Tangshan

Tangshan is a mainly industrial prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It became known after the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, 7.5 on the Richter scale which flattened the city. The city has since been rebuilt and has become a tourist attraction.

Geography

Tangshan is located in the central section of circum-Bohai Sea Gulf region, facing the Bohai Sea in the south, depends on Yanshan mountains in the north, border Luanhe with Qinhuangdao city in the east, the west adjoin with Beijing, Tianjin. It is a throat strategic area and corridor linking two major regions of North China and Northeast China.

Tangshan is part of North China Plain, with Yanshan Mountains lying its north. The greatest river in Tangshan is Luanhe, which ranks No.2 in North China.

History

Tangshan city has a history of over one hundred years. Its name derives from Dachengshan Mountain in the urban city.

Tangshan suffered an earthquake of moment magnitude 8.2 (7.8 from official report) at 3:42 a.m. on July 28, 1976, the Tangshan earthquake, which resulted in a tragically colossal number of casualties. The official death toll was 255,000, but many experts believe that the actual number of fatalities was two to three times that number, making it the most destructive earthquake in modern history. As a result of the earthquake, most of the town had to be rebuilt.

Economy and Industry

Tangshan is an important heavy industry city in North China. Its manufactures include machinery, motor vehicles, chemicals, textiles, glass, petroleum products, and cement. It is a coal-mining center since late Qing Dynasty, as Cantonese merchant Tong King-sing opened the first coal mine using modern techniques in Kaiping in 1877. With the construction of Caofeidian Project, it launches large iron and steel plants, chemical projects, and electricity works. Tangshan is also called "the capital of porcelain in north China".

Historically, the Chinese modern industry started in this city. The first railway in China was built from Xugezhuan to Tangshan in 1877 and the first fire-resistant material manufactory, and the first and largest cement manufactory were constructed in Tangshan as well.

In 2008, the GDP of Tangshan was ¥356.119 billion, ranked No.1 in all the prefecture-level cities in Hebei Province, and No.19 in China. GDP per capita reached ¥48,190 ($6,817).