Luhai City

"Luhai" redirects here. For the state of Luhai, see Luhai (state).

Luhai 绿海市 Lǜhǎi shì
City
Clockwise from top: Luhai skyline, Museum of the Natural World, Luhai National Football Stadium
Flag
Luhai City Map of Monsilva with Luhai City highlighted
Country	Monsilva
State	Luhai
Settled	10th century BCE
Declared city	22 March 1402
Luhai state est.	1 July 1984
Government
• Body	Luhai City Council
• Mayor	Mao Xiao-lian (LFP)
Population  (July 2022)
• Total	5,050,800
Time zone	AMT+13 (Monsilvan Eastern Time, MET)
ISO 3166 code	MS-LUH-C
Major airports	Luhai Qingdao International Airport (LQO)
Transit System(s)	MRA Luhai Metro
Police	Luhai Metropolitan Police
Ambulance	Luhai State Ambulance
Fire	Luhai Fire Service

Luhai City (Monsilvan: 绿海市; pinyin: Lǜhǎi shì), is a city and the capital of its namesake state of Luhai. Luhai City is located in northern Monsilva on the coast of the Kivu Ocean. Most of the city lies within the basin of the Chun River which flows from the Port of Luhai in Luhai City through the city towards Tsingyi and the mountains of Leibo. As the capital, Luhai City is home to the seat of the Luhai State Government, the Luhai State Office. The city is located in the center-east of the state with the state of Meixian being to the south.

The city is home to an estimated population of 5,050,800 (July 2022), forming the majority of what is occasionally referred to as the "Greater Luhai Area" which includes towns in the city's outskirts which are located in rural municipalities surrounding the city. Luhai City is Monsilva's 2nd most-populous city, just beating San Kong but falling well behind Amking. It is also Ostlandet's 12th largest city. The city holds around 83% of the state of Luhai's population, with the other 17% living in either Tsingyi or in the state's more rural areas. Tsingyi's proximity to the outskirts of Luhai City has allowed the two cities to be 'linked' by a thin strip of towns that are very close together. During the dynastic period of Monsilva, Luhai City was the capital of the Qin dynasty which lasted from 792 BCE to 1201 CE. During this period, the Port of Luhai was built, which is Monsilva's busiest harbor and has allowed Luhai's economy to become one of the largest in Monsilva. Even after Luhai lost its capital status, the vitality of the Port kept its economy and political status at a high level.

Luhai City is a hub for high-tech industries and business, with many top Monsilvan companies, such as Fushao, Ltd. being headquartered within the city's limits. As well as being an economic center, Luhai is also a cultural and architectural center, being home to many famous landmarks such as the Luhai National Football Stadium, Kaohsiung Tower, the Museum of the Natural World and the Port of Luhai. Education is very high quality in Luhai, being home to the University of Luhai which is a highly regarded, often considered one of, if not the top university in Monsilva. Thanks to Luhai's popularity and importance, the city is well connected. Railways, highways, airports and bus lines connect Luhai to the rest of the country and internationally. The city is served by Luhai Qingdao International Airport which runs both domestic and international flights. The city is also served by the Monsilvan Railways Administration, which provides both commuter and high-speed services across Monsilva. Serving both Luhai and the city of Tsingyi is the Luhai Metro, which is Monsilva's second largest metropolitan railway network.

Toponymy

The name, Luhai comes directly from the HY Pinyin of the Monsilvan "綠海". The character "綠" means "green" in Monsilvan, and the character "海" means "sea". Luhai directly translates to "green sea", which most likely originated due to the large amount of algae which can be found near the Port of Luhai making the sea appear green.

History

Prehistory and early dynasties

Stone carvings originating from the Qin dynasty.

The earliest evidence of a settlement resembling Luhai can be dated back to the 10th century BCE. However, it wasn't until the Qin dynasty began around 200 years later in 792 BCE, that Luhai began becoming a very important city.

Luhai was the capital of the new Qin dynasty from its start until its end in 1201 CE. Its status as capital and its warm climate is likely why it was one of the largest settlements in Monsilva, and remains to be today. The city would have been filled with businesses all along the coastline and around the mouth of the Chun River. In the 9th century CE, the Port of Luhai was built. It quickly became the most vital feature of the dynasty and contributed massively towards the dynasty's increase in wealth and population.

The emperors of the Qin dynasty would build large castles both in and around the city. Unfortunately, many of the castles that would have been located within the city limits, are either in ruins or have been completely removed due to the demolition of many historical buildings during the Zhou dynasty.

Zhou dynasty and the Empire of Baltanla

Luhai lost its capital status after the Unification of the Monsilvan Kingdoms in 1201. However, the city did not lose its importance. The Port of Luhai was important not only in the new Zhou dynasty's trade and economy, but also its politics and culture. The Luhainese culture was not as similar to the rest of Monsilva, and this brought challenges for the two ends of the dynasty. The challenges were mainly linguistically, with Luhainese and Southern Monsilvan people having little idea what each other were saying. Historians believe they likely overcame the barrier with translators and their shared character system.

Luhai was Monsilva's richest region by the late 14th century, surpassing the government region of Sanzhong, and the dynasty's largest city, Amking. This was extremely beneficial for the dynasty economically, but politically it was a disaster. Merchants attempted to monopolize goods coming in and out of the port as well as putting tariffs on imports and exports. Many merchants had become more powerful than the emperor himself, as they could prevent the government from trading with little repurcussions. As these merchants became stricter and stricter, the actual trading done in the port was declining quickly.

In the 1490s, the emperor and his advisors made several attempts to exterminate the merchant monopolies of Luhai. But those attempts were to no avail, and in 1567, the Empire of Baltanla suggested the integration of the dynasty into the empire, in exchange for dealing with the merchants. The emperor had little to no choice, as the empire was significantly stronger than the dynasty. In 1568, the Zhou dynasty was integrated into the empire.

Fortunately for Luhai, the empire banished the monopolising merchants who had no power over the new government, and the smaller merchants began returning to the port. Luhai retained the position of richest region in Monsilva, and was also one of the richest regions in the Empire, thanks to having the largest port on the empire's eastern coast.

Kingdom of Great Shan and the Civil War

Main article: Monsilvan Civil War

When Monsilva left the Empire of Baltanla in 1730, Luhai was a huge, busy port. The city was about 10x larger than when it entered the empire. The city was also very diverse and highly populated. The city was suggested to be the capital of the Kingdom of Great Shan, however this was rejected in favor of Amking, as it was much larger and was closer to the rest of the country.

Luhai maintained a steady growth during the 18th and early 19th centuries in terms of population and economically. However, the growth was quikcly put to an end at the start of the Monsilvan Civil War in 1824. Luhai was the capital of the Liberate Monsilva Movement, this meant that the city ended up facing little land bombardment, but did face plenty of naval bombardment from the imperial army. After the war in 1830, the Port of Luhai was severly damaged as well as most of the city's seafront buildings.

Kingdom of Monsilva and the Republic

Riots took place across the city, but it was worst in its central area.

During the Kingdom of Monsilva, Luhai lost its status as richest region, coming second to Amking which was now becoming one of the largest cities on the continent. Luhai was still very important however, as the Port of Luhai was still Monsilva's largest port, as well as being home to the Monsilvan Royal Navy. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Luhai became a favorable city for growing and starting businesses, an example of a business that was established in this period is Fushao, Ltd., one of Monsilva's largest companies.

The martial law period in Monsilva, Luhai was filled with police. This was due to frequent protests and rioting against the government that took place within the city. These riots caused significant damage to the city centre everytime they happened due to the industrial strength hoses used by the military as well as the firebombs and rocks used by protesters. During the unanimous 1978 Monsilvan protests, the protesters actually managed to overpower the police, and one group even took control of a military tank.

The damage caused after the protests was significant, however the large volunteer movement created by the Monsilvan Revolutionary Army, the damage was repaired after only half a year. The city was made capital of the state of Beining in 1978, until 1984, when the state was dissolved in favor of the states of Leibo and Luhai, which the city is currently capital of, making it the home of the Luhai State Government.

Government

Local government

Luhai City has its own city council, the head of which is the Mayor of Luhai. The council serves as a de-facto upper house to the 13 county councils within the city council's juristiction. The council consists of 39 seats and is currently lead by the Freedom and Democracy Party.

State government

Luhai City, as the capital of Luhai state, is home to the Luhai State Government in the State Office. The state government is a 132-seat unicameral legislature which serves the entire state of Luhai, which includes the city. The seats correspond to each municipality of the state, 40 of which are the municipalities consisting of Luhai City's metropolitan area. The city therefore contributes 25 FDP seats, 12 Liberal Party seats, 2 Green Party seats, and one RNP seat as of 2023.

Geography

One of Luhai's many beaches

Luhai City is mostly flat, with small hills scattered across the city, especially towards the outskirts. The Chun River flows straight through the city, starting in the far east, then travels down through towards the city centre where it converges with the Tamsui River and into the Port of Luhai where it flows into the Kivu Ocean.

During the summer, Luhai's sandy beaches are very popular with international and domestic tourists thanks to their long width, especially when the tide is out. Luhai state is filled with many lush forests, some of which do enter the outskirts of the city. Luhai City does not have any national parks, but it has many standard parks. All of the city's beaches are protected, which means that litter and bonfires carry extremely hefty fines, and repeat offences can result in imprisonment.

The city is occasionally faced with earthquakes, however experience with them has allowed infrastructure to be built with damage prevention in mind, so they usually have a minimal effect in terms of damage. According to Luhai law, all buildings must be fitted with an internal Earthquake Early Warning System.

Climate

Luhai is a warm city, being located not far north from the subtropics. Summers usually peak at around 33 degrees celcius and sinks to around 5-10 degrees celcius in the winter. Luhai does suffer from large amounts of rainfall during the wet season thanks to its proximity to the ocean. This has caused floods in areas by the Chun River, however anti-flooding measures are quite extensive within the city's limits so flooding usually only happens outside the city.

Although snow is possible, snow that has actually settled on the ground hasn't happened since the winter of 1986.

Cityscape

View of central Luhai. The Port of Luhai is located to the right.

Demography

Confucius Temple of Luhai.

As of 2022, there are around 5 million people living within the city's metropolitan area, which is more than the entire population of Monsilva's fourth most populous state, Maguan. Luhai is also one of Monsilva's most densely population regions, which has lead to residential highrises being a very common place of residence.

Luhai City is one of Monsilva's most diverse cities. Most residents are Monsilvan, but it has a large foreign population. Baltanians and Akvarelians make up a significant portion of Luhai's non-Monsilvan population. The city also comprises of a noticeable Kivuian and Karimunese populations, likely due to historical migration over the Kivu Ocean over hundreds of years.

Religion

Luhai City is Monsilva's most secular city, with the vast majority of the city's residents put 'Unaffiliated' on the last census.

In terms of religious residents of the city, Monsilvan folk religion and Buddhism make up the majority of the religious population. The city is home to many traditional folk temples, the most famous being the Confucius Temple of Luhai.

Transport

Port of Luhai

Main article: Port of Luhai

Port of Luhai

Luhai has the nickname of "Harbour Capital" of Monsilva, this is thanks to the city's strong links with the ocean and maritime transportation. Ferries play a key role in everyday transportation, especially for transportation across the harbor. With five terminals and 23 berths, the Port of Luhai is Monsilva's largest container port. In 2019 the port handled almost 600 million shipping tonnes, which accounted for around 60% of Monsilva's total throughput that year.

Before the Animal Welfare Act 2009, the Port of Luhai was a major hub for whaling and shark finning. However, when the Animal Welfare Act was introduced federally, the practices have since been banned. Although, there is still evidence of both taking place in international waters and being imported to Monsilva illegally.

Luhai Qingdao International Airport

Luhai Qingdao International Airport

Luhai City is also home to Monsilva's second-largest international airport, Luhai Qingdao International Airport, located south of the city's center. It is one of Monsilva's six major airports, and has two passenger terminals. The airport was built near the outskirts in order to allow the airport to expand if required.

Rail

Luhai City is served by multiple extensive railway services. Rail transport is the most common form of transport in the city, closely followed by moped and private vehicle transit. Not only is Luhai City served by the dual-city Luhai Metro, but it is also served by the national railway services of the Monsilvan Railways Administration.

Luhai Metro

Sinsing Metro Station's Dome of Light.

The Luhai Metro serves throughout the entire city of Luhai, as well as connecting to the city of Tsingyi in western Luhai state. It is Monsilva's second largest metropolitan railway network, after the Amking Metro. The metro is also well renowned for its beautiful architecture, with Sinsing Station and Shek Kip Station being the top two most beautiful metro stations in Monsilva.

National and international railway

Luhai City is served by the Monsilvan Railways Administration, which runs services from Luhai to towns and cities all across Monsilva including Haimao, Menchi, Maojie, Zhangye and Amking.

International rail services also run into Luhai. Destinations include Seattal, Baltanla City and Ansa in Baltanla.

Bus

The Luhai City bus network is very large, and is generally used for shorter and more specific routes than the Luhai Metro, which is why its popularity has still maintained quite high considering the popularity of the metro. All of the buses are made by the Monsilan-Reykani company Chienrú, which is the joint owner of the bus network alongside the Luhai City Council.

Education

University of Luhai Main Square

Luhai has many educational institutions across the city, from elementary schools to universities. The city is home to the University of Luhai and the Linluo Science and Technology University, the former being one of the highest ranking universities in Monsilva, while the latter is one of Monsilva's top computer science and technology universities. Luhai also contains the Monsilvan Navy Academy as well as many international schools which teach in foreign languages.

Unlike most states where it is up to 16, education is mandatory in Luhai until the age of 18. This has contributed towards Luhai having the highest percentage of people with a university degree amongst all Monsilvan states. All schools must teach in Standard Monsilvan, while Luhainese is still permitted for casual communication within the school and extra-curricular support.

Culture

Sport

Sport in Luhai city is a major deal. Association football is the most popular sport in the city, with two of the city's football teams, Luhai City F.C. and Luhai United F.C., being in Monsilva's Super League.

Luhai City F.C. is commonly considered Monsilva's best football team, with many of their players being chosen to represent the country in the Monsilva national football team in international games. The city is home to the Luhai National Football Stadium, Monsilva's largest football stadium with a capacity of 83,000 seats, and one of the host stadiums of the 2023 OFL Continental Cup.

Tourism

The Kaohsiung Tower

Main landmarks of Luhai city include the Kaohsiung Tower, the Luhai Ferris wheel of Hope Mall, the Luhai National Football Stadium and the Port of Luhai. The city is known for its many shopping streets, organized night markets and modern leisure parks such as the Tsiyuguo Theme Park, Luhai Metropolitan Park and the Luhai Museum of Fine Arts.

Natural and historial attractions of the city include the Chun River, the Tamsui River and Fongying Old City.

Parks and zoos

Luhai has a number of newly built leisure areas and parks. Notable parks or pavilions in the city include the Luhai Metropolitan Park, Central Park, Fo Guang Shan Monastery, the Dragon and Phoenix Pagodas and the Spring and Autumn Pavilions. The most notable zoo in the city is the Luhai City Zoo.

Other

See also: Night markets in Monsilva

Luhai is home to many night markets, such as Cianjhen Night Market, Sinsing Night Market, Fongying Night Market and Shanhua Street Night Market. Other attractions include the Sinsing Metro Station Dome of Light, and the Luhai Creeperian Catholic Church.

Traditional "wet" markets have long been the source of meat, fish, and produce for many residents. With the arrival of Ecrosian-style supermarkets in the 1970s and 1980s, such markets have encountered fierce competition. LM Mart was Monsilva's first Ecrosian-style supermarket chain, with the first stores opening in Wodai and Luhai. Despite the fierce competition from "Ecrosian" supermarkets, Monsilva's traditional markets and family stores remain as the most popular locations for Monsilvans to do their shopping according to a survey done by WenXiao Surveys.

Coffee cafes have become famous and numerous in the city. With the arrival of Ecrosian-style chains many new local cafes have opened in the recent years.

See also

• Outline of Monsilva