Zhangjiagang

Located 140 kilometers from Shanghai, Zhangjiagang is located along the southern banks of the Yangtze River. The land surrounding Zhangjiagang is extremely fertile, with large spans of rice paddies. In addition, many fish farms are located around the city. Many tributaries of the Yangtze have been contaminated from the construction and operation of chemical factories in the suburb areas.

Zhangjiagang is a special industrial zone. The conceptualization of the port originated with urban city planner Wang Weifeng, PhD (王维锋], in 1986.[9] Till 1993, it was a small village with no more than fields, fish farms and a small fishing port. In 1993, the area was declared an experimental industrial zone and opened up to international trade.[10]

It is divided into 8 towns:[11][12]

Besides, Changyinsha Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zone (常沙阴现代农业示范园区), Shuangshandao Island Tourist Resort (双山岛旅游度假区), (张家港经济技术开发区), (张家港保税区), (张家港市市稻麦良种场), (张家港市畜禽良种场), and (张家港市冶金工业园) are regarded as township level administrations with actual jurisdictions.

In 2019, Zhangjiagang’s regional GDP reached CN¥254.726 billion, with an increase of 6.1% at comparable prices. Calculated by the registered population, the per capita GDP is CN¥273,900, which is equivalent to US$39,700 at the average exchange rate. Based on the permanent population, the per capita GDP is CN¥201,800, which is equivalent to US$29,300 at the average exchange rate.[13]

• Ivy Experimental High School

In 2019, there are 783 buses operating in Zhangjiagang, with 47.93 million bus passengers and 65 bus routes. At the end of the year, the city has 443,300 motor vehicles. By the end of the year, the number of privately-licensed cars in the city reaches 358,100.[13]

The city is involved in the Shanghai-Nantong Railway, the Nantong-Suzhou-Jiaxing Intercity Railway and the Southern Jiangsu Riverside Intercity Railway.[3]

In 2019, the total tourism revenue of Zhangjiagang is CN¥19.7 billion. Among them, foreign exchange income from tourism is US$76,017,500. The number of domestic tourists received throughout the year is 9,355,900; the number of foreign tourists received is 46,100. The city has 4 national AAAA-level tourist attractions, 3 national AAA-level tourist attractions, and 1 provincial-level tourist resort.[13]

The city is claimed to be one of 100 Chinese countries or country-level cities with the biggest potential to develop tourism in 2020 by organizations including the China Economic Herald newspaper and the China Information Industry Association.[14]

Zhangjiagang, like many regions in China, has its own unique dialect that differs from the standard Mandarin Chinese spoken throughout the country. The local dialect is often referred to as Zhangjiagang dialect or Lower Yangtze Mandarin. The vast majority of the residents of Zhangjiagang belong to Han Chinese, and Zhangjiagang dialect is derived from Wu Chinese. It originated from Suzhou in the 5th century BC and is spoken by more than 8% of the population in China.[15] It is the main local language of East China, and major cities include Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Wuxi. People can basically communicate with other dialects of Northern Jiangsu. through Wu Chinese.

In Zhangjiagang, Mandarin is the official language. Zhangjiagang dialect is a sub-dialect of the broader Jianghuai Mandarin (Lower Yangtze Mandarin), which is spoken in the surrounding region.[16] This dialect is characterized by its distinctive pronunciation and vocabulary, which differ from the standard Mandarin Chinese. It contains a total of five different dialects, including Yuxi dialect, Chengdong dialect, Chengyao dialect (subdivided from Jiangyin dialect), Laosha dialect, Xinsha dialect (also known as Chongming dialect), and a small amount of Northern Jiangsu dialect. Among them, Yuxi dialect, Chengdong dialect, Laosha dialect, and Xinsha dialect are the most widely distributed and have the most populations. They have become the representative dialects of the city.[17]

Yuxi dialect is spoken by the southeastern town of Tangqiao, which is basically the same as the Changshu urban area, commonly known as the "Changshu dialect", distributed in the southeast near Changshu, Tangqiao, and other towns and the east of Yangshe. Yuxi dialect accounts for 25.53% of the registered population.[18]

Chengdong dialect is represented by Yangshe dialect in the urban area, it is actually the transition zone between the Wu language around Lake Tai and the surrounding districts of Suzhou. Chengdong dialect accounts for 26.4% of the registered population.[18]

Represented by Deji, Laosha dialect is distributed in Chenyang, Daxin, and other towns in the northwest, with the using population taking up about 20.76%.[17] Laosha dialect contains a characteristic of Jianghuai official dialect, for example, "nothing" is said to be "nope".

Xinsha dialect is also known as "Shashang dialect" and "Chongming dialect", spoken by people in Jinfeng, Sanxing, Nanfeng and other towns along the river in the northeast and Changyinsha Farm, the population who speak Xinsha dialect accounts for about 23.13%.[17]

Northern Jiangsu dialect includes Nanhua dialect, Rugao dialect, and Taixing dialect. People in the southern part of Zhangjiagang are original residents, and the northern part is where immigrants live. Therefore, the residents in the south part are called Jiangnan (south part of Yangtze River) people in tradition, which accounts for 51.93% of the population. The rest of the residents in the north are called Shashang people and account for 48.07% of the population.[18] These vernaculars share some basic properties like voice Sonorant. It’s a complete voice produced by the vibration of the vocal tract, and it’s always voiced. For example, the sound "sh" is often pronounced as "s" in Zhangjiagang dialect, and some words may be pronounced differently or have different meanings.[19]

Despite the prevalence of Mandarin Chinese in China, regional dialects like Zhangjiagang dialect remain an essential part of local culture and identity. Many locals continue to speak the dialect daily and use it to communicate with family and friends. However, with the increasing homogenization of language and culture throughout China, the use of regional dialects like Zhangjiagang dialect is slowly declining.[20]

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in preserving and promoting local dialects in China, including Zhangjiagang dialect. Efforts to document and study these dialects are underway, and some schools and community organizations are offering classes in local dialects to help preserve them for future generations.[21]

Overall, while Mandarin Chinese remains the dominant language in China, regional dialects like Zhangjiagang dialect continue to play an important role in local culture and identity. As China continues to modernize and globalize, it will be interesting to see how these dialects evolve and adapt to changing circumstances.

Zhangjiagang has experienced population growth over the years, with a noticeable spike between 2018 and 2019. In contrast, the household population has seen a slight decline during the same period. This could be attributed to various factors, such as migration or changes in household sizes.

As of 2022, the total permanent residence population in Zhangjiagang is 1,447,658,[22] while the household population is 927,364.[22] The city population is mainly consisted by the eight districts: Yangshe, Jingang, Jinfeng, Tangqiao, Fenghuang, Leyu, Nanfeng, and Daxin.[23]

In terms of population distribution, Yangshe District has the highest share, with 29.11% of the permanent residence population and 26.67% of the household population in 2021.[24] Other significant districts include Jingang, Tangqiao, and Jinfeng. The remaining districts, namely Fenghuang, Leyu, Nanfeng, and Daxin, have relatively smaller populations.

Overall, Zhangjiagang's population trends show consistent growth in permanent residence, while the household population has experienced a slight decrease. The majority of the population is concentrated in the Yangshe, Jingang, Tangqiao, and Jinfeng districts, indicating that these areas are the city's key residential and economic centers.

• Zhangjiagang City English Guide