Lianjiang

Lianjiang (連江[?]; 连江; Liánjiāng; Lien²-chiang¹) is a county on the coast of Fujian Province, China. The lands adjoining the mainland are controlled by the People's Republic of China, and the outlying islands, collectively referred to as the Matsu, are administered as Lienchiang County (Wade-based Romanization) by the Republic of China, which is mostly on Taiwan. As a result, the county has two governments governing separate jurisdictions.

PRC jurisdiction:

• Capital: Fengcheng[?] Township
• Population: 620,000
• Area: 1168.1 km²
• Geographic coordinates: 26°03'-26°27' N, 119°17'-120°31' E

ROC jurisdiction:

• Capital: Nankan[?] Township
• Population: 11,002 (9,000 permanent)
• Area: 34 km²
• Geographic coordinates: see Matsu Islands

Table of contents 1 Townships 2 History 3 Culture 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Transportation 7 Tourism 8 External links

Townships

The PRC governs 14 townships (镇) and 7 rural townships (乡):

• Fengcheng Township (凤城镇)
• Mabi Township (马鼻镇)
• Danyang Township (丹阳镇)
• Dongdai Township (东岱镇)
• Donghu Township (东湖镇)
• Guanban Township (官坂镇) (Traditional[?]: 官阪)
• Tailu Township (苔菉镇)
• Aojiang Township (敖江镇)
• Pukou Township (浦口镇)
• Toubao Township (透堡镇)
• Hyangqi Township (黄岐镇)
• Xiao'ao Township (晓澳镇)
• Guantou Township (琯头镇 Guàntóu): officially Guāntou (倌头)
• Xiaocheng Township (筱埕镇 Xiǎochéng)
• Xiagong Rural Township (下宫乡)
• Xiaocang She Nationality[?] Rural Township (小沧畲族乡) (Traditional[?]: 小滄佘族鄉)
• Changlong Rural Township (长龙乡)
• Ankai Rural Township (安凯乡)
• Kengyuan Rural Township (坑园乡)
• Liaoyan Rural Township (蓼沿乡)
• Pandu Rural Township (潘渡乡)

These townships are divided into 266 villages.

The ROC governs 4 townships (镇):

• Nankan Township (南竿鄉 Nángān) "Southern Fishing Pole"
• Peikan Township (北竿鄉 Běigān) "Northern Fishing Pole"
• Chukuang Township (莒光鄉 Jǔguāng) "Brilliance of the Ju Kingdom"
• Tongyin Township (東引鄉 Dōngyǐn) "Welcoming the East"

These townships are divided into 22 villages, which are further divided into 137 neighborhoods (鄰 lín). (All townships, except Chukuang, are named after the largest island in its jurisdictional area, but most townships also include other islets.)

History

Liangjiang, in 282, during the Jin Dynasty, was Wenma, named after a a shipyard there, Wensha Ship-hamlet (溫麻船屯). It was incorporated into Min Prefecture (閩縣) in 607, during the Sui Dynasty.

Wenma was changed to the present name and made its own county during in 623, during the Tang Dynasty, when Baisha (白沙) or Fusha (伏沙) of Aojiang was the capital of Lianjiang County. The capital was changed to Fengcheng as today in 742.

After the Republic of China was established, Lianjiang switched back and forth numerous times between two special regions:

• Minhou Special Region (閩侯專區) (total 18 years)
• Fu'an (Ningde) Special Region (福安（寧德）專區) (total 16 years)

In 1949, the county was split in two due to the Chinese Civil War, as it remains today.

Beginning on July 1, 1983, the PRC side reverted control to Fuzhou Municipality.

Culture

Residents of mainland Lianjiang speak the Fuzhou dialect of the East Min language.

The language spoken by Matsu residents is the Ping language (平話), a dialect of Northern Fujianese.

Geography

Sea-border length: 209 km

Economy

Food products:

• Farm: loquats[?], rice, sweet potato, bean, cotton, sugar cane, tea plant[?], jasmine, watermelon, mushroom, grapes.
• Sea: rhubarb, hairtail[?], shad[?], pomfret[?], cuttlefish, garoupa[?], prawn, crab, clam.
• Other: Yuanhong wine (“元紅”)

Transportation

104 national roads in 500,300 metres. 42,600-metre navigable river length.

Guantou and Kemen (可門) are the largest seaports in Lianjiang with national access.

Tourism

There are hot springs in Gui'an (貴安) and Tanghui (湯尾) of Pandu. There is a Dragon King Palace-Temple (龍宮廟) in the Xiaocang She Nationality Rural Township.

External links

• Tourism (http://www.fjta.com/fuzhou/lianjiang/) (in Simplified Chinese)
• County Official Website (ROC) (http://www.matsu.gov.tw/) (in Traditional Chinese[?])