 Meaning
of the name
"High Post (Office)"
Population
825,000 people live in Gaoyou County, of which most
are of the Han ethnic group. Gaoyou is claimed however
to have the only "minority commune" in China.
Location
40 km north of Yangzhou, on the east shore of Gaoyou
Lake
History
Recent archaeological research at the Longqiuzhuang
site in Gaoyou has found evidence of rice-growing dating
back to 5,500-7,000 years ago. The discovery was recognized
as one of China's Top Ten Archaeological Finds of the
year.
Founded in 223 BC as a city, Gaoyou has since ancient
times been an important post on the imperial mail route
along the Grand Canal between Beijing and Nanjing.
A post office constructed here in 1375 called Yucheng
You was in use until 1911. After lying in ruin until
recently, it has just been reopened as China's first
postal museum.
Besides agriculture, Gaoyou now boasts industries as
diverse as silk reeling mills, chemical plants, electrical
appliance manufacturers, and a brewery.
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Map
of China
