Changle

ChangLe (长乐) is a county-level city located in east Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Administered by Fuzhou city, Changle occupies a land area of 648 square kilometers and a sea area of 1327 square kilometers. Changle was established in the sixth year of Emperor Wu-De(623 AD) during the Tang Dynasty, and it became a county on February 18, 1994. Changle faces Taiwan across Taiwan Strait and is connected to Mawei Economic and Technological Zone by Minjiang River. The city may change its present status to "Changle District of Fuzhou" due to a government proposal.

Located 30 kilometers outside of urban Fuzhou, Changle has a total population of 680,000 and the number of overseas Chinese has reached 400,000 in recent years.

Outlying Village in ChangLe County

[edit] Travel

The Fuzhou Changle International Airport is a major airport located in the town of Zhanggang, Changle. This airport services the entire Fuzhou area, and it has regular scheduled flights to many domestic and international destinations.

There are also railways in Changle since it is next to Fuzhou, the main rail hub in Fujian. However, due to the mountainous terrain, railroads are slow and arduous.

[edit] Local Language

Most locals are capable of speaking both Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua)and Fuzhou dialect, though Mandarin is spoken in more formal settings such as schools.Those who with higher education are more capable of Mandarin.

Most Changle natives can speak both Mandarin and a variant of the Fuzhou dialect. ("Chanlener") However, instruction in schools is taught in Mandarin, forcefully at times, though home use is still primarily Changlener. Old Chanleners' Mandarin typically have a strong accent because the Chanler's dialect does not distinguish between z, zh, ci ,chi, si, shi.

The Changlener/Fuzhou dialect (Changle/Fuzhou Hua-长乐/福州话) faces a high risk of lingual extinction because of government policy regarding the standardization of languages . Many locals believe this to be tragic due to the loss in cultural identity. Though the dialect is expected to remain one of the most spoken languages in ChangLe area, it is primarily found mostly in the older generation. Though the younger generation are fluent to a degree because of their environment and family, generational attrition of the language will cause a continual drop in the number of capable speakers. The areas where the local dialect is the strongest is primarily in the surrounding towns and areas, which are typically less economically developed than ChangLe city, the Changle dialect is still the dominant language.

[edit] Overseas Changle

There is a significant population of Changle immigrants overseas, particularly in the US. The focal point for the US is in New York City's Chinatown Chinatown, Manhattan. In fact, Fuzhounese is commonly used in a small section of several blocks on East Broadway as well as the smaller chinatown in 8th Avenue (Sunset Park, Brooklyn).

[edit] Notable Natives & Residents

• One of the well known Changle native is Shie Wan Yin(谢婉莹), whose pen name is Bing Xin(冰心),known as "The Grandma in Chinese Literacy Circle".

• Changle is also the ancestral home of Zheng Zhenduo, a master of literature.

• Naval Explorer, Admiral Zheng He (郑和)

[edit] Tourism & Attractions

One of the most notable attractions in Changle is the natural environment. Situated on the banks of the Min Jiang River, the region is surrounded by many mountains and hills. This also has led to many parks and trails which is a popular destination for locals. Industrialization of the region has reduced the natural beauty of some of these areas however.

Some of the tourist attractions includes Xiasha Seaside Vocational Center, Jingang Leg, BingXing Literacy Archieves, and Nanshan Park. A considerable amount of oversea remittances, particularly from the US, has been used to construct some of these areas, particularly the parks, over the last few years. Because of this, many of these areas are essentially new and attract a considerable amount of visitors.

• Zheng He Museum
• San Jiao Feng (Tri-peak Pagoda)三峰塔
• Ba Jiao Ting (Octagon Pavilion )八角亭
• He Xia Jie 河下街
• Jin Gang Tian (A budbist's Giant Leg)金刚腿

[edit] Culture

The younger Generation prefer pop culture, arts, music and other forms of entertainment from Hong Kong and the West. The older generation of Changleners enjoy Min Opera (闽剧), a form of Chinese opera.

[edit] Cuisine

• Fish ball (鱼丸)
• Fish Noodle （鱼面） A noodle made from fish and starch
• Seafood, such as clam,shrimp,conch,sea snail,etc.
• Limulus(鲎) (National 2nd level endangered (Protected) species)
• Long yan (龙眼) or longan
• Bian Rou(扁肉）Literally means ground meat which is wonton soup, fujian style. It features a thin wonton skin.

[edit] Economy/Industry: 纺织, 练钢,(追风)

• Changle's Government
  • Districts (区域): As of 2003 Changle has 2 Suburban (Street Zone), 14 Township, 2 Village" 2003年底，(长乐市辖2个街道、14个镇、2个乡)
    • Suburban Areas: 吴航街道、航城街道
    • Townships: 梅花镇、营前镇、金峰镇、潭头镇、玉田镇 江田镇、古槐镇、鹤上镇、首占镇、文武砂镇、漳港镇、湖南镇、文岭镇、松下镇
    • Villages: 罗联乡、猴屿乡 (Hou Yu)

• Changle Education System
  • Fujian Normal University (福建师范)- Changle
  • No.1 Junior High School (一中)
  • Huaqiao Junior High and Senior School (华桥中)

[edit] Links

Coordinates: 25°55′08″N 119°33′23″E / 25.91889, 119.55639