'Quzhou' () is a
prefecture-level city in southwestern
Zhejiang province,
China. Sitting on the upper course of the
Qiantang River, it borders
Hangzhou to the north,
Jinhua to the east,
Lishui to the southeast, and the provinces of
Fujian,
Jiangxi and
Anhui to the south the south, southwest and northwest respectively.
Administration
The
prefecture-level city of Quzhou administers 2
districts, 1
county-level city, and 3
counties.
★
Kecheng District (柯城区)
★
Qujiang District (衢江区)
★
Jiangshan City (江山市)
★
Changshan County (常山县)
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Kaihua County (开化县)
★
Longyou County (龙游县)
Geography
The centre of Quzhou sits on a broad agricultural plain based on the
Qiantang River. The river is known locally as the Qu River (衢江). It flows roughly southwest for 81.5 km and is flanked on both sides by hills. Almost all the rivers of Quzhou feed into the Qiantang system, which ultimately empties into
Hangzhou Bay.
The terrain is higher in the west and the east. The territory of Quzhou Municipality is made up of plains (15%), hills (36%), and mountains (49%). In the north is the
Qianli Gang (千里岗) mountain range and in the west the
Yu Mountains (玉山脉). The highest mountains, the
Xianxia Ling (仙霞岭) mountain range, lie in the south. The highest point in the city is at
Dalong Gang (大龙岗), which rises to 1,500 m above sea level.
70.7% of the land is covered with forest. The rest is densely irrigated and farmed, producing
citrus fruits,
tea and
mulberry leaves.
Climate
Quzhou has a temperate climate, with clearly differentiated seasons. Its winters and summers are relatively long. The land also enjoys a great deal of rain throughout all seasons, but particularly between March and June. In most years the municipality can expect 1843 mm of rain. Average temperatures range from 16.3 to 17.3 degrees. January temperatures average 4.5-5.3 degrees whilst July temperatures are 27.6-29.2. Most of the year (around 251-261 days) are without frost. Winds along the Qiantang River valley are predominantly north-easterly and north-east-easterly. Occasionally
typhoons blow in from the
Pacific Ocean.
Tourism
★ Ancestral Temple of the Southern Confucian Clan
★
Lanke Mountain, 10 km southeast of the city proper. It features green peaks and clear waters, and the huge rocks on top of the mountain support a horizontal rock to form a natural arch, the
Tiansheng Bridge ("Nature-Formed").
Demographics
As of 2003, Quzhou municipality registered a population of 2,413,500. The vast majority are
Han Chinese (99.16%) but there are also small minorities of
She (0.73%) and
Hui,
Zhuang,
Manchu and
Miao (together making up 0.1%). Most of the people in Quzhou are engaged in agriculture (2,035,100). The genders are roughly evenly split. Population density is 273 people per km².
Transportation
Quzhou is well served by both railways and highways. The city of Quzhou is a major connection hub between the three provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi and Fujian, with the
Zhegan Railroad running through southern Quzhou and the
Qu River flowing past northern Quzhou. A local saying goes: "Four provinces through Qu, it's the head of five roads" (四省通衢、五路总头).
Quzhou is served by an airport, which flies to various domestic destinations.
External links
★
Government website of Quzhou (available in Chinese and English)
★
Brief Introduction of Quzhou
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