Qianjiang's name means river diving, with the first character referring to qián shuǐ, the Chinese verb for diving,[4] and the second character, jiāng, meaning river.
In 1293, during the Yuan dynasty, local flooding prompted officials to move the county center to present-day Yuanlin Subdistrict [zh].[4]
Republic of China and World War II
In 1913, when the Republic of China introduced circuit system, the area was placed under the jurisdiction of Xiangyang Circuit [zh].[5] In 1925, circuits were abolished, and the area was directly administered by the province.[5]
In 1932, the area was organized by the Republic of China under the new Administrative Inspectorate [zh] system, belonging to the province's Seventh Administrative Inspectorate.[5] In 1934, the area was placed under the Sixth Administrative Inspectorate.[5]
Qianjiang was occupied by the Japanese during the Sino-Japanese War from May 1939 to August 1945.[5] The Japanese primarily used prominent local Chinese to run the "puppet" government, notably many members of the Zhang family.[citation needed] From the spring of 1942 to the autumn of 1945, the area hosted a number of regional resistance governments.[5]
The communists from 1949 to early 1980s constructed a pharmaceutical plant, a textile factory, a book-printing factory, a large oil-and-gas drilling field, and other industrial installations in the Qianjiang area.[citation needed] As the national economic reform took force beginning in the late 1970s many of these state-run businesses went under.[citation needed]
During the period from 1959 to 1962, the largest "Cadre Camp" in China, or in the world as people at that time liked to call it, was established in Qianjiang.[citation needed] The camp was established due to fears of a potential war between the Soviet Union and China following the Sino-Soviet split.[citation needed] As a result of these fears, the Chinese government dispersed people and resources throughout the country.[citation needed] Many young college graduates were sent to local Cadre Camps to train and entrench.[citation needed] This was the so-called "Priority 1 Order" given by Vice Chairman Lin Biao and planned by Chairman Mao.[citation needed]
The young cadres in Qianjiang worked to improve the agricultural situation, such as draining hundreds of acres of a local lake to be used as farmland.[citation needed] However, this action caused damage to the local ecosystem.[citation needed]
Qianjiang was well known for abundant local produces.[citation needed] Prominent local produces include duck eggs and lily seeds.[citation needed] They were so abundant that the produces were often sold at a nominal price.[citation needed] However, around the year of 1960, Qianjiang didn't escape the fate of most Chinese towns and was swept by an extended famine that was grossly caused by the political destruction of the fundamental aspects of the economy (production, supply-chain, and ownership).[citation needed] Many in Qianjiang were starved to death.[citation needed]
People from Qianjiang and surrounding areas, compared with people from the rest of the Hubei Province, have a reputation for being generous, gentle, and sincere.[citation needed] Prior to the modern days, Qianjiang demonstrated traditional, agriculture-based, Chinese ethos.[citation needed] E.g., if the farmers consider a water buffalo has been hard-working and loyal they would not slaughter it.[citation needed] But rather they would wait until it ages and dies.[citation needed] Then they would bury it and then build it a tomb.[citation needed]
There was a labor camp during the communist era in the Qianjiang area.[citation needed] The conditions at the camp were harsh.[citation needed] People would often sneak out to seek additional food.[citation needed] However, they never attempted to escape because it was impossible to hide in any place during those decades.[citation needed] Every town was tightly controlled and monitored by the government.[citation needed] No one would provide a stranger shelter and would only report him immediately to the local government.[citation needed]
In 1970, the area was reorganized as Jingzhou Area [zh].[4]
On May 25, 1988, Qianjiang County was abolished, and was replaced with a county-level city.[4]
The city's topography is largely flat, with an average elevation of 38 metres (125 ft), a high point of 39.78 metres (130.5 ft), and a low point of 25.78 metres (84.6 ft).[3]
Qianjiang is home to many rivers and lakes. Major rivers in the city include the Han River and the Dongjing River [zh].[3] Major lakes in the city include the Fanwan Lake [zh], Bailu Lake [zh], Jieliang Lake [zh], and Fengjia Lake (Chinese: 冯家湖).[3] However, starting in the early 80's most of them disappeared due to urbanization and industrialization.[citation needed]
Climate
Qianjiang's climate is temperate, with an average annual temperature of 16 °C (61 °F), and an average annual precipitation of around 1,110 millimetres (44 in).[3]
Climate data for Qianjiang (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010)
According to the 2010 Chinese Census, Qianjiang has a total population of 946,277, down from the 992,438 reported in the 2000 Chinese Census.[4] In 1996, the city's population was estimated to be 933,000.[4]
Qianjiang has an important oil field, Jianghan Oil Field. It's part of the Sinopec Corporation.[10] Qianjiang has the potential of producing 200 million tons of oil, more than 9000 m3 of natural gas, and 800 billion tons of rock salt.[citation needed] In 2001 Qiangjiang started producing crayfish and now producers over 70,000 tonnes a year[11] and accounting for over 60% of China's export of crayfish.[12] The region is also home to the world's largest crustacean sculpture.[13]
Major companies with operations in the city include Yangtze Optical Fiber and Cable [zh], Jinrui (Chinese: 晶瑞), Dinglong (Chinese: 鼎龙), and Zall Development [zh].[9]
Culture
The city has a unique theatre culture, with Qianjiang Flower Drum Opera (Chinese: 潜江花鼓戏), Qianjiang Shadow Play (Chinese: 潜江皮影戏), and Qianjiang Folk Song (Chinese: 潜江民歌) all being included in China's National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List [zh].[9]
^ abcdefghijklmn潜江市概况地图 [Qianjiang Overview]. xzqh.org (in Chinese). 2014-08-06. Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
^ abcdefghij潜江市历史沿革 [Qianjiang Organizational History]. xzqh.org (in Chinese). 2014-08-06. Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
^ abcdefghijklmn历史沿革 [Organizational History] (in Chinese). The People's Government of Qianjiang Municipality. Archived from the original on 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
^ abcde基本市情 [Basic City Situation] (in Chinese). The People's Government of Qianjiang Municipality. 2020-03-26. Archived from the original on 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
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