The district spans an area of 2,941.46 square kilometres (1,135.70 sq mi),[2] and has a population of 1,115,016, per the 2020 Chinese Census.[3] The district's area spans from latitude 29°21' to 30°01' north, and longitude 106°56' to 107°43' east.[2]
History
According to the district's government, the area comprising contemporary Fuling District has been inhabited since approximately 3000 BCE.[4]
Under the Northern Song, Longhua County was changed to Binhua County [zh].[4] During the Southern Song, Fu Zhou was reestablished to govern the area, and administered Fuling County and Wulong County.[4]
Fu Zhou remained intact during the Yuan dynasty and the Ming dynasty, and governed Wulong County.[4] Fu Zhou would continue intact during the Qing dynasty, but was not divided into counties.[4] During this time, Fu Zhou was under the jurisdiction of Chongqing Fu [zh].[citation needed]
In 1913, shortly after the establishment of the Republic of China, Fu Zhou was reorganized as Fuling County.[4] Fuling County initially fell under the jurisdiction of Chuandong Circuit [zh], then directly under the jurisdiction of Sichuanin 1928[citation needed], and finally under the Eight Administrative Inspectorate of Sichuan.[4]
Fuling Area was replaced by Fuling Prefecture [zh] in 1968.[4] Fuling County became a county-level city in 1983.[4] The prefecture became a Three Gorges provincial planning region (三峡省筹备区域) the following year.[citation needed] In 1988, Qianjiang, Youyang, Xiushan, Pengshui, and Shizhu counties were transferred to the jurisdiction of the newly-organized Qianjiang Prefecture [zh].[4] Nanchuan County was re-designated as a county-level city in 1994.[4] 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 (Chinese: 枳城区) and Lidu District (Chinese: 李渡区).[4] This change would come into effect in January 1996.[4] 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.[4]
On September 15, 1996, legislature passed by the State Council placed the prefecture-level city of Fuling under the administration of Chongqing.[4] On March 14, 1997, the National People's Congress changed Chongqing to become a direct-administered municipality.[4] 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.[4] 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 2,941.46 square kilometres (1,135.70 sq mi).[2] The easternmost point is Baijibao (Chinese: 白鸡堡) in the town of Jiaoshi [zh], the westernmost point is Dachayuan (Chinese: 大茶园) in the town of Zengfu [zh], the southernmost point is Jinjiadian (Chinese: 金家店) in the town of Tongle [zh], and the northernmost point is Hongqiangyuan (Chinese: 红墙院).[2] Fuling District spans 74.5 kilometres (46.3 mi) from west to east, and 70.8 kilometres (44.0 mi) from north to south.[2] Fuling City is located at the confluence of the Wu River and the Yangtze, in the heart of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region.[2]
Fuling District has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (KöppenCwa), 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 7.5 °C (45.5 °F) in January to 28.4 °C (83.1 °F) in July, while the annual mean is 18.2 °C (64.8 °F). The diurnal temperature variation is 6.6 °C (11.9 °F) and is especially small during winter. Around 87% of the annual precipitation falls from April to October.
Climate data for Fuling District, elevation 373 m (1,224 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2000)
Fuling District has a population of 1,115,016, according to the 2020 Chinese Census.[3] This represents a 4.53% increase from the 1,066,714 recorded in the 2010 Chinese Census.[3]
As of 2020, 71.85% of the district's population is urbanized, up from 55.80% in 2010.[3]
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.[3] 18.02% of the district's population is 65 years or older.[3] 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%.[3] The proportion of people age 65 or older rose 5.63% from 2010 to 2020.[3] The average household size in Fuling District totaled 2.44 people, a decrease from the 2.91 size recorded in 2010.[3]
Educational attainment
12.85% of the district's population had attained a tertiary education, according to 2020 figures.[3] 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.[3] 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.[3] Fuling District had a literacy rate of 98.57% as of 2020, an increase from 94.82% in 2010.[3]
The district'sprimary 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.[10]
Transportation
Historically, Fuling was primarily served by Yangtze river boats, as the development of ground transportation was slow, due to the difficult terrain.
Yangtze Normal University (formerly Fuling Teachers College) is in Fuling. The university hosted Peace Corps volunteers from 1996 until 2020, when the last volunteers were evacuated from the Peace Corps China program in the wake of COVID-19.
Culture
Silver-inlaid Copper Pot, Warring States period, unearthed at Xiaotianxi, Fuling
The White Crane Ridge (Baiheliang), a rock outcrop on the Yangtze River, has been used as a hydrological station recording water levels since the Tang Dynasty. It includes many rock carvings. With the flooding of the Yangtze as part of the Three Gorges Dam project, the White Crane Ridge Underwater Museum was opened in 2009 to protect the carvings and allow viewing by visitors under the new water level of the river.[12]
Cuisine
Fuling is well known for its Wu River brand zha cai pickled mustard tuber. The Fuling Zhacai company is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and in 2021 celebrated selling 15 billion packets.[13]
According to Peter Hessler, as of 1998, most residents of Fuling are genetically incapable of being alcoholics. When imbibing large amounts of alcohol many people became so sick and they could not drink heavily all the time. Therefore, according to Hessler, consumption of alcohol was not habitual but instead was a ritual, and therefore drinking patterns were "abusive with light consequences."[14]
^United States Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Daily Report: People's Republic of China, Issues 224–231. National Technical Information Service, 1990. p. 31. "Fuling is famous for its hot pickled mustard tubers and Comrade Qiao Shi showed a keen interest in the production and processing of these tubers. Early the next morning, he went to Fuling's Zhaxi Hot Pickled Mustard Tuber Factory by car.[...]"
^ abcdefg自然环境 [Natural environment]. www.fl.gov.cn (in Chinese). Fuling District People's Government. 2022-01-20. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
^ abcdefghijklm辖区人口 [Jurisdiction population]. www.fl.gov.cn (in Chinese). Fuling District People's Government. 2022-01-20. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
^Census Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China; Population and Employment Statistics Division of the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China (2012). 中国2010人口普查分乡、镇、街道资料 (1 ed.). Beijing: China Statistics Print. ISBN978-7-5037-6660-2.
^ ab综合经济 [Total economy]. www.fl.gov.cn (in Chinese). Fuling District People's Government. 2022-01-20. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
