Lianyungang () is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, China. It borders Yancheng to its southeast, Huai'an and

Suqian Suqian (, IPA: ) is a prefecture-level city in northern Jiangsu Province, China. It borders Xuzhou to the northwest, Lianyungang to the northeast, Huai'an to the south, and the province of Anhui to the west. History Suqian was said to be the si ...

to its south, Xuzhou to its southwest, and the province of

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...

to its north. Its name derives from Lian Island, the largest island in Jiangsu which lies off its coastline, and Yuntai Mountain, the highest peak in Jiangsu, a few miles from the city center, and the fact that it is a port. The name can be literally translated as the Port Connecting the Clouds. Lianyungang was home to 4,599,360 inhabitants as of the 2020 census whom 1,210,767 lived in the built-up (''or metro'') area made of Haizhou and Lianyun counties. Lianyungang was known in the West as Haichow (Postal romanization), which means the City of Sea. Haichow was opened to foreign trade by the Qing imperial government in 1905.

Geography

Lianyungang is between 118°24' and 119°48' east longitude and 34°11' and 35°07' north latitude. Lianyungang covers an area of .

Administration

The prefecture-level city of Lianyungang administers six county-level divisions, including three

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

and three counties.

Economy

Lianyungang is one of the first 14 Chinese coastal cities opening to the outside world and a rising center of industry, foreign trade, and tourism in east China. It is the eastern terminus of the New Eurasian Land Bridge and the proposed Northern East West Freight Corridor. The New Eurasia Continental Landbridge continue by land, connecting Lianyungang with over 40 countries and regions in Europe, South Asia and the Middle East by railway networks. The Lianyun-Port, in the center of the coast, links eastern sea routes with western land routes.

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and South Korea in the east can be reached economically and conveniently from Lianyungang. Near the port, the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant is one of the biggest nuclear power plants in China, with two operational units and six more planned. Lianyungang is also rich in mineral resources. Donghai County has 70% of the national reserve of natural crystal, and is manufacturing 80% of China’s crystal products. The Chinese government has stated its intention to build an economic belt along the New Eurasia Continental Landbridge in "the Ninth Five-Year Plan of the National Economy and Social Development and the Long-range Goal for the Year 2010." On "China's 21st Century Agenda", Lianyungang is to be developed into an international seaport linking countries on the Pacific rim with those in Central Asia. In the "National Ocean Development Plan" it is listed as one of three special development zones. Lianyungang Economic & Technological Development Zone was approved by the State Council as one of the first batch of state-level development zones in December 1984. It is in the eastern new seashore urban area of Liangyungang City. The distance to the nearest airport, Liangyungang Airport is and the distance to the nearest highway G310 is . Lianyungang port is . On July 18, 2019, began a construction on a large petrochemical storage dock in the Xuwei area of the port of Lianyungang.

Climate

The temperature in Lianyungang can reach average highs of 30 °C in the summer and drop to as low as −4 °C in the winter. Lianyungang’s climate is classified by Köppen and Geiger as Cwa (humid subtropical climate with dry winters). The vast majority of precipitation occurs between June and August, where it can measure up to 278mm of rainfall on average. Winter precipitation is quite low, making snowfall rare and short-lived.

Tourism

Lian Island Resort

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Lianyungang and the only AAAA-Class beachfront in Jiangsu Province, Lian Island () is a beautiful island connected to Lianyun District by a sea dyke, the longest in China. There are two main beach and swimming areas, several places to eat, as well as hotels. Lian Island is home to an annual music extravaganza featuring some of China's most famous pop stars.

Huaguo Mountain

Lianyungang is famous for its "Huaguo Shan, Shuilian Dong" () attraction. Shuiliandong literally means the "Water Curtain Hole," since, according to legend, the hole was hidden behind a waterfall, therefore resembling a "curtain of water." The hole is famous because according to legend it is the home of

Sun Wukong The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong ( zh, t=孫悟空, s=孙悟空, first=t) in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel ''Journey to the West'' ( zh, ...

, commonly known as the Monkey King from the epic novel '' Journey to the West''. In this hole, underneath the mountain is where he and his monkey subjects lived. After learning Tao, the Monkey King traveled back to the hole so that he and his subjects could eat and play for eternity. Eventually, the

Jade Emperor The Jade Emperor or Yudi ( or , ') in Chinese culture, traditional religions and myth is one of the representations of the first god ( '). In Daoist theology he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, the three ...

sent heavenly armies to battle him at this spot because of his misdeeds. While the Monkey King story is a work of fiction, Xuanzang, the monk who he accompanies on the journey of the novel, was based on a historical person.

Transport

A25 at Xugou Shopping Center (20191005075746)

Lianyungang has convenient transport including highway, railway, port and airport. It is one of the 42 major transportation hub cities in China.

Airport

Lianyungang Huaguoshan International Airport, south of downtown Lianyungang, provides scheduled passenger service to dozens of airports in China.

Railway

Lianyungang is the eastern end of the Longhai Railway (formerly the Lunghai Railway), connecting it with

Lanzhou Lanzhou (, ; ) is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. Located on the banks of the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas further west by rail to the eastern half of the country. H ...

in central China. As a major arterial east–west railway in China, it runs from Lianyungang to

Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...

through the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Shaanxi, and Gansu, covering a total length of 1,759 km. Lianyungang-Xuzhou Highspeed Railway, connecting Lianyungang and the important provincial transportation hub of Xuzhou, is under construction. The length of this railway is and the speed standard is . Qingdao-Yancheng Highspeed Railway, part of China's Coastal High-speed Railway, goes through Lianyungang. The length of this railway is 429 km and the speed standard is 200 km/h. Lianyungang-Nanjing/Zhenjiang Highspeed Railway connects Lianyungang and the provincial capital, Nanjing. The length of this railway is and the speed standard is .

Expressway

Lianyungang is the intersection of G15 Shenyang–Haikou Expressway, G25 Changchun–Shenzhen Expressway and G30 Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway.

Port

Lianyungang port is among the 10 largest ports in China and the 30 largest port in the world. The cargo throughput of Lianyungang port is 210 million ton/year (2015). The container throughput is 5 million TEU/year (2015). The port is part of the Maritime

Silk Road The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...

that runs from the Chinese coast to the south via Singapore towards the southern tip of India, to Mombasa, then through the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

to the Mediterranean with its connections to

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and Eastern Europe.The Maritime Dimension of “One Belt, One Road” in Strategic Perspective
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Notable people

Chen Qinggang Chen Qinggang (; born June 1966) is a Chinese journalist who served as the bureau chief of ''Hangzhou Daily News''. He took many photographs mainly about people's livelihood. Biography Chen was born in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province in 1966. Educ ...

(born 1966), journalist and newspaper bureau chief *

Zhong Huijuan Zhong Huijuan ( zh, s=钟慧娟; born April 1961) is a Chinese pharmaceutical executive, billionaire, and the world's richest self-made woman. She is the founder, CEO, and chair of Hansoh Pharmaceutical, which is headquartered in Lianyungang an ...

(born 1961), pharmaceutical entrepreneur

References

External links

Government website of Lianyungang

Lianyungang comprehensive guide with open directory
(Jiangsu.NET)

{{Authority control Cities in Jiangsu Prefecture-level divisions of Jiangsu Port cities and towns in China