Dongyang
Encyclopedia
Dongyang is a Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
city of about 800,000 people in the middle of Zhejiang Province, about 200 kilometers south of Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
. Dongyang lies in the central area of Zhejiang Province, covering an area of 1739 square kilometers. It administrates 11 towns, 1 county, 6 subdistrict offices, and it belongs to the Delta Economic Region of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. It has been ratified by the State Council as an open-up city and a famous cultural city with a long history in the central area of Zhejiang.
History
Dongyang county was first set up in AD 195 (2nd year of XinPing Reign of East Han Dynasty) and known as Wuning (吴宁). In AD 688, the name was changed to Dongyang (东阳). The name Dongyang means "Eastern Sun".Economy
Dongyang is famous for its numerous construction companies, the primary one being Zhongtian.Dongyang is also famous for magnets,chemicals, plastics, garments and agriculture and wooden sculptures.
The reform and opening policies of the 1970s have accelerated economic growth, and the city ranks among the top 100 cities in China, and the first well-off counties (cities) in Zhejiang Province. In 2005, the city's GDP reached 15.984 billion RMB yuan, earning fiscal revenue of 1.38 billion RMB yuan. Per-capita disposable income for urban households totaled 13,349 RMB yuan, and per-capita net income for farmers amounted to 6,903 RMB yuan.
Industry is an important pillar for Dongyang's economy. The city boasts a wide range of industrial sectors, led by electronic, machine building, magnetic material producing, and medical and chemical industries. At present, Dongyang has become the largest magnetic material production and exportation base in China. It is also the third largest medical and pharmaceutical city in Zhejiang, and boasts a group of leading companies in this sphere, such as Hengdian Kangyu Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd, Zhejiang Garden Biological High-tech Co.,Ltd, and Zhejiang Hansheng Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd.
Dongyang is experiencing a period of great growth, comparable to other regions and cities in Eastern China. In the city square (called Holman Chen), many couples on pleasant evenings dance to traditional and Chinese pop songs.
In one of Dongyang's towns, Hengdian, there is a famous movie studio
Hengdian World Studios
Hengdian World Studios is the largest film studio in the world. It is located in Hengdian, a town in the city of Dongyang in Zhejiang Province. The movie studio is operated by the privately-owned Hengdian Group founded by a farmer turned millionaire Xu Wenrong. Sometimes called "Chinawood", Xu...
, where many films and TV shows about ancient China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
are made. Considered the Hollywood of the East, this vast movie set is a great day trip that is usually very quiet and empty. The movie set is home to a recreation of the Summer Palace, the Great Wall, an ancient Chinese Village and several small European Villages as well as a Pirate ship in a manmade lake. The movie Hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
, starring Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
was filmed there, as well as the recent video game adaptation.
Miscellaneous
The people of Dongyang also pride themselves in having an excellent educational system. Many Dongyang people have excelled in academia and the sciences. Many professors from elite universities in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
grew up in this city.
One of the famous names is professor Jianwei Pan, who graduated from Dongyang High School, is now doing cutting edge research work on quantum physics and quantum information.
Culture
Dongyang also has BaiyunBaiyun
Baiyun District is one of the districts of Guangzhou.Baiyun is the place where the former Guangzhou airport, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, is located. The new airport, though still called Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, is located in Huadu District.-External links:**...
Cultural Park, a place for relaxation with several representations of Daoism and Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
including a 50 foot statue. A beautiful place to relax and enjoy this interesting city.
Dongyang Woodcarving（东阳木雕 has been reputed as one of the best folk handicrafts and a national treasure, as one of the four major schools of woodcarving in China. Dongyang has been honored as the hometown of woodcarving since ancient time. Dongyang Woodcarving came into being early in Tang Dynasty. In Song Dynasty, it reached a high state of the art. During the period of Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, Dongyang Woodcarving came into flourishing.
Traditions
A famous local tradition in Dongyang is the Tong Zi Dan (童子尿煮雞蛋), which translates into "Boy Egg", an annual tradition in early spring time where the urine of prepubertal school boys preferably under 10 years is collected and boiled with eggs and then sold (for 1.50 yuan) and eaten, it is said "it tastes like spring".Travel
Dongyang is approximately 5 hours by train from ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, where it is also possible to catch a long-distance bus. Close to Dongyang is Yiwu
Yiwu
Yiwu is a city of about 1.2 million people in central Zhejiang Province near the central eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. The city is famous for its small commodity trade and vibrant free markets and is a regional tourist destination...
, which is a 25 minute bus ride away. Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
is approximately 2 hours travel from Dongyang.
Tourist Attractions
- Lu Residential Complex（卢宅） is one of the key historical and cultural sites under state-level protection in China. Located in downtown Dongyang, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, the great architectural complex has been the habitation for the Lu family since 800 years ago. It is well-known as the Imperial Palace in South China. It is composed of six groups of buildings. The residential complex is ancient, delicate, and magnificent, and the buildings inside dating from Ming & Qing Dynasties feature the typical Ming-Qing architectural style.
- Hengdian World Studios（横店影视城） is the Hollywood in China. The magnificent and elaborately-designed bases and modernized studios there have attracted many directors both from home and abroad. More than 400 films were shot in Hengdian World Studios, including some popular films, such as Opium War, the Emperor and the Assassin, Hanwu the Great, Hero, the Promise, Curse of the Golden Flower, and the Forbidden Kingdom, etc.