Taizhou, situated in the middle of Zhejiang, 28° north latitude and 122° east longitude, has a subtropical monsoon climate. With a land area of 9,411 km2 and a shallow sea area of 80,000 km2, it has a population of 5.4662 million, of which 1.4737 million are in the urban area. The jurisdiction of Taizhou City encompasses three urban districts (Jiaojiang, Huangyan, and Luqiao), two county-level cities (Linhai and Wenling), and four counties (Yuhuan, Tiantai, Xianju, and Sanmen). With a coastline of 745 km, it accounts for 28% of that of Zhejiang. There are 6 districts near the East Sea in Zhoushan.

Taizhou has a long and rich history. Five thousand years ago, the ancestors began to settle in this area. It was called Huipu Town during the reign of the Qin Dynasty (221─207 B.C.) and Huipu County in 85 B.C. in the Western Han Dynasty. In 257 A.D., the Wu Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms Period set up Linhai Shire. In 621 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty, it was named Haizhou and is renamed Taizhou after the Mt. Tiantai which located within the boundaries of this city in the following year.

Taizhou enjoys a rich social culture and prosperous economy which can be traced all the way back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, about 1600 years ago. In the Tang Dynasty, Zheng Qian, a famous scholastic official, devoted his life to the development of local education and culture. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Taizhou became a cultural and educational center.

Local traditional folk arts and crafts are well developed in Taizhou. Started in the Tang Dynasty and bloomed in the Qing Dynasty, “Needle-pierced Boneless Lantern”, made in Xianju County, the land of China abounding in traditional Chinese folk arts and crafts, is known as the “First-grade Lantern of China”. Arts and crafts made in Taizhou are world-renowned, such as Taizhou Grass Carving, Wenling Stone Carving, Tiantai Woodcarving Figures of Buddha, Xianju Color Stone Mosaic, etc.

Taizhou is the birthplace of southern China operas. “Taizhou Luantan”, is one of 318 local operas in China, and took shape during the Qing Dynasty. Taizhou also produces colorful folk arts, such as Storytelling, Lyrics to Dagu, Daoqing (chanting folk tales to the accompaniment of simple percussion instruments), Lion Dance, Boat Racing, Stilt-walking, Dragon Lantern Dance, and many more forms of traditional Chinese heritage.

(Edited by Ye Ke)