Changzhou - Changzhou

Japanese: 常州 - じょうしゅう

A prefecture-level city in the southern part of Jiangsu Province, China. It governs five city districts and acts as the administrative agent for Liyang City (as of 2016). It has a population of 3.709 million (2015). Since the Sui Dynasty, the city has been along the Grand Canal and is a key transportation hub on the Shanghai-Nanjing Line. During the Spring and Autumn Period, it was the Yanling Town of the Wu State, and during the Han Dynasty, Biling County was established there. During the Jin Dynasty, it was separated from Biling County to form Wujin County. During the Sui Dynasty, it was the administrative center of Changzhou, and after the Yuan Dynasty, it was the administrative center of Changzhou Road or Changzhou Prefecture. In 1949, Changzhou City was established in the urban area of Wujin County. Located in the center of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang grain belt, it has long been known as a distribution center for agricultural products such as rice, raw silk, and beans. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the spinning industry and heavy chemical industry developed rapidly. Currently, industries such as machinery, automobile parts, and spinning are thriving. Traditional crafts include combs, combing combs, and bamboo crafts.

[Kazuo Hayashi, Editorial Department, February 16, 2017]

World Heritage Registration

In 2014, the Changzhou Canal was registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as a component part of the "Grand Canal of China" (World Cultural Heritage).

[Editorial Department, February 16, 2017]

[Reference items] | Jiangsu (province) | Grand Canal | Liyang

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

中国、江蘇(こうそ)省南部の地級市。5市轄区を管轄し、溧陽(りつよう)市の管轄代行を行う（2016年時点）。人口370万9000（2015）。市街は隋(ずい)以来大運河に沿い、また滬寧(こねい)線（上海(シャンハイ)―南京(ナンキン)）が通じる交通の要地である。春秋時代には呉(ご)国の延陵邑(えんりょうゆう)で、漢代に毗陵(ひりょう)県が置かれ、晋(しん)代に毗陵県から分離して武進(ぶしん)県が設けられ、隋(ずい)代は常州の、元代以後は常州路または常州府の治所であった。1949年武進県の市街区に常州市が設けられた。江浙(こうせつ)穀倉地帯の中心に位置し、米、生糸、豆など農産物の集散地として古くから知られた。中華人民共和国成立後は紡績工業のほか重化学工業が急速に発達した。現在では、機械、自動車部品、紡績などの工業が発達している。伝統工芸として櫛(くし)、梳(す)き櫛、竹細工が有名である。

［林　和生・編集部　2017年2月16日］