User:Zhu Siqi/sandbox

=Draft: Reconstructed Tai'erzhuang Ancient Town=

Tai’erzhuang (Chinese: 台儿庄; pinyin: Tái'érzhuāng) is a reconstructed ancient town located in ZaoZhuang City, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. Tai’erzhuang ancient town was built in Song Dynasty (960-1279), developed in Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and flourished in Qing Dynasty (1636-1912). Qing Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) called it “the Best Town in the World”. The Battle of Tai’erzhuang in 1938 destroyed this old town. In 2008, the government of ZaoZhuang City decided to reconstructed Tai’erzhuang ancient town. In 2012, the reconstructed ancient town is rated as a AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration, becoming the new symbol of ZaoZhuang City.

History
In 1604, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal which flowed through Tai’erzhuang Ancient Town was dredged. During Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), local governments set up eight locks along the Grand Canal to prevent flood. Merchants stayed in Tai’erzhuang ancient town because it took a month for merchant ships to get through these locks. They provided opportunities for trade deals. Thus, Tai’erzhuang's economy rose rapidly. The reign of Qing emperors Qianlong (1711-1799) and Jiaqing (1760-1820) was heyday of Tai’erzhuang. This ancient town became an important commercial port with 60,000 inhabitants and over 160,000 migrants. A large number of Jin, Hui, Zhe, Min and Yue Merchants gathered here.

The Battle of Tai’erzhuang in the spring of 1938 left this ancient town in ruins. On April 8, 2008, the ZaoZhuang municipal government decided to allocate 4.8 billion yuan ($743.52 million) to reconstruct this ancient town. Many experts helped the reconstruction team restore the ancient port, ancient dwelling, ancient streets and alleys and ancient temples. On August 5, 2013, the reconstruction project of Tai’erzhuang ancient town was completed. The reconstructed scenic area has 11 functional divisions, 8 major scenic areas and 29 scenic spots.

Culture
Reconstructed Tai’erzhuang Ancient Town has the distinct Canal Culture. Tai’erzhuang Canal, with a total length of 42.5 kilometers, is the most well-preserved ancient canal in the whole Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Tai’erzhuang Canal is also the only canal preserving ancient ports, ancient revetments, ancient watergates and other cultural relics. World Tourism Organization (WTO) calls it “the living ancient canal”.

The reconstructed ancient town forms unique cultural characteristics, incorporating North and South China cultures as well as Chinese and Western cultures. After the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was dredged, merchants from all over the world gathered here. They brought various cultures, such as Qin-Jin Culture, Yan-Zhao Culture, Wu-Yue Culture and Jiangsu Culture. Also, the reconstructed ancient town has assorted religious cultures. Except as traditional Chinese culture, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and other religions have been introduced into this town successively.

Geography
Reconstructed Tai’erzhuang Ancient Town is located in the southeast of ZaoZhuang City. It is in the center of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. With a latitude ranging from 38° 28' to 34° 44' N, and longitude ranging from 117° 23' to 117° 50' E. The total area is 2 square kilometers.

Climate
Influenced by the ocean, Reconstructed Tai’erzhuang Ancient Town belongs to temperate monsoon climate. It enjoys a high number of sunny days, averaging 2,182.3 hours annually. The annual average temperature is 14°, and the annual average precipitation is 794 mm. The dominant wind direction throughout the year is northeast wind, with an average wind speed of 2.3 m/s.

Architecture
Reconstructed Tai’erzhuang Ancient Town has eight architectural styles, including Northern Architecture, Huizhou Architecture, Shandong Architecture, Lingnan Architecture, Fujian Architecture, Waterside Architecture, European Architecture and Religious Architecture. This town has typical Suzhou gardens, the white walls and black tiles with China southern culture. It also has the courtyards with China northern culture and a Westernstyle Gothic cathedral.

The reconstructed ancient town has more than 30 religious temples now. These temples incorporate various religious architectures, including Confucianism, Christianity, JudaismIslam, Taoism and Buddhism.

Background
Reconstructed Tai’erzhuang Ancient Town is located in ZaoZhuang City. ZaoZhuang (Chinese: 枣庄) is a prefecture-level city located in the south of Shandong Province. With a latitude ranging from 34° 27' to 35° 19' N, and longitude ranging from 116° 48' to 117° 49' E. It covers an area of 4,563 square kilometers, accounting for 2.89% of the total area of Shandong Province. The total population is 3.94 million.