Quzhou

Quzhou, Wade-Giles romanization Ch’ü-chou, also spelled Chu-zhou, formerly Quxian, city, western Zhejiang sheng (province), China. Quzhou has been a natural transportation centre since ancient times, being situated on the upper stream of the Fuchun River—there known as the Changshan River—at its confluence with the Wuxi River. Natural routes lead westward into Jiangxi province, south into Fujian province, and southeastward to Wenzhou in southeastern Zhejiang. It is the natural collecting centre for the upper valleys of the Fuchun tributaries. Its importance as the head of navigation on the Changshan River has been increased since the completion in 1931 of the railway link to Xiaoshan and later to Hangzhou and Shanghai.

Besides its commercial importance as a collecting centre, Quzhou has traditionally had considerable industry. Before World War II, in addition to rice-polishing, oil-extraction, and other food-processing plants, woodworking and well-known paper and parchment industries were established there. After the mid-1960s great electric power resources from the Xin’an River hydroelectric project became available. In addition to increasing such established activities as the processing of agricultural products and papermaking, Quzhou’s industries now include the manufacture of chemicals, building materials, mechanical and electrical equipment, and textiles. Pop. (2002 est.) 211,430.