Published on : 29/07/2023
The Greater Bay Area covers 11 cities, and do you know all these places?
Speaking of Zhaoqing (肇慶), you may first think of the beautiful landscape of Dinghu Mountain and Seven-Star Crags.
Do you know that Zhaoqing is also a famous inkstone production base in China and is even referred to as one of the most livable cities? What makes Zhaoqing special?
140,000 years of history: Origin of ancient Lingnan indigenous culture
Zhaoqing, one of the historical and cultural cities of the Greater Bay Area, has records of human activity dating back about 140,000 years and is one of the cradles of the culture of the ancient indigenous people of Lingnan.
The ancient name of Zhaoqing was "Duanzhou" (端州), which was named during the Sui Dynasty, and was later bestowed by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty as "Xingqing" (興慶).
The name was later changed to "Zhaoqing" and has been in use ever since, meaning "Beginning Auspiciousness".
From the Ming to Qing dynasties, Zhaoqing, where the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi resided, lasted for over 180 years and was also the capital of the Southern Ming Yongli Dynasty.
15,056 sq kilometres: The largest area in the Greater Bay Area
Zhaoqing is located in the western part of Guangdong Province, bordering with Foshan and Jiangmen in the east, connected to Qingyuan in the north, and connected to Yunfu in the southwest.
It belongs to the prefecture-level city, with a total area of 15,056 square kilometres, ranking first among the 11 cities in the Greater Bay Area, followed by Huizhou.
Zhaoqing has jurisdiction over 3 districts (Duanzhou District, Dinghu District, Gaoyao District), 4 counties (Guangning County, Deqing County, Fengkai County, Huaiji County), one county-level city under its administration (Sihui), and 3 functional areas (Zhaoqing High-tech Zone, Zhaoqing New Area, and Guangxi-Guangdong Cooperation Special Pilot Zone).
The population is about 4.13 million, ranking ninth in the Greater Bay Area, just behind Zhongshan.
In addition to the Han Chinese, there are also other 47 ethnic minorities living here, including Zhuang, Yao, Hui, Tujia, Miao, Manchu, Uighur, Uzbek, with a population of about 22,000.
Zhaoqing is also a hometown of longevity. According to statistics, as of 2022, there are more than 200 people who are over 100 years old, with the largest number of people, 70, in Huaiji County.
15.81 million acres: The highest forest coverage rate in the Greater Bay Area
As the largest city in terms of area in the Greater Bay Area and even the Pearl River Delta region, Zhaoqing enjoys superior natural geographical conditions.
The forest resources area exceeds 15.81 million acres, with a forest coverage rate reaching 70%, making it the city with the largest forest area and highest coverage rate in the Greater Bay Area, earning it the reputation of a natural "Green Lung".
Currently, the total number of various types of national nature reserves across China has reached 2,750, among which, the first to be listed as a national nature reserve in 1956 is Dinghu Mountain in Zhaoqing.
Dinghu Mountain is also the only nature reserve affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
7 types of tourism resources: A rich array of humanistic culture and historical monuments
Apart from the beautiful landscape, Zhaoqing is also enriched with splendid humanistic culture.
The long history of city construction has left Zhaoqing with numerous scenic spots and historical sites, making it one of China's first outstanding tourist cities.
The tourism resources of Zhaoqing are diverse and abundant, which overall can be divided into seven categories, including mountainous and geological landscapes, water bodies and island landscapes, natural ecological landscapes, historical and cultural landscapes, humanistic and religious landscapes, leisure and vacation landscapes, and rural cultural landscapes.
60 types of minerals: Duan inkstone ranks first among China
Thanks to its unique geographical environment, Zhaoqing is rich in mineral resources.
As of 2020, 60 types of minerals have been discovered, and the cumulative number of discovered mineral sites is close to 500.
The main mineral resources include gold, copper, iron, rare earths, etc., mainly distributed in Gaoyao District, Huaiji County, Fengkai County, etc. Non-metallic minerals include limestone for cement, limestone for flux, gypsum, kaolin, inkstone, granite, etc.
Among them, inkstone is a unique craft viewing stone mineral in Zhaoqing.
The "Duan inkstone" (端硯) produced in Zhaoqing is the best among China's four famous inkstones, with the main feature being fast ink dispensing and not drying up too quickly.
In 2006, the "Duan Inkstone Production Technique" was included in the national intangible cultural heritage.
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