Located on the mid-eastern Hunan and the mid-north of Xiangtan, Shaoshan is bordered by Ningxiang County to the north, Xiangxiang City to the west and southwest, Xiangtan County to the east and southeast. It covers an area of 247.3 km2 (95.5 sq mi), as of 2015, it has a census registered population of 118,236 and a permanent resident population of 97,800.[2] It is the smallest administrative unit by size or by population in the counties and county-level cities in Hunan province.[3]
As the birthplace of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, Shaoshan was an important base during the Chinese Communist Revolution. Mao remains a popular figure in the area,[4] and red tourism to Shaoshan and other places related to China's communist background has driven the local economy, while increasing people's understanding of China's revolutionary history.
Shaoshan train station
History
Shaoshan's founding legend involves Emperor Shun, who supposedly passed through the site during his southward inspection. He was so fascinated with the landscape that he played the Music of Shao (韶乐), which summoned many phoenixes and other birds to accompany him. Thus was Shaoshan named for the Music of Shao. It was under the jurisdiction of the state of Chu in the ancient times.[5]
On December 26, 1990, Shaoshan became a county-level city approved by the State Council.[5]
Names and administrative levels of Shaoshan:
1652 (Qing Dynasty): Qidu (七都), Xiangtan District (县)
December 1968: county-controlled district status upgraded to regional district (地级区), controlled directly by the province
December 1981: reverted to be county-controlled
December 1984: upgraded to county-class district (县级区), controlled by Xiangtan City
December 26, 1990: Upgraded to county-class city, controlled by Xiangtan City on behalf of the province.
Administrative divisions
After an adjustment of subdistrict divisions of Shaoshan City on 16 November 2015, Shaoshan City has two towns and two townships under its jurisdiction.[7] they are:
Population: the city consists of 100,000 residents, of which 16,000 are non-farmers. The total land area is 210 km2 (81 sq mi).
Geography: in the east-central hilly region of Hunan province, the geographical coordinates are longitude 112 ° 23'52 "-112 ° 38'13", latitude 27 ° 51'40 "-28 ° 1'53".
Shaoshan's topography is dominated by Mt. Shaofeng and the Shao and Shishi Rivers, with hills in the west giving rise to a mix of hills and plains in the east. The peak of Mount Shaofeng, 518.5 m above sea level, is the highest point whereas Liumuzhou, 48 m above sea level, is the lowest point of the whole city.
^2015年韶山市国民经济和社会发展统计公报 [Statistical Communiqué of Shaoshan City on the 2015 National Economic and Social Development]. Xiangtan Bureau of Statistics. 2016-05-06. or xiangtan.gov.cn
