Major Economic Indicators (2010)
Ganzhou is located in the southern part of Jiangxi, on the upper reaches of the Ganjiang River. Seated at the intersection of Guangdong Province, Fujian Province, Jiangxi Province and Hunan Province, the city neighbors Sanming and Longyan of Fujian Province to the east, Meizhou, Heyuan and Shaoguan of Guangdong Province to the south, Chenzhou of Hunan Province to the west, Ji'an and Fuzhou of Jiangxi Province to the north.
Ganzhou, covering an area of 39,400 sq km, is the largest prefecture-level city in Jiangxi Province. Ganzhou is also the most populous city in the province. It has a population of 8.96 million, ranking first among the 11 prefecture-level cities in Jiangxi.
The city is reputed as the "capital of tungsten" and the "capital of rare earths" in China, thanks to the rich tungsten and rare earth resources there. The proven reserves of tungsten in Ganzhou total 1.2 million tons, accounting for 8% of China's total, while the demonstrated rare earth resources exceed 52 million tons, comprising nearly 58% of the world's total.
Ganzhou enjoys efficient transportation. State Highway 105, State Highway 323 and State Highway 206 connect the city with almost all the major cities in China. The Beijing-Kowloon Railway runs through the city, providing convenient railway transportation. Ganzhou Huangjin Airport, a mere 20-minute drive from Ganzhou’s downtown, operates daily flights to Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen and Nanchang.
Ganzhou enjoys a long history and profound culture. As early as over 5,000 years ago, human settlers started living in this region. The territory was governed by Jiujiang Shire before the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC). Ganzhou got its current name during the Song Dynasty (AD960-1127), as the Ganjiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, traverses the region.
The Hakka people, whose ancestors migrated from central China to southern China hundreds years ago to escape war, comprise over 95% of the city's total population. Hakka language, Hakka architecture, Hakka cuisine, Hakka folk arts and Hakka customs are considered an important part of Han culture in China.
Ganzhou is a national historical and cultural city. It has abundant cultural and history landmarks, such as the ancient city wall of Zhanggong Town, the 400-meter-long Dongjing Bridge, Mei Pass in Dayu County and Dajing Pavilion in Zhanggong District. Zhanggong Town is not only famous for the ancient city wall, but also for the complex of numerous pavilions and temples from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The city also has enriched natural tourist landmarks, such as Mount Jiulian in Longnan County and Cuiwei Peak in Ningdu County. To view the Hakka architecture and to learn the Hakka culture, Tourists should visit Longnan, Yanji, Yangcun, Longguang and Taojiang, which have the most representative Hakka houses and the most well-preserved Hakka culture.
Tourists should also taste the delicious Hakka cuisine in Ganzhou. The most characteristic Hakka dishes are Salt Baked Chicken (baked in a heap of hot salt), Beef Ball Soup, Fried Pork with Fermented Tofu (stewed pork, fungus and bean-curd) and Pen Cai (various vegetables and meat served in a basin).
National Garden City (2008)-Ministry of Construction of P.R. China
Best Tourism City in China (2003)-National Tourism Administration of P.R. China
National Historical and Cultural City (1994)-State Council of P.R. China
