the world's largest cargo port in 2005
• Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, sea & river, the world's 4th largest cargo port in 2005
• Port of Lianyungang, sea port (not actually situated within the delta itself, but at the northern tip of the Jiangsu coastline)
• Port of Suzhou, river & lake
• Port of Wenzhou, sea & river (not in the delta itself, but in southern Zhejiang province)

Air

The region has eight major airports, whose area of coverage is generally around an hour's drive from any point of the delta. They include:

• Shanghai Pudong International Airport, hub of China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, situated in Pudong, Shanghai.
• Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, closer to downtown Shanghai, serves domestic routes and limited international inter-city routes to other East Asian cities.
• Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, situated in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.
• Nanjing Lukou International Airport, situated in Nanjing, Jiangsu.
• Ningbo Lishe International Airport, situated in Ningbo, Zhejiang.
• Wuxi Shuofang Airport, situated in Wuxi, Jiangsu.
• Changzhou Benniu Airport, situated in Changzhou, Jiangsu.
• Nantong Airport, situated in Nantong, Jiangsu.

Road

Rail

• Jinghu railway (Beijing–Shanghai)
• Huning Railway (Shanghai-Nanjing)

High-speed Rail

• Beijing-Shanghai PDL
• Shanghai-Hangzhou PDL Part of the Hangzhou–Fuzhou–Shenzhen Passenger Dedicated Line and the Shanghai-Kunming PDL
• Shanghai–Nanjing Intercity High-Speed Railway

Bus Rapid Transit

• Hangzhou BRT
• Shanghai BRT (planning)
• Wuxi BRT (planning)

Light Rail

• Shanghai Tram

Metro

• Shanghai Metro
• Nanjing Metro
• Hangzhou Metro (Under Construction)
• Suzhou Subway (Under Construction)
• Ningbo Rail Transit (Under Construction)
• Wuxi Metro (Under Construction)
• Changzhou Metro (Planning)
• Jiaxing Metro (planning)

Suburban Rail

Climate

Shanghai
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     51   8 1     57   9 2     99   13 6     89   19 11     102   24 16     170   28 21     156   32 25     158   31 25     137   27 21     63   23 15     46   17 9     37   11 3 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     2   47 34     2.2   49 36     3.9   55 42     3.5   66 52     4   75 61     6.7   82 69     6.2   89 77     6.2   88 77     5.4   81 69     2.5   73 59     1.8   63 48     1.5   52 37 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

The Yangtze Delta has a marine monsoon subtropical climate, with hot and humid summers, cool and dry winters, and warm spring and fall. Winter temperatures can drop as low as -10°C (a record), however, and even in springtime, large temperature fluctuations can occur.

Fishing and agriculture

The Yangtze River Delta contains the most fertile soils in all of China. Rice is the dominant crop of the delta, but further inland fishing rivals it. In Qing Pu, 50 ponds, containing five different species of fish, produce 29,000 tons of fish each year. One of the biggest fears of fish farmers in this region is that toxic water will seep into their man-made lagoons and threaten their livelihood.

References

1. ^ Shanghai Vice-Mayor Zhou Yupeng: 周禹鹏：加快推进长三角城市群的连带发展 People.cn retrieved 2010-01-09

External links

• Golden Triangle extending to become a parallelogram? (Chinese) (Translate: Google, Babelfish)
• Constructing the next world megacity: The Yangtze Delta (Chinese) (Translate: Google, Babelfish)
• Growth cools in Yangtze River region
• PBS.org, Journey to Planet Earth, Yangtze River Delta, China
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)
• Economic profile for the Yangtze River Delta at HKTDC