Leizhou 雷州市

Setting and landscape

Most of the land is gently sloping tableland with a few low hills, higher in the south than the north; Shimao Ridge (石茆岭), at 259 metres, is the highest point. Along the middle and lower Nandu River (南渡河) lies a wide, flat plain formed by river and sea deposits and land reclamation. The coastline is 406 kilometres long; its bays include Leizhou Bay (雷州湾), Nawo Bay (那沃湾) and Liusha Bay (流沙湾), and both the east and west coasts have wide mudflats, islands and sandbars. The climate is tropical monsoon, with frequent summer typhoons. Leizhou Bay is an important Chinese coastal habitat of the Chinese white dolphin, and the mangroves of the Jiulongshan Mangrove National Wetland Park (九龙山红树林国家湿地公园) draw egrets and the black-faced spoonbill.

History and culture

Haikang County (海康县) was first set up under the Sui; its name, "sea peace", was chosen as a prayer against typhoons and floods from the sea. The Han general Ma Yuan (马援), the Fubo General, is said to have camped here on his southern campaign. The area later received exiled officials, ten of whom, including the Song figures Su Shi (苏轼) and Kou Zhun (寇准), are remembered as the "Ten Worthies" (十贤). Haikang County became Leizhou city in 1994.

More than 91% of residents speak Leizhou dialect (雷州话), a sub-dialect of Min Chinese; most Leizhou people descend from migrants who came from central and southern Fujian between the Tang and the Qing. Lei songs (雷歌), Leizhou opera (雷剧) and Leizhou stone dogs (雷州石狗) are on the national intangible heritage list. Around 20,000 stone dogs stand in more than 2,500 villages; the city's media centre traces them to the totem of an ancient local tribe.

What to see

The Leizu Shrine (雷祖祠), founded in the Tang, is a national key protected site. Other historic sites include the Fubo Shrine (伏波祠), Tianning Chan Temple (天宁禅寺), Leizhou West Lake (雷州西湖) with its memories of the Ten Worthies, the Ming-era Sanyuan Qixiu Pagoda (三元启秀塔) and the Bangtang old houses (邦塘古民居). On the coast, Panlong Beach (盘龙滩) is billed by the city as one of the longest beaches in China.

Food and local products

Leizhou calls itself the home of southern pearls and of mangoes: its seawater pearl harvest is more than half of China's output, and Liusha pearls (流沙南珠) and Qindou mangoes (覃斗芒果) carry national geographical-indication protection. Sugar cane, pineapple and bananas are major crops.

Highlights

• Leizu Shrine 雷祖祠: Tang-founded shrine and national key protected site.
• Sanyuan Qixiu Pagoda 三元启秀塔: Ming-era pagoda listed as a Guangdong protected site.
• Leizhou West Lake 雷州西湖: Lake linked to the Ten Worthies, officials exiled to Leizhou.
• Leizhou stone dogs 雷州石狗: About 20,000 carved stone dogs in more than 2,500 villages; national intangible heritage.
• Liusha pearls 流沙南珠: Seawater pearls with national geographical-indication protection.