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Xuzhou (Chinese: 徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area made of Quanshan, Gulou, Yunlong and Tongshan urban Districts and Jiawang District not being conurbated), is a national complex transport hub and ...
Located in the northwest of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou is the largest city of northern Jiangsu as well as the most ancient city of the province. It acts as the second largest railway hub in China as it is located in the border area of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan and Anhui provinces. China’s two main railways Beijing-Shanghai Railway and Lanzhou ...
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Xuzhou, city, northwestern Jiangsu sheng (province), eastern China. It is located in a gap in the southern portion of the Shandong Hills that constitutes a southwestern extension of the North China Plain. Through this gap flows the Feihuang River (in a former riverbed of the Huang He [Yellow River]), which joins the Si River and the Grand Canal, th...
The gap in the Shandong Hills was first utilized by a canal built in the 2nd century bce during the Han dynasty (206 bce–220 ce) to connect Luoyang (in present-day Henan province) with the lower Huai River valley. The route, known as the Old Bian Canal, was replaced after the construction of the New Bian Canal (also known as the Tongji Canal) in 605, which took a route farther southward. Xuzhou nevertheless remained a route centre and a major commercial city until the 12th century.
In this early period it was sometimes known as Pengcheng—the name of the county established there by the Qin dynasty (221–206 bce) in 220 bce. Throughout the Tang dynasty (618–907) it was a heavily garrisoned stronghold, protecting the vital supply line of the New Bian Canal from invasion by the semi-independent provincial governors of Shandong and Hebei. During the Five Dynasties (Wudai) period (907–960), it was also a hotly contested strategic base in struggles between the dynasties of the northeast and the independent states farther south.
It declined somewhat during the 12th century, until in 1194 the Huang He abandoned its old course north of the Shandong Peninsula to flow through the gap at Xuzhou and join the old course of the Huai River at Qingjiang (present-day Huai’an) on its way to the sea. This development placed Xuzhou at the junction between the Huang He and the Grand Canal. A new canal, built in 1276 to supply the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty’s capital of Dadu (now Beijing), also passed through Xuzhou. As the Grand Canal and its grain traffic gained in importance from the 14th century onward, Xuzhou regained its former prosperity. It was raised to the status of a superior prefecture, Xuzhou Fu, under the Qing dynasty (1644–1911/12). However, in the last years of the Qing, like other towns on the Grand Canal, it lost a certain degree of its importance. In the 1850s, moreover, the Huang He returned to its old course, removing Xuzhou’s westward waterway link.
In 1912 Xuzhou was joined by the railway to both Beijing and the Yangtze (at Nanjing). With the completion of the Longhai Railway, it also became a rail junction between major east-west and north-south trunk railways. Another rail line, running east to the Yellow Sea port of Lianyungang, opened in 1934 and is now part of the Longhai Railway. In the period before World War II, Xuzhou became a commercial and collecting centre for the agriculture of southwestern Shandong, eastern Henan, northern Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces. In 1938, during the Sino-Japanese War (1937–45), it was the site of a desperate battle. Following that, during the period of civil war (1945–49), it was the site of the greatest and most decisive battle between the communist and Nationalist armies, in which some 500,000 troops were engaged on each side in bloody fighting (November 1948–January 1949); the outcome was a communist victory, with the Nationalists withdrawing to Taiwan.
Since 1949 Xuzhou developed not only as a regional commercial centre and a railway and highway hub but also as the chief city of a mining district. It is the centre of a rich coalfield, with mines in the immediate vicinity. The generation of electric power and the manufacture of chemicals based on this coal are economic mainstays. Xuzhou’s chief industries include machine building, engineering, and the production of cotton textiles. However, starting in the 1990s, Xuzhou began to restructure its industries toward higher technology. Plants were established that manufactured pharmaceuticals, environmental-protection equipment, and electronics. In addition to its major role in the regional rail and highway system, Xuzhou also has an airport that provides domestic air service to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou (Canton), and other cities.
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Xuzhou, with its long and rich history, has been designated by the national government as one of China’s historical and cultural cities. Tourism has become increasingly important to the local economy. A number of locations in and around the city are associated with the Han period, including a large royal tomb to the east. Xuzhou is also known for natural scenic areas in the surrounding region. Several institutions of higher learning are located in the city, including two military colleges.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Located in the south suburb of the city, it is praised as the 'Nature Oxygen Bar' due to its breath- taking natural beauties and rich varieties of plants and birds. Mt. Quanshan consists of five mountains and ranks the first among all the mountains of Xuzhou.
Xuzhou is a city of 2.6 million in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Xuzhou has about 8,830,000 residents. ... United Nations Location Code. CN XUZ. Open ...
Xuzhou is a city steeped in a glorious past. Having not only witnessed the birth of the Han, arguably China’s defining dynasty, it also hides one of its most important treasures. Gazing at the ...
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Xuzhou, a city steeped in history and renowned for tourism, is located in the northwest of Jiangsu Province, situated in the southeastern part of the North China Plain. It has been a crucial transportation hub since ancient times, earning the moniker “Gateway to Five Provinces.”
