Why Longyan
Longyan is a prefecture-level city situated in southwestern Fujian Province, China, along the upper reaches of the Jiulong and Ting Rivers. Bordering Guangdong to the south and Jiangxi to the west, it shares boundaries with several neighboring prefectures, including Sanming, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Meizhou, and Ganzhou. The region is notable for its dense environmental landscape, featuring a forest coverage rate of 77.9 percent, which is the highest in Fujian Province.
Historically referred to as Minxi, or western Fujian, the region was first organized under Tingzhou Prefecture during the Tang dynasty in 736 AD, with the name Longyan established six years later in reference to a nearby scenic cavern. Over time, successive waves of Han migration shaped the region's distinct cultural makeup. Eastern urban areas, such as Xinluo and Zhangping, are predominantly home to Hoklo inhabitants who speak Longyan Min. Conversely, the western countryside is celebrated as a major center of Hakka culture, with Changting County often identified as its heartland and the Ting River regarded as the mother river of the Hakka people.
In addition to its cultural history, Longyan played a significant strategic role during the Chinese Civil War as a military base, contributing more than 26,000 local participants to the Long March. Due to the high number of military officers originating from the region between 1955 and 1968, it earned the local moniker "The Home of Generals."
Natural attractions and ecological areas surround the city, most notably the Meihuashan National Nature Reserve, which forms part of the China Biosphere Reserve Network. The region's natural environment has also inspired the scientific names of local fauna and prehistoric fossils, such as the goby Rhinogobius longyanensis and the prehistoric bivalve Claraia longyanensis. Economically, the prefecture benefits from rich mineral deposits and timber resources, serving as a distribution gateway between inland China and coastal trade centers.
Longyan experiences a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate characterized by short, mild winters and hot, humid summers, with the highest rainfall occurring during spring and early summer. The city is accessible through Liancheng Guanzhaishan Airport and the central Longyan railway station, which connects to the high-speed Longyan–Xiamen Railway as well as lines to Ganzhou and Longchuan. Expressways and national highways, including Highway 319 and the G76 Xiamen–Chengdu Expressway, further facilitate regional transit.
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