Zhenjiang

Zhenjiang, city and port, southern Jiangsu sheng (province), China, situated on the southern bank of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). It was capital of the province in 1928–49. Pop. (2002 est.) 536,137; (2007 est.) urban agglom., 854,000.

History

Zhenjiang was the seat of feudal domains from the 8th century bc onward, having been known first as Yi and later as Zhufang and Guyang. After the Qin conquest in 221 bce, it became a county and was given the name Dantu. It first became the seat of a higher administrative division during the mid-3rd century bce. During the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo) period (220–280 ce) the Wu kingdom had a walled town constructed there, which historically was known as Jingcheng or Jingzhen (now commonly called Jingkou). Following the conquest of southern China by the Sui in 581, the town was made a garrison, commanding the entrance to the Yangtze River, and in 595 it became a full prefecture named Yanling (later Runzhou). After 780 it was the seat of a military governor, whose army was called Zhenhai.

At that time, because it was the place where the Jiangnan Canal (which in turn was connected to the Grand Canal) joined the Yangtze, its importance was greatly increased. It became the chief collecting centre for tax grain from the rich Yangtze delta region; the grain was then shipped across the Yangtze and north via the Grand Canal. Under the early Song dynasty (960–1279) it remained of strategic importance and in 975 became the military prefecture of Zhenjiang. In 1113 it was raised to the status of a superior prefecture, still called Zhenjiang. It retained this name until 1912, when it became a county under its historic name of Dantu; in 1918, however, the county was renamed Zhenjiang. In 1861 the port was opened to foreign trade as a result of the treaties of Tianjin. The old walled city expanded rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but the city’s traditional role as a port on the Grand Canal declined after the northern section of the canal went out of use in the 1850s and was replaced by sea transport. The port of Zhenjiang itself suffered badly from silting, and in the 20th century the entrance to the Jiangnan Canal became seriously obstructed.

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The city was the scene of fighting with the British in 1842 during the first Opium War (1839–42) and suffered greatly during the Taiping Rebellion (1850–64). Having been occupied by rebels in 1853, it played a vital role in their defense of their capital at Nanjing and became the centre of fierce battles, particularly in 1857–58.

The contemporary city

Despite these setbacks, Zhenjiang has remained important; it is still one of China’s busiest ports, with almost all of its trade being domestic. In addition to being connected with a dense canal and waterway system, it has been linked with Nanjing and Shanghai by rail since 1908; since 1928 it has also been linked with a road network constructed after it became the provincial capital. Its trade is based not only on the area south of the river but also on the northern part of Jiangsu. Many wholesale firms in the city provide raw materials and manufactured goods to northern Jiangsu and Anhui and collect grain, cotton, and oils from the region for transshipment to Shanghai.

Zhenjiang has become a centre of the lumber industry, the destination of huge log rafts floated down the Yangtze that are broken up there and shipped on to the consumers in the river delta and northern Jiangsu. Zhenjiang’s other industries are almost all concerned with food processing. Its large flour mills use grain from northern Jiangsu and export flour as far as China’s Northeast region. There are also oil-extraction and rice-polishing plants and a large paper pulp factory. Economic growth and the expansion of the city since the late 20th century has included the construction of a series of harbours and warehouses along the Yangtze bank and the establishment of a textile-manufacturing district in Zhenjiang’s eastern section and a high-technology industrial zone in a western suburb.

Despite the damage suffered in the 19th century, Zhenjiang has many well-known temples and other relics; important archaeological finds have also been made in the area. It boasts many sites of historic interest and scenic beauty—including Jinshan Hill on the south bank of the Yangtze; Jiao Hill, a ridgelike island in the river; and Beigu Hill at an ancient strategic point by the river, all of which are wooded and have historic Buddhist and Daoist monasteries.

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