Changzhi

Changzhi, Wade-Giles romanization Ch’ang-chih, formerly (until 1912) Lu’an, city in southeastern Shanxi sheng (province), China. It is situated in the Lu’an plain—a basin surrounded by the western highlands of the Taihang Mountains, watered by the upper streams of the Zhuozhang River. It is a communication centre; to the northeast a route and a railway via Licheng, in Shanxi, cross the Taihang range to Handan, Hebei, on the North China Plain. To the northwest a route and a railway lead to the Fen River valley, south of Taiyuan, Shanxi. To the south a route leads over comparatively low mountains to Gaoping, Shanxi, and to the plain of the Huang He (Yellow River). A railway following this route has been built to the coalfields of Jiaozuo in Henan with further connections to Zhengzhou.

This area was of major importance during the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 bce) and also during the state of Li within the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 bce); it later became the site of an important city named Shangdang in the state of Han. In Qin (221–207 bce) and Han (206 bce–220 ce) times it became the commandery (district under the control of a commander) of Shangdang. In the late 6th century it was called Luzhou—a name retained through the Tang dynasty (618–907), when it was a strategic centre in the conflict between the central government and the provincial warlords of Hebei. In the 840s it was itself the seat of a major rebellion. During the last years of the Tang dynasty and during the Five Dynasties period (907–960), the area was continually fought over and constantly changed hands. Under the Song (960–1279) it was called Longde, a name it maintained under the Yuan (Mongols; 1279–1368). During Ming times (1368–1644) it was named Lu’an and became a part of Shanxi. In 1528 the county was given the name Changzhi, and the superior prefecture of which it was the seat was named Lu’an. In 1912 the superior prefecture was abolished.

The historical city was relatively extensive, with strong walls 7.5 miles (12 km) in circumference, but after the 19th century it declined in importance. It was a regional market centre for the agricultural products (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 Fenshuiling, north of the city, revealed large numbers of bronze artifacts and molds used for casting iron tools.

After 1949 Changzhi 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 mines asbestos and other minerals. Traditionally, it is famous for the local dangshen, or asiabell (root of Codonopsis pilosula), and for the locally produced fermented beverage called lujiu. Pop. (2002 est.) 484,235.