Changde

Changde
常德市
Changte; Changteh
Location of Changde jurisdiction in Hunan
Location of Changde jurisdiction in Hunan
Changde is located in Hunan
Changde
Changde
Location of the city centre in Hunan
Coordinates (Changde municipal government): 29°01′52″N 111°41′56″E / 29.031°N 111.699°E / 29.031; 111.699
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceHunan
Municipal seatWuling District
Government
 • MayorZhou Derui (周德睿)
 • Party SecretaryWang Qun (王群)
Area
18,177 km2 (7,018 sq mi)
 • Urban
2,752 km2 (1,063 sq mi)
 • Metro
2,752 km2 (1,063 sq mi)
Elevation
35 m (115 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[1]
5,279,102
 • Density290/km2 (750/sq mi)
 • Urban
1,469,055
 • Urban density530/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
 • Metro
1,469,055
 • Metro density530/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
GDP[2]
 • Prefecture-level cityCN¥ 427.5 billion
US$ 63.4 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥ 80,980
US$ 12,042
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
415000
Area code0736
ISO 3166 codeCN-HN-07
License plate湘J
City treeCamphor laurel
City flowerGardenia
Websiteeng.changde.gov.cn (in English)

Changde (Chinese: 常德; pinyin: Chángdé; traditional Chinese: 常德區 [ʈʂʰǎŋ.tɤ̌]) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. In addition to the urban districts, Changde also administers the county-level city of Jinshi and six counties. Changde is adjacent to Dongting Lake to the east, the city of Yiyang to the south, Wuling and Xuefeng Mountains to the west, and Hubei province to the north.[3]

The area has been inhabited by humans since around 8,000 years ago. In that time, the city has changed names several times, but it has been known as Changde since the 12th century. The city is well known for the Battle of Changde during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–45) and the atrocities committed then by the Imperial Japanese Army.

In the past decade, the city has seen a massive construction boom. New highrises have sprung up, roads were rebuilt and new schools, parks and museums have opened. Locals and tourists often visit the Changde Poetry Wall, covered in a variety of poems mostly from ancient China. The wall stretches for 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) along the Yuan River downtown and functions as a flood wall. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest wall with engraved arts in the world.[4]

  1. ^ "China: Húnán (Prefectures, Cities, Districts and Counties) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map".
  2. ^ "2022年湖南省各市州地区生产总值(三季度".
  3. ^ "Introduction to Changde". Changde(China) Official Web Portal- Changde's International Window. Changde City Government. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  4. ^ "Changde Poem Wall". China Daily. 2004-06-08. Retrieved 12 December 2013.