Introduction:
Located on the southern bank at the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, Jiangxi Province is adjacent to Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces in the east, Guangdong Province in the south, Hunan Province in the west, and Hubei and Anhui Province in the north.

Known as Gan in Chinese language abbreviation, Jiangxi covers a total area of 166,900 square kilometers and has a population of 43 million. With Nanchang as its capital, the province administers 11 cities which govern urban districts, and 99 counties.

A hinterland to Yangtze River Delta, Zhujiang River Delta, and Southeast Fujian Delta, Jiangxi is the only province that adjoins the three areas in China, and serves as the front to enter central China in the southeast coastal area.

Jiangxi enjoys a convenient transportation. Shanghai-Kunming and Beijing-Kowloon Railways cross the province. Six trans-provincial expressways have been put into operation. There are five civil aviation airports in such cities as Nanchang, Jiujiang, Jingdezhen, Ganzhou, and Ji'an, serving for dozens of domestic and international airlines.With all major arteries being converted to expressway, the mileage of expressways in the province total more than 2,200 kilometers. The five civil aviation airports have opened up dozens of domestic and international air routes. These expressways and air routes, together with crisscrossing railways, water ports in Nanchang and Jiujiang, have formed in the province a convenient water-land-air transportation network.

Jiangxi is gifted with abundant natural resources. There are more than 160 known minerals in the province, of which 53 are ranked among the top ten in the nation in terms of reserves and 12 toping the first. Copper, wolfram, uranium, tantalum niobium, rare earths, gold, and silver are known as "Seven Jiangxi Metal Flowers." Southern Jiangxi is known as the World Wolfram Capital and Rare Earths Kingdom. The Dexing Copper Mine is the largest of its kind in Asia. The Guixi Smeltery is China's largest copper smelting base.

Jiangxi possesses 94 industrial parks and three zones for export processing. Gifted with an advantageous geographic location, abundant natural resources and a good investment environment, Jiangxi is a hot place for domestic and overseas investment. More than 10,000 investors have established their businesses in the province. Foreign investments to the province have also remained in the first place for five consecutive years among the six provinces in central China.

Jiangxi is an ideal place both for living and business. Provincial forest coverage reaches 60.05 percent, ranking the second in China. Water area of the province is 25 million mu, placing the third in the nation. Jiangxi's fresh water quality is excellent and ranks the first in China. There are three national ecological model zones, five national nature reserves, 11 national scenic spots, 14 national forest parks, and 136 provincial natural reserves in the province. Blue mountains and green waters form an oasis where a harmonious and balanced development between humans and the nature is achieved.

Jiangxi is a cradle of the new China. The Nanchang Uprising which led to the birth of the Red Amy took place in Jiangxi on August 1, 1927. The Jinggang Mountains are the cradle of the Chinese revolution. The Chinese Soviet Republic's government was established in Ruijin, Jiangxi in 1931, and An'yuan is the birthplace of China's labor movements.

Jiangxi boasts beautiful scenery. Well-known tourist attractions include the world porcelain capital Jingdezhen, renowned Pavilion of Prince Teng, Lushan Mountain, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, Longhu Mountain, The birthplace of Taoism, Sanqing Mountain, a gallery of fantastic rocks, Wuyuan, the most beautiful rural area in China, and Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake where gathers 95 percent of total population of white crane each winter.

At a new start point, Jiangxi is developing at an amazing speed. Entering the 21st Century, Jiangxi has insisted on applying scientific outlook on development, emphasizing on making innovations, establishing new businesses, and developing in a harmonious way. Taking ecological protection as its first priority, the province aims for a balanced and fast economic development. By the end of 2006, the economic performance in the province's industrial parks has doubled the volume it was two years ago, industrial added-value doubled what it was three years ago, revenues doubled in four years, GDP doubled in five years ago, and incomes of urban and rural residents doubled in six years time.

At present, there are nearly 700,000 students in more than 60 universities and colleges in the province. The urbanization rate in the province has reached 38.68 percent. Subsistence allowances and medical assistance have covered both urban and rural residents with special difficulties. Policies of cooperative medical care system, exemption of tuition and general fees in compulsory education, as well as special aid to the students, have been carried out throughout the province.

Geography and History:
Jiangxi province lies in southeast China and along the southern bank of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangzi River. At the latitude between 24o 29'14" and 30o 04' 44" N, and longitude between 113o 34'36" and 118o 28'58" E, Jiangxi borders Zhejiang and Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west and Hubei and Anhui to the north.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the Yangtze River on the other, Jiangxi has rolling hills and broad plains. The land gradually tilts from south to north, leading to the largest fresh water lake in China, Poyang Lake, which forms a large, open basin.

Jiangxi is rich in mineral resources. Among the 150 proven minerals in the world, Jiangxi has documented more than 140. The reserves of 33 of them are among the top five in volume and quality in China. The reserves of nonferrous metals, precious metals, rare minerals, rare-earth minerals lead the country.

With a total length of about 18,400 kilometers, over 2400 rivers of various sizes run through Jiangxi. Of these, over 160 have water all year. The five major waterways are the Ganjiang, Fuhe, Xinjiang, Xiuhe and Raohe Rivers. The Ganjiang River winds south to north for 751 kilometers, covering a drainage area of 83,500 square kilometers. It covers such a large area that Jiangxi is called "Gan" for short. These five rivers all originate from the border mountains, wind through the foothills, run across the plains, moisten fertile lands, gather at Poyang Lake and empty into the Yangtze River.

Jiangxi is dotted with numerous lakes, of which Poyang Lake is the most famous. It stretches 170 kilometers from south to north, and 74 kilometers from east to west. Its shorelines run for 1,800 kilometers. During the flood season, the lake covers 3,841 square kilometers, and the wide expanse of misty Poyang Lake ranks the first among China's five largest fresh lakes. Its huge volume of water acts as a transfer station linking the five major rivers with the Yangtze River and then to the Pacific Ocean. It is a hub linking Jiangxi's river transportation with other provinces as well as a regulating center to the flow of water in the Yangtze River. Poyang Lake is an aquatic treasure house. The fertile area around the lake has established itself as "the Land of fish and rice".

Close to the Tropic of Cancer, Jiangxi has distinct season changes. Due to its special topography, it has short springs and autumns, lasting for only two months, and four-month winters and summers. The weather in spring is ever changing. A rainy season joins spring with summer. Summers are hot and dry, and winters are cold and dank with a short frost period. There is a difference of 5.5 degrees latitude between the southern and northern tips of the province. Consequently, the climate in northern and southern Jiangxi differs by one solar term. Jiangxi has a warm climate, with an annual average temperature from 16.2 to 19.7 degrees Celsius. The free frost period lasts from 241 to 304 days, and the annual sunshine averages from 1,473 to 2,077 hours. The province enjoys plentiful rainfall, with annual mean precipitation ranging from 1,341.4 to 1,934.4 millimeters. This makes Jiangxi a lead among all the provinces and autonomous regions in annual rainfall. The subtropical moist climate is favorable for agricultural development.

The archaeological studies in Xianren Cave in Wannian County suggest that, more than 10,000 years ago, during the New Stone Age, our forefathers labored, lived, and multiplied across the land of Jiangxi province today. The study of relics in the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC) at Wucheng, Zhangshu City verifies that Jiangxi entered the Bronze Age more than 3,000 years ago, the same time with Central China.

During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), Jiangxi encompassed the territories of the States of Wu, Yue and Chu. Then, in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), Jiangxi was under the jurisdiction of the State of Yue. After Emperor Qin Shihuang unified China in 221 BC, Jiangxi became part of the Jiujiang Prefecture. At the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC), Jiangxi was renamed "Yuzhang Prefecture", which was changed into Hongzhou Area Command during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD). In the 21st year of the Kaiyuan reign of the Tang Dynasty (733 AD), Emperor Xuanzong divided the country into 15 "dao". Hongzhou was then the capital of the Jiangnan Xidao, short as Jiangxi. Eight prefectures, Hongzhou, Raozhou, Qianzhou, Jizhou, Jiangzhou, Yuanzhou, Fuzhou, and Xinzhou were placed under its jurisdiction. They formed the picture as Wang Bo described "Opulent prefectures spread out like fog in its immensity." in his "Pavilion of Prince Teng". The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) set up provinces, hence the name Jiangxi province. The Ming Dynasty changed "dao" into "buzhenshisi", equivalent to a province. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) set up Jiangxi province again, which remained the name since then.

Since ancient times, Jiangxi has been culturally advanced. Many talented natives have been taken to the national stage. These include Tao Yuanming (365-427)of the Jin Dynasty; three of the eight most famous writers of the Tang and Song Dynasty -Ouyang Xiu(1007-1072), Zeng Gong and Wang Anshi (1021-1086); poet and calligrapher Huang Tingjian, poet Yang Wanli, ci poet Jiang Kui, philosophers and educators Zhu Xi (1130-1200)and Lu Jiuyuan, and the national hero WenTianxiang(1236-1282) of the Song Dynasty; dramatist Tang Xianzu (1550-1616)and scientist Song Yingxing of the Ming Dynasty; painter Zhu Da and railway engineer Zhan Tianyou of the Qing Dynasty, proletariat Wu Youxun and numerous general of the People' Liberation Army during the modern era. They have contributed precious spiritual wealth to Jiangxi.

Population and Environment:
Jiangxi Province, praised for "a land endowed with rich natural resources and outstanding intelligent people". lies on the southern bank of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River . Ganjiang River ---the largest and longest river in the province, flows through the whole area from south to north, so Jiangxi is abbreviated to "Gan". Jiangxi covers a total area of 166,900 square kilometers and has a population of 43 million.

Jiangxi is a place with gorgeous ancient civilization and glorious revolutionary tradition, and it's also the cradle of the Chinese Revolution. Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi had ever organized and mobilized workers' movements in Anyuan, Pin-gxiang city, which is the earliest movement of China . Zhou Enlai, ZhuDe and other older generation of revolutionaries led the August First Uprising in Nanchang , which astonished all the nation. MaoZedong set up the rural revolutionary base in Jinggang Mt. of China, It's famous as "The Red City".

The province is surrounded on three sides by mountains and hills, with hilly lands occupying its central part and a vast plain lying on the northern part. The five major waterways are the Ganjiang, Fuhe, Xinjiang, Xiuhe and Raohe Rivers, all drain into the Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China.

Jiangxi enjoys a subtropic humid monsoon climate.The annual mean temperature is 16-20° C. The annual average rainfall is 1200-1900 mm.

The province possesses green mountains and clear waters. Mt.Lushan, Mt. Jinggang and Mt.Longhu are all national major famous scenic areas, especially Mt. Lushan Scenic Area is a summer resort renowned both at home and abroad. There are also many other famous tourist attractions, like Dragon Palace Cave with fantastic scenery. Jiangxi is also a province with revolutionary tradition, where the August 1 Nanchang Uprising had taken place.

Culture and Arts:
By the end of 2003, there were 76 performing groups, 113 cultural centers and mass art stations, 104 public libraries and 83 museums. There were 15 middle and short wave broadcasting stations, 10 radio transmission and rely towers, 12 TV stations and 436 TV transmission and relay towers in the province, with radio broadcasting available to 92.66% and TV broadcasting available to 94.49%  of the total population.

2003 saw the population of 2,447 book, magazine, newspaper titles, with books and magazines published totaling 316.6 million copies and newspapers totaling 530.63 million copies. Under the guidance of "Five ones (to produce one excellent movie, one excellent television program, one excellent play, one excellent song and one excellent book)", the production of spiritual civilization works was promoted, and many excellent cultural , art , broadcasting, film and television works won prizes home and abroad.

Pyrography is a method for decorating materials such as wood, leather, or glass by burning or scorching with a hot metal point. It was practiced by African, American Indian tribes and goes back to ancient Egypt. Chen Kejing, the renown artist from Nanchang, capital of JiangxiProvince, integrating pyrography with artistry of Chinese traditional painting and calligraphy, has created a unique style of art.

Jiangxi Opera, is one of the four oldest traditional operas of China,also called "Yiyangqiang" or "Ganju", originated in Yiyang county of Jiangxi Province.  It had two schools called "raoheban" and "xinheban", which combined together in 1950. After entering Nanchang, the provincial capital city, and with the establishment of Jiangxi Opera Troupe, "yiyangqiang" was renamed Jiangxi opera.

"Yiyangqiang" is a bright pearl in the drama history of china. After its birth, it enchanted the whole drama platform quickly and unprecedented, leaving an unforgettable impression to us. It created a new form of Chinese drama and turned a new leaf in Chinese drama history. "Yiyangqiang" has many singing forms such as "Tuge", "Bangqiang" and "gundiao", matching with gong and drum, ardent and vehement. Its direct, bold, unconstrained and lively characteristics were very popular in hard working people. The free acting style and loud and sonorous tunes were formed in the rigorous social reality. Since Nan song Dynasty, Yiyang County and its neighbor areas were always in war and famine. It was the serious living crisis that created the loud and sonorous tunes of "Yiyangqiang". Many Chinese local operas are greatly influenced by its tunes and acting style. "Yiyangqiang" was listed into "The Intangible Cultural Heritage in China" in 20th May,2006.

Transportation:
Jiangxi enjoys a convenient transportation. With all major arteries being converted to expressway, the total mileage of expressways is more than 2,200 kilometers. Shanghai-Kunming and Beijing-Kowloon Railways cross the province, and other six trans-provincial expressways have been put into operation. There are five civil airports in Nanchang, Jiujiang, Jingdezhen, Ganzhou, and Ji'an, serving for dozens of domestic and international passengers. These expressways, airlines, together with crisscrossing railways, and water ports in Nanchang and Jiujiang have formed a convenient water-land-air transportation network.

Economic Development:
At a new start point, Jiangxi is developing at an amazing speed. Entering the 21st Century, Jiangxi has insisted on applying scientific outlook on development, emphasizing on making innovations, establishing new businesses, and developing in a harmonious way. Taking ecological protection as its first priority, the province aims for a balanced and fast economic development. By the end of 2006, the economic performance in the province's industrial parks has doubled the volume it was two years ago, industrial added-value doubled what it was three years ago, revenues doubled in four years, GDP doubled in five years ago, and incomes of urban and rural residents doubled in six years.

Jiangxi possesses 94 industrial parks and three zones for export processing. With an advantageous geographic location and abundant natural resources, Jiangxi is a hot place for domestic and overseas investment. More than 10,000 investors have established their businesses here. Foreign investment has remained the first in five consecutive years among the six provinces in Central China.