Shangrao

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Shangrao

上饶市

Shàngráo shì
City
Clockwise from top: Shangrao skyline, the seafront end of the Shangrao Aquarium, Revolution Square
Shangrao is located in Monsilva
Shangrao
Shangrao
Map of Monsilva with Shangrao highlighted
Country Monsilva
StateFlag of Donguan.png Donguan
Settled12th century BCE
Declared city23 August 1429
Donguan state est.1 July 1984
Government
 • BodyShangrao City Council
 • MayorJin Chunhua (FDP)
Population
 (July 2022)
 • Total2,953,057
Time zoneAMT+13 (Monsilvan Eastern Time, MET)
ISO 3166 codeMS-DON-S
Major airportsShangrao Pudong International Airport (SPA)
Transit System(s)MRA
Shangrao Metro
Police[1]Shangrao Metropolitan Police
Ambulance[2]Donguan State Ambulance
Fire[3]Donguan Fire Service

Shangrao (Monsilvan: 上饶市; pinyin: Shàngráo shì), is a city in Monsilva and the capital of the state of Donguan. It is located in northern Donguan along the coast of the Bay of Monsilva. Shangrao is the seat of the Donguan State Government, and is home to the Donguan State Office. The city has an estimated population of 2,953,057 (July 2022). Shangrao is Monsilva's 6th most-populous city, falling behind Maojie but just ahead of Zhangye in Xiaogu. The city holds 88% of the state of Donguan's population, with the 12% living in the city of Guangfu or in the towns scattered around Donguan, most of which lie in moderately close proximity to Shangrao.

Thanks to Shangrao's warm climate and access to the ocean, the city has been inhabited for thousands of years, with the earliest evidence of a town resembling Shangrao dating back to the in the 12th century BCE. Shangrao became more noticable in history during the Xia dynasty in the 8th century BCE, which ruled over most of modern-day southern Monsilva from the late 8th century BCE until 618 CE, when it was overthrown in favour of the more powerful Shang dynasty. Until very recently, Shangrao was predominantly a marine industry based city, with fish and other sea products being the city's main exports. However, since the early 1990s, the technology industry has seen a massive growth in the city, which has become home to major Monsilvan tech corporations such as DCH Software, TKT Technologies and PIKA Inc.

As well as being the go-to city for technology and video-game companies, Shangrao is also a big destination for tourism. Well-known man-made and natural landmarks situated in Shangrao include: Revolution Square, Shangrao Aquarium, Lionglin Advisory Council Hall, Tsanchan Temple and the University of Shangrao. With the growth of the technology industry in the city, educational institutes have become aware of this development and began focusing and researching on the industry much more. The University of Shangrao, previously a marine focused university, has now focused mainly on the technology industry, with renowned computer science and information technology courses which are well regarded in Monsilva.

The city is well connected, being served by the railways, highways, airports and bus lines which connect Shangrao to the rest of the country and internationally. Shangrao is served by Shangrao Pudong International Airport which lies just between Shangrao and the town of Pudong in eastern Donguan. Despite Shangrao being smaller than cities such as Maojie and Menchi, the airport is one of the biggest in the country. This is thanks to the city's easy access to the capital, Amking. Many tourists fly into the airport for lower prices, and budget airlines such as Dongyi Airlines, serving domestic and international flights into the airport for much cheaper prices. The city is also served by the Monsilvan Railways Administration, which provides services through the city, connecting it to the rest of Donguan as well as to many different parts of the country via commuter and highspeed railway to places such as Amking, Zhangye, Wodai and Maojie. Serving Shangrao and its surrounding area is the Shangrao Metro.

Toponymy

The name, Shangrao comes directly from the HY Pinyin of the Monsilvan "上饶", (Shàngráo). The name "上饶" comes from the Monsilvan words 上 (shàng), meaning "above" or "over," and 饶 (ráo), meaning "to spare" or "to forgive." Together the name represents an old local folklore, which states that a powerful deity once descended from the heavens and settled in the area where Shangrao now stands. The deity was said to be a bringer of light and knowledge, and the people who lived in the area revered him as a god. The name is said to symbolize the deity's benevolent influence over the land, bestowing knowledge and prosperity upon those who lived there.

History

Prehistory and early dynasties

A painting of a conflict occuring between pirate ships just outside Shangrao's pirate haven

Shangrao has been inhabited for thousands of years thanks to its warm, subtropical climate. Evidence of settlements baring resemblance to Shangrao can be dated back to around 1200 BCE. In 537 BCE, the Wu dynasty was established, which consisted of most of modern-day southern Monsilva, including Shangrao. The city, a town at that point, was mainly used for fishing and other water-based farming. When the Shang dynasty was founded in the early 7th century CE, Shangrao saw a large amount of population growth, which allowed to town to expand into a city which not only caught the fish, but prepared it for merchants to trade or sell in markets across the country.

Shangrao quickly became an important place for many fish merchants, who were utilising the city's cheap costs and low security on exports, which countered the challenges many merchants faced in cities nearby, such as Amking.

Zhou dynasty and the Empire of Baltanla

When the unification of the Monsilvan Kingdoms took place in 1201 CE, Shangrao became one of hundreds of port cities and towns along the Zhou dynasty's coastline. However, what Shangrao had over many of these cities, was little to no security and very cheap prices due to the abundance of resources. This made Shangrao perfect for illegal trading and black market dealing. This made Shangrao Monsilva's first pirate haven, which although causing many problems for the Zhou government, brought lots of growth and prosperity to the city.

When the Zhou dynasty voluntarily ceded itself to the Empire of Baltanla in 1568 after suffering through economic turmoil caused by corrupt merchants in the north of the country, Shangrao's pirate haven was quickly crushed by the empire's authority. This caused serious damage to many businesses in the city and forced it back into legal trading. By the mid 1600s, Shangrao had fully recovered, and had become a prosperous legal fish and other sea-based market city.

Kingdom of Great Shan and the Civil War

After Monsilva left the Empire of Baltanla in 1730 and the Kingdom of Great Shan was formed, Shangrao had retained its position as an important trading city. Throughout the 100 year history of the Great Shan, Shangrao saw steady growth, and kept its status.

Thanks to the city's remoteness from conflict during the Monsilvan Civil War in the 1820s, it saw little damage physically. However, the city suffered greatly in other ways. Due to the Imperial Shan Army blockading any boats using Monsilvan waters, the fishermen could not fish causing a collapse in the Shangrao fish market. Due to the city's reliance on fish, this quickly became a massive problem for many of the working-class residents of the city. In 1823, the rural parts of Donguan were beginning to suffer from famine, and by 1827, the famine had reached the city. Thousands of people were killed in the famine, and many families resorted to selling almost anything, including children, to pay for food.

Kingdom of Monsilva and the Republic

After the war, although Shangrao was intact, many parts of it were completely abandoned, as many residents had fled or starved to death. It took many years for people to return to the city and revitalize its fishing industry. After around four decades of work done to the city and people moving back, the city returned to its position as an important fish market.

During Martial law in Monsilva, Shangrao was heavily policed, especially due to its very young population, which were much more prone to protesting against the oppressive government. The military police managed to prevent many protests in the city, which lead to an accumulation of around 10,000 arrests of students and other protests over the 15 years Monsilva was under the military regime. During the Monsilvan Revolution, along with most other towns and cities across Monsilva, Shangrao was filled with protesters, backed by the Monsilvan Revolutionary Army. Famously, many protester entered the city by boat, and attempted to counter military police vehicles by using water cannons mounted to the boats.

When the Monsilvan Republic was established at the end of 1978, Shangrao was administered as part of the state of Lionglin, and from 1983 to 1984, was the seat of the Lionglin State Government. In July 1984, Donguan was created as a state and given federal devolution. This lead to the Lionglin State Government being replaced with the Donguan State Government, using the same building.

Government

Local government

Shangrao has its own city council, the head of which is the Mayor of Shangrao. The council serves as a de-facto upper house to the several county councils within the city council's jurisdiction. The council is currently lead by the Freedom and Democracy Party.

State government

Shangrao, as the capital of Donguan, is home to the Donguan State Government in the State Office. The Donguan State Parliament, also in the State Office, is a 73-seat unicameral legislature which serves the entire state of Donguan, including the city. The seats correspond to each municipality of the state, many of which are Shangrao's urban municipalities.

Geography

Shangrao is protected from the encroaching dryness of southern Donguan by thick forests and hilly terrain, while the city itself is hilly on the outskirts, it is much flatter towards the city center and near the coast. Shangrao's beaches are very steep and rocky thanks to the very deep water near the city, which has made its port popular for cruise ships and is one of the Monsilvan Navy's most commonly used ports. The city is predominantly green thanks to many green policies implemented by the young progressive population of the city.

The Yinhsing River which flows through Shangrao is popular for its sandy banks on which many fish markets open during low tide. In order to accommodate the increase in tourists coming to these markets, the banks are often artificially extended in order to increase the amount of time the markets can stay open. This has resulted in backlash from many seaside businesses and residents, who have to relocate due to the removal of buildings and roads near the riverside.

Climate

Shangrao has a warm, subtropical climate, with hot summers and mild winters. Humidity in the city is at its highest during the summer, but it can get very dry during the winters. Although typhoons reach the city extremely rarely, tropical storms and other lighter storms reach Shangrao much more often which can often lead to flooding. However, with advancements in disaster prevention technologies, the amount of damage caused by flooding in Shangrao is negligible.

Cityscape

View of the port of Shangrao, with central Shangrao and Revolution Square being visible in the background.

Demography

As of 2022, there are over 2.9 million people living within Shangrao's metropolitan area, making it Monsilva's fifth-largest city by population, falling behind Maojie but ahead of Zhangye. Shangrao has a very built up city center, with residential buildings sprawling across the coast.

As most urban areas in Monsilva, Shangrao has a diverse population. Although most residents are Monsilvan, there are still noticeable diasporas of other nationalities from across Ostlandet and Terraconserva. Shangrao also has a noticeably younger population, likely due to its cheap prices, large student population and hot climate.

Religion

Shangrao is predominantly secular, with religiousness decreasing in the city rapidly. However, historically, Monsilvan folk religion has had a noticeable influence on the culture of Shangrao. The famous Tsanchan Temple is located in Shangrao and is visited by many tourists from across Terraconserva and many Monsilvans. It is also an important location for many members of the folk religion as it is one of Monsilva's oldest temples. It is also the main temple of the deities of the ocean, of which Shangrao got its name.

Transport

Shangrao, as an important city in Monsilva, is well connected nationally and internationally. The city is served internally by the Shangrao Metro, but is also served by the Monsilvan Railways Administration which runs commuter and highspeed services from Shangrao to the rest of Donguan and to the rest of Monsilva, with destinations including Amking, Waiping, Zhangye and Wodai. The city is also served by Shangrao Pudong International Airport, one of Monsilva's largest airports, which runs domestic and international flights, with destinations from across Ostlandet and occasional flights to Ecros, mainly run by budget airlines such as Dongyi Airlines.

The city also has ferries which run out of the city's harbor. Bus services also run in the city, serving more remote parts of the city's outskirts that the metro doesn't reach, as well as national bus services running all across the country.

Education

University of Shangrao

Shangrao has many educational institutions across the city, from elementary schools to universities. The city is home to the University of Shangrao, a highly regarded university in Monsilva. USH's top subjects include computer science and graphic design as well as electrical engineering, which it is the top university in the country for. It's main focus is technological subjects, which differs from its original focus before the late 1990s, which was in marine biology and other marine related subjects.

Unlike most states where it is up to 16, education in the state of Donguan is mandatory up to the age of 18.

Culture

Sport

Sport is a big part of culture in Shangrao. The most popular sport in the city is football, closely followed by basketball and yuchio. Shangrao's top professional football team, Shangrao F.C. is currently in the Monsilvan Super League. Basketball is also a popular sport in the city. As the sport is not popular in most of the country, Shangrao has become the home of basketball for Monsilvan basketball fans, with the city being the host city for most of Monsilva's basketball tournaments. Shangrao's biggest basketball team, the Shangrao Basketball, has won the Super Basketball League 5 times.

Tourism

Revolution Square in Shangrao

Shangrao is home to many man-made and natural cultural landmarks which are popular among residents, domestic and international tourists. Examples of these points of interest include: Revolution Square, which features a large sculpture called 'Wind of the Revolution', which symbolizes the Monsilvan Revolution. It is also surrounded by many large shops including Wusi Shopping Center; the Shangrao Aquarium, which not only features many interesting sea creatures for people to see, but is also an example of traditional Monsilvan architecture; the Tsanchan Temple, one of Monsilva's oldest remaining temples; and the Lionglin Advisory Council Hall which was used by the Lionglin Advisory Council from 1978 to 1983, which is also a feature of historical Monsilvan architecture.

See also

Notes

  1. Emergency number: 110
  2. Emergency number: 111
  3. Emergency number: 112