Liuyang is one of the most developed counties and county-level cities, it is one of the best developed manufacturing counties and county-level cities in the province, the manufacturing industry is its economic pillar. Liuyang's manufacturing engines are electronic and information, biomedicine, machinery manufacture, fireworks and firecrackers, food and beverage, materials and energy, furniture and decoration. For example, the gross domestic product of Liuyang in 2015 was CN¥111.28 billion (US$17.87 billion). Of this total, the value added of the manufacturing industry was CN¥71.37 billion (US$11.46 billion), shares 64.14 percentage of its GDP.[6]Fireworks and firecrackers have being been its traditional industry.
Fireworks and firecrackers originated in Liuyang and it has always been the centre of fireworks production in China, spanning more than 1,400 years.[7] Fireworks sales by Liuyang account for about half of China's gross sales of CN¥ 29.41 billion (US$4.34 billion).[8][full citation needed][9] Liuyang is also home of the International Fireworks Association.
History
According to historical relics discovered in Yong’an Middle School's construction site in 1991, in the Old Stone Age, there were people living in Liuyang. In the eastern Han dynasty (in 209 AD), Liuyang was established as a county, and its government was located in Juling (now the northern Guandu). In the Tang dynasty, the government was moved to Huaichuan (now the Huaichuan Street), and in the Yuan dynasty (in 1295 AD), the government was moved back to Juling, and Liuyang became a “state”. In the Ming dynasty (in 1369 AD), Liuyang was degraded as a county, and its government was moved to Huaichuan again.
In the eastern Han dynasty, Sun Quan set Liuyang (刘阳). In the Three Kingdoms-Wu, Liuyang belonged to Changsha Prefecture. In the Liu Song period of Southern Dynasties, the name was changed from Liuyang (刘阳) to Liuyang (浏阳), and the new name is used until now. In the Sui dynasty, Liuyang was merged into Changsha, and in the Tang dynasty (in 708 AD) Liuyang was established as a county again. In the Sui dynasty and the Tang dynasty, Liuyang belonged to Tanzhou. In the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty, Liuyang belonged to Changsha. In the 26th reign year of the Republic of China (in 1937 AD), Liuyang belonged to the First District, Hunan Province Chief Inspector's Office. In 1949, the First District, Hunan Province Chief Inspector's Office, was renamed as Changsha prefecture. In 1952, Changsha prefecture was replaced by Xiangtan prefecture, and Liuyang belonged to Xiangtan prefecture (later, it was called Xiangtan area). In February, 1983, Xiangtan area was cancelled, and Liuyang was attributed to Changsha city. On 16 January 1993, Liuyang was not a county any more, and it becomes a county-level city, called Liuyang city. In September 1927 Mao Zedong assembled Left-Kuomintang troops here, in the town of Wenjiashi (文家市) on the Jiangxi border, for the Com-Intern-planned seizure of Changsha, the provincial capital, 100 km to the west. Mao led the troops 170 km south into the Jinggang Mountains. Half a year later, he was joined there by the troops of Zhu De.
A panoramic view of Liuyang in 2014.
Administrative divisions
After an adjustment of township-level administrative divisions of Liuyang on 18 November 2015[3] and the Gejia Township was reformed as a town in the same year,[4] Jiaoxi Township also was reformed in 2018.[10] As of 2020, Liuyang City has four subdistricts, 27 towns and one townships under its jurisdiction.[11] they are:
Liuyang is located in the northeast of Hunan province, and it is in the upstream regions of the Liuyang River. The geographical coordinates of Liuyang is 27°51′—28°34′ N, and 113°10′—114°15′ E. Liuyang covers an area of 5,007.75 square kilometers. There are 105.8 kilometers from east to west and 80.9 kilometers from north to south. Liuyang is surrounded by mountains and hills. There are 53% mountain lands, 25% hills, 21% plains around hills and 1% water in Liuyang. The terrain of Liuyang is that north-east is higher than south-west, and landscape types change because of a lot of rivers. Liuyang is in a subtropical monsoon climate zone. Annual average temperature is 17.3 °C, and annual precipitation is 1562 mm. There are two national roads, G106 and G319. Besides, there are three main rivers, Liuyang River, Laodao River and Nanchuan River, which can be used as shipping lanes throughout the whole year. Liuyang lies in the south of Pingjiang county, Yueyang city, and in the east of Tonggu, Wanzai, Yichun and Shangli, Jiangxi province, and in the north of Liling and Zhuzhou City, and in the east of Changsha county. Liuyang is about 50 kilometers far from Changsha city.
Climate
Climate data for Liuyang (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010)
According to the sixth population census in 2010, the number of permanent resident population of Liuyang is 1,278,928, and the number of registered population is 1,407,104. In registered population, the agricultural population is 1, 252, 238, and the nonagricultural population is 154, 866. Natural population growth rate is 2.5 ‰. There are more than 300,000 Hakka whose ancestors moved from Meizhou of Guangdong to Liuyang.
Language
Traditionally, there are three dialect areas in Liuyang, Gan Dialect, new Xiang Dialect and Hakka. Gan Dialect is Jiangxi Dialect, and it is used in downtown, northern Liuyang, eastern Liuyang and southern Liuyang. This is the most popular dialect in Liuyang, and people may call it Liuyang Dialect. Besides, new Xiang Dialect is used in western Liuyang, like Puji, Zhentou, Baijia, Guanqiao, Gejia and Chengchong, and it is also used in some areas in northern Liuyang, like Beisheng and Yong’an. This kind of dialect is not exactly the same as Changsha Dialect, but it is similar to it. As for Hakka, most people living in the east of Liuyang use this, and it is almost the same as Hakka in Meizhou area.
Economy
A panoramic view of Liuyang in 2014.
Liuyang is one of the most developed counties in Hunan, it ranked the 11th in the Top100 of counties and county-level cities of China by comprehensive strength in 2020.[14] According to preliminary accounting of the statistical authority, the gross domestic product of Liuyang City in 2017 was 136,510 million yuan (20,218 million US dollars), up by 10.8 percent over the previous year. Of this total, the value added of the primary industry was 10,680 million yuan (1,582 million US dollars), up by five percent, that of the secondary industry was 93,940 million yuan (13,913 million US dollars), up by 11 percent and that of the tertiary industry was 31,890 million yuan (4,723 million US dollars), up by 12.3 percent. The value added of the primary industry accounted for 7.82 percent of the GDP; that of the secondary industry accounted for 68.82 percent; and that of the tertiary industry accounted for 23.36 percent. The per capita GDP by year-end household population in 2017 was 92,006 yuan (13,627 US dollars).[15]
Liuyang cultivates food crops, like rice. Main cash crops are flue-cured tobacco, medicinal materials, vegetables, oil-seed camellias, flowers and plants. Liuyang has been mining some natural resources, like sepiolite, chrysanthemum stone, coal and phosphorite. Industries include fireworks production, bio-pharmaceuticals and food processing. Liuyang fireworks have been in the global market for more than 100 years, and they were sold to Hong Kong, Macao and the Southeast Asia in the Guangxu period of the Qing dynasty, and fireworks become an important brand and pillar industry of Liuyang. Liuyang fireworks are protected as an original product and hold the honor of China's famous brand. In 2010, Liuyang's GDP was up to 55.677 billion RMB (8.225 billion dollars). The added value of the primary sector was 5.169 billion RMB (0.764 billion dollars). The added value of the secondary sector was 37.905 billion RMB (5.599 billion dollars). The added value of the tertiary sector was 12.603 billion RMB (1.862 billion dollars). The total value of out-put of Agriculture Animal Husbandry and Fishery was 8.006 billion RMB (1.183 billion dollars). In agriculture, except for grain production, the annual output of flue-cured tobacco was 131,670,000 tons. Liuyang's total industrial output value was 90.289 billion RMB (13.338 billion dollars). There are 89 cooperates with a more than 100,000,000 RMB turnover. Total sales of fireworks industry is 12.43 billion RMB (1.84 billion dollars), and the revenue of fireworks industry is 0.97 billion RMB. The total industrial output value of Liuyang Biomedical Park is 17.082 billion RMB (2.523 billion dollars). The volume of export goods is 0.39 billion dollars. Liuyang's general financial revenue is 3.324 billion RMB, including 29% fireworks' revenue. The per-capita disposable income of rural residents is 10,747 RMB (1,588 dollars), and the per-capita disposable income of city dwellers is 21,258 RMB (3,140 dollars).
Agriculture
Liuyang's main grain crops are rice, and Liuyang is one of the top counties for food production in Hunan province. Main cash crops are flue-cured tobacco, vegetables, flowers and plants, and oil-seed camellias. Production of fruits, corns, bamboo shoots, phyllostachys pubescens, and medicinal materials also has a certain scale. In fish breeding and poultry feeding, except for traditional pigs raising, black goats and bees' raising are also competitive to some extent. Liuyang enjoys the honor as a city of flowers and plants' cultivation in China, and it is famous for Hongzhimu (a kind of plants). In regional distribution of agricultural industry, eastern Liuyang focus on fruits, and western Liuyang focus on flowers and plants, and northern Liuyang focus on tobacco, and these contribute to a grain, vegetables, flue-cured tobacco, flowers and plants-oriented agricultural economy. Liuyang is one of the top 100 counties that have advantages in grain production, and it is a big city for raising pigs and black goats. Vegetable production in Liuyang is up to 304,239 tons, and it is in the second place in Hunan province. The meat output is 80,450 tons, and it is in the 21st place in China. Liuyang runs scale operation, and the quantity of black goats is more than 700 thousand.
Fireworks industry
Liuyang fireworks have a history of more than 1,400 years. During the Northern Song dynasty, Liuyang fireworks prospered greatly. During the Qing dynasty (in 1723), Liuyang fireworks served as tribute. Since 1875, Liuyang fireworks have been exported to Japan, Korea, India, Iran, the UK, United States, Russia, etc. In the 1990s, Liuyang's fireworks were the area's biggest export. However, in 1998, Liuyang fireworks went through a bottleneck period because of technological deficiencies. Since 1998, Liuyang has been reforming its industry. It is currently undergoing industrial consolidation and the upgrading of technology. Liuyang sets a ban on more than 10 thousand illegal factories, and Liuyang sets a standard to ensure the safety of fireworks production. Liuyang cooperates with some institutions of higher education and research institutes to invent fireworks with better technology and safety. On 8 August 2001, Liuyang fireworks went public in Shanghai. In 2003, Liuyang succeeded in getting a fireworks display project in Brazil. Liuyang has invested more than one million dollars to buy lands in Brazil to build fireworks factories. There are more than 30 fireworks companies in Liuyang.[citation needed]
Industrial districts
Liuyang has three main industrial districts of Economic and Technological Development Zone, High-Tech Industrial Development Zone and Two-oriented Industrial Park, the economy of its three industrial districts occupies a large proportion of the city. As of 2015, the gross output value of industries in the city reaches CNY 236.66 billion (US$38.00 billion), that of the total in three industrial districts is CNY 123.57 billion (US$19.84 billion). The total financial revenue of Liuyang reaches 11.19 billion yuan (US$1.80 billion), that of the three industrial districts has 4.16 billion yuan (US$0.67 billion), it accounts for 37.19% of the total.[16]
In 2010, Liuyang attracted 5.7 million tourists which brought an income of 3.5 billion RMB. Since Liuyang was established as a county in the Han dynasty, it is abundant in historical tourist resources. There are two national relic protection units, the Former Residence of Tan Sitong and Site of Joining Forces in Wenjiashi of Autumn Harvest Uprising in Wenjiashi Town. There are eight provincial culture and relics sites, like Xin'an Wind-Rain Bridge that was built in the Ming dynasty and the Liuyang Confucius Temple built in the Song dynasty. There are 13 Changsha city cultural relics' protection units, like the Stone Frost Temple built in the Tang dynasty. There are 17 county cultural relics' protection units, like Yaotou Mountain site and Luobei Mountain site.[19]
The Ouyang Yuqian Grand Theater, named after Chinese dramatist Ouyang Yuqian, was founded in 2002 and is used for drama, musical and children's theater performances.
The Liling–Liuyang railway, more commonly known as "Liliu railway", is a branch from Liling to Yonghe Town of Liuyang, through downtown.[20] It opened on May 1, 1966, in order to provide rail access to Yonghe phosphorus mine and Qibaoshan iron mine. It was closed in 2004, after a serious train crash the previous year.
The Liuyang–Liling Expressway, commonly abbreviated as "Liuli Expressway", is a north–south highway passing through the western city.[20]
The Changsha–Liuyang Expressway, locally known as "Changliu Expressway", is a west–east highway passing through the central Liuyang city.[20]
National Highway
The National Highway G106, more commonly known as "G106", is a north–south highway traveling through central Liuyang city.[20]
The National Highway G319, commonly abbreviated as "G319", is a west-southeast highway passing through the city's downtown, commercial, and industrial subdistricts.[20]
Provincial Highway
The Provincial Highway S103, which heads west to Changsha and east to Liuyang, passing through the southwestern part of the city.[20]
The Provincial Highway S309, connecting downtown Liuyang to Paibu Town of Jiangxi province.[20]
The Provincial Highway S310 passes through the city's towns of Dayao, Chengtanjiang, Zhonghe and Wenjiashi, leading eastwards to Jiangxi province.[20]
Wang Zhen politician and general, who was an uncompromising hard-liner who used his position as vice president (1988–93) of China to promote Maoism[22]
^the economic data of 2015, according to the Statistical Communiqué of Liuyang on the 2015 National Economic and Social Development: cstj.gov.cn or ahmhxc.com
^ abcdefghijZhang Hong, ed. (2018). "Liuyang" 《浏阳市》. 《中国分省系列地图册：湖南》 [Maps of Provinces in China: Hunan] (in Chinese). Xicheng District, Beijing: SinoMaps Press. pp. 32–33. ISBN978-7-5031-8949-4.
