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Zhanjiang

City in Guangdong, China

  • 10 min read
  • 9 chapters
Zhanjiang Bay Bridge in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, shot from a ferry
DragonSamYU · CC BY-SA 4.0

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According to the 2020 census, the city's resident population was 6,981,236, down slightly from 6,994,832 in 2010—the highest decade-census figure to that date. More recent estimates (2023) place the total resident population at about 7,078,400, an all-time high, while the urban population of the built-up centre is estimated at roughly 3,402,700 (2023), also an all-time high.

In 2007, the Chinese Cities Brand Value Report ranked Zhanjiang among China's ten most livable cities.

Zhanjiang's culture is shaped by the Leizhou Peninsula, home to the distinctive Leizhou Opera (雷剧). The city also hosts a major base of the People's Liberation Army Navy.

History

The Imperial China era

During the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), the area of modern Zhanjiang was part of the Xiang Shire administrative division. Under the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), Xuwen County was established as the administrative seat for the entire Leizhou Peninsula. The port of Zhanjiang became one of the earliest departure points on the Maritime Silk Road, fostering trade and the growth of the urban center. During the Song dynasty (960–1270 AD), many Putian (Hinghwa) colonists settled in the region, later forming the ethnolinguistic majority of the Leizhou Peninsula. Other significant groups included the Baiyue, Cantonese, Tanka, and foreign merchants.

French-leased territory

In 1898, the region was a small fishing port when the French established control, forcing China to lease a 99-year concession known as Guangzhouwan (historically Kwangchowan or Kwangchow Wan). Much of the local population had fled, so Cantonese peasants from north of Leizhou were brought in to repopulate the area, making Yue Chinese the dominant local language. The French developed the port, calling it Fort Bayard, intending it as a logistical center for their southern China concessions, including railway and mineral projects. However, the surrounding poverty and underdevelopment limited these efforts. The French held the enclave until 1943, when the Japanese occupied it during World War II. After the war, the enclave was briefly returned to France before being formally ceded to China in 1946 by General Charles de Gaulle.

Return to China

After reclaiming the territory from the French, the Republic of China renamed the area Zhanjiang, a historical variant of Zhanchuan, which had been under the jurisdiction of Zhanchuan County. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Zhanjiang grew in strategic and economic importance. By 1957, it developed into a major modern deep-water port, capable of handling ships up to 50,000 tons.

As part of Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening-up policy in 1984, Zhanjiang was designated as an open city, attracting foreign investment and promoting industrial growth. Key industries included shipbuilding, engineering works, automobile manufacturing, electrical manufacturing, textiles, sugar refining, and chemical production.

In the early 1990s, a rail line connected Zhanjiang to Guangzhou, later extended to Hai'an at the southern tip of the Leizhou Peninsula. This line integrated with the Guangdong–Hainan Railway, allowing trains to be ferried across the Hainan Strait to Haikou city, further strengthening regional connectivity.

Zhanjiang's culture is distinct within Guangdong, heavily influenced by the Leizhou Peninsula. The local opera, Leizhou Opera (雷剧), is a unique art form with a history of over 300 years. The city is also a major base for China's South Sea Fleet, adding a significant naval element to its identity.

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