Deyang

Bronze heads adorned with gold masks found at the Sanxingdui site

The ancient Shu civilization included present-day Deyang, which is home to the Sanxingdui relics.[2]

Deyang was first organized as a county during the Tang dynasty.[3]

Deyang became a prefecture-level city in 1983.[2][3]

On August 3, 1996, Deyang's Shizhong District (Chinese: 市中区) was split into Jingyang District and Luojiang County (now Luojiang District).[3]

2008 Earthquake

Buildings in Mianzhu destroyed by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

On May 12, 2008, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred. An estimated 90,000 people were killed or still missing with an estimated 400,000 injured. Around 5 million were effected through property losses, many left homeless.[4][5] Schools in Mianzhu and Shifang collapsed.[6]

Deyang county has mostly recovered from the devastation of the 2008 earthquake with most people now compensated where required (injuries, etc.) and established in new houses. In some cases they are in new areas, as well as factories and work being re-established. For the new houses, in most cases, the owners are requested to meet 30% of the cost while the government covers the rest. While the government didn't meet its initial (and ambitious) one-year plan to rehouse all victims, it did manage to mostly be successful within two years. In the meantime, residents lived in government-provided mobile home type cities with weekly cash payments for all victims to purchase food and clothing.

Deyang is located in the northeastern portion of the Chengdu Plain, with the Longquan Mountains to the east lying in between the city and the larger Sichuan Basin.[7] Deyang's urban core, Jingyang, is located on the Mianyuan River, which passes under seven bridges flowing north to south. The river has been widened, five of the bridges are part dams, and it has assumed the name of Jing Lake.

Deyang is located directly north of Chengdu, less than an hour's drive. Deyang's urban core is 24 kilometres (15 mi) away from Qingbaijiang railway station, and 50 kilometres (31 mi) away from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.[2]

A track meet at a secondary school in Jingyang District

According to the 2020 Chinese census, Deyang has a population of 3,456,161.[1] During the first half of the 2010s, Deyang's population fell by about 100,000 people, although its population had slightly rebounded in the latter half of the 2010s.[10]^: 3-3 In the 2000 Chinese Census, Deyang's population totaled 3,615,758, and in the 2000 Chinese Census, its population was 3,788,056.[3]

Throughout the 2010s, Deyang experienced increased urbanization, with its urbanization rate increasing from 41.32% in 2010 to 53.89% in 2019.[10]^: 3-4 Deyang has a sex ratio of approximately 103 males per 100 females.[10]^: 3-6

As of 2019, Deyang has a gross domestic product (GDP) of 233.591 billion RMB, of which, 23.460 billion RMB comes from the primary sector, 118.439 billion RMB comes from the secondary sector, and 91.692 billion RMB comes from the tertiary sector.[10]^: 2-5 Compared to Sichuan as a whole, Deyang is more reliant on its secondary sector, which is responsible for 50.70% of Deyang's total GDP, while making up 37.25% of Sichuan's GDP.[10]^: 2-5 In 2019, Deyang's annual GDP growth was 7.2%, slightly below Sichuan's growth rate of 7.5%.[10]^: 2-6 GDP per capita growth in Deyang was 6.7% that same year, again slightly below the Sichuan total of 7.0%.[10]^: 2-6

As of 2019, Deyang's gross domestic product per capita totals 65,745 RMB, higher than the Sichuan average of 55,774 RMB.[10]^: 2-5 However, the average annual wage in Deyang is 63,585 RMB per year, slightly below the Sichuan average of 69,267 RMB per year.[10]^: 4-15 On average, workers in Deyang's urban areas earn 37,222 RMB of disposable income annually, well below the Sichuan average of 45,878 RMB per year.[10]^: 9-7 Workers in Deyang's rural areas earn an average of 18,249 RMB in disposable income annually, below the Sichuan average of 24,357 RMB per year.[10]^: 9-12 The highest paying industry in Deyang is healthcare and social service, which pays, on average, 101,293 RMB per year, slightly below the Sichuan average of 192,904 RMB per year.[10]^: 4-15 The lowest paying industry in Deyang is the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry, which pays, on average, 28,812 RMB per year, significantly below the Sichuan average of 51,754 RMB per year.[10]^: 4-15 32.1% of Deyang's workforce is employed in the primary sector, 27.7% is employed in the secondary sector, and 40.2% is employed in the tertiary sector.[10]^: 4-6 Of Deyang's 2.17 million workers, about 697,500 work in agriculture, forestry, and fishing.[10]^: 4-7

The county-level city of Mianzhu has its own distinct style of New Year pictures, known as the Mianzhu New Year picture.[2]

Both the Chengdu Second Ring Expressway and the Chengdu Third Ring Expressway passes through Deyang.[2] Other major expressways in Deyang include the Chengwan Expressway, the G42 Shanghai–Chengdu Expressway, and China National Highway 108.[2]

Numerous railways run through the city, including the Chengdu–Mianyang–Leshan intercity railway,[2] the Baoji–Chengdu railway,[7] and the Dazhou–Chengdu railway.[7]

Deyang also has an extensive bus service and taxis.

The Deyang Confucian Temple

Deyang is home to a number of major historical sites, including the Sanxingdui site, Baimaguan Pangtong Temple (Chinese: 白马关庞统祠), and the Deyang Confucian Temple.[2] Other sites include the Huang Jiguang Memorial Hall (Chinese: 黄继光纪念馆), honoring Chinese soldier Huang Jiguang.[2] The Longmenshan National Park (Chinese: 龙门山国家地质公园) is also located in Deyang.[2]

Deyang is a sister city with Muncie, Indiana;

• Vladimir, Russia, since 1994;
• Kreis Siegen-Wittgenstein, Germany, since 1996;
• L'Alcúdia, Spain, since 1997;
• Lahti, Finland, since 2000;