With a population of just over 66 million as of 2020[update] residing in an area of approximately 210,000km2 (81,000sqmi),it is China's 7th-most populous province,the third most populous among landlocked provinces,the third-most populous in South Central China (after Guangdong and Henan),and the second-most populous province in Central China. It is the largest province in South Central China and the fourth-largest among landlocked provinces.
Hunan's nominal GDP was US$724 billion (CN¥4.6 trillion) as of 2021,appearing in the world's top 20 largest sub-national economies,with its GDP (PPP) being over US$1.1 trillion.[6][7] Hunan is the 9th-largest provincial economy of China,the fourth-largest in South Central China,the third-largest in Central China,and the fourth-largest among landlocked provinces. Its nominal GDP per capita exceeded US$10,900 (CN¥69,300),making it the third-richest province in South Central China,after Guangdong and Hubei.[6] As of 2020,Hunan's nominal GDP reached $605 billion (CN¥4.18 trillion),[8][9] exceeding that of Poland,with a GDP of US$596 billion and Thailand,with a GDP of US$501 billion,the 22nd- and 25th-largest in the world respectively.[10]
Hunan's primeval forests were first occupied by the ancestors of the modern Miao, Tujia, Dong and Yao peoples. The province entered written Chinese history around 350 BC, when the province became part of the Zhou dynasty. After Qin conquered the Chu in 278 BC, the region came under the control of Qin, and then the Changsha Kingdom during the Han dynasty. At this time, and for hundreds of years thereafter, the province was a magnet for settlement of Han Chinese from the north, who displaced and assimilated the original indigenous inhabitants, cleared forests and began farming rice in the valleys and plains.[19] The agricultural colonization of the lowlands was carried out in part by the Han people, which managed river dikes to protect farmland from floods.[20] To this day, many of the small villages in Hunan are named after the Han families who settled there. Migration from the north was especially prevalent during the Eastern Jin dynasty, Sixteen Kingdoms and the Northern and Southern dynasties periods, when the north was mostly ruled by non-Han ethnic groups (Five Barbarians) and in perpetual disorder.
Hunan and Hubei became a part of the province of Huguang until the Qing dynasty. Hunan province was created in 1664 from Huguang, renamed to its current name in 1723.
Hunan became an important communications center due to its position on the Yangzi River. It was an important centre of scholarly activity and Confucian thought, particularly in the Yuelu Academy in Changsha. It was also on the Imperial Highway constructed between northern and southern China. The land produced grain so abundantly that it fed many parts of China with its surpluses. The population continued to climb until, by the nineteenth century, Hunan became overcrowded and prone to peasant uprisings. Some of the uprisings, such as the ten-year Miao Rebellion of 1795–1806, were caused by ethnic tensions. The Taiping Rebellion began in the south in Guangxi Province in 1850. The rebellion spread into Hunan and then further eastward along the Yangzi River valley. Ultimately, it was a Hunanese army (Xiang Army) under Zeng Guofan who marched into Nanjing to put down the uprising in 1864.
In 1920, a famine raged throughout Hunan and killed an estimated 2 million Hunanese civilians.[21] This sparked the Autumn Harvest Uprising of 1927. It was led by Hunanese native Mao Zedong, and established a short-lived Hunan Soviet in 1927. The Communists maintained a guerrilla army in the mountains along the Hunan-Jiangxi border until 1934. Under pressure from the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) forces, they began the Long March to bases in Shaanxi Province. After the departure of the Communists, the KMT army fought against the Japanese in the second Sino-Japanese war. They defended Changsha until it fell in 1944. Japan launched Operation Ichigo, a plan to control the railroad from Wuchang to Guangzhou (Yuehan Railway). Hunan was relatively unscathed by the civil war that followed the defeat of the Japanese in 1945. In 1949, the Communists returned once more as the Nationalists retreated southward.
In the 1950s, General Wang Zhen coerced thousands of Hunanese women into sexual servitude at PLA units in Xinjiang.[22]
As Mao Zedong's home province, Hunan supported the Cultural Revolution of 1966–1976.[citation needed] However, it was slower than most provinces in adopting the reforms implemented by Deng Xiaoping in the years that followed Mao's death in 1976.
Hunan is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, about halfway along its length, situated between 108° 47'–114° 16' east longitude and 24° 37'–30° 08' north latitude. Hunan covers an area of 211,800 square kilometres (81,800 square miles), making it the 10th largest provincial-level division. The east, south and west sides of the province are surrounded by mountains and hills, such as the Wuling Mountains to the northwest, the Xuefeng Mountains to the west, the Nanling Mountains to the south, and the Luoxiao Mountains to the east. Mountains and hills occupy more than 80% of the province, and plains less than 20%. At 2,115.2 meters above sea level, the highest point in Hunan province is Lingfeng (酃峰).[23][24][25]
The Xiang, the Zi, the Yuan and the Lishui Rivers converge on the Yangtze River at Lake Dongting in the north of Hunan. The center and northern parts are somewhat low and a U-shaped basin, open in the north and with Lake Dongting as its center. Most of Hunan lies in the basins of four major tributaries of the Yangtze River.
Lake Dongting is the largest lake in the province and the second largest freshwater lake of China.
The Xiaoxiang area and Lake Dongting figure prominently in Chinese poetry and paintings, particularly during the Song dynasty when they were associated with officials who had been unjustly dismissed.[26]
Changsha (which means "long sands") was an active ceramics district during the Tang dynasty, its tea bowls, ewers and other products mass-produced and shipped to China's coastal cities for export abroad. An Arab dhow dated to the 830s and today known as the Belitung Shipwreck was discovered off the small island of Belitung, Indonesia with more than 60,000 pieces in its cargo.[citation needed] The salvaged cargo is today housed in nearby Singapore.
Hunan's climate is subtropical; further, under the Köppen climate classification, the climate is classified as being humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa), with short, cool, damp winters, very hot and humid summers, and plenty of rainfall. January temperatures average 3 to 8°C (37 to 46°F), while July temperatures average around 27 to 30°C (81 to 86°F). Average annual precipitation is 1,200 to 1,700 millimetres (47 to 67in). The Furongian Epoch in the Cambrian Period of geological time is named for Hunan; Furong (芙蓉) means "lotus" in Mandarin and refers to Hunan which is known as the "lotus state".[27]
1 2 New district established after census: Wangcheng (Wangcheng County). The new district not included in the urban area & district area count of the pre-expanded city.
1 2 New district established after census: Lukou (Zhuzhou County). The new district not included in the urban area & district area count of the pre-expanded city.
↑ Ningxiang County is currently known as Ningxiang CLC after census.
Most populous cities in Hunan
Source: China Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook 2018 Urban Population and Urban Temporary Population[33]
The politics of Hunan is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.
The Governor of Hunan is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Hunan. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Hunan Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee Secretary, colloquially termed the "Hunan CCP Party Chief".
Economy
As of the mid-19th century, Hunan exported rhubarb, musk, honey, tobacco, hemp, and birds.[34] The Lake Dongting area is an important center of ramie production, and Hunan is also an important center of tea cultivation.
Hunan was a major recipient of China's investment in industrial capacity during the Third Front campaign.[35]:298
In recent years, Hunan has grown to become an important center for steel, machinery and electronics production, especially as China's manufacturing sector moves away from coastal provinces such as Guangdong and Zhejiang.[36]
Hunan is also well known for a few global makers of construction equipment such as concrete pumps, cranes, etc. These companies include Sany Group, Zoomlion and Sunward. Sany is one of the world's major players. The city of Liuyang is the world's top center for manufacturing fireworks.[38]
As of 2020, Hunan's GDP (nominal) was US$605 billion,[8][9]making it larger than the economies of Poland (the 22nd biggest in the world), Thailand (the 2nd largest in ASEAN), and Nigeria (the largest in Africa).[10]
Historical GDP of Hunan Province for 1952 –present (SNA2008)[39] (purchasing power parity of Chinese Yuan, as Int'l. dollar based on IMF WEO October 2017[40])
year
GDP
GDP per capita (GDPpc) based on mid-year population
Changsha National Economic and Technical Development Zone
The Changsha National Economic and Technology Development Zone was founded in 1992. It is located east of Changsha. The total planned area is 38.6km2 (14.9sqmi) and the current area is 14km2 (5.4sqmi). Near the zone is National Highways G319 and G107 as well as Jingzhu Highway. Besides that, it is very close to the downtown and the railway station. The distance between the zone and the airport is 8km (5.0mi). The major industries in the zone include high-tech industry, biology project technology and new material industry.[41]
Changsha National New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
Chenzhou Export Processing Zone
Approved by the State Council, Chenzhou Export processing Zone (CEPZ) was established in 2005 and is the only export processing zone in Hunan province. The scheduled production area of CEPZ covers 3km2. The industrial positioning of CEPZ is to concentrate on developing export-oriented hi-tech industries, including electronic information, precision machinery, and new-type materials. The zone has good infrastructure, and the enterprises inside could enjoy the preferential policies of tax-exemption, tax-guarantee and tax-refunding. By the end of the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan", the CEPZ achieved a total export and import volume of over US$1 billion and provided more than 50,000 jobs. It aimed to be one of the first-class export processing zones in China.[42]
Zhuzhou National New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
Zhuzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was founded in 1992. Its total planned area is 35km2 (14sqmi). It is very close to National Highway G320. The major industries in the zone include biotechnology, food processing and heavy industry. In 2007, the park signed a cooperation contract with Beijing Automobile Industry, one of the largest auto makers in China, which will set up a manufacturing base in Zhuzhou HTP.[43]
As of the 2000 census, the population of Hunan is 64,400,700 consisting of forty-one ethnic groups. Its population grew 6.17% (3,742,700) from its 1990 levels. According to the census, 89.79% (57,540,000) identified themselves as Han Chinese and 10.21% (6,575,300) as minority groups. The minority groups are Tujia, Miao, Dong, Yao, Bai, Hui, Zhuang, Uyghurs and so on.
In Hunan, ethnic minority languages are spoken in the following prefectures.
Other religions or not religious people[note 2] (79.04%)
Hunanese Uyghurs
Around 5,000 Uyghurs live around Taoyuan County and other parts of Changde.[55][56][57][58]Hui and Uyghurs have intermarried in this area.[59][60][61] In addition to eating pork, the Uygurs of Changde practice other Han Chinese customs, like ancestor worship at graves. Some Uyghurs from Xinjiang visit the Hunan Uyghurs out of curiosity or interest.[62] The Uyghurs of Hunan do not speak the Uyghur language, instead, Mandarin Chinese is spoken as their native language.[63]
Being the educational and political in the late Qing Era, Hunan became the center of revolution and reformation, and it was the birthplace of many famous Chinese scholars, politicians, and generals, including the most influential and controversial figure of China in the 20th century, Mao Zedong.
Zhou Dunyi (1017–1073), Chinese scholar and philosopher
Wang Fuzhi (1619–1692), Chinese essayist, historian, and philosopher of the late Ming, early Qing dynasties.
As of 2022, Hunan's culture and related industries achieved an added value of CN¥250.65 billion (US$37.27 billion), accounting for 5.27% of the province's GDP. Among them, the added value of cultural services was CN¥150.20 billion (US$22.33 billion), the added value of cultural manufacturing was CN¥78.28 billion (US$11.64 billion), the added value of cultural wholesale and retail was CN¥22.17 billion (US$3.30 billion).[65]
In 2023, there are 655 art groups, 149 mass art galleries and cultural centers, 148 public libraries, 180 museums and memorial halls, 108 radio and television stations, 5.853 million cable TV users, and 27.441 million fiber optic Internet broadband users all connected to cable TV. The comprehensive population coverage rate of radio is 99.43%, and the comprehensive population coverage rate of television is 99.77%. There are 137 national intangible cultural heritage protection lists and 410 provincial intangible cultural heritage protection lists. 12,078 books, 235 periodicals, and 44 newspapers have been published, with a total print run of 590 million books, 80 million periodicals, and 500 million newspapers.[3]
Language
Hunan is a region with complex dialects. The dialects in the province include Xiang, Southwestern Mandarin, Gan, Hakka, and some local dialects whose identities have not yet been determined, such as Xiangnan Tuhua and Waxiang dialect. In areas where ethnic minorities live, many people can speak their own ethnic language and communicate in Chinese.
Hunanese cuisine is noted for its near-ubiquitous use of chili peppers, garlic, and shallots. These ingredients give rise to a distinctive dry-and-spicy (干辣; gānlà) taste,[66] with dishes such as smoked cured ham and stir-fried spicy beef being prime examples of the flavor.[66]
Music
Huaguxi is a local form of Chinese opera that is very popular in Hunan province.
Tourism
Located in the south central part of the Chinese mainland, Hunan has long been known for its natural environment. It is surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and south, and by the Yangtze River on the north. For thousands of years, the region has been a major center of agriculture, growing rice, tea, and oranges. China's first all glass suspension bridge was also opened in Hunan, in Shiniuzhai National Geological Park.[67]
Fenghuang County, in Xiangxi Prefecture, has been placed on the UNESCOWorld Heritage Tentative List for its ancient town. Fenghuang is known for its incorporation of mountain features and water flow into city design, and the ancient syncretism between the local Han and Miao cultures.[68]
↑ The data was collected by the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) of 2009 and by the Chinese Spiritual Life Survey (CSLS) of 2007, reported and assembled by Xiuhua Wang (2015)[54] in order to confront the proportion of people identifying with two similar social structures: ① Christian churches, and ② the traditional Chinese religion of the lineage (i. e. people believing and worshipping ancestral deities often organised into lineage "churches" and ancestral shrines). Data for other religions with a significant presence in China (deity cults, Buddhism, Taoism, folk religious sects, Islam, et al.) was not reported by Wang.
And people not bounded to, nor practicing any, institutional or diffuse religion.
Related Research Articles
Hunan cuisine, also known as Xiang cuisine, consists of the cuisines of the Xiang River region, Dongting Lake and western Hunan Province in China. It is one of the Eight Great Traditions of Chinese cuisine and is well known for its hot and spicy flavours, fresh aroma and deep colours. Despite this, only about 20% of the cuisine uses capsicum to produce a strong spicy taste. Common cooking techniques include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising and smoking. Due to the high agricultural output of the region, ingredients for Hunan dishes are many and varied.
Hubei is a province in Central China. It has the seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland provinces. Its provincial capital at Wuhan serves as a major political, cultural, and economic hub for the region.
Anhui is an inland province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei and Henan to the west, and Shandong to the north. With a population of 61 million, Anhui is the 9th most populous province in China. It is the 22nd largest Chinese province based on area, and the 12th most densely-populated region of all 34 Chinese provincial regions. Anhui's population is mostly composed of Han Chinese. Languages spoken within the province include Lower Yangtze Mandarin, Wu, Hui, Gan and small portion of Central Plains Mandarin.
Jilin is one of the three provinces of Northeast China. Its capital and largest city is Changchun. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west.
Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, and the third-most populous city in Central China, located in the lower reaches of the Xiang River in northeastern Hunan.
Changsha County, commonly known as Xingsha, is a county in Hunan Province, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Changsha. Located in the west portion of Changsha, the county is bordered to the north by Miluo City and Pingjiang County, to the west by Wangcheng, Kaifu and Furong Districts, to the southwest by Yuhua District, and to the southeast and the east by Liuyang City. Changsha County covers 1,756 km2 (678 sq mi). As of 2015 it has a registered population of 743,000 and a permanent resident population of 916,000. The county has 5 subdistricts and 13 towns under its jurisdiction. The county seat is Xingsha Subdistrict (星沙街道).
Liuyang is a county-level city, the most populous and the easternmost county-level division of Hunan Province, China; it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Changsha, the provincial capital. Located on the northeastern margin of Hunan, the city is bordered to the north by Pingjiang County, to the west by Changsha County and Yuhua District, to the south by Shifeng, Hetang Districts of Zhuzhou and Liling City, to the southeast and the east by Yuanzhou District of Yichun, Shangli, Wanzai and Tonggu Counties of Jiangxi. Liuyang City covers 4,997.35 km2 (1,929.49 sq mi) with registered population of 1,453,246 and resident population of 1,297,700. The city has four subdistricts, 26 towns and two townships under its jurisdiction, its jurisdiction, its administrative centre is at Guankou Subdistrict (关口街道).
Ningxiang is a county-level city and the 2nd most populous county-level division in the Province of Hunan, China; it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Changsha. The city is bordered to the north by Heshan District of Yiyang and Taojiang County, to the west by Anhua County and Lianyuan City, to the south by Louxing District of Loudi, Xiangxiang City, Shaoshan City and Yuhu District of Xiangtan, to the east by Yuelu and Wangcheng Districts. Located in the central east of Hunan Province, Ningxiang covers 2,906 km2 (1,122 sq mi) with a registered population of 1,393,528 and a resident population of 1,218,400. The city has 4 subdistricts, 21 towns and 4 townships under its jurisdiction, its administrative centre is at Yutan Subdistrict (玉潭街道).
Yuelu District is one of six urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, China. It is the 4th most populous district in Hunan. The district is bordered to the north by Wangcheng District, to the west by Ningxiang County, to the south by Yuhu District of Xiangtan City, across the Xiang river to the west by Tianxin, Furong and Kaifu Districts. Located on the west bank of the Xiang River, as the western part of the City proper, the district is named after Mount Yuelu, one of the national parks, Yuelu District covers 538.83 km2 (208.04 sq mi) with registered population of 644,834 and resident population of 818,900. The district has 16 subdistricts and 2 towns under its jurisdiction, its administrative centre is at Wangyue (望岳街道).
Yueyang, formerly known as Yuezhou or Yochow, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern shores of Dongting Lake and the Yangtze river in the northeastern corner of Hunan Province in the People's Republic of China.
Zhuzhou, formerly Jianning (建宁), is a prefecture-level city of Hunan Province, China, straddling the Xiang River southeast of the provincial capital, Changsha, and bordering Jiangxi province to the east. It is part of the "Greater Changsha Metropolitan Region, also known as Changzhutan Golden Triangle". The city has jurisdiction over five counties and four districts, and covers an area of 11,420 km2 (4,410 sq mi).
Changde is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. In addition to the urban districts, Changde also administers the county-level city of Jinshi and six counties. Changde is adjacent to Dongting Lake to the east, the city of Yiyang to the south, Wuling and Xuefeng Mountains to the west, and Hubei province to the north.
Xiangtan University is a provincial public university in Xiangtan, Hunan, China. It is affiliated with the Province of Hunan, and co-funded by the Hunan Provincial People's Government, the Ministry of Education of China, and SASTIND. The university is part of the Double First-Class Construction.
Wangcheng District is one of six urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, China. It is the largest district of Changsha by area. The district is bordered to the north by Miluo City and Xiangyin County of Yueyang, to the west by Heshan District of Yiyang and Ningxiang County, to the south by Yuelu and Kaifu Districts, to the east by Changsha County. Located in the northsouth of the City proper in Changsha, Wangcheng covers 951.06 km2 (367.21 sq mi) with registered population of 560,567 and resident population of 562,100. The district has 10 subdistricts and 5 towns under its jurisdiction, its administrative centre is at Gaotangling Subdistrict.
Tianxin District is one of six urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, China. The district is bordered by Yuetang District of Xiangtan to the south, Yuhua District to the east, Furong and Kaifu districts to the north, Yuelu District across the Xiang river to the west. Located in the southern central Changsha, Tianxin covers 141.05 km2 (54.46 sq mi) with population of 604,600. The district has 14 subdistricts under its jurisdiction, its administrative centre is at Qingyuan Subdistrict.
Yuhua District is one of six urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, China. The district is bordered by Yuetang District of Xiangtan to the south, Changsha County to the east, Furong District to the north, Tianxin District to the west. Located in the southern central Changsha, Yuhua covers 304.9 km2 (117.7 sq mi) with population of 764,700. The district has 12 subdistricts and 1 town under its jurisdiction, its jurisdiction, its administrative centre is at Guitang subdistrict.
Xiangtan is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal Peng Dehuai, are in Xiangtan's administration, as well as the hometowns of Qing dynasty and republic era painter Qi Baishi, scholar-general Zeng Guofan, and tennis player Peng Shuai.
Changzhutan or Chang-Zhu-Tan, also Greater Changsha Metropolitan Region or Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan City Cluster is a city cluster in Hunan province, China, consisting of the provincial capital, Changsha and two other prefecture-level cities: Xiangtan and Zhuzhou; it is the main heavily urbanized region of Hunan and covers an area of 28,087 km2 (10,844 sq mi).
Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan intercity railway or Changzhutan intercity railway, is a higher-speed regional railway in Hunan, China. It connects the provincial capital Changsha with Zhuzhou and Xiangtan. The line was opened to traffic on 26 December 2016. A northwestern extension to Changsha West railway station opened on 26 December 2017. The maximum operating speed is expected to be up to 200 km/h (124 mph), travelling time between the three cities will be shortened to less than 30 minutes. The line uses China Railways CRH6F regional rail trains.
1 2 3 2021年民航机场吞吐量排名(PDF) (in Chinese). Civil Aviation Administration of China. 2022-03-22. Archived(PDF) from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
↑ Fan Chengda (1126-1193). Shigushanji(石鼓山记)："天下有书院四：徂徕、金山、岳麓、石鼓。"
↑ Harold Wiens. Han Expansion in South China. (Shoe String Press, 1967).
↑ Brian Lander. State Management of River Dikes in Early China: New Sources on the Environmental History of the Central Yangzi Region . T'oung Pao 100.4-5 (2014): 325–362
↑ Census Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China; Population and Employment Statistics Division of the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China (2012). 中国2010人口普查分乡、镇、街道资料 (1ed.). Beijing: China Statistics Print. ISBN978-7-5037-6660-2.
↑ "2021 Airport Traffic Report"(PDF). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. April 2022. p.32. Archived(PDF) from the original on 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
"History of Hunanese", the first book on the history of Hunanese(Phoelanese) civilization and nation from the perspective of we the Hunanese (phoelanese) people.
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