Town in Shaanxi, China
Madongchuan (simplified Chinese: 麻洞川镇; traditional Chinese: 麻洞川鎮; pinyin: Mádòngchuān Zhèn) is a town in Baota District, Yan'an, Shaanxi, China.[2] The town spans an area of 252.73 square kilometres (97.58 sq mi),[1] and has a population of 6,544 as of 2010.[3]
History
Manmade grottoes dating back to the Song dynasty have been found in Madongchuan.[4]: 630 The Shiyaowan Grotto (Chinese: 石窑湾石窟; pinyin: Shíyáowān Shíkū) contains a number of Buddha statues (many of which have now been partially or completed destroyed), and inscriptions dating back to the late 11th century.[4]: 630
On the evening of February 18, 1935, as part of the Chinese Civil War, forces of the Chinese Red Army clashed with 50 Mintuan [zh] soldiers, aligned with Chiang Kai-Shek's Nationalist government, in the village of Jinpenwan (Chinese: 金盆湾村).[4]: 14 Red Army forces won the battle.[4]: 14 Later in the Civil War, on May 11, 1947, Communist Party forces, now reorganized as the People's Liberation Army, clashed with Chiang's Nationalist Army again in Jinpenwan.[4]: 21 Forces of the People's Liberation Army, led by Yan Kuiyao [zh], won the battle, and effectively captured the village.[4]: 21 On November 14 and November 15 later that year, Nationalist Army aircraft bombed the village.[4]: 21
From May through July 1950, an unidentified illness swept through the village of Jinpenwan, as well as other parts of present-day Baota District, killing 680 people.[4]: 25
Madongchuan was established as a people's commune in 1972.[5] In 1984, it was changed to a township.[5]
Geography
Madongchuan is located in the southeast portion of Baota District, bordered by the town of Lin [zh] to its east, Nanniwan and Chuankou [zh] to its west, Zhengzhuang [zh] in neighboring Yanchang County to its north, and Niuwu [zh] in neighboring Fu County to its south.[5] The town is located 65 kilometres (40 mi) from Baota District's urban core.[5]
The Fenchuan River (Chinese: 汾川河; pinyin: Fénchuān Hé), a minor river which flows from Nanniwan to Yichuan County and into the Yellow River, flows through Madongchuan.[4]: 263 The Fenchuan Canal (Chinese: 汾川渠; pinyin: Fénchuān Qú), a small canal off the Fenchuan River which irrigates nearby land, flows through Madongchuan, creating the Jinpenwan Reservoir (Chinese: 金盆湾水库; pinyin: Jīnpénwān Shuǐkù).[4]: 268 According to 1994 government publication, 62.3% of Madongchuan is forested.[4]: 238
Administrative divisions
Madongchuan administers 10 administrative villages (Chinese: 行政村; pinyin: xíngzhèng cūn),[6] as well as 38 natural villages (Chinese: 自然村; pinyin: zìrán cūn),[5] although the latter lacks any administrative jurisdiction. Madongchuan's government is located in Madongchuan Village (Chinese: 麻洞川村).[5] The town's 10 administrative villages are as follows:[5]
Demographics
As per the 2010 Chinese Census, Madongchuan has a population of 6,544.[3] This represents a significant decline from the 2000 Chinese Census, when its population totaled 10,416.[3] In 1985, Madongchuan's population totaled 8,405.[4]: 92 According to the 1982 Chinese Census, Madongchuan had a population of 8,257,[4]: 118 all of whom were classified as ethnically Han Chinese.[4]: 124 In the 1982 Census, Madongchuan had an average household size of 4.44 people.[4]: 127 As of the 1964 Chinese Census, Madongchuan had a population of 4,241, all of whom were classified as ethnically Han Chinese.[4]: 115–116
Madongchuan has a recorded hukou population of 11,142 as of 2018.[1]
Economy
Major crops grown in Madongchuan include maize,[4]: 186 tobacco,[4]: 186 and vegetables.[4]: 203
A small hydropower plant known as the Dongwan Small Hydropower Plant (Chinese: 洞湾小水电站) was built in Madongchuan in 1958, and produces 1,000 Kilowatt-hour of electricity annually.[4]: 272
Transportation
The S303 highway runs through Madongchuan.[5]
See also
References