T'AI-CHOU

Pinyin Taizhou, city in Kiangsu sheng (province), China. T'ai-chou is situated about 30 miles (50 km) east of the city of Yang-chou on the T'ung-yang Canal, which joins it to Yang-chou (west), to the city of Nan-t'ung (southeast), and to the coastal area of northern Kiangsu (east). In 1952 a new canal with ship locks was constructed to join T'ai-chou directly with the Yangtze River, which made it a transshipment point for goods, particularly cotton and wheat, shipped to the various large cities south of the Yangtze. T'ai-chou was traditionally the seat of a county subordinate to Yang-chou, which, until the 13th century, dominated the whole of this area. It became an independent prefecture in the early 10th century. Under the Ming dynasty (13681644), it was a centre of the state salt administration, and the merchants of the area were extremely wealthy. In the 20th century, flour mills, textile works, factories manufacturing fishing nets, and other industries based on local agriculture have been established in T'ai-chou. Pop. (1990) 152,442.