Jiaozhou Bay
Encyclopedia
The Jiaozhou Bay is a sea gulf located in Qingdao Prefecture
of Shandong Province. It was a German colonial
concession
from 1898 until 1914.
Jiaozhou is the main town of the bay area in the history, which was romanized as Kiaochow, Kiauchau or Kiao-Chau in English
and Kiautschou in German
.
. It separates Huangdao District
from Qingdao City and borders on Jiaozhou City and Jiaonan City
.
The bay is 32 km long and 27 km wide with a surface area
of 362 km²; approximately two-thirds the area of 100 years ago. According to official data, the surface area has been decreased from 560 km² during 1928 to 362 km² by 2003 due to sustained land reclamation
activities in recent decades. The marine species also decreased by two-thirds during the last 50 years due to urban and industrial development and growth of adjacent areas around the bay.
Jiaozhou Bay is a natural inlet of the sea, with 10 to 15 meters depth to the seabed and deeper, dredged channels to three major ports around the bay, Qingdao, Huangdao and Hongdao, all ice-free during winter.
during March 1898 with the Qing government of China.
In 1898 the area was transferred to Germany on a 99-year lease, and became known as the Kiautschou Bay concession. The village of Qingdao
became the German colony of Tsingtau, and the area became a focus for German commercial development in China, while for the Imperial German Navy it was the naval base for their Far East Squadron
.
With the outbreak of World War I
, the Republic of China
canceled the Kiautschou lease with the German Empire. This came into force on 23 August 1914, the day of Japan
’s declaration of war on Germany, after a Japanese ultimatum for unconditional German evacuation of the colony had expired. The area was occupied subsequently by British and Japanese forces after the Siege of Tsingtao.
China declared war on Germany on 14 August 1917. As an ally of the victors, China expected the formal return of the region at the end of hostilities
. However, the Treaty of Versailles
acceded to Japanese claims at the Paris Peace Conference and assigned all confiscated German Pacific territories and islands north of the equator to Japan, including Jiaozhou Bay. This arrangement caused China-wide protests known as the "May Fourth Movement
," which is regarded as a significant event of modern Chinese history. As a result, the Beiyang government
refused to sign the Treaty
.
This was known as the "Shandong Problem
". It was eventually resolved following mediation by the United States
which led to a return to Chinese sovereignty in February 1922.
. Counterclockwise, the bordering divisions are: Shinan District
, Shibei District
, Sifang District
, Licang District
, Chengyang District
, Jiaozhou City, Jiaonan
City and Huangdao District
. The entrance to the bay is 6.17 km wide. In 1993, Qingdao City decided to build a traffic corridor for the Jiaozhou Bay region, which includes a tunnel under the inlet and a bridge across Jiaozhou Bay. During December 2006 the construction process started with an estimated completion target of 2011.
The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, at 42.5 km, is the world's longest bridge over water, surpassing the cross-sea Donghai Bridge
in length. The total budget is estimated at approximately 9.938 billion yuan (~US$1.5 billion). It is estimated that it will shorten travel time from Qingdao to the outlying region by more than half and relieve pressure on the existing Jiaozhou Bay Expressway
.
The tunnel will connect Qingdao with Huangdao with a length of over 7 km; with 3 billion yuan (~US$440 million) budgeted for its construction. After completion, travel time is estimated at approximately 10 minutes by automobile from Qingdao to Huangdao District
.
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
of Shandong Province. It was a German colonial
German colonial empire
The German colonial empire was an overseas domain formed in the late 19th century as part of the German Empire. Short-lived colonial efforts by individual German states had occurred in preceding centuries, but Imperial Germany's colonial efforts began in 1884...
concession
Concession (territory)
In international law, a concession is a territory within a country that is administered by an entity other than the state which holds sovereignty over it. This is usually a colonizing power, or at least mandated by one, as in the case of colonial chartered companies.Usually, it is conceded, that...
from 1898 until 1914.
Jiaozhou is the main town of the bay area in the history, which was romanized as Kiaochow, Kiauchau or Kiao-Chau in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Kiautschou in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
Geography
Jiaozhou Bay is located on the southern coast of the Shandong Peninsula in East ChinaEast China
East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include...
. It separates Huangdao District
Huangdao District
Huangdao District is a district in Qingdao, Shandong, China. It is situated on the west bank of Jiaozhou Bay. It is identical to Qingdao Economic and Technological Development Zone which was launched in 1985 after the zone was merged with Huangdao District and set up the Free Trade Zone in...
from Qingdao City and borders on Jiaozhou City and Jiaonan City
Jiaonan
Jiaonan is a county-level city of Qingdao sub-provincial city, Shandong Province, China....
.
The bay is 32 km long and 27 km wide with a surface area
Surface area
Surface area is the measure of how much exposed area a solid object has, expressed in square units. Mathematical description of the surface area is considerably more involved than the definition of arc length of a curve. For polyhedra the surface area is the sum of the areas of its faces...
of 362 km²; approximately two-thirds the area of 100 years ago. According to official data, the surface area has been decreased from 560 km² during 1928 to 362 km² by 2003 due to sustained land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
activities in recent decades. The marine species also decreased by two-thirds during the last 50 years due to urban and industrial development and growth of adjacent areas around the bay.
Jiaozhou Bay is a natural inlet of the sea, with 10 to 15 meters depth to the seabed and deeper, dredged channels to three major ports around the bay, Qingdao, Huangdao and Hongdao, all ice-free during winter.
History
Jiaozhou Bay was known formerly as Jiao'Ao. The area became widely known to Europeans after a lease was concluded by the German EmpireGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
during March 1898 with the Qing government of China.
In 1898 the area was transferred to Germany on a 99-year lease, and became known as the Kiautschou Bay concession. The village of Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
became the German colony of Tsingtau, and the area became a focus for German commercial development in China, while for the Imperial German Navy it was the naval base for their Far East Squadron
German East Asia Squadron
The German East Asia Squadron was a German Navy cruiser squadron which operated mainly in the Pacific Ocean between the 1870s and 1914...
.
With the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
canceled the Kiautschou lease with the German Empire. This came into force on 23 August 1914, the day of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
’s declaration of war on Germany, after a Japanese ultimatum for unconditional German evacuation of the colony had expired. The area was occupied subsequently by British and Japanese forces after the Siege of Tsingtao.
China declared war on Germany on 14 August 1917. As an ally of the victors, China expected the formal return of the region at the end of hostilities
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. However, the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
acceded to Japanese claims at the Paris Peace Conference and assigned all confiscated German Pacific territories and islands north of the equator to Japan, including Jiaozhou Bay. This arrangement caused China-wide protests known as the "May Fourth Movement
May Fourth Movement
The May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919, protesting the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem...
," which is regarded as a significant event of modern Chinese history. As a result, the Beiyang government
Beiyang Government
The Beiyang government or warlord government collectively refers to a series of military regimes that ruled from Beijing from 1912 to 1928 at Zhongnanhai. It was internationally recognized as the legitimate Government of the Republic of China. The name comes from the Beiyang Army which dominated...
refused to sign the Treaty
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
.
This was known as the "Shandong Problem
Shandong Problem
The Shantung Problem refers to the dispute over Article 156 of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, which dealt with the concession of the Shandong peninsula....
". It was eventually resolved following mediation by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which led to a return to Chinese sovereignty in February 1922.
The Connection Project
Jiaozhou Bay is situated wholly within Qingdao prefectureQingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
. Counterclockwise, the bordering divisions are: Shinan District
Shinan District
Shinan District is a district of Qingdao in the Chinese province of Shandong. It has an area of and had approximately 527,000 inhabitants as of 2007. Shinan is located in coastal hilled terrain, and has a temperate monsoon climate. Common features include moderate temperatures, moist air,...
, Shibei District
Shibei District
Shibei is a district of Qingdao in the Chinese province of Shandong. It has an area of 28.63 km² and around 474,529 inhabitants .- External links :*...
, Sifang District
Sifang District
Sifang is a district of Qingdao in the Chinese province of Shandong. It has an area of 34.55 km² and around 383,700 inhabitants .- External links :*...
, Licang District
Licang District
Licang is a district of Qingdao in the Chinese province of Shandong. It has an area of 95.52 km² and around 280,800 inhabitants .- External links :*...
, Chengyang District
Chengyang District
Chengyang is a district of Qingdao, Shandong, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and around 447,000 inhabitants .- External links :*...
, Jiaozhou City, Jiaonan
Jiaonan
Jiaonan is a county-level city of Qingdao sub-provincial city, Shandong Province, China....
City and Huangdao District
Huangdao District
Huangdao District is a district in Qingdao, Shandong, China. It is situated on the west bank of Jiaozhou Bay. It is identical to Qingdao Economic and Technological Development Zone which was launched in 1985 after the zone was merged with Huangdao District and set up the Free Trade Zone in...
. The entrance to the bay is 6.17 km wide. In 1993, Qingdao City decided to build a traffic corridor for the Jiaozhou Bay region, which includes a tunnel under the inlet and a bridge across Jiaozhou Bay. During December 2006 the construction process started with an estimated completion target of 2011.
- The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge
The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, at 42.5 km, is the world's longest bridge over water, surpassing the cross-sea Donghai Bridge
Donghai Bridge
Donghai Bridge is one of longest cross-sea bridge in the world. It was completed on December 10, 2005. It has a total length of and connects mainland Shanghai and the offshore Yangshan deep-water port in China. Most of the bridge is a low-level viaduct. There are also cable-stayed sections to...
in length. The total budget is estimated at approximately 9.938 billion yuan (~US$1.5 billion). It is estimated that it will shorten travel time from Qingdao to the outlying region by more than half and relieve pressure on the existing Jiaozhou Bay Expressway
Expressways of China
The Expressway Network of the People's Republic of China is one of the longest in the world. The network is also known as National Trunk Highway System . The total length of China's expressways was at the end of 2010, the world's second longest only after the United States and slightly longer...
.
- The Qing-Huang TunnelQing-Huang TunnelThe Qing-Huang Tunnel is an under-sea road tunnel located in Shandong Province in eastern People's Republic of China. It transects Jiaozhou Bay, connecting Huangdao District with the city of Qingdao . It is long with a portion of that underwater...
The tunnel will connect Qingdao with Huangdao with a length of over 7 km; with 3 billion yuan (~US$440 million) budgeted for its construction. After completion, travel time is estimated at approximately 10 minutes by automobile from Qingdao to Huangdao District
Huangdao District
Huangdao District is a district in Qingdao, Shandong, China. It is situated on the west bank of Jiaozhou Bay. It is identical to Qingdao Economic and Technological Development Zone which was launched in 1985 after the zone was merged with Huangdao District and set up the Free Trade Zone in...
.