Economy

Jingdezhen is not only a major city, but is also an important industrial and commercial base in north-eastern Jiangxi. In 2008, Jingdezhen achieved a GDP of RMB32.2 billion yuan. The city's per capita GDP ranks fifth among the eleven administrative regions of Jiangxi Province. The per capita disposable income of the urban residents is RMB13,583 yuan; per capita net rural income is RMB5253 yuan. Both of these rank fourth in Jiangxi. Local fiscal revenue was RMB18.5 billion, putting the city in tenth place, just above Yingtan City. Jingdezhen's GDP and local fiscal revenues are relatively low for Jiangxi Province, but the growth rate is fast. The growth rate of the per capita data is in the middle for the province.IndustryThe French SA 321 Super Frelon, which Changhe produces under license as the Z-8There are some important industrial enterprises in Jingdezhen City, such as Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation; Jingdezhen Ceramics; Jingdezhen Refrigeration Compressor, etc.Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation is the largest state enterprise in the city. It was established in 1969 as an important helicopter manufacturer. It sells its helicopters primarily to the Chinese PLA. Changhe has a subsidiary – Changhe Auto Factory – that is an important Chinese automobile company. Changhe also produces aircraft parts for the Boeing 767-300BCF.Jingdezhen Ceramics is a joint venture with a French company and is most famous of Jingdezhen's ceramic companies. The Chinese government has presented its Red Leaf brand porcelain as gifts to foreign heads of state; in 2002, the Chinese leader Jiang Zemin presented some to U.S. President George W. Bush.Jingdezhen Refrigeration Compressor Company is well known in China for its non-Eph refrigeration compressor. It holds a 20% share of its market in China.AgricultureAgricultural Economic Data of Jingdezhen （2007）Economic ItemUnitDataName of ItemsStatistics rangeAgricultural GDPcityRMB(yuan)3.8 billionSown area of graincityMu13.22 billionGrain outputcityton515,000Meat productioncityton47,000Forestry productioncityRMB(yuan)2.41 millionAnimal husbandry output valuecityRMB(yuan)1.036 billionFishery productioncityRMB(yuan)262 millionAgricultural services industrycityRMB(yuan)161 millionTea outputFuliang CountyRMB(yuan)123 millionAquaculture outputChangjiang DistrictRMB(yuan)200 millionSource：Jingdezhen People's GovernmentJingdezhen is the granary of northeastern Jiangxi, with extensive rice cultivation within its boundaries. The area is also an important producer of commodity grain, pigs, and cotton.In Fuliang County there are some large-scale tea plantations and processing facilities. The tea of Fuliang County is well known in China. Bai Juyi, a famous poet of Tang Dynasty China, wrote a poem that says "My merchant loved money more than family, he left me to go to Fuliang to buy tea last month". This suggests that one thousand years ago Fuliang was already well known for its tea. In 1915, Fuliang's "Fuhong" brand tea won a golden prize in the World's Fair in Panama.Leping City, the "Vegetable Township of South China", is a major vegetable growing and processing area for Jiangxi Province even for China. Its vegetable output and sales are important to the agricultural economy of Jiangxi Province. In 2007, Leping had 1.7 million hectares under cultivation that produced a total output of 620,000 tons. The Agriculture Ministry of China also designated Leping as a demonstration zone for "pollution-free" vegetable production.

Geography

Jingdezhen is situated in the north-east of Jiangxi and borders on Anhui; the city center area is located in the north-east of the Poyang Lake Plain. Its area is 5,256 km2 (2,029 sq mi).[1] The highest point is 1,618 m (5,308 ft), with plains on the southern part having an average altitude of 200 m (660 ft).There are some cities and counties between Jiangxi and Anhui Province around Jingdezhen. To its north, northwest and northeast are Dongzhi, Xiuning and Qimen County of Anhui province. To its south are Wannian County and Yiyang County. To its west is Boyang County. Lastly, to its southeast are Wuyuan County and Dexing City.Jingdezhen's natural resources include kaolin, coal, manganese, and lime, but it is the kaolin that has made the city famous in China and the world.[2] For over a millennium, its unique kaolin has enabled Jingdezhen to make high-quality porcelain. (The word "Kaolin" came from "Gaoling" or "Kaoling", a village located in Ehu Town, Fuliang County, Jingdezhen City.).[5][6]Climate[edit]Jingdezhen has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) affected by the East Asian monsoon, with long, humid, very hot summers and cool and drier winters with occasional cold snaps. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 5.3 °C (41.5 °F) in January to 28.7 °C (83.7 °F) in July, with an annual average of 17.36 °C (63.2 °F). The average annual precipitation is 1,830 mm (72 in). With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 25% in March to 56% in August, the city receives 1,798 hours of bright sunshine annually. Winter begins somewhat sunny and dry but becomes progressively wetter and cloudier; spring begins especially gloomy, and from March to July each of the months averages more than 190 mm (7.5 in) of rainfall. Summer is the sunniest season here, while autumn remains warm to mild and relatively dry. Extreme maximum temperatures of above 40 °C (104 °F) have been recorded, as have extreme minimums below −5 °C (23 °F).[2]

History

During the Han Dynasty, Jingdezhen was known as Xinping. Historical records show that it was during this time that it began to make porcelain. Xinping then was renamed Changnanzhen (Changnan Town) during the Tang Dynasty since it sits at the south bank of the Chang river. In 1004 CE during the North Song Dynasty, it was renamed again as Jingdezhen, taking the era name of the emperor during whose reign its porcelain production first rose to fame.In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Jingdezhen was considered one of China's four great towns in terms of commercial and industrial importance. The others were Foshan in Guangdong, Hankou in Hubei, and Zhuxian in Henan.In the 19th century, Jingdezhen became a county. During the period of the People's Republic of China it became a provincial city but retained the Jingdezhen name. Usually when a town is upgraded to a city, the designation of "city" replaces that of "town", but Jingdezhen retained its name to honor its history.Jingdezhen was named one of top 24 national historical and cultural cities of the People's Republic of China on February 28, 1982.In 2004, Jingdezhen celebrated the millennium of its becoming the porcelain capital and its assuming its present name.