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(, Foochow Romanized: Diòng-lŏ̤h) is one of 6 urban districts of the
prefecture-level city A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. During the Republican era, many of China ...
of Fuzhou, the capital of
Fujian Province Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...
, China. It occupies a land area of and a sea area of . Changle was established in the sixth year of Emperor Wude (623 AD) during the
Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...
, and it became a county-level city on February 18, 1994. The district faces the East China Sea and is connected to Mawei district by the Min River. Due to an increase in businesses, the province is now one of the richest provinces in China. The city was upgraded to a district in August 2017 by a government proposal. Located outside downtown Fuzhou, Changle has a total population of 680,000 and is the hometown of more than 700,000 overseas Chinese.


Transportation


Air

The
Fuzhou Changle International Airport Fuzhou Changle International Airport is an international airport serving Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, China. The airport was inaugurated on 23 June 1997, after being approved to start constructing in 1992. The current handling ca ...
is a major airport located in the Zhanggang Subdistrict (formerly, Zhanggang Town) of Changle. This airport services the entire northern Fujian area, and it has regular scheduled flights to many domestic and international destinations.


Major highways

Airport Express Way (Toll Road), Shenghai Express Way and Fujian Provincial Highways S201 and S203


Railways

Presently, there are no railways in Changle. (The Fuxia Railway skirts the western edge of the district, but has no stations there). The closest railway stations are in Fuzhou. However, in November 2012 a plan has been approved for an 88.5-km-long railway from Fuzhou to
Pingtan Island Pingtan Island or Haitan Island is an island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be c ...
. The railway will run across Changle, and will have 3 stations within the district (Changle, Changle East, and Songxia ()). It is expected that the work will start by the end of 2012, and would take about five and a half years.


Demographics


Overseas Changle

Natives of Changle receive large amount of financial support from overseas, due to there being a significant population of immigrants from Changle overseas, particularly in the US and Canada. The focal point for the US is in New York City with Fuzhouese ethnic enclaves present in all five boroughs. Notable enclaves include
Little Fuzhou Little Fuzhou is a neighborhood in the Two Bridges and Lower East Side areas of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Little Fuzhou constitutes a portion of the greater Manhattan Chinatown, home to the highest concentration of Chinese peopl ...
in East Broadway of
Chinatown, Manhattan Manhattan's Chinatown () is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, bordering the Lower East Side to its east, Little Italy to its north, Civic Center to its south, and Tribeca to its west. With an estimated population of 90,000 to 1 ...
and more recently, due to gentrification, in Flushing, Queens and 8th avenue of
Sunset Park, Brooklyn Sunset Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, bounded by Park Slope and Green-Wood Cemetery to the north, Borough Park to the east, Bay Ridge to the south, and Upper New York Bay to the ...
. A 2001 study by the Changle government found that about 400,000 people from Changle and their descendants were living abroad. The area has been nicknamed the "Hometown of Overseas Chinese" due to the large number of natives that have move abroad.


Notable natives and residents

* One well known Changle native is author Shie Wan Yin, whose pen name is
Bing Xin Xie Wanying (; October 5, 1900 – February 28, 1999), better known by her pen name Bing Xin () or Xie Bingxin, was one of the most prolific Chinese women writers of the 20th century. Many of her works were written for young readers. She ...
* Changle is the ancestral home of
Zheng Zhenduo Zheng Zhenduo (Cheng Chen-to; December 19, 1898 – October 17, 1958), courtesy name Xidi, was a Chinese journalist, writer, archaeologist and scholar. His pen names were Baofen (寶芬), Guo Yuanxin (郭源新) and CT. He made a significant con ...
, a master of literature. * Naval explorer, Admiral
Zheng He Zheng He (; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferr ...


Migrant workers

Currently, there are about 200,000 non-native
migrant worker A migrant worker is a person who migrates within a home country or outside it to pursue work. Migrant workers usually do not have the intention to stay permanently in the country or region in which they work. Migrant workers who work outsi ...
s working in Changle. Many of them come from
Sichuan province Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
.


Tourist attractions

One of the attractions in Changle is the natural environment. Situated on the banks of the Min River, the region is surrounded by mountains and hills. There are many parks and trails which are destinations for locals and tourists alike. However, industrialization of the region has impacted these areas. Some of the tourist attractions include Xiasha Seaside Vocational Center, Jingang Leg, Bing Xing Literacy Archives, and Nanshan Park. A number of overseas remittances, particularly from the US, has been used to construct some of these areas, particularly the parks, over the last few years. Because of this, many of these areas are essentially new and attract a considerable number of visitors. Some attractions are: *
Zheng He Zheng He (; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferr ...
Museum and Park () * Jin Gang Tui Park (A Buddhist's Giant Leg) () * Bin Xin Museum () * Qinjiang Manzu Jie (Manchurian Vallige) () * Xiasha Beach Resort () * Xianyin Palace () * Tianfei Palace () * Hexia Street (Beneath River Street) ()


Culture


Local language

Most locals are capable of speaking both
Mandarin Chinese Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language ...
(Putonghua) and the
Fuzhou dialect Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute ...
, though Mandarin is spoken in more formal settings such as schools. At home, Fuzhou dialect is the norm. Older generations typically have a strong accent when speaking in Mandarin due to their mother tongue being the Fuzhou dialect, which does not distinguish between z and zh, c and ch, s and sh initials or n and ng finals. The younger generation prefers pop culture, arts, music and other forms of entertainment from Hong Kong and the West. The older generation of Changleners enjoy
Min Opera Min opera (; Foochow Romanized: Mìng-kiŏk), also called Fuzhou drama (; Foochow Romanized: Hók-ciŭ-hié), is one of the major traditional opera forms in Fujian Province. It enjoys a good popularity in Fuzhou, Middle Fujian, East Fujian and Nort ...
, a form of Chinese opera.


Shopping and dining

International fast food chains have been present for a long time and high end brands are trying to get in to the Fuzhounese market, with their high disposable income and expensive tastes.


Cuisine

Due to geographic location, Changle cuisine consists of a lot of seafood, such as clams, shrimps, conch, sea snails, etc. *
Fish balls Fish balls are rounded meat balls made from fish paste which are then boiled or deep fried. Similar in composition to fishcake, fish balls are often made from fish mince or surimi, salt, and a culinary binder such as tapioca flour, corn, or ...
() A ball-shaped food made from minced fish meat, egg whites, and sweet potato starch. It is known for its chewy texture and umami taste. Some fish balls contain no fillings, while others contain a filling made from minced pork and scallions. * Fish Noodles () A noodle made from fish and starch. * Bian Rou () Literally means "ground meat." It is Fujian style wonton soup. It features a thin wonton skin and a pork filling. *Rou Yan () It literally translates to “Meat Swallow”, as in the passerine birds. It is very similar to Bian Rou, but the wrapper of Rou Yan is made from pork meat. The locals use lean pork and pound it with a wooden stick, then combine sweet potato starch with the pork to make the wrapper. The fillings consist of ground pork, scallion, and sometimes small dried shrimp. The name Rou Yan or “Meat Swallow” comes from the fact that the food resembles a swallow. * Ban Mian () Noodles with a peanut butter like sauce. Although not native to Changle, Ban Mian is still common all over the district. Another common ingredient in ban mian is lard or pork fat. Although proven unhealthy, the lard adds a special fragrance to the dish. When the dish is presented to the customer, the customer is expected to mix the sauce and the noodle themselves. Because the sauce is made from a combination of soy sauce, peanut butter, and lard, it can solidify very quickly. So before eating the dish, the customer has to mix the noodle with the sauce thoroughly. Hence the dish is called Ban Mian, because Ban means mix in Chinese, and Mian means noodles. *Jia Yu Wan () Another very common and popular Changle food. The translation means "fake fish ball". It is like the traditional fish ball, with similar fillings, but the difference is from the exterior. Unlike Yun Wan or fish balls, which contain an exterior made of fish meat, the exteriors of Jia Yu Wan are made from mashed potatoes combine with sweet potato starch. Many people prefer “fake fish balls” over “fish balls” because of the contrast between the sweet exterior from the potato and the savory interior pork filling. *Ice Rice () is a traditional dessert that originated from Changle, China. It's made with a base of sweetened water and sticky rice, a layer of bean paste, and different toppings.


Administration

Changle is divided among four
subdistricts A subdistrict or sub-district is an administrative division that is generally smaller than a district. Equivalents * Administrative posts of East Timor, formerly Portuguese-language * Kelurahan, in Indonesia * Mukim, a township in Brunei, Indon ...
, twelve
towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
, and two
townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
: * Wuhang Subdistrict () * Hangcheng Subdistrict () * Zhanggang Subdistrict () * Yingqian Subdistrict () * Meihua Town (), across from
Juguang, Lienchiang Juguang Township / Jyuguang Township (; Foochow Romanized: Gṳ̄-guŏng-hiŏng), also spelled Chukuang, is a rural township of Lienchiang County (the Matsu Islands), Republic of China (Taiwan). Juguang Township includes two major islands, Dong ...
, Taiwan (ROC) * Jinfeng Town () * Tantou Town () * Yutian Town () * Jiangtian Town () * Guhuai Town () * Heshang Town () * Shouzhan Town () * Wenwusha Town () * Hunan Town () * Wenling Town () * Songxia Town () * Luolian Township () * Houyu Township ()


Education system


Colleges

* Fuzhou College of Foreign Studies and Trade, Changle Campus (Shouzhan Town) 福州外语外贸学院长乐校区,首占


High schools

* No.1 Junior High School (Wuhan Town) 长乐一中,吴航 * Huaqiao Junior High and Senior School (Wuhan Town) 长乐侨中,吴航 * No.2 Junior High School (Jinfeng Town) 长乐二中,金峰 * Changle Junior High School (formerly known as 'Changle Normal School', Wuhan Town) 长乐高级中学(原为长乐师范学校) * No.3 Junior High School (Guhuai Town) 长乐三中,古槐 * No.7 Junior High School (Jiangtian Town) 长乐七中(或称长乐智化中学),江田 * No.4 Junior High School (Yutian Town) 长乐四中,玉田 * No.6 Junior High School (Yingqian Town) 长乐六中,营前 * No.5 Junior High School (Tantou Town) 长乐五中,潭头


Climate


Notes


Further reading

* Gao Yutong (), ed. ''Changle City Annals'' (). 中华人民共和囯地方志. 2001.


External links


Changle News
(Chinese) {{authority control Districts of China County-level divisions of Fujian Fuzhou