Geographical location: Yixing City is located at 31°07'～31°37' north latitude and 119°31'～120°03' east longitude. It is located at the southern end of Jiangsu Province, in the center of the Shanghai-Nanjing-Hangzhou triangle. It is connected to the Taihu Lake in Suzhou to the east, Changxing, Zhejiang to the southeast, Guangde, Anhui to the southwest, Liyang to the west, Jintan to the northwest, and Wujin to the north. Ganhu Lake is embedded in it, and three lakes (Xi Lake, Tuan Lake, and Dong Ji) accompany the east and west sides of the city. The city's total area is 2,038.7 square kilometers (including 280.7 square kilometers of Taihu Lake water surface); the urban built-up area is 66.1 square kilometers, and the urbanization rate is 55.88. The terrain is high in the south and low in the north, with low mountains and hills in the southwest, and the highest peak of the Yellow Tower is 611.5 meters; in the east is the Taihu District, which is suitable for growing various vegetables; in the north and west are plain areas and low-lying polder areas respectively, which are the main producing areas of grain and oil in Yixing. .
By the end of the year, the city has 1 national-level environmental protection science and technology industrial park, 2 provincial-level development zones, 14 towns, 4 sub-district offices, 217 administrative villages, and 95 community residences. Committee. The total registered population was 1.0718 million, and the city's permanent population at the end of the year was 1.274 million, an increase of 0.37% and 1.26% respectively over the previous year. Among them, 528,500 are men and the urban population is 564,900. There were 6,952 births throughout the year, with a birth rate of 6.50‰; 7,991 deaths, with a mortality rate of 7.47‰; the natural population growth rate was -0.97‰. The family planning rate is 99.85, and the one-child rate is 89.3. The population density is 625 people per square kilometer (based on permanent population). There are nearly 4,000 people from 36 ethnic minorities. The seat of Yixing Municipal People's Government is No. 8, Taodu Road, Yicheng Street.
Natural resources The city has 66,100 hectares of cultivated land and 50,400 hectares of forest land; 29 small and medium-sized lakes with a water area of ??294.3 square kilometers; the total capacity of reservoirs and ponds is 134 million cubic meters; and the year-round usable water resources are 1.1 billion cubic meter. There are 27 proven mineral types including limestone, marble, quartz sandstone, coal, peat, etc. The unique pottery clay of Shushan is the best raw material for making purple clay utensils. The main timber forests include bamboo, pine and fir, including 12,000 hectares of moso bamboo, with a total stock of 36 million branches; 5,000 hectares of tea gardens, with an annual output of 6,407 tons of tea. It is the main moso bamboo and tea producing area in Jiangsu Province. Wild animals include hundreds of species of birds such as wild ducks, orioles, orioles, and various mammals such as wolves, wild boars, hedgehogs, and squirrels. There are also dozens of aquatic products such as whitebait, crucian carp, grass carp, mussels, and crabs.
Special local products Yixing is rich in products and enjoys the reputation of "Pottery Capital". The pottery produced is famous both at home and abroad. Heqiao dried tofu is salty but not salty; Xushe's small crisp sugar, a gift from the Qing Dynasty, is sweet but not greasy; Gaocheng pig's pork belly is fragrant and has a unique taste; Taihu's "three delicacies" white fish, white shrimp, and whitebait are delicious. It is rich in nutrients; the lily in Du District is known as the "ginseng of Taihu Lake"; the hilly and mountainous areas are rich in chestnuts, moso bamboo, bamboo shoots, bayberry and a variety of famous and premium teas. The "Yangxian Purple Bamboo Shoot" tea was designated as a tribute tea in the Tang Dynasty; in 2008, Yixing City was named the "Hometown of Famous Tea in China" (14th in the country), becoming the only county (city) in Jiangsu Province to receive this honor. Yixing hairy bamboo shoots have thick meat and bright yellow color. When cooked with soybeans, they become a famous dish in the south of the Yangtze River and a good drink. Zhangzhu Dabao has a large seed core, less bitterness, good glutinousness, fresh taste, moisturizes the throat and nourishes the lungs; wild fungi Wild goose mushrooms are delicious and have high nutritional value; Yangxi radish and cabbage have been successfully registered as "Yangxi" brands, and cabbage has been recognized as a ministerial-level pollution-free product; there are many varieties of azaleas; there are many varieties of Xiangxia celery and they are well sold wide.
History of construction: Yixing was called Jingyi in ancient times and belonged to Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period. In the 26th year of the First Emperor of Qin (221 BC), the county was established and Jingyi was renamed Yangxian County. From the second year of Tai'an to the fourth year of Yongjia (303-310) in the Western Jin Dynasty, the imperial court established Yixing County in recognition of Zhou Qi (the eldest son of Zhou Chu) for his contribution to quelling the rebellion with the Sanxing Volunteer Army. In the ninth year of Kaihuang's reign in the Sui Dynasty (589), it was renamed Yixing County and belonged to Changzhou. In the first year of Taiping and Xingguo's reign in the Song Dynasty (976), in order to avoid Zhao Guangyi's taboo, it was changed to Yixing County and belonged to Changzhou. In the fourth year of Yongzheng reign in the Qing Dynasty (1726), it was divided into two counties: Yixing and Jingxi. In the first year of the Republic of China, Jingxi County was abolished and merged into Yixing County.
From June 1949 to January 1953, it belonged to the Changzhou Prefecture. From January 1953 to February 1956, it belonged to the Suzhou Prefecture. From February 1956 to March 1983, it belonged to the Zhenjiang Prefecture (renamed Zhenjiang District in March 1967). It has been under the jurisdiction of Wuxi City since March. In January 1988, Yixing County was abolished and Yixing City (county-level city) was established.
Places of interest and historic sites Yixing is a nationally renowned Taihu Lake Scenic Area, Yangxian Scenic Area, China’s Excellent Tourism City, and a National Garden City. There are many karst caves in the southern mountainous area with strange scenery. More than 80 have been discovered and 5 have been developed and opened. Among them, Shanjuan Cave and Zhanggong Cave were opened to the public in 1934. There are 5 national AAAA-level scenic spots. Many "Butterfly Lovers" relics around Shanjuan Cave are more attractive to tourists; Jade Girl Pond is surrounded by huge rocks, a puddle of solid green that never dries up all year round; the Xifu Begonia in Shushan Dongpo Academy and Zhakou Tianyuan Hall were created and hand-planted by Su Dongpo; A resort integrating food, accommodation and entertainment is the largest private garden in Jiangsu Province. In the city, there are cultural attractions such as the Zhouwang Temple, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Fu Wangfu Palace, and Xu Beihong Memorial Hall, which commemorate Zhou Chu, the "number one figure in Yangxian"; Tianyi Resort and Yixing Sightseeing Agricultural Demonstration Park are included in the national agricultural tourism demonstration sites. In recent years, attention has been paid to protecting natural features, developing eco-tourism, and using the hills and mountains around the city and the waterfront to build Longbei Mountain Forest Park, Tuanjiu Scenic Area, Water Floating Park, and Wetland Park, a "city in the mountains and water in the city" A landscape tourism city with "people in the garden" has taken initial shape.
Cultural Relics Yixing has a long history, and its ancestors were hardworking and simple, leaving behind many cultural relics. The Xixi site located in Xidong Village, Fangzhuang Town, is a large-scale settlement site during the Majiabang Culture period. It reflects the peaceful and natural life of the ancestors who worked at sunrise and rested at sunset six or seven thousand years ago. Zhupo Mountain in Xizhu Town was once a residential area during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. In 1984, the Han Dynasty canoe unearthed in Wuqiao Village was collected by the Nanjing Museum. The Luotuodun site excavated in 2002 represents the Neolithic archaeological cultural characteristics of the transition from the mountains to the plains in western Taihu Lake. It is of great significance to the study of the ancient civilization process in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It was listed as one of the six major archaeological discoveries in China in 2002. The Guoshan Monument, built in the first year of Wu Tianxi's reign in the Three Kingdoms (276), is known as the "No. 1 Monument in the South of the Yangtze River". The city has 3 national key cultural relics protection units (8 sites), 9 provincial-level cultural relics protection units (18 sites), 95 municipal-level cultural relics protection units (101 sites), 56 cultural relics control units, and 1 cultural relics in storage. More than 10,000 items. "The Legend of the Butterfly Lovers" and "Yixing Purple Clay Pottery Making Technique" are national intangible cultural heritages, and the folk dance "Male Joy and Female Play", "Yixing Handmade Paper Carving", "Yixing Jun Pottery Flower Stacking Technique" and "Butterfly Viewing Festival" are Jiangsu Province intangible cultural heritage. There are 3 items of Wuxi Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage and 33 items of Yixing Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage. From 2007 to 2009, a census, sorting and excavation of intangible cultural heritage was carried out across the city, and 1,731 key projects were sorted out and registered.
Ceramic culture Yixing ceramics has a long history. As far back as the Neolithic Age, our ancestors began to make pottery. Various ancient pottery vessels and fragments from the Shang and Zhou dynasties have been excavated in Dingshu and other places. In 2002, pottery from the Majiabang Culture period was unearthed in Luotuodun, Xinjie. The Ming Dynasty dragon kiln in Dingshu Qianshu is the only ancient dragon kiln still in use in the country. Luotuodun ruins and ancient kiln sites are listed as national cultural relics protection units. Purple sand, fine pottery, green pottery, uniform pottery and beautiful painted pottery are known as the "five golden flowers" of ceramics. Especially the finished purple sand products are famous at home and abroad for their unique clay texture, shape and simple natural beauty. The "Spring Pot" of the Ming Dynasty, Shi Dabin's "Three-legged Ruyi Pot" and Xiang Shengsi's "Holy Pottery Cup" are all national first-class cultural relics and are collected in the National Museum, Wuxi Museum and Nanjing Museum respectively. Yixing ceramics are both practical and ornamental. Zisha works have won many awards internationally and domestically, and some works are also used as gifts for the country's international exchanges. From 1988 to 1998, Yixing held a "Ceramic Art Festival" every two years to use ceramics as a medium to attract investment and promote Yixing's economic development. Yixing ceramic artists went to Taiwan and the United States several times to make friends through their art and promote cultural exchanges.
There are more than 20 large-scale ceramic enterprises in the city, more than 1,000 folk ceramics workshops, and more than 30,000 employees, including 2,108 people with professional titles in ceramic arts and crafts, and have been awarded "Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts" and "Master of Chinese Ceramic Art" There are 12 people with the title (including 2 deceased people), 14 provincial masters, 27 provincial arts and crafts celebrities, and 52 researcher-level senior craftsmen. Yixing (Purple Clay) is a traditional arts and crafts industry base in Jiangsu Province awarded by the Provincial Economic and Trade Commission.
Yixing Celebrities Yixing is rich in natural treasures and outstanding people. There have been nearly 400 Jinshi in the past dynasties, including 4 Number One Scholars, 5 Number Two Scholars, and 1 Number Three Scholar; there are 10 prime ministers and 15 generals. In the Jin Dynasty, Zhou Chu was both civilized and military. He was the protagonist of the well-known "Zhou Chu eliminates the three evils". He was a typical example of abandoning evil and doing good, reforming, working hard, and serving the country with loyalty. One of the earliest works describing local customs and customs. Chen Qingzhi, a general in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, was brave and good at fighting and became a famous general of his generation. Lu Xiang was promoted to a famous anti-Qing general in the late Ming Dynasty. Politicians include Xu Pu and Zhou Yanru in the Ming Dynasty. Xu Pu served as prime minister for 12 years in the cabinet, with outstanding political achievements and a generation of wise prime ministers. Zhou Yanru won two prizes (Huiyuan and Zhuangyuan) in the 41st year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, and became prime minister twice.
There are also many people who have made achievements in natural sciences. The "Wuzhong Water Conservancy Book" written by Shan E in the Song Dynasty made important contributions to the governance and construction of Taihu Lake. "Yu Tinghong's Medical Case" by Yu Tinghong, a famous doctor in the late Qing Dynasty, was published by Shanghai Science and Technology Press after liberation. During the Republic of China, Shao Shenpei founded the Dayou Silkworm Breeding General Farm and created the "Tiger" brand silkworm breed. It developed to 11 branch farms in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, with an annual output of 640,000 silkworm seeds. Modern times are a gathering of humanities. There are the former Minister of Higher Education, Tsinghua University President Jiang Nanxiang and National Taiwan University President Yu Zhaozhong, who are known as the "Two Stars on the Street", and the twin brothers Shi Shaoxi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the famous physicist, and the famous educator Shi Shaoxi, known as the "Gemini Constellation" . By the end of 2009, there were 12 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Yixing: Zhou Peiyuan, Tang Aoqing, Pan Shu, Shi Shaoxi, Zhu Hongyuan, Zhu Jiming, Wu Haoqing, Zhang Zong, Cheng Rongshi, Zhu Bangfen, Chu Junhao, and Wu Yueliang, and 12 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering: Zhou Jing, Sha Qinglin, Xue Mingqiu, Cheng Tianmin, Chen Taiyi, Wu Zhongru, Tang Xisheng, Chen Guoliang, Gao Dingsan, Huang Ruisong, Chen Zhinan, Ren Nanqi. There are more than 100 university presidents from Yixing and about 20,000 people with associate senior professional titles or above. It is known as the "Hometown of Professors". They have made indelible contributions to China's construction and development in various fields. In terms of culture and art, Yixing is rich in talents. Jiang Fang in the Tang Dynasty, Jiang Zhiqi and Jiang Jie in the Song Dynasty, Wu Bing in the Ming Dynasty, and Chen Weisong in the Qing Dynasty enjoy high reputations in the history of Chinese literature. "The Biography of Huo Xiaoyu" by the writer Jiang Fang is widely circulated. Poet Jiang Jie's poem "The cherries are red, the bananas are green" has become a famous line through the ages. Together with Zhou Mi, Wang Yisun and Zhang Jun, they are known as the "Four Great Masters of the Late Song Dynasty". The dramatist Wu Bing wrote "Five Kinds of Charming Flowers", among which "Green Peony" and "The Story of the West Garden" are still in the repertoire of Yue Opera and Kun Opera. Chen Weisong was the leader of the Yangxian Ci School in the late Qing Dynasty. He participated in the compilation of "History of the Ming Dynasty" and was known as the "Three Phoenixes of Jiangzuo" together with Wu Chahan of Wujiang and Peng Kujin of Yunjian. In modern times, there is Sha Lei, the former editor-in-chief of Shanghai Xinghuo Publishing House, whose literary career lasted for 60 years. Her poetry collection "Song of Time" has been handed down to the world. The paintings of modern Chinese painting master Xu Beihong are well-known at home and abroad, and a number of painters such as Zhang Ruilin, Yin Shoushi, Qian Songyan, and Wu Guanzhong also enjoy high reputations. In terms of music and opera, there are Chu Shizhu, a disciple of Liu Tianhua who participated in the compilation of "Collection of Liu Tianhua's Compositions" and "Collection of Compositions by Blind Man Bing"; Jiang Fengzhi, a disciple of Liu Tianhua who was the former deputy dean of the China Conservatory of Music and has profound attainments in folk music performance. The famous Erhu player Min Huifen, singers include Cheng Jingzi and Zhang Quan. In terms of press and publishing, there are Xu Lingxiao, who was famous in the newspaper industry in the early 20th century and was known as the "Three Heroes of the Newspaper Industry", Xu Zhucheng, a famous journalist and one of the founders of "Wenhui Po", and Wang Jinfeng, a senior reporter of "People's Daily".