Jieyang (t=揭陽; Chaozhou dialect: gig4 iên5; Jieyang dialect: gêg4 ion5) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Guangdong Province (Yuedong), People's Republic of China, part of the Chaoshan region whose people speak Chaoshan Min distinct from neighbouring Yue Chinese speakers. It is historically important as the hometown of many overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. It borders Shantou to the east, Chaozhou to the northeast, Meizhou to the north, Shanwei to the west, and looks out to the South China Sea to the south.
History
The name Jieyang can be traced back to the 33rd year of Qin Shi Huang (214 BC) when the emperor set up a garrison on the south side of
Jieling (揭嶺之陽).
In Chinese fengshui, facing south means "
yang" (陽), which is propitious. Jieling means Mount
Jie, so is the name Jieyang (揭陽).
Administration
The prefecture-level city of Jieyang administers five county-level divisions, including two districts, one county-level city (administered on behalf of the province) and two counties.
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|
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| Rongcheng District | 榕城区 | Róngchéng Qū | 741,674 | 182 | 4,098 |
| Jiedong District | 揭东区 | Jiēdōng Qū | 1,157,720 | 850 | 1,362 |
| Jiexi County | 揭西县 | Jiēxī Xiàn | 825,313 | 1,279 | 605 |
| Huilai County | 惠来县 | Huìlái Xiàn | 1,097,615 | 1,207 | 906 |
| Puning | 普宁市 | Pǔníng Shì | 2,054,703 | 1,620 | 1,291 |
These are further divided into 100 township-level divisions, including 69 towns, 10 townships and 21 subdistricts.
Economy
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Traditional manufacturing industry - hardware and stainless steel, textiles and clothing (Puning underwear), and shoemaking.
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Medicine and Chinese herbal medicines - Puning is an important distribution center for Chinese herbal medicines in the country.
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Petrochemical energy - Huilai Da Nanhai Petrochemical Industrial Zone (oil refining, ethylene) and offshore wind power.
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Commerce and e-commerce - Puning clothing and Chinese herbal medicine wholesale market, e-commerce drives clothing sales.
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Agriculture and food processing - specialty agricultural products such as lychees, tea, and preserved fruits.
Transport
Air
The new Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport is the third largest airport complex in Guangdong Province, after Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, and Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. It replaced the Shantou Waisha Airport on 15 November 2011.
Rail
Jieyang is located on the Guangzhou–Meizhou–Shantou Railway.
Language and culture
The
Chaoshan Min is predominantly spoken in this region. The
Hakka dialect, however, has its limited presence among Hakka people in
Jiexi County, Northwestern Jiedong District, Nanyang Mountain Area of
Puning, and a small part of
Huilai County.
History
The 1930s saw numerous Jieyang inhabitants emigrating overseas. A large number of Chinese live in Southeast Asia and kept their customs. Pontianak and
Ketapang in
Indonesia,
Johor Bahru in
Malaysia,
Singapore,
Cambodia and
Thailand have large
Overseas Chinese communities of Jieyang origin; the
Lintian Republic, one of many
Kongsi republic of West Borneo, were founded by Jieyang immigrants. In 1991, the Chinese central government approved Jieyang as a prefecture-level city.
Climate
Places of interest
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Jieyang Confucius temple (揭阳孔庙): built in 1140 (Southern Song Dynasty); one of the national priority protected sites
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Jieyang Guandi Temple: built in 1558 (Ming Dynasty); one of the national priority protected sites
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Jieyang Rongjiang West Lake
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Jieyang Tower
Notable people
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Ke Hua (19 December 1915 – 1 January 2019), former Chinese diplomat
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Rayson Huang (黃麗松), first Chinese Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong
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Kwok Ka-ki (郭家麒), former Legislative Councillor
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Daniel Lam See-hin (林思顯), businessman, banker, Legislative Councillor
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David See-chai Lam (林思齊), banker, businessman, investor, philanthropist, and politician
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Dennis Lam Shun-chiu (林順潮), ophthalmologist, businessman and politician
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Lam Chi-fung (林子豐), banker, educator
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Vintoquián (林道乾, Lîm tō-khiân) (?-?), 16th century pirate
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Li Zhenning (born 1995), Chinese singer and actor
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Regina Hing Yue Tsang (曾庆瑜), actress, singer
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Ken Lo (盧惠光), actor, martial artist
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Zeng Yi (8 March 1929 – 13 July 2020), virologist
External links
