Yancheng (), formerly known as Yandu, is a
prefecture-level city
A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province of China, province and above a Counties of the People's Republic of China, county in China's ...
in the
eastern
Eastern or Easterns may refer to:
Transportation
Airlines
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...
coastal
Jiangsu
Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
,
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. As the city with the largest jurisdictional area in Jiangsu, Yancheng borders
Lianyungang
Lianyungang () is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province of China, province, China. It borders Yancheng to its southeast, Huai'an and Suqian to its south, Xuzhou to its southwest, and the province of Shandong to its north. Its ...
to the north,
Huai'an
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to the west,
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou, Jiangsu, ...
and
Taizhou to the southwest,
Nantong
Nantong is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Jiangsu province, China. Located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, near the river mouth. Nantong is a vital river port bordering Yancheng to the north; Taizhou to the west; Suzhou, Wux ...
to the south, and the
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea.
Names
It is one of four ...
to the east. Formerly a county, the current Yancheng city was founded on January 18, 1983.
Yancheng, literally "Salt City", is named after the
salt
In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
harvest fields surrounding the city. According to historical records, collection and production of sea salt in the region began as early as 119 BC, during the
Western Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) and a warring in ...
, when the settlement on the current location of Yancheng was named Yandu County (). According to the
2020 census, Yancheng had a
registered population of 6,709,629, with 1,733,591 inhabitants in its built up area comprising the districts of Tinghu and Yandu.
Administration
The
prefecture-level city
A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province of China, province and above a Counties of the People's Republic of China, county in China's ...
of Yancheng administers nine
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 ...
, one
county-level city
A county-level city () is a County-level divisions of China, county-level administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China. County-level cities have judiciary, judicial but no legislature, legislative rights over their own local or ...
and five
counties
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
. The population information here presented uses 2010 census data of permanent residents.
History
Yancheng has a history of 2,100 years since the first canton was founded here in the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
at the year 119 BC. It was named for the salt reserves in rivers around the area, its name literally meaning "Salt City". In later years, the city was the home of
Fan Zhongyan
Fan Zhongyan (5 September 989 – 19 June 1052), courtesy name Xiwen (), was an accomplished statesman, writer, scholar, and reformer of the northern Song dynasty. After serving multiple regional posts and at the imperial court for over two de ...
, the 12th century statesman and
Shi Nai'an
Shi Nai'an (, –1372) was a Chinese writer from the Yuan and early Ming periods. ''Shuihu zhuan'' ('' Water Margin''), one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, is traditionally attributed to him. There are few reliable ...
, the reputed author of famous novels.
Yancheng was in the limelight during the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...
from the 1930s to 1940s. The
New Fourth Army
The New Fourth Army (N4A) () was a military unit nominally under the banner of the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Republic of China, established in 1937 as part of the Second United Front against Japan.
However, in practice, the New ...
led by the
Chinese Communist Party
The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
was reestablished in Yancheng after being ambushed and battered by the enemy. After the revival, the Army played a very important role in the war and finally the foundation of the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. Many monuments in honor of these heroes can still be found around Yancheng.
Chenjiagang Chemical Industry Park explosions
A
major fire and explosion accident happened in March 2019, killing 78 people and severely injuring at least 94. Around 640 people required hospital treatment and were taken to 16 hospitals. The facility—located in Yancheng's industrial park—was operated by Tianjiayi Chemical (江苏天嘉宜化工有限公司), and was used to produce fertilizer
or pesticides.
Tianjiayi Chemical had previously been penalized six times for infractions of pollution and waste management laws,
and ''
China Daily
''China Daily'' ( zh, s=中国日报, p=Zhōngguó Rìbào) is an English-language daily newspaper owned by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party.
Overview
''China Daily'' has the widest print circulation of any ...
'' reported fines over safety issues. According to the ''
South China Morning Post
The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...
'', this plant paid bribes, paid journalists and local officials so this chemical plant could remain open without any negative publicity or reasons to shut down.
On 27 November 2007, an explosion occurred in one of the chemical factories in Chenjiagang Chemical Zone (陈家港生态化工园区), with seven killed and around 50 injured. On 23 November 2010, more than thirty were poisoned by a toxic gas release.
[
] In the early morning of 11 February 2011, rumors of toxic chemical release and potential imminent explosions in the Chenjiagang Chemical Industry Park led over ten thousand residents to evacuate in panic from the towns of Chenjiagang and Shuanggang (双港镇) during which four people died and many were injured.
On the afternoon of May 18 and again on July 26 in 2011, there were explosions at local factories.
Geography

Yancheng occupies roughly of coastline, more than half of the whole province. By the end of the
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic i ...
period, the
marine transgression
A marine transgression is a geologic event where sea level rises relative to the land and the shoreline moves toward higher ground, resulting in flooding. Transgressions can be caused by the land sinking or by the ocean basins filling with water ...
s changed almost of the area into a shallow bay. Continued deposition of silt carried by the Yangtze River and the Huai River extend its coast to the east gradually. Since 1128, the course of the Yellow River have changed to join up with the Huai River. The change has accelerated.
Climate
Typical of northern and central Jiangsu, Yancheng has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Cfa/Cwa''), strongly influenced by the
East Asian Monsoon. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from in January to in July, with the annual mean at .
A majority of the mean annual precipitation of is distributed in June thru August.
Transportation
Road
Expressways
*
G15 Shenyang–Haikou Expressway
The Shenyang–Haikou Expressway (), designated as G15 and commonly referred to as the Shenhai Expressway () is an expressway in China that connects the cities of Shenyang, Liaoning, and Haikou, Hainan. When fully complete, it will be in lengt ...
* G15
15 Yancheng–Jingjiang Expressway
* G15
16 Yancheng–Luoyang Expressway
National Highway
*
China National Highway 204
Railway
Xinyi-Changxing Railway runs through the city.
Buses
The
BRT
BRT may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Bayrak Radio Television, a Turkish Cypriot broadcaster
* Belgische Radio- en Televisieomroep (now ''VRT''), a Flemish broadcaster
* Business Research and Training Center (BR&T), Ho Chi Minh Cit ...
system of Yancheng uses a dedicated bus lane on a route and as of 2010 carries 33,000 passengers per day. The first line went into service in 2010.
The Yancheng District SRT Line 1 began testing in March 2021 and officially opened for trial operation on 16 April 2021 with a 17-station, route. The line uses the
Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit
Autonomous rail rapid transit (ART) is a lidar (light detection and ranging) guided bi-articulated bus system for urban passenger transport. Developed and manufactured by CRRC through CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd, it was unveiled in Zhuzh ...
system with four-segment 320 passenger guided vehicles. During the trial operation, the B3 line of Yancheng City Public Transport Company will run on the same line as the SRT.
Air
Yancheng Nanyang International Airport
Yancheng Nanyang International Airport is an airport serving the city of Yancheng in East China’s Jiangsu province. It is located in the town of Nanyang ( zh, s=南洋, labels=no), from the city center. Commercial domestic flights started ...
now flies directly to Shanghai and Beijing, as well as flying directly to Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and so on.
Education
Universities and colleges
* Yancheng Institute of Technology
* Yancheng Teachers University
High schools
*
Jiangsu Yancheng Wuyou Senior High School
*
Jiangsu Yancheng Middle School
*
Jiangsu Yancheng Jingshan Middle School
*
Tinghu High School of Jiangsu Province
* Jiangsu Funing Middle School
* Jiangsu Yancheng NO.1 Middle School
Tourism
Outdoor activities include the Yancheng
wetland
A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
s and
salt marsh
A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. I ...
es, home to some unique and endangered species, including
Père David's deer
The Père David's deer (''Elaphurus davidianus''), also known as the ''milu'' () or elaphure, is a species of deer native to the subtropical river valleys of China. It grazes mainly on grass and aquatic plants. It is the only extant member of t ...
and the
red-crowned crane
The red-crowned crane (''Grus japonensis''), also called the Manchurian crane (; the Chinese character '丹' means 'red', '頂/顶' means 'crown (anatomy), crown' and '鶴/鹤' means 'crane'), is a large East Asian Crane (bird), crane among the ...
. There is also a famous food street in east road springing up in recent years in which there are many restaurants in the style of Huizhou architecture.
Notable people
*
Lu Xiufu
Lu Xiufu (8 November 1236 – 19 March 1279), courtesy name Junshi (), was a Chinese statesman and military commander who lived in the final years of the Song dynasty. Originally from Yancheng (present-day Jianhu County) in Jiangsu Province, al ...
*
Qiao Guanhua
Qiao Guanhua ( zh, s=乔冠华, w=Ch'iao Kuan-hua; March 28, 1913 – September 22, 1983
*
Hu Qiaomu
Hu Qiaomu (4 June 1912 – 28 September 1992) was a Chinese sociologist, Marxist philosopher and politician.
Hu Qiaomu is a controversial figure for opposing the reform and opening up era of economic reform that followed the death of Mao Zedon ...
*
Hau Pei-tsun
Hau Pei-tsun ( zh, c=郝柏村, p=Hǎo Bócūn, 8 August 1919 – 30 March 2020) was a Chinese politician and military officer who was the Premier of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1 June 1990 to 27 February 1993, and the longest-serving Chi ...
*
Taylor Wang
*
Wei Yi
Wei Yi (; born 2 June 1999) is a Chinese chess grandmaster. Wei became a grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 8 months and 23 days, the 9th youngest in history. He is the youngest player ever to reach a rating of 2700, accomplishing this feat ...
*
Luo Xiaojuan
Luo Xiaojuan (骆晓娟, Luò Xiǎojuān, born 12 June 1984) is a Chinese épée fencer.
Luo won the gold medal in the épée team event at the 2006 World Fencing Championships after beating France in the final. She accomplished this with her ...
*
Xu Sihai
Xu Sihai (c. 1946 – June 5, 2020) was a Chinese teapot creator, artisan, collector, and curator. Xu was an expert and authority on Yixing clay teapot, purple clay teapots, also known as the Yixing clay teapot. In 1992, Xu founded the Sihai Teapot ...
– purple tea pot expert and curator
*
Yang Chaoyue
Sister cities and twin towns
Yancheng is
twinned with the following domestic and foreign cities and towns.
Domestic
*
Turpan
Turpan () or Turfan ( zh, s=吐鲁番) is a prefecture-level city located in the east of the Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of Xinjiang, China. It has an area of and a population of 693,988 (2020). The historical center of the ...
,
Xinjiang
Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
*
Taiyuan
Taiyuan; Mandarin pronunciation: (Jin Chinese, Taiyuan Jin: /tʰai˦˥ ye˩˩/) is the capital of Shanxi, China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. It is an industrial base foc ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...
* Yanbei Prefecture, Shanxi
*
Qinzhou
Qinzhou ( postal: Yamchow or Yen Chow, , Jyutping: ''Jam1 zau1'' ( Canton) /''Ham1 zau1'' (Local) ) is a prefecture-level city in south-central Guangxi, southern China, lying on the Gulf of Tonkin and having a total population of 3,302,238 as ...
,
Guangxi
Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...
*
Wuxi
Wuxi ( zh, s=无锡, p=Wúxī, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu, China. As of the 2024 census, it had a population of 7,495,000. The city lies in the southern Yangtze delta and borders Lake Tai. Notable landmarks include Lihu Park, the Mt. Lings ...
,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...
*
Xicheng District
Xicheng () is a district of the city of Beijing. Its cover the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road; the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 1,106,214 inhabitants (2020 Census). It ...
,
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
*
Zhuhai
Zhuhai; Yale romanization of Cantonese, Yale: ''Jyūhói''; Chinese postal romanization, also known as Chuhai is a prefecture-level city located on the west bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern ...
,
Guangdong
) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
*
Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao (; zh, s=秦皇岛, link=no) is a port city on the coast of China in northern Hebei. It is administratively a prefecture-level city, about east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea. Its population d ...
,
Hebei
Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...
*
Jilin
)
, image_skyline = Changbaishan Tianchi from western rim.jpg
, image_alt =
, image_caption = View of Heaven Lake
, image_map = Jilin in China (+all claims hatched).svg
, mapsize = 275px
, map_al ...
,
Jilin
)
, image_skyline = Changbaishan Tianchi from western rim.jpg
, image_alt =
, image_caption = View of Heaven Lake
, image_map = Jilin in China (+all claims hatched).svg
, mapsize = 275px
, map_al ...
*
Yan'an
Yan'an; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi Province of China, province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers several c ...
, Shaanxi
*
Yangjia, Shanxi
*
Haikou
Haikou; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanized as Hoihow is the capital city, capital and most populous city of the Chinese province of Hainan. Haikou city is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. ...
,
Hainan
Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...
* Dachuan,
Sichuan
Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
*
Changning District
Changning (; ) is one of the seven List of administrative divisions of Shanghai, downtown districts of Shanghai, China. It has a land area of and had a population of 620,000 . The district government is located at 1320 Yuyuan Rd.
Economy
Numero ...
,
Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
*
Lhasa
Lhasa, officially the Chengguan District of Lhasa City, is the inner urban district of Lhasa (city), Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, Southwestern China.
Lhasa is the second most populous urban area on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining ...
,
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
*
Dandong
Dandong ( zh, s=丹东 , t=丹東 , p=Dāndōng; lit. "Red East"), formerly known as Andong, is a coastal prefecture-level city in southeastern Liaoning province, in the northeastern region of the People's Republic of China.
It is the largest ...
, Liaoning
*
Xuhui District
Xuhui District is a core urban district of Shanghai. It has a land area of and a population of 1,113,078 as of 2020. Xuhui District has 12 subdistricts and two townships.
The Xuhui District is named after its namesake, the historic area of X ...
, Shanghai
International
*
Chieti
Chieti (, ; , , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Southern Italy, east of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti, in the Abruzzo, Abruzzo region.
In Italian, the adjectival form is ''teatino'' and inhabitants of Chieti ar ...
, Italy (1992)
*
Namwon
Namwon (, ) is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Namwon is about 50 minutes from the provincial capital of Jeonju, which is almost three hours away from Seoul. The official city flower is Royal Azalea () while the city tree is the ...
, South Korea (1998)
*
Deva
Deva may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Deva, List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters, an ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition monster
* Deva, in the 2023 Indian film ''Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefir ...
, Romania (1998)
*
Kashima, Japan (2002)
*
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, United States (2003)
*
Čakovec
Čakovec (; ; ; ) is a city in Northern Croatia, located around north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital, and close to the borders with Slovenia and Hungary. Čakovec is both the county seat and the largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmo ...
, Croatia (2022)
In addition, the
county-level city
A county-level city () is a County-level divisions of China, county-level administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China. County-level cities have judiciary, judicial but no legislature, legislative rights over their own local or ...
of
Dafeng
Dafeng District () is a coastal district in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, China. Located on the Jiangsu North Plain with a coastline of , Dafeng was historically one of the largest salt-making areas in China and now is famed for its well preserved ...
, administered by Yancheng, is also twinned with
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno (; ; ) is a (municipality) and capital of the province of Ascoli Piceno, in the Italy, Italian region of Marche.
Geography
The town lies at the confluence of the Tronto, River Tronto and the small Castellano (river), River Castell ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
(September 2001) and
Guri
Guri (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is located immediately to the east of Seoul, in the heart of the Capital Metropolitan Area.
The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are located in the city. The hill of Achasan is also ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
(February 20, 2003) respectively.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Cities in Jiangsu
Yangtze River Delta
Prefecture-level divisions of Jiangsu
National Civilized City