TS'ANG-CHOU

Pinyin Cangzhou city in Hopeh sheng (province), China. Ts'ang-chou is situated on the low-lying coastal plain about 60 miles (100 km) south of Tientsin on the Grand Canal and on the TientsinP'u-k'ou railway. The coastal plain there is very low, and in historical times the coastline was much farther inland than at present. The Han dynasty (206 BCAD 220) first established a county there, Fou-hai, some 25 miles (40 km) northeast of the present city. The first town of Ts'ang-chou was established in the 5th century, some 15 miles (24 km) southeast of the present city. The area became important in the late part of the Sui dynasty (581618) and in the early part of the T'ang dynasty (618907), after the completion of the Yung-chi canal linking the area of Tientsin with the Huang Ho (river) and Lo-yang in Honan province. Because the city was in an area of poor natural drainage traversed by several large rivers, the T'ang dynasty, in the late 7th century, constructed a canal to give the city better drainage and direct access to the sea. After the 8th century the Yung-chi canal was abandoned, and Ts'ang-chou's role as a transport centre declined. Under the Yan (12061368) and Ming (13681644) dynasties, however, the new Grand Canal linking the Peking area to Yang-chou passed through this area, and Ts'ang-chou became an important port for merchant shipping on the canal. Ts'ang-chou is a collecting centre for the agricultural produce of the surrounding area, particularly for the land west of the Grand Canal. The eastern area has suffered from repeated inundations and from the consequent salinity of the soil and is sparsely peopled in comparison with most of the North China Plain. The coastal area produces a good deal of salt. Since 1963, however, the area has been subjected to intensive flood-control measures, drainage, and irrigation works as part of the Hai River project. Although Ts'ang-chou's population has grown considerably since 1949, it remains a transportation and commercial centre, with negligible industrial development. Pop. (1985 est.) 190,800.