Gaoyou

Gaoyou is a county-level city administered by Yangzhou in the Jiangsu province of China. Located in the Yangtze River Delta on the north side of the Yangtze River, the municipality operates under the Asia/Shanghai timezone and uses the CNY currency, while supporting multiple languages including zh-CN, yue, wuu, dta, ug, and za.

How did ancient roots shape the city?

Archaeological evidence from the Longqiuzhuang site demonstrates that rice growing occurred in the area between 5,500 and 7,000 years ago. During the Qin dynasty, the Gaoyou ting commune was established, followed by the formal creation of Gaoyou county in BC 118, with a seat located at the former commune. The name of Gaoyou itself derives from the building of Gaotai and Posting Pavilion during the reign of King Yingzheng of the Qin dynasty. Centuries later, in 1353, Zhang Shicheng revolted and captured the walled city, subsequently establishing the Kingdom of Dazhou with Gaoyou functioning as its temporary capital until 1356.

What marked the turning point of military conflicts?

A critical military turning point unfolded during the mid-20th century. Following Japan's unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945, remaining Japanese and fake troops in Gaoyou refused to lay down their arms. To counter the threat of Kuomintang forces colluding with these units to divide the Central China Liberation Area, the Central Military Commission authorized the Battle of Gaoyou on December 5, 1945. The engagement resulted in the destruction of more than 1,100 Japanese troops and over 4,000 pseudo-army personnel, alongside significant captures of weaponry. Standing as the final battle of the New Fourth Army against the Japanese invasion of China and the last anti-Japanese engagement in Central China, it culminated in total victory and the surrender of the occupying forces. Today, the site of the Japanese surrender is recognized as a national anti-war memorial facility.

What defines the geography and administration today?

Positioned at 32.78933 latitude and 119.44182 longitude, the city spans a total area containing both land and water resources tied to Gaoyou Lake and the Grand Canal. With a recorded population of 90,911 residents, the municipality is organized into two subdistricts, ten towns, and one ethnic township. This single ethnic minority division is the Lingtang Hui Ethnic Township, where approximately a third of the inhabitants are Hui Chinese. The region experiences a subtropical monsoon climate, though the surrounding environment remains susceptible to severe weather events such as tornadoes.

For more details, consult the Gaoyou entry and the GeoNames record for Gaoyou.