Fuling, Chongqing
Fuling District is a district in central Chongqing, China. As the second largest district in Chongqing, the area is known for zha cai, a hot pickled mustard tuber, as well as serving as the location of former U.S. Peace Corps teacher Peter Hessler's best-selling memoir River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze.
The district spans an area of, and has a population of 1,115,016, per the 2020 Chinese Census. The district's area spans from latitude 29°21' to 30°01' north, and longitude 106°56' to 107°43' east.
History
According to the district's government, the area comprising contemporary Fuling District has been inhabited since approximately 3000 BCE.During the Spring and Autumn period, the area was inhabited by the. From the middle and late part of Spring and Autumn period, through to the middle of the Warring States period, the area belonged to the State of Ba. The area was at some point the site of one of the Ba's capitals, and a Ba king is buried within the area. During the middle and latter part of the Warring States period, the area belonged to the State of Chu.
Following the State of Chu, the area was incorporated into the Qin dynasty as the Ba Commandery. The area reorganized in 227 BCE, under the rule of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, as.
During the Eastern Han, Zhi County was merged into.
In the Three Kingdoms period, the area was ruled by the Shu Han, and organized as Hanping County. Hanping County was subordinate to the, whose capital was located in present-day in the nearby Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, to the southeast of Fuling District.
In 347 CE, under the Eastern Jin, the area was again reorganized as Fu Commandery, which was also known as Zhicheng Commandery.
The area's administrative divisions were reorganized dramatically during the Northern and Southern dynasties.
The Sui dynasty would reorganize the area into three counties: Fuling County, which belonged to the Ba Commandery, Fengdu County, which belonged to the, and Dianjiang County, which belonged to the Dangqu Commandery.
In 618 CE, during the Tang dynasty, the area was reorganized as, which governed, Fuling County, and.
Under the Northern Song, Longhua County was changed to. During the Southern Song, Fu Zhou was reestablished to govern the area, and administered Fuling County and Wulong County.
Fu Zhou remained intact during the Yuan dynasty and the Ming dynasty, and governed Wulong County. Fu Zhou would continue intact during the Qing dynasty, but was not divided into counties. During this time, Fu Zhou was under the jurisdiction of.
In 1913, shortly after the establishment of the Republic of China, Fu Zhou was reorganized as Fuling County. Fuling County initially fell under the jurisdiction of, then directly under the jurisdiction of Sichuan, and finally under the Eight Administrative Inspectorate of Sichuan.
Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the area saw administrative reforms in early 1950. Fuling County was reorganized as, under the jurisdiction of. Fuling Area governed seven counties: Fuling, Nanchuan, Fengdu, Shizhu, Wulong, Changshou and Pengshui. In 1952, was merged into Fuling Area, adding the counties of Dianjiang, Qianjiang, Youyang, and Xiushan. Changshou County was absorbed into Chongqing, which then had a prefecture-level status instead of its present provincial-level status, in 1958.
Fuling Area was replaced by in 1968. Fuling County became a county-level city in 1983. The prefecture became a Three Gorges provincial planning region the following year. In 1988, Qianjiang, Youyang, Xiushan, Pengshui, and Shizhu counties were transferred to the jurisdiction of the newly organized. Nanchuan County was re-designated as a county-level city in 1994. On November 5, 1995, the State Council passed legislation to abolish the county-level city of Fuling and replace it with two districts: Zhicheng District and Lidu District. This change would come into effect in January 1996. In March 1996, Fuling Prefecture was re-designated as a prefecture-level city, which governed Zhicheng District, Lidu District, Nanchuan City, Dianjiang County, Fengdu County and Wulong County.
On September 15, 1996, legislature passed by the State Council placed the prefecture-level city of Fuling under the administration of Chongqing. On March 14, 1997, the National People's Congress changed Chongqing to become a direct-administered municipality. This was followed by legislation by the State Council on December 20, 1997 which abolished Fuling's prefecture-level status, revoking Zhicheng District and Lidu District, and placing Nanchuan City, Wulong County, Fengdu County, and Dianjiang County all under the direct jurisdiction of Chongqing. The now-defunct Zhicheng District and Lidu District became contemporary Fuling District.
Geography
Fuling District is located on the southeastern edge of the Sichuan Basin, between latitude 29°21' to 30°01' north, and longitude 106°56' to 107°43' east, covering an area of. The easternmost point is Baijibao in the town of, the westernmost point is Dachayuan in the town of, the southernmost point is Jinjiadian in the town of, and the northernmost point is Hongqiangyuan. Fuling District spans from west to east, and from north to south. Fuling City is located at the confluence of the Wu River and the Yangtze, in the heart of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region.Located in the central part of Chongqing, Fuling District is bordered by Fengdu County to the east, Wulong District and Nanchuan District to the south, Banan District to the west, and Changshou District and Dianjiang County to the north.
Climate
Fuling District has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate, with four distinct seasons and ample rainfall: winters are short, mild, and comparatively dry, while summers are long, hot, and humid. Monthly daily average temperatures range from in January to in July, while the annual mean is. The diurnal temperature variation is and is especially small during winter. Around 87% of the annual precipitation falls from April to October.Demographics
Fuling District has a population of 1,115,016, according to the 2020 Chinese Census. This represents a 4.53% increase from the 1,066,714 recorded in the 2010 Chinese Census. As of 2022, the population of Fuling District was reported to be 1,115,200, with a slight decrease of about 816 people compared to 2020.As of 2020, 71.85% of the district's population is urbanized, up from 55.80% in 2010.
Age and household structure
14.93% of the district's population is 14 years old or younger, 63.91% is between 15 and 59 years old, and 21.16% is 60 years old or older. 18.02% of the district's population is 65 years or older. Compared to 2010, the proportion of people age 14 or younger dropped 0.96%, the proportion of people age 15 to 59 fell 2.10%, and the proportion of people age 60 or older rose 3.06%. The proportion of people age 65 or older rose 5.63% from 2010 to 2020. The average household size in Fuling District totaled 2.44 people, a decrease from the 2.91 size recorded in 2010.Educational attainment
12.85% of the district's population had attained a tertiary education, according to 2020 figures. An additional 16.97% of the district's population had attained a secondary education, an additional 34.88% attained a junior high education, an additional 28.44% attained a primary education, and the remaining 6.86% of the population had no formal education. People above the age of 14 in the district have attained an average of 9.68 years of formal education, an increase from the 8.73 years average recorded in 2010. Fuling District had a literacy rate of 98.57% as of 2020, an increase from 94.82% in 2010.Administrative divisions
Fuling District administers 11 subdistricts, 14 towns, and 2 townships. These township-level divisions in turn administer 719 administrative villages and 80 residential communities.| Name | Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin |
| 敦仁街道 | ||
| 崇义街道 | ||
| 荔枝街道 | ||
| 江北街道 | ||
| 江东街道 | ||
| 李渡街道 | ||
| 龙桥街道 | ||
| 白涛街道 | ||
| labels=no | labels=no | |
| labels=no | labels=no | |
| labels=no | labels=no | |
| 南沱镇 | ||
| 青羊镇 | ||
| 百胜镇 | ||
| 珍溪镇 | ||
| 清溪镇 | ||
| 焦石镇 | ||
| 马武镇 | ||
| 龙潭镇 | ||
| 新妙镇 | ||
| 石沱镇 | ||
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| Dashun | 大顺镇 | |
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| labels=no | labels=no | |
| 大木乡 | ||
| 武陵山乡 |
2010 divisions
Economy
Fuling District had a total gross domestic product of 140.274 billion renminbi as of 2021, an 8.7% increase from 2020. As of the latest available data, Fuling District's economic performance has been notable. The materials industry plays a significant role in Fuling's economy, with a 2023 production value of 120.4-billion-yuan, accounting for one-fifth of Chongqing's total. This industry leads all districts and counties in Chongqing, highlighting its importance to the region's economic development.The district's primary sector accounted for 6.48% of total GDP in 2021, and grew at a rate of 6.4% from 2020; the secondary sector accounted for 55.80% of GDP, and grew 6.7% from 2020; the tertiary sector accounted for 37.72% of GDP, and grew 12.0% from 2020.
Moreover, Fuling District has been actively developing industrial clusters in key sectors such as chemical new materials, power batteries, lightweight automotive materials, and advanced new materials. The district's strategic location along the Yangtze River and its involvement in the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor have significantly boosted its export economy. In fact, Fuling's foreign trade volume reached 7.68 billion yuan from January to May 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 3.8%, and ranking fifth in Chongqing.