Jianyang has a recorded history dating back over two thousand years. It was part of the state of Shu until the third century BC and was incorporated into the Qin Empire following the unification of China under Qin Shihuang.[citation needed]
In the Yuan dynasty, it was named Jianzhou (簡州); its current name was adopted in 1913 during the Republic of China. After the foundation of the People's Republic of China, it was incorporated into the Neijiang Administration Zone. It was divided into communes during the Cultural Revolution. When the communes were abolished, it was subsumed by Chengdu. In 1994, the county was converted into a county-level city. In 2007, the county was given broad autonomy over its budgeting and financial affairs by the State Council as part of a wider experiment.[3] In 2016, the State Council transferred jurisdiction of Jianyang from Ziyang to Chengdu, ostensibly to increase urban integration with the provincial capital.[4]
Administration
Jianyang was administered by the prefecture-level city of Ziyang up until 2016 when it was transferred to Chengdu prefecture due to Jianyang's economic integration as a part of the greater Chengdu metropolitan area. Jianyang is home to commuters who work in Chengdu.[citation needed]
Administratively, Jianyang is subdivided into 16 subdistricts and 21 towns:[5]
subdistrict
Jiancheng 简城街道
Shehongba 射洪坝街道
Xinshi 新市街道
Dongxi 东溪街道
Pingquan 平泉街道
Shiqiao 石桥街道
Chishui 赤水街道
Shipan 石盘街道
Yangma 养马街道
Jiajia 贾家街道
Shibandeng 石板凳街道
Sancha 三岔街道
Caochi 草池街道
Futian 福田街道
Yucheng 玉成街道
Danjing 丹景街道
towns
Yangjia 杨家镇
Hefeng 禾丰镇
Yunlong 云龙镇
Sanxing 三星镇
Zhenjin 镇金镇
Shizhong 石钟镇
Shijia 施家镇
Sanhe 三合镇
Pingwu 平武镇
Tashui 踏水镇
Jiangyuan 江源镇
Yongquan 涌泉镇
Lujia 芦葭镇
Qinglong 青龙镇
Gaoming 高明镇
Wumiao 武庙镇
Zhuangxi 壮溪镇
Hongyuan 宏缘镇
Leijia 雷家镇
Dongjiageng 董家埂镇
Hailuo 海螺镇
Demographics
As of 2012, there are just over 1.48 million residents estimated to be living in Jianyang. Of these, the vast majority (some 1.21 million) are rural residents. The natural population growth rate without taking into account net migration figures is 1.19% as of 2012. Over 99% of the population is of Han ethnicity. There are small Yi, Tujia, and Tibetan populations, each numbering no more than a few hundred.[6]
Climate
Climate data for Jianyang, elevation 449 m (1,473 ft), (1991–2020 normals)
Development of local transport advanced rapidly between 1990 and 2010. Jianyang is served by numerous local freeways, including an expressway that connects it to Chengdu, the Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway, and the Second Ring Expressway of Chengdu, in addition to China National Highways 318, 319, and 321.[citation needed]
The local economy is mainly dependent on agriculture and the production of machinery. There are factories in the region producing metal tools, tractors, and knives. Ruonan Foods headquarters is located in Jianyang. As of 2013 recorded a GDP of 34.48 billion yuan.[citation needed]