Quzhou (衢州; pinyin: Qúzhōu) is a prefecture-level city in Zhejiang province, China. It is located on the upper course of the Qiantang River. Its territory borders Fujian in the south, Jiangxi in the west and Anhui in the north. The municipality covers 8836.52 km².

Administration

Quzhou has juridiction over 2 districts, 1 county-level city, and 3 counties:

• Kecheng District (柯城)
• Qujiang District (衢江)
• Jiangshan City (江山)
• Changshan County (常山)
• Kaihua County (开化)
• Longyou County (龙游)

Geography

The centre of Quzhou sits on a broad agricultural plain based on the Qiantang River (钱塘江). The river is known locally as the Qu River (衢江). It flows roughly southwest for 81.5 km and is flanked on both sides by hills. Almost all the rivers of Quzhou feed into the Qiantang system, which ultimately empties into Hangzhou Bay.

The terrain is higher in the west and the east. The territory of Quzhou Municipality is made up of plains (15%), hills (36%), and mountains (49%). In the north is the Qianli Gang (千里岗) mountain range and in the west the Yushan (玉山脉) mountain range. The highest mountains, the Xianxia Ling (仙霞岭) mountain range, lie in the south. The highest point in the municipality is at Dalong Gang (大龙岗), which rises to 1,500 m above sea level.

70.7% of the land is covered with forest. The rest is densely irrigated and farmed, producing citrus fruits, tea and mulberry leaves.

Climate

Quzhou has a temperate climate, with clearly differentiated seasons. Its winters and summers are relatively long. The land also enjoys a great deal of rain throughout all seasons, but particularly between March and June. In most years the municipality can expect 1843 mm of rain. Average temperatures range from 16.3 to 17.3 degrees. January temperatures average 4.5-5.3 degrees whilst July temperatures are 27.6-29.2. Most of the year (around 251-261 days) are without frost. Winds along the Qiantang River valley are predominantly north-easterly and north-east-easterly. Ocassionally typhoons blow in from the Pacific Ocean.

Sights

• Ancestral Temple of the Southern Kong Clan (Confucian)
• Lanke Mountain, 10 km southeast of the city proper. It features green peaks and clear waters, and the huge rocks on top of the mountain support a horizontal rock to form a natural arch, the Tiansheng Bridge ("Nature-Formed").

Demographics

As of 2003, Quzhou municipality registered a population of 2,413,500. The vast majority are Han Chinese (99.16%) but there are also small minorities of She (0.73%) and Hui, Zhuang, Manchu and Miao (together making up 0.1%). Most of the people in Quzhou are engaged in agriculture (2,035,100). The genders are roughly evenly split. Population density is 273 people per km².

Transportation

Quzhou is well served by both railways and highways. The city of Quzhou is a major connection hub between the three provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi and Fujian, with the Zhegan Railroad running through southern Quzhou and the Qujiang River flowing past northern Quzhou. A local saying goes: "Four provinces through Qu, it's the head of five roads" (四省通衢、五路总头).

Quzhou is served by an airport, which flies to various domestic destinations.

External links

• Local government website (http://english.qz.gov.cn/)
• Brief Introduction of Quzhou (http://www.chinapages.com/zhejiang/quzhou/jg/)