Shiling, Guangzhou

Shiling 狮岭镇
Town
23°27′39″N 113°09′05″E / 23.46079°N 113.15149°E / 23.46079; 113.15149
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Guangdong
Sub-provincial city	Guangzhou
District	Huadu
Area [1][2]
• Total	136.31 km2 (52.63 sq mi)
Population  (2017)[1][2]	300,000
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard)

Shiling (simplified Chinese: 狮岭镇; traditional Chinese: 獅嶺鎮; pinyin: Shīlǐng Zhèn) is a town in Huadu District, Guangzhou.^[3][4] In the 1970s the government began centrally planned industrialization of Shiling as a leatherworking town. The town is now a major center for the leatherworking industry in China.^[1] The town spans an area of 136.31 square kilometres (52.63 sq mi),^[1][5] and is home to 300,000 residents.^[1][2]

Etymology

Its name means "Lion Ridge", so called because of the local mountain ridge that is shaped like a lion.^{[citation needed]} Shiling Town has long consisted of small farms abutting the mountains from which it gets its name.

Geography

Shiling Town is located in Huadu District, a district of Guangzhou.^[3][4] Shiling is 34 kilometres (21 mi) from downtown Guangzhou.

Administrative Districts

Shiling is divided into three neighborhood committees [zh] and seventeen village committees [zh].^[6]

History

Archeological records indicate that the area around present-day Shiling was engaged in worship of the Chinese deity Pangu as far back as 500 CE.^[7]

Shiling was founded as a hamlet (圩) in the Qing dynasty some time during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1736–1795).^{[citation needed]}

Hong Xiuquan, leader of the Taiping Rebellion, developed his revolutionary theory and wrote many of his famous works while staying in Shiling (c. 1845 - 1847) at the Yuan Floral Hall (袁氏花厅), the ruins of which are still visible.^[8]

Shiling was reorganized into a commune (公社) in 1953, into a region (区) in 1983, and most recently into a town (镇) in 1986.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

As of 2017, the town reported a resident population of 300,000 people, of which, 58,000 were registered residents under the hukou system.^[1] A 2018 government public the town's hukou population at 64,355.^[5]

Economy

In 2017, the town achieved a total GDP of 10.759 billion Yuan, a 7.5% from the previous year.^[1] The town's primary sector makes up 3.5% of Shiling's GDP, the secondary sector makes up 61.0%, and the tertiary sector makes up 35.5% of the GDP.^[1]

Farming

Shiling was originally and remains an agricultural community. Primary produce are rice, fruits, vegetables, flowers, nursery stock and the breeding of poultry and fish.^[9]

Leather industry

Leather production in Shiling began in the 1970s,^[10] when the central government promoted industrial development of Shiling focused on the leatherworking industry, by encouraging farmers to integrate leather production into their lifestyle.^{[citation needed]} Prior to the 2000s, Shiling primarily produced low and medium quality leather goods for Chinese markets.^[10] Beginning in the year 2000, the city began hosting the Shiling Leather and Leather Goods Festival (狮岭皮革皮具节), a trade fair for the leather industry.^[10] During the late 2000s, the local government made a concerted effort with local businesses to increase the quality of the town's leather goods, and to internationalize the city's industry.^[10] Part of this effort included the creation of a post-doctoral research institute devoted to leather research, and a design institute meant to train people to become leather workers and leather designers.^[11]

Shiling's leather industry now comprises 8,000 enterprises producing leather, employing approximately 300,000 employees.^[2] Over 2,600 brands manufacture their leather goods in Shiling, including Guess, Coach, and Walmart.^[2]

The Shiling leather industry was worth 4.7 billion yuan in 2002 ^[12] and 9 billion in 2009.^[13]

Suburban real estate development

During the 2000s, the town experienced significant development along the G94 Pearl River Delta Ring Expressway.^[8] The real estate developments in Shiling have been advertised as a "golden corridor" (黄金走廊) and "tomorrow's satellite city" (明日卫星城).^[8]

Tourism

Despite its reputation as an industrial center, the local government has made an effort to promote the town's tourism industry in the 21st century.^[8] The town's government has promoted local mountains and historical sites as destinations, while also hosting cultural festivals centered on local folk culture.^[8]

Pangu Temple

The northern part of Shiling hosts a temple dedicated to Pangu built in 1809, and rebuilt in 1901 after being burned.^[14] The temple was neglected for many years, renovated (1984–86) and reopened.^[7] The temple is promoted as a tourist attraction and pilgrimage site. The temple is noted for being the site of a large lion dance, waterfall, and clean spring water from Longkou spring, which is believed to have healing properties.^[14][7] A festival is held on the birthday of Pangu, the 12th day of the 10th month of the Chinese lunar calendar.^[7]

Mountain Resorts

Following the tourist draw of the Pangu temple, other resorts have been opened in the nearby mountain areas.

Transportation

Two major highways run through Shiling: the Guangqing Expressway and the Zhaohua Expressway [zh].^[1] Three major railways run through Shiling: the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, the Wuhan-Guangzhou Railway, and the Guangzhou-Qingyuan Railway.^[1]

Notes and references

Leather Companies In China

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