- Dongyang
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For other uses, see Dongyang Cement.
Dongyang
东阳— County-level city — Location within China
DongyangCoordinates: 29°16′00″N 120°13′00″E / 29.2666667°N 120.2166667°ECoordinates: 29°16′00″N 120°13′00″E / 29.2666667°N 120.2166667°E Country People's Republic of China Province Zhejiang Prefecture-level City Jinhua City Incorporation May 1988 Government - CPC Secretary Yongzhi Jiang (蒋永志) - Mayor Yuejin Jiang (江跃进) Area - Total 1,739 km2 (671.4 sq mi) Population (2006) - Total 801,994 Time zone China Standard Time (UTC+8) Regional Dialect Dongyang dialect Website http://www.dongyang.gov.cn/ Dongyang Traditional Chinese: 東陽, simplified Chinese: 东阳; pinyin: Dōngyáng) is a Chinese city of about 800,000 people in the middle of Zhejiang Province, about 200 kilometers south of Hangzhou. Dongyang lies in the central area of Zhejiang Province, covering an area of 1739 square kilometers. It administrates 11 towns, 1 county, 6 subdistrict offices, and it belongs to the Delta Economic Region of the Yangtze River. It has been ratified by the State Council as an open-up city and a famous cultural city with a long history in the central area of Zhejiang.
Contents
History
Dongyang county was first set up in AD 195 (2nd year of XinPing Reign of East Han Dynasty) and known as Wuning (吴宁). In AD 688, the name was changed to Dongyang (东阳). The name Dongyang means "Eastern Sun".
Economy
Dongyang is famous for its numerous construction companies, the primary one being Zhongtian. Dongyang is also famous for magnets,chemicals, plastics, garments and agriculture and wooden sculptures.
The reform and opening policies of the 1970s have accelerated economic growth, and the city ranks among the top 100 cities in China, and the first well-off counties (cities) in Zhejiang Province. In 2005, the city's GDP reached 15.984 billion RMB yuan, earning fiscal revenue of 1.38 billion RMB yuan. Per-capita disposable income for urban households totaled 13,349 RMB yuan, and per-capita net income for farmers amounted to 6,903 RMB yuan.
Industry is an important pillar for Dongyang's economy. The city boasts a wide range of industrial sectors, led by electronic, machine building, magnetic material producing, and medical and chemical industries. At present, Dongyang has become the largest magnetic material production and exportation base in China. It is also the third largest medical and pharmaceutical city in Zhejiang, and boasts a group of leading companies in this sphere, such as Hengdian Kangyu Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd, Zhejiang Garden Biological High-tech Co.,Ltd, and Zhejiang Hansheng Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd.
Dongyang is experiencing a period of great growth, comparable to other regions and cities in Eastern China. In the city square (called Holman Chen), many couples on pleasant evenings dance to traditional and Chinese pop songs.
In one of Dongyang's towns, Hengdian, there is a famous movie studio, where many films and TV shows about ancient China are made. Considered the Hollywood of the East, this vast movie set is a great day trip that is usually very quiet and empty. The movie set is home to a recreation of the Summer Palace, the Great Wall, an ancient Chinese Village and several small European Villages as well as a Pirate ship in a manmade lake. The movie Hero, starring Jet Li was filmed there, as well as the recent video game adaptation.
Miscellaneous
The people of Dongyang also pride themselves in having an excellent educational system. Many Dongyang people have excelled in academia and the sciences. Many professors from elite universities in the United States grew up in this city.
One of the famous names is professor Jianwei Pan, who graduated from Dongyang High School, is now doing cutting edge research work on quantum physics and quantum information.
Culture
Dongyang also has Baiyun Cultural Park, a place for relaxation with several representations of Daoism and Buddhism including a 50 foot statue. A beautiful place to relax and enjoy this interesting city.
Dongyang Woodcarving（东阳木雕 has been reputed as one of the best folk handicrafts and a national treasure, as one of the four major schools of woodcarving in China. Dongyang has been honored as the hometown of woodcarving since ancient time. Dongyang Woodcarving came into being early in Tang Dynasty. In Song Dynasty, it reached a high state of the art. During the period of Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, Dongyang Woodcarving came into flourishing.
Traditions
A famous local tradition in Dongyang is the Tong Zi Dan (童子尿煮雞蛋[1]), which translates into "Boy Egg", an annual tradition in early spring time where the urine of prepubertal school boys preferably under 10 years is collected and boiled with eggs and then sold (for 1.50 yuan) and eaten, it is said "it tastes like spring".[2]
Travel
Dongyang is approximately 5 hours by train from Shanghai, where it is also possible to catch a long-distance bus. Close to Dongyang is Yiwu, which is a 25 minute bus ride away. Hangzhou is approximately 2 hours travel from Dongyang.
Tourist Attractions
- Lu Residential Complex（卢宅） is one of the key historical and cultural sites under state-level protection in China. Located in downtown Dongyang, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, the great architectural complex has been the habitation for the Lu family since 800 years ago. It is well-known as the Imperial Palace in South China. It is composed of six groups of buildings. The residential complex is ancient, delicate, and magnificent, and the buildings inside dating from Ming & Qing Dynasties feature the typical Ming-Qing architectural style.
- Hengdian World Studios（横店影视城） is the Hollywood in China. The magnificent and elaborately-designed bases and modernized studios there have attracted many directors both from home and abroad. More than 400 films were shot in Hengdian World Studios, including some popular films, such as Opium War, the Emperor and the Assassin, Hanwu the Great, Hero, the Promise, Curse of the Golden Flower, and the Forbidden Kingdom, etc.
References
- ^ [http://bbs.chinanews.com/web/65/2011/0314/15332.shtml BBS China News: 不懂!童子尿煮鸡蛋也能入选非物质文化遗产?（图） (Chinese)
- ^ http://www.ministryoftofu.com/2011/03/boy-urine-soaked-eggs-listed-as-local-specialty-intangible-cultural-heritage/
External links
Categories:- County-level cities in Zhejiang
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