CH'ANG-CHIH

Pinyin Changzhi, formerly (until 1912) Lu-an city in southeast Shansi Province (sheng), China. It is situated in the Lu-an plaina basin surrounded by the western highlands of the T'ai-hang Shan (mountains), watered by the Cho-chang-pei Yan (stream), a tributary of the Wei Ho. It is a communication centre; to the east a route via Li-ch'eng, in Shansi, crosses the T'ai-hang Shan to Han-tan, Hopeh, on the North China Plain. To the northwest a route leads to the Fen Ho Valley, south of T'ai-yan, Shansi. To the south a route leads over comparatively low mountains to Kao-p'ing, Shansi, and to the plain of the Huang Ho (Yellow River). A railway following this route has been built to the coalfields of Chiao-tso in Honan with further connections to Cheng-chou. This area was of major importance during the Shang dynasty (18th12th century BC) and also during the state of Li within the Chou dynasty (about 1111255 BC); it later became the site of an important city named Shang-tang in the state of Han. In Ch'in (221206 BC) and Han (206 BCAD 220) times it became the commandery (district under the control of a commander) of Shang-tang. In the late 6th century it was called Lu-choua name retained through the T'ang dynasty (618907), when it was a strategic centre in the conflict between the central government and the provincial warlords of Hopeh. In the 840s it was itself the seat of a major rebellion. During the last years of the T'ang dynasty and during the Five Dynasties (907960), the area was continually fought over and constantly changed hands. Under the Sung (9601279) it was called Lung-te, a name it maintained under the Mongols (12791368). Under the Ming (13681644) it was named Lu-an and became a part of Shansi. In 1528 the county (hsien) was given the name Ch'ang-chih, and the superior prefecture of which it was the seat was named Lu-an Fu. In 1912 the superior prefecture was abolished. The historical city was relatively extensive, with strong walls 7 1/2 mi (12 km) in circumference; but after the 19th century it declined in importance. It was a regional market centre for the agricultural produce (grain, hemp, wool, and felt) of the locality and also for products of the local metalworking industry. The area was a centre of both iron- and bronze-working from the earliest times. In the 1950s, excavations at Fen-shui-ling, north of the city, revealed large numbers of bronze artifacts and molds used for casting iron tools. After 1949 Ch'ang-chih was developed into a secondary industrial centre. Because of the utilization of the nearby coal mines and rich iron deposits, its population nearly doubled between 1953 and 1958. The city produces pig iron and steel, and there are a number of engineering and machine-building plants. The area also produces asbestos and other minerals. Traditionally, it is famous for the local ginseng, called Shang-tang jen-tsen (a plant having an aromatic root used in medicine) and for the local wine (Lu-chiu). Pop. (1989 est.) 301,700.