Mountain Province Lalawigang Bulubundukin
—  Province  —
Flag Seal
Map of the Philippines with Mountain Province highlighted
Coordinates: 17°05′N 121°10′E / 17.083°N 121.167°E / 17.083; 121.167Coordinates: 17°05′N 121°10′E / 17.083°N 121.167°E / 17.083; 121.167
Country	Philippines
Region	Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
Founded	1908
Capital	Bontoc
Government
• Governor	Leonard Mayaen (Nacionalista)
Area
• Total	2,097.3 km2 (809.8 sq mi)
Area rank	72nd out of 80
Population (2007)
• Total	148,661
• Rank	75th out of 80
• Density	71/km2 (180/sq mi)
• Density rank	59th out of 80
Divisions
• Independent cities	0
• Component cities	0
• Municipalities	10
• Barangays	144
• Districts	Lone district of Mountain Province
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP Code
Spoken languages	Ilocano, Bontoc, Kankana-ey, Tagalog, English

Mountain Province (Filipino:Lalawigang Bulubundukin) is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc.

Mountain Province is bounded in the east by Isabela, in the north by the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, and Abra, in the south of Benguet and Ifugao, and in the west by the province of Ilocos Sur. It has an area of 229,231 hectares with 83% mountainous while 17% make up hills and levels. The province has plenty of rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and caves.

Mountain Province is sometimes incorrectly named Mountain in some foreign references. The name is also incorrectly shortened by locals to Mt. Province, which in turn is read by native Anglophones as "Mount Province". The province was named so for being in the Cordillera Central mountain range found in the upper realms of Luzon island.

Mountain Province was also the name of the historical province that included most of the current Cordillera provinces. This old province was established by the Americans in 1908 and was later split in 1966 into Mountain Province, Benguet, Kalinga, Apayao and Ifugao.

Mountain province is known for its mummy caves which contain naturally mummified bodies which probably became so due to the humid atmosphere. The hanging Coffins are also found in the province, these are literally coffins hanging on to the branches of trees, many tourists claim there is no foul odor, the bodies were probably mummified by the atmosphere according to theory.

People and culture[link]

Political[link]

Mountain Province is subdivided into ten municipalities. The current representative for Congress is Maximo Dalog.

Municipalities of Mountain Province

• Barlig
• Bauko
• Besao
• Bontoc
• Natonin
• Paracelis
• Sabangan
• Sadanga
• Sagada
• Tadian

Demographics[link]

Based on the 2000 census survey, 52% of the population are Kankana-ey. Other ethnic groups living in the province are the Balangao 13.6%, Ibontoc 12%, and other ethnicity compromise about 21.6% of the province's population.^[1]

Tourism[link]

Unknown to many, Mountain Province boasts a lot of rice terraces such as the following:

• Bangen Rice Terraces - Bauko
• Besao Rice Terraces - Besao
• Bucas Rice Terraces - Besao
• Maligcong Rice Terraces - Bontoc
• Bayyo Rice Terraces - Bontoc
• Bontoc Poblacion Rice Terraces - Bontoc
• Dalican Rice Terraces - Bontoc
• Kiltepan Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Tanulong Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Suyo Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Bulongan Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Bangaan Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Ambasing Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Fidelisan Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Sadanga Rice Terraces - Sadanga
• Focong Rice Terraces - Sadanga
• Natonin Rice Terraces - Natonin
• Barlig Rice Terraces - Barlig

Opposite the rice terraces, the eastern side of low mountains and hills of Paracelis, boasts of rolling terrains of cornfields with good viewing decks on roadside.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mountain Province

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2000 Philippine Census Information
• 2007 Philippine Census Information

	Abra	Kalinga
	Ilocos Sur		Isabela
		Mountain Province    East
	Benguet	Ifugao

v t e Political divisions of the Philippines Capital Manila National Capital Region Autonomous region Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Provinces Abra Agusan del Norte Agusan del Sur Aklan Albay Antique Apayao Aurora Basilan Bataan Batanes Batangas Benguet Biliran Bohol Bukidnon Bulacan Cagayan Camarines Norte Camarines Sur Camiguin Capiz Catanduanes Cavite Cebu Compostela Valley Cotabato Davao del Norte Davao del Sur Davao Oriental Dinagat Islands Eastern Samar Guimaras Ifugao Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur Iloilo Isabela Kalinga La Union Laguna Lanao del Norte Lanao del Sur Leyte Maguindanao Marinduque Masbate Misamis Occidental Misamis Oriental Mountain Province Negros Occidental Negros Oriental Northern Samar Nueva Ecija Nueva Vizcaya Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Palawan Pampanga Pangasinan Quezon Quirino Rizal Romblon Samar Sarangani Siquijor Sorsogon South Cotabato Southern Leyte Sultan Kudarat Sulu Surigao del Norte Surigao del Sur Tarlac Tawi-Tawi Zambales Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga del Sur Zamboanga Sibugay Former Provinces Agusan Ambos Camarines Camarines Cotabato Davao Kalinga-Apayao Lanao Lepanto-Bontoc Manila Mindanao and Sulu Mindoro Misamis Moro Province Negros Negros del Norte Occidental Leyte Oriental Leyte Samar Shariff Kabunsuan Surigao Tayabas Zamboanga Other subdivisions Island groups (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao) Regions Cities Municipalities Barangays Legislative districts Territorial disputes North Borneo (Sabah) Scarborough Shoal Spratly Islands

Mark Angelo Cadaweng Cielo (May 12, 1988 – December 7, 2008), better known as Marky Cielo, was a Filipino actor, dancer, and the first known Igorot in Philippine showbiz. He is notable for his win in the reality talent competition StarStruck (March 12, 2006). During his two-year career, he was able to star in several television shows and in one film, notably Fantastikids (2006), Asian Treasures (2007), Boys Nxt Door (2007), Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan (2007–2008), Sine Novela: Kaputol ng Isang Awit (2008), and his final performance, LaLola (2008). He also voiced the character Ichigo Kurosaki in the anime Bleach (2007).

Early life[link]

Mark Angelo Cadaweng Cielo, better known as Boknoi to his family and friends, was born on May 12, 1988 in Butuan in Agusan del Norte, where he lived with his mother, Mildred Cadweng and sister, Marcel Andrea or "Bonsai".^[1] In 2001, he and his family moved to Bauko, Mountain Province to live with their other relatives, who are of Igorot descent.^[2] As a student of the local high school, San Isidro, he would soon become proud of his indigenous roots, despite being raised in the Roman Catholic environment.^[3] He fluently spoke Kankana-ey, a language spoken in the Cordilleras.^[4] Aside from this, he was also fluent in English, Ilocano, Tagalog, and Visayan languages (specifically Butuanon and Cebuano).^[1][5] According to his life story in Magpakailanman, his parents separated when he was still young and his mother took care of him, along with his sister on her own.^[6] Despite this, he was able to reunite with his father, Bobby Cielo, and spend time with him after many years. Later in his life, he had stated, privately, that he truly loves his father.^[3]

Career[link]

Prior to his career, Cielo was a freshman studying Architecture at Saint Louis University, Baguio in Benguet, where he was a member of SLU Dance Troupe. He audition for Starstruck where he emerged as "Ultimate Male Survivor" and the first and only "Sole Survivor", defeating his fellow contestants Jackie Rice, Gian Carlos, Iwa Moto, Chuck Allie, and Arci Muñoz.^[7] He is the first Igorot ever to join a talent contest.^[4] He won 10 million pesos worth of prizes and an exclusive GMA talent management contract, and a house and lot in Antipolo, Rizal.^[2] He and his family moved to this new home only on 2008, during his birthday, May 12.^[8] Prior to that, he lived in Pasig.

Soon after winning StarStruck, Cielo made his debut as the lead role Daniel Trinidad in the fantasy television show, Fantastikids. After this, he began to appear in primetime with guest starring roles in shows first in Encantadia: Pag-ibig Hanggang Wakas (as Arman), then Bakekang (as Miguelito "Michael" Dimayacyac) and Asian Treasures (as Mateo Madrigal);,^[9] as well as a leading role in the Sunday afternoon drama, Boys Nxt Door, which is dubbed in Malay by 8TV and is to be the first Philippine drama to air on KBS2 of South Korea.^[10] In 2007, he and fellow StarStruck graduates, Yasmien Kurdi and Rainier Castillo decided to shift from mainstream acting to voice acting for a while by trying characters from the anime Bleach, such as Ichigo Kurosaki.^[11] During the same year, he won the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation Award for Most Promising Male Artist.^[12] He was soon chosen by his network to be the main protagonist in the Philippine remake of Uchuu Keiji Shaider as Alexis del Mundo or Shaider but Dennis Trillo and Aljur Abrenica were included so the show was reformatted to Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan, a spin-off sequel to the Metal Hero Series.^[13][14] He joined the cast of Sine Novela: Kaputol ng Isang Awit, which also stars Glaiza de Castro, Lovi Poe and Jolo Revilla. He was also a spokesman for Department of Health and was seen in a no-smoking ad campaign with secretary Francisco Duque III.^[9] In 2008, he joined the cast of Codename: Asero then LaLola. His last appearance was in LaLola, in which he portrayed the character Billy Lobregat.^[15]

Death[link]

Cielo, 20, was found unconscious on December 7, 2008 by his mother.^[16] The night before, he was last seen playing an online video game up until ten o'clock in the evening in an internet cafe in Quezon City. Marky is said to have made several unanswered calls to his manager-mentor.^[17] When he arrived home, he had a discussion with his mother about "something personal". His mother advised Marky to sort out his problem, “Lutasin mo ang problema mo; ikaw lang ang makakalutas n’yan.” ^[16][18] The next morning, his mother entered his room in their house in Antipolo at around six o'clock AM to wake him up for a charity event. When he did not respond, she immediately rushed him to the nearby Antipolo Doctors Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.^[9] At present, the cause of Cielo’s death remains unknown.^[19] This led to speculations of suicide precipitated by threats^[20] which allegedly came from the son of Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, Ronald due to him being too close to Lovi Poe. These facts were never discussed or even became and angle for the police to dig more into the case because of their fear of getting caught up with the influence of Gov. Singson.

His wake was held in his home for three days then his remains were brought to the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Baguio City, where it stayed for a day.^[21] He was buried on December 15, in Bauko, Mountain Province, in his family's backyard according to traditional Ibaloi custom.^[22][23]

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Film[link]

Notable titles[link]

• Guillermo Mendoza's Most Promising Male Star of 2007
• Candy Mag's 100 Candy Cuties(#17)
• Cosmopolitan Top 69 Bachelors
• Yes! Magazine's The next Big Thing
• Yes! Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful Stars Of 2007
• StarStruck's First and Only Ultimate Sole Survivor(2006)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Marky Cielo at iGMA.tv
• Marky Cielo at the Internet Movie Database
• Marky Cielo at Friendster
• Fansite

Mountain Top
—  Census-designated place  —
Mountain Top Location within the state of Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 41°8′7″N 75°54′16″W / 41.13528°N 75.90444°W / 41.13528; -75.90444Coordinates: 41°8′7″N 75°54′16″W / 41.13528°N 75.90444°W / 41.13528; -75.90444
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Luzerne
Area
• Total	15.1 sq mi (39.0 km2)
• Land	15.1 sq mi (39.0 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	10,982
• Density	730/sq mi (280/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	18707
Area code(s)	570
FIPS code
GNIS feature ID

Mountain Top is a census-designated place (CDP) in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 10,982.^[1]

Mountain Top is located along Pennsylvania Route 309 south of Wilkes-Barre in Fairview Township, Wright Township and a small part of Rice Township.

Name[link]

Though it is generally accepted that the area's proper name is "Mountain Top", there has been some debate about whether it should actually be "Mountaintop". The local historical society uses the spelling "Mountain Top".^[2] The United States Postal Service uses the spelling "Mountain Top" for ZIP Code 18707, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spells it Mountain Top on a Pennsylvania driver's license. The local newspaper, however, the Mountaintop Eagle,^[3] uses the Mountaintop spelling in both its title as well as any reference to its location

Geography[link]

Mountain Top is located at 41°8′7″N 75°54′16″W / 41.13528°N 75.90444°W / 41.13528; -75.90444 (41.1353022, -75.9044749). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 15.1 square miles (39.0 km²), all of it land.^[4]

Mountain Top is located 8 miles (13 km) northwest of White Haven and 10 miles (16 km) south of Wilkes-Barre on Pennsylvania Route 309.

Mountain Top is elevated at 1,558 feet (475 m) above sea level.

Demographics[link]

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 15,269 people, 5,556 households, and 4,394 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 224.0 people per square mile (86.5/km²). There were 5,774 housing units at an average density of 84.7/sq mi (32.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.02% White, 0.54% African American, 0.03% Native American, 1.62% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.

There were 5,556 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $51,655, and the median income for a family was $58,588. Males had a median income of $41,271 versus $26,346 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,480. About 2.9% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education[link]

Mountain Top is located in the Crestwood Area School District which covers over 110 square miles (280 km²). In this area is included Dennison Township, Dorrance Township, Fairview Township, Nuangola Borough, Rice Township, Slocum Township, White Haven Borough, Wright Township, and Penn Lake Borough.

The Crestwood School District consists of five schools:

• Rice Elementary School - Rice Township (Grades K-6). The principal is Kevin Seyer.
• Fairview Elementary School - Fairview Township (Grades K-6)
• Crestwood Middle School - Mountain Top (Grades 7 and 8) The teaching teams are Wildcats, Thunderbees, Red team, and White team. The Principal, as of 2007, is Mr. Brian Baddick.
• Crestwood High School - Mountain Top (Grades 9-12).

St. Jude's Catholic School in Wright Township serves grades K-8, after which students can continue Catholic education by attending Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre, or can enter Crestwood High School.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mountain Top Historical Society
• Mountaintop On The Move, volunteer community organization
• NEPA309.Com, live-motion camera view of Route 309 in Mountain Top
• Crestwood School District
• Crestwood High School

v t e Municipalities and communities of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States County seat: Wilkes-Barre Cities Hazleton Nanticoke Pittston Wilkes-Barre Boroughs Ashley Avoca Bear Creek Village Conyngham Courtdale Dallas Dupont Duryea Edwardsville Exeter Forty Fort Freeland Harveys Lake Hughestown Jeddo Kingston Laflin Larksville Laurel Run Luzerne Nescopeck New Columbus Nuangola Penn Lake Park Plymouth Pringle Shickshinny Sugar Notch Swoyersville Warrior Run West Hazleton West Pittston West Wyoming White Haven Wyoming Yatesville Townships Bear Creek Black Creek Buck Butler Conyngham Dallas Dennison Dorrance Exeter Fairmount Fairview Foster Franklin Hanover Hazle Hollenback Hunlock Huntington Jackson Jenkins Kingston Lake Lehman Nescopeck Newport Pittston Plains Plymouth Rice Ross Salem Slocum Sugarloaf Union Wilkes-Barre Wright CDPs Beech Mountain Lakes Browntown Chase East Berwick Georgetown Glen Lyon Harleigh Hickory Hills Hilldale Hudson Inkerman Lattimer Mocanaqua Mountain Top Nuremberg‡ Pardeesville Pikes Creek Plains Shavertown Sheatown Silkworth Trucksville Upper Exeter Wanamie West Nanticoke Weston Unincorporated communities Back Mountain Breslau Drifton Drums Ebervale Glen Summit Huntington Mills Japan Kis-Lyn Koonsville Korn Krest Milnesville Old Boston Port Griffith Suscon Sybertsville Tomhicken Wapwallopen Waterton Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Coordinates: 37°42′N 112°24′E / 37.7°N 112.4°E / 37.7; 112.4

Shanxi Province
Chinese : 山西省 Shānxī Shěng
Abbreviations: simplified Chinese: 晋; traditional Chinese: 晉  (pinyin: Jìn)
Origin of name	山 shān - mountain 西 xī - west "west of the Taihang Mountains"
Administration type	Province
Capital (and largest city)	Taiyuan
CPC Ctte Secretary	Yuan Chunqing
Governor	Wang Jun
Area	156,800 km2 (60,500 sq mi) (19th)
- Latitude	34° 35' to 40° 44' N
- Longitude	110° 13' to 114° 33' E
Population (2010)  - Density	35,712,111 (18th) 213 /km2 (550 /sq mi) (19th)
GDP (2011)  - per capita	CNY 1110.0 billion US$ 176.2 billion (21st) CNY 26,283 US$ 3,883 (17th)
HDI (2008)	0.800 (high) (14th)
Ethnic composition	Han - 99.7% Hui - 0.2%
Languages and dialects	{{{Dialects}}}
Prefectural level	11 divisions
County level	119 divisions
Township level*	1388 divisions
ISO 3166-2	CN-14
Official website www.shanxigov.cn (Chinese)
Source for population and GDP data: 《中国统计年鉴—2005》 China Statistical Yearbook 2005 ISBN 7503747382 Source for nationalities data: 《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》 Tabulation on nationalities of 2000 population census of China ISBN 7105054255 *As at December 31, 2004
Template ■ Discussion ■ WikiProject China

 Shanxi (help·info) (Chinese: 山西; pinyin: Shānxī; Wade–Giles: Shan-hsi; Postal map spelling: Shansi) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" (pinyin: Jìn), after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period.

The name Shanxi literally means "mountain's west", which refers to the province's location west of the Taihang Mountains.^[1] Shanxi borders Hebei to the east, Henan to the south, Shaanxi to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the north and is made up mainly of a plateau bounded partly by mountain ranges. The capital of the province is Taiyuan.

History[link]

Shanxi, the territory of state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period (722 BC - 403 BC), underwent a three-way split into the states of Han, Zhao and Wei in 403 BC, the traditional date taken as the start of the Warring States Period (403 BC - 221 BC). By 221 BC all of these states had fallen to the state of Qin, which established the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC).

The Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) ruled Shanxi as the province (zhou) of Bingzhou (幷州 Bīng Zhōu). During the invasion of northern nomads during the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304 - 439), several regimes including Later Zhao, Former Yan, Former Qin, and Later Yan continuously controlled what is now Shanxi. They were followed by Northern Wei (386 - 534), a Xianbei kingdom, which had one of its earlier capitals at present-day Datong in northern Shanxi, and which went on to rule nearly all of northern China.

The Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) originated in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. Modern Chinese people are called Tang Ren globally due to the power and impact of the Tang Dynasty in history. During the Tang Dynasty and after, the area was called Hédōng (河東), or "east of the (Yellow) river". Empress Wu Zetian, China's only female ruler, was born in Shanxi Province.

During the first part of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907 - 960), Shanxi supplied rule for three of the Five Dynasties, as well as being the only one of the Ten Kingdoms located in northern China. Shanxi was initially home to the jiedushi (commander) of Hedong, Li Cunxu, who overthrew the first of the Five Dynasties, Later Liang Dynasty (907 - 923) to establish the second, Later Tang Dynasty (923 - 936). Another jiedushi of Hedong, Shi Jingtang, overthrew Later Tang to establish the third of the Five Dynasties, Later Jin Dynasty, and yet another jiedushi of Hedong, Liu Zhiyuan, established the fourth of the Five Dynasties (Later Han Dynasty) after the Khitans destroyed Later Jin, the third. Finally, when the fifth of the Five Dynasties (Later Zhou Dynasty) emerged, the jiedushi of Hedong at the time, Liu Chong, rebelled and established an independent state called Northern Han, one of the Ten Kingdoms, in what is now northern and central Shanxi.

Shi Jingtang, founder of the Later Jin Dynasty, the third of the Five Dynasties, ceded a large slice of northern China to the Khitans in return for military assistance. This territory, called The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, included a part of northern Shanxi. The ceded territory became a major problem for China's defense against the Khitans for the next 100 years, because it lies to the south of the Great Wall.

During the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127), the sixteen ceded prefectures continued to be an area of contention between Song China and the Liao Dynasty. Later the Southern Song Dynasty abandoned all of North China to the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) in 1127, including Shanxi.

The Mongol Yuan Dynasty divided China into provinces but did not establish Shanxi as a province. Shanxi only gained its present name and approximate borders in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), Shanxi extended northwards beyond the Great Wall to include parts of Inner Mongolia, including what is now the city of Hohhot, and overlapped with the jurisdiction of the Eight Banners and the Guihua Tümed banner in that area.

During most of the Republic of China's period of rule over mainland China (1912–1949), the warlord Yen Hsi-shan held Shanxi, regardless of the frequent political upheavals shaking the rest of China. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan occupied much of the province after defeating China in the Battle of Taiyuan. Shanxi was also a major battlefield between the Japanese and the Chinese communist guerrillas of the Eighth Route Army during the war.

After the defeat of Japan, much of the Shanxi countryside became important bases for the communist People's Liberation Army in the ensuing Chinese Civil War. Yen had incorporated thousands of former Japanese soldiers among his own forces, and these soldiers became part of his failed defense of Taiyuan against the People's Liberation Army in early 1949.

For centuries Shanxi served as the center of trade and banking, with the term "Shanxi Merchant" (晋商 jìnshāng) once synonymous with wealth. The well-preserved city of Pingyao in Shanxi also shows many signs of its former dominance as a center of trade and banking. Due to Shanxi's geographic location in the Great China and its natural environment, Shanxi was the richest province in Zhongyuan or Center China. In the Qing Dynasty, Pingyao served as the centre of Chinese banking industry. This county, in contemporary time, is famous for its UNESCO ancient city walls and ancient China's equivalent of modern day Wall Street for its financial importance in history. In modern times, coal mining is important in Shanxi's economy, but severe critics have complained of deplorable mine conditions. Since 2004 the province has been plagued with labour safety issues, including a slave labour scandal involving children, causing significant civil unrest and national embarrassment.

Geography[link]

Shanxi is located on a plateau made up of higher ground to the east (Taihang Mountains) and the west (Lüliang Mountains) and a series of valleys in the center through which the Fen River runs. The highest peak is Mount Wutai (Wutai Shan) in northeastern Shanxi with an altitude of 3058 m. The Great Wall of China forms most of the northern border with Inner Mongolia. The Zhongtiao Mountains run along part of the southern border and separate Shanxi from the east-west part of the Yellow River. Mount Hua is to the southwest.

The Huang He (Yellow River) forms the western border of Shanxi with Shaanxi. The Fen and Qin rivers, tributaries of the Huang He, run north-to-south through the province, and drain much of its area. The north of the province is drained by tributaries of the Hai River, such as Sanggan and Hutuo rivers. The largest natural lake in Shanxi is Xiechi Lake, a salt lake near Yuncheng in southwestern Shanxi.

Shanxi has a continental monsoon climate, and is rather arid. Average January temperatures are below 0 °C, while average July temperatures are around 21 - 26 °C. Winters are long, dry, and cold, while summer is warm and humid. Spring is extremely dry and prone to dust storms. Shanxi is one of the sunniest parts of China; early summer heat waves are common. Annual precipitation averages around 350–700 mm, with 60% of it concentrated between June and August. [2]

Major cities:

• Taiyuan
• Datong
• Changzhi
• Yangquan

Administrative divisions[link]

Shanxi is divided into eleven prefecture-level divisions, all of them prefecture-level cities:

Map	#	Name	Administrative Seat	Hanzi Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2010)
	— Prefecture-level city —
	1	Taiyuan	Xinghualing District	太原市 Tàiyuán Shì	4,201,591
	2	Changzhi	Chengqu District	长治市 Chángzhì Shì	3,334,564
	3	Datong	Chengqu District	大同市 Dàtóng Shì	3,318,057
	4	Jincheng	Chengqu District	晋城市 Jìnchéng Shì	2,279,151
	5	Jinzhong	Yuci District	晋中市 Jìnzhōng Shì	3,249,425
	6	Linfen	Yaodu District	临汾市 Línfén Shì	4,316,612
	7	Lüliang	Lishi District	吕梁市 Lǚliáng Shì	3,727,057
	8	Shuozhou	Shuocheng District	朔州市 Shuòzhōu Shì	1,714,857
	9	Xinzhou	Xinfu District	忻州市 Xīnzhōu Shì	3,067,501
	10	Yangquan	Chengqu District	阳泉市 Yángquán Shì	1,368,502
	11	Yuncheng	Yanhu District	运城市 Yùnchéng Shì	5,134,794

The 11 prefecture-level divisions of Shanxi are subdivided into 119 county-level divisions (23 districts, 11 county-level cities, and 85 counties). Those are in turn divided into 1388 township-level divisions (561 towns, 634 townships, and 193 subdistricts).

Politics[link]

The Politics of Shanxi Province is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.^{[citation needed]}

The Governor of Shanxi (山西省省长) is the highest ranking official in the People's Government of Shanxi. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Shanxi Communist Party of China Provincial Committee Secretary (山西省委书记), colloquially termed the "Shanxi CPC Party Chief".

The province went through significant political instability since 2004, due largely to the number of scandals that have hit the province, mostly on labour safety. Yu Youjun and Meng Xuenong were top officials appointed by the central government to resolve sensitive issues as the province's party boss. However, the situation has, by and large, deteriorated during their tenures in office. As a result both Yu and Meng were forced to relocate themselves to relatively insignificant positions elsewhere in the country. In 2008 Shanxi's regional political problems were complicated by the death of Political Consultative Conference Chair Jin Yinhuan due to a car accident.

Economy[link]

The GDP per capita of Shanxi is below national average. Compared to the provinces in East China, Shanxi is less developed for many reasons. Its geographic location limits it participation in international trade, which involves mostly eastern coastal provinces. Important crops in Shanxi include wheat, maize, millet, legumes, and potatoes. The local climate and dwindling water resources limits agriculture in Shanxi.^[2]

Shanxi possesses 260 billion metric tons of known coal deposits, about one third of China's total. As a result, Shanxi is a leading producer of coal in China and has more coal companies than any other province,^[3], with an annual production exceeding 300 million metric tonnes. The Datong (大同), Ningwu (宁武), Xishan (西山), Hedong (河东), Qinshui (沁水), and Huoxi (霍西) coalfields are some of the most important in Shanxi. Shanxi also contains about 500 million tonnes of bauxite deposits, about one third of total Chinese bauxite reserves.^[4][5]

Industry in Shanxi is centered around heavy industries such as coal and chemical production, power generation, and metal refining.^{[citation needed]} There are countless military-related industries in Shanxi Province due to its geographic location and history when it is used to be the base of the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army. Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, one of China's three satellite launch centers, is located in the middle of Shanxi Province with China's largest stockpile of nuclear missiles.

Many private corporations joint with the state-owned mining corporations have invested billions of dollars in the Mining Industry of Shanxi Province. Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing has made one of his largest investment ever in China on exploiting coal gas in Shanxi. Foreign investors include mining companies from Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.^{[citation needed]}

The mining related companies include Daqin Railway Co. Ltd., which runs one of the busiest and most technologically advanced railway in China connecting Datong and Qinhuangdao and exclusively for coal shipping.^{[citation needed]} The revenue of Daqin Railway Co. Ltd. is among the highest in Shanxi Province's companies due to its exporting of coal to Japan, Korea, and South-East Asia.

Shanxi's nominal GDP in 2011 was 1110.0 billion yuan (US$176.2 billion), ranked 21st in China. Its per-capita GDP was 21,544 yuan (US$3,154).^[6]

Shanxi is infamous for bad working conditions in coal mining and other heavy industries. Thousands of workers have died every year in those industries. Cases of child labour abuse were discovered recently.^[7][8]

In contrast with the poverty, Shanxi is known for its wealthy mine owners in China.^{[citation needed]} Consortiums of mine owners from Shanxi have influences in Beijing's real estate market because of their speculation. The only other wealth group in China having the same influence is the entrepreneurs from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province which is the centre of light industry of China and the world.^{[citation needed]}

Industrial zones[link]

• Taiyuan Economic & Technology Development Zone

Taiyuan Economic & Technology Development Zone is a state-level development zone approved by State Council in 2001, with a planned area of 9.6 km². It is only 2 km away from Taiyuan Airport and 3 km away from railway station. The National Highway 208 and 307 passes through the zone. So far, it has formed a "four industrial base, a professional industry park" development pattern.^[9]

• Taiyuan Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

Established in 1991, Taiyuan Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone is the only state-level Hi-tech Development Zone in Shanxi Province, with total area of 24 km². It is situated close to Taiyuan Wusu Airport and Highway G208. The nearest port to the zone is Tianjin Port.^[10]

Transportation[link]

The transport infrastructure in Shanxi is very developed. There are many important national highways and railways that connect the province with neighboring provinces.^[11]

Road[link]

Shanxi's road hub is in the capital, Taiyuan. The major highways in province form a road network connecting all the counties. Examples of major highways are:

• Dayun Highway(大運公路)
• Datong-Yuncheng Highway (大同－運城）)
• Taiyuan-Jiuguan Expressway (太原－舊關高速公路)
• Beijing-Shijiazhuang expressway (北京－石家庄高速公路)
• Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu expressway (京津唐高速公路)
• Beijing-Shenzhen expressway

Rail[link]

Shanxi has extensive rail infrastructure to neighboring provinces. The rail network connects to major cities Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang, Beijing, Yuanping, Baotou, Datong, Menyuan and Jiaozuo. The province also have extensive rail network to coastal cities such as Qinhuangdao, Qingdao, Yantai and Lianyungang.^[11]

The province has a rail network called the Shuozhou-Huanghua Railway. It will service Shenchi county in Shanxi with Huanghua port in Hebei. It will become the second largest railway for coal transport from west to east in China.^[12]

Aviation[link]

Shanxi's main aviation transport hub is Taiyuan Wusu Airport (IATA: TYN). The airport has routes connecting Shanxi to 28 domestic cities including Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Chongqing. There are international routes to Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Russia. There is also another airport in Datong, which has domestic routes to other mainland cities.^[11][13]

Demographics[link]

The population is mostly Han Chinese with minorities of Mongol, Manchu, and the Hui.

Source: Department of Population, Social, Science and Technology Statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics of China (国家统计局人口和社会科技统计司) and Department of Economic Development of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission of China (国家民族事务委员会经济发展司), eds. Tabulation on Nationalities of 2000 Population Census of China (《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》). 2 vols. Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House (民族出版社), 2003. (ISBN 7-105-05425-5)

In 2004, the birth rate was 12.36 births/1000 population, while the death rate was 6.11 deaths/1000 population. The sex ratio was 105.5 males/100 females. [3]

Health[link]

In the 2000s, the province was considered to be one of the most polluted areas in China.^[3] The pollution, caused in part by heavy coal mining, has enhanced health problems in the province.^[14]

Culture[link]

The Pagoda of Fogong Temple, Ying County, built in the year 1056.

People in most regions of Shanxi speak dialects of Jin, a subdivision of spoken Chinese. However, dialects in the southwest, near the border with Henan and Shaanxi, are classified as part of the Zhongyuan Mandarin subdivision of the Mandarin group rather than Jin. In terms of characteristics, Jin dialects are generally distinguished by their retention of the entering tone from Middle Chinese. In this respect they are unique in all of northern China, as most of the surrounding Mandarin dialects (spoken over the remainder of northern China) have lost it. (In central and southern China, it is much more common for the entering tone to be kept.) Jin is also noted for extremely complex tone sandhi systems.

Shanxi cuisine is most well known for its extensive use of vinegar as a condiment and for its noodles. A dish originating from Taiyuan, the provincial capital, is the Taiyuan Tounao (太原头脑, literally "Taiyuan Head"). It is a soup brewed using mutton, shanyao (山药, Chinese wild yam), lotus roots, astragalus membranaceus (黄芪, membranous milk vetch), tuber onions, as well as cooking liquor for additional aroma. It can be enjoyed by dipping pieces of unleavened cake into the soup, and is reputed to have medicinal properties.

Shanxi Opera (晋剧 Jinju) is a popular form of Chinese opera in Shanxi. It was popularized during the late Qing Dynasty, with the help of the then-ubiquitous Shanxi merchants who were active across parts of China. Also called Zhonglu Bangzi (中路梆子), it is a type of bangzi opera (梆子), a group of operas generally distinguished by their use of wooden clappers for rhythm and by a more energetic singing style; Shanxi opera is also complemented by quzi (曲子), a blanket term for more melodic styles from further south. Puzhou Opera (蒲剧 Puju), from southern Shanxi, is a more ancient type of bangzi that makes use of very wide linear intervals.

Shanxi merchants (晋商 Jinshang) constituted a historical phenomenon that lasted for centuries from the Song to the Qing Dynasty. Shanxi merchants ranged far and wide from Central Asia to the coast of eastern China; by the Qing Dynasty they were conducting trade across both sides of the Great Wall. During the late Qing Dynasty, a new development occurred: the creation of piaohao (票号), which were essentially banks that provided services like money transfers and transactions, deposits, and loans. After the establishment of the first piaohao in Pingyao, the bankers in Shanxi dominated China's financial market for centuries until the collapse of Qing Dynasty and the coming of British banks.

Tourism[link]

A Pingyao street.

• Jinci in Taiyuan, famous for its temples and Song Dynasty paintings and architectures.

• Zuoquan County, famous for its China Communist Party battlefield sites.

• The Ancient City of Pingyao is a World Heritage Site near Taiyuan. Once a great financial center of China, it is noted for its preservation of many features of northern Han Chinese culture, architecture, and way of life during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

• The Yungang Grottoes, its literal translation being The Cloud Ridge Caves, are shallow caves near Datong. There are over 50,000 carved images and statues of Buddhas and Boddhisatvas within these grottoes, ranging from 4 centimeters to 7 meters tall.a World Heritage Site in Datong, consist of 252 caves noted for their collection of 5th and 6th century Buddhist grotto sculptures and reliefs.

• Mount Wutai (Wutai Shan) is the highest point in the province. It is known as the residence of the bodhisattva Manjusri, and as a result is also a major Buddhist pilgrimage destination, with many temples and natural sights. Points of interest include Tang Dynasty (618–907) era timber halls located at Nanchan Temple and Foguang Temple, as well as a giant white stupa at Tayuan Temple built during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).

• Mount Hengshan (Heng Shan), in Hunyuan County, is one of the "Five Great Peaks" of China, and is also a major Taoist site. Not far from Heng Shan, the Hanging Temple is located on the side of a cliff and has survived for 1400 years despite earthquakes in the area.

• Pagoda of Fogong Temple, in Ying County, is a pagoda built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty. It is octagonal with nine levels (five are visible from outside), and at 67 m (220 ft) in height, it is currently the tallest wooden pagoda in the world. It is also the oldest fully wooden pagoda in China, although many no-longer-existing wooden pagodas have preceded it, and many existing stone and brick pagodas predate it by centuries.

• Hukou Waterfall is located in the Yellow River on the Shanxi-Shaanxi border. At 50 meters high it is the second highest waterfall in China.

• Dazhai is a village in Xiyang County. Situated in hilly, difficult terrain, it was a holy site during the Cultural Revolution, when it was set out to the entire nation as exemplary of the hardiness of the proletariat, especially peasants.
• Niangziguan Township is located in north-east of Pingding County which is in the junction of Shanxi and Heibei Province. It is an old village famous for Niangziguan.

Education[link]

Major Post-Secondary institutes in Shanxi include:

• Changzhi College (长治学院)
• Changzhi Medical College (长治医学院)
• Datong University (山西大同大学)
• Jinzhong College (晋中学院)
• Lvliang Higher College
• North China University of Science and Technology (华北工学院)
• Shanxi Agricultural University (山西农业大学)
• Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (山西中医学院)
• Shanxi Medical University (山西医科大学)
• Shanxi Teachers University also called Shanxi Normal University (山西师范大学)
• Shanxi University (山西大学)
• Shanxi University of Finance and Economics (山西财经大学)
• North China University (中北大学)
• Taiyuan Normal University (太原师范学院)
• Taiyuan University of Science and Technology (太原科技大学)
• Taiyuan University of Technology (太原理工大学)
• Xinzhou Teachers University (忻州师范学院)
• Yuncheng University (运城学院)

Major Secondary Schools in Shanxi include:

• Taiyuan No.5 High school
• Taiyuan No.10 High school
• Shanxi Experimental Secondary School(山西省实验中学)
• Yuci No.1 High School
• Kangjie High School (康杰中学)

References[link]

• Economic profile for Shanxi at HKTDC

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shanxi

• Shanxi Government website
• Shanxi travel guide from Wikitravel
• Shanxi Community in Canada website
• Shanxi Community in Japan website

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	Shaanxi		Hebei
		Shanxi    East
		Henan