Yangzhou

Yangzhou (Chinese 揚州市 / 扬州市, pinyin Yángzhōu Shì) is a district-free city in the Chinese province of Jiangsu. It is located on the Yangtze River. Its administrative area has an area of 6,591 km² and just under 4.5 million inhabitants (as of the end of 2010).

Yangzhou is located about 70 km from Nanjing. In the past, it was an important hub for the salt trade. Due to its position directly on the Emperor's Canal, it became a very prosperous and powerful trading city in the Middle Ages. With the introduction of railway lines in China, it lost its importance as a major trading hub. Marco Polo (allegedly) spent several years here as governor for the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty.

Today, Yangzhou is known nationwide for the three gardens of Shouxihu Gongyuan, Ge Yuan and He Yuan. These classical-style gardens from the Tang period attract most tourists from within the country. Outside of China, Yangzhou is highly respected in Japan. One of the most important missionaries of the Buddhist faith to Japan was Jianzhen, a monk from Daming Si Monastery not far from the city limits. You can see the Japanese influence in three large pagodas, which are a gift from Japan and reflect the architectural style of Japanese pagodas.

The city was a cultural stronghold from the 10th to the 14th century and many important poets and artists of the time worked and lived in the city. Well known is the school of painters of the Eight Eccentrics, of which pictures can be seen in the Yangzhou Museum.

Also of cultural-historical importance are the preserved Islamic tombs from the Song period on the banks of the Changjiang.

The former President of the People's Republic of China Jiang Zemin was born in Yangzhou in 1926.

Administrative division

At the county level, Yangzhou is composed of three urban districts, one county and two independent cities (population figures: 2010 census). These are:

• Guangling Municipality (广陵区), 468 km², population 341,043, seat of municipal government, city center;
• Hanjiang Municipality (邗江区), 553 km², population 576,909;
• Jiangdu Municipality (江都区), 1,330 km², population 1,006,372;
• Baoying County (宝应县), 1,461 km², population 752,425, capital: Anyi Metropolitan Municipality (安宜镇);
• Yizheng city (仪征市), 857 km², population 564,021;
• Gaoyou city (高邮市), 1,922 sq km, population 744,685.

During the 2010 census, the municipality of Weiyang still existed with a population of 474,611. It was dissolved in October 2011.

Sports

The city is home to the 5500-seat Yangzhou Sports Center Gym. The Yangzhou-Jianzhen Half Marathon (named after the monk Jianzhen) has been held since 2006.