Jieyang (; Chaozhou dialect: gig4 iên5; Jieyang dialect: gêg4 ion5) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Guangdong Province (Yuedong), People's Republic of China, part of the Chaoshan region whose people speak Chaoshan Min distinct from neighbouring Yue speakers. It is historically important as the hometown of many overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. It borders Shantou to the east, Chaozhou to the northeast, Meizhou to the north, Shanwei to the west, and looks out to the South China Sea to the south.
The name Jieyang can be traced back to the 33rd year of Qin Shi Huang (214 BC) when the emperor set up a garrison on the south side of Jieling (æÂÂ嶺ä¹Âé½). In Chinese fengshui, facing south means "yang" (é½), which is propitious. Jieling means Mount Jie, so is the name Jieyang (æÂÂé½).
The prefecture-level city of Jieyang administers five county-level divisions, including two districts, one county-level city (administered on behalf of the province) and two counties.
These are further divided into 100 township-level divisions, including 69 towns, 10 townships and 21 subdistricts.
The new Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport is the third largest airport complex in Guangdong Province, after Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, and Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. It replaced the Shantou Waisha Airport on 15 November 2011.
Jieyang is located on the GuangzhouâÂÂMeizhouâÂÂShantou Railway.
The Chaoshan Min is predominantly spoken in this region. The Hakka dialect, however, has its limited presence among Hakka people in Jiexi County, Northwestern Jiedong District, Nanyang Mountain Area of Puning, and a small part of Huilai County.
The Chaoshan dialect (), a major branch of Southern Min, is widely regarded as one of the most conservative Sinitic varieties. It preserves phonological and lexical features traceable to earlier stages of Chinese that have disappeared from many other modern dialects, which is why local speakers often describe it as one of ChinaâÂÂs oldest living dialects. Today, Chaoshan speech is used by roughly 15â¯million people in the Chaoshan region and an additional two to fiveâ¯million in overseas communities. Within this larger linguistic sphere, the Jieyang dialect stands out as an important branch, classified under the Rongjiang subâÂÂdialect of Chaoshan Minnan. Jieyang retains all eight traditional tonesâÂÂlevel, rising, departing, and entering, each with distinct yin and yang registersâÂÂand its tonal contours differ subtly from those of Chaozhou and Shantou, giving it a character often described as more vigorous or clear. It preserves the entering tone particularly well, maintaining the final stop consonants âÂÂp, âÂÂt, and âÂÂk, which lends a classical resonance when reciting older verse. Like other Chaoshan varieties, Jieyang also maintains a rich system of literary and colloquial readings, allowing many characters to have distinct pronunciations in formal and everyday contexts.
Hakka constitutes the secondâÂÂlargest dialect group in Jieyang, primarily distributed in the cityâÂÂs northwestern borderlands adjoining Meizhou and in the midâÂÂhill rural districts of Puning, Huilai, and Jiedong, representing approximately 14.4% of the total population. The Hakka population in the Chaoshan region largely descends from MingâÂÂperiod migrants originating from Meixian, Xingning, and adjacent areas. Centuries of sociocultural interaction, economic exchange, and intermarriage have led to sustained linguistic contact and mutual influence. Consequently, the speech of certain HakkaâÂÂspeaking villages has undergone partial TeochewâÂÂization, giving rise to a variety known as âÂÂhalfâÂÂmountain Hakkaâ (Ã¥ÂÂ山客), which diverges in notable ways from the Meizhou Hakka standard.
Jieyang has a long history. More than 10,000 years ago, early inhabitants were already living in this region. By around 4,000 years ago, during the Hutoupu Culture period (èÂÂé ÂÃ¥ÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ), kilnâÂÂfiring techniques had already emerged. The Hutoupu Culture, in the late Neolithic period, is an important archaeological culture whose site is located in Mianyuan Village, Guangtai Town, Puning City, Guangdong Province. Represented by the ancient Hutoupu kiln site, it is the earliest and largest kilnâÂÂsite complex discovered in Guangdong to date. Its pottery is primarily gray, fineâÂÂclay ware, characterized by tall necks, bulging bellies, ring bases, and short ringâÂÂfeet, demonstrating the presence of early, mature ceramicâÂÂkiln technology.
Jieyang, a historically significant city in Guangdong Province, China, has a history spanning over 2,200 years. It is considered one of the earliest administrative centres in the region and a cradle of Chaoshan culture. It is named after Jieyang Ridge (æÂÂé½嶺), one of the ancient Five Ridges. It derives its name from the Jieyang Garrison established in 214 BC during the Qin Dynasty, named for its location on the sunny side of Jieyang Ridge (æÂÂ嶺ä¹Âé½). It is known as the "Ancient City of Eastern Guangdong" (ç²µæ±å¤éÂÂ). As one of the birthplaces of Chaoshan culture, it has undergone development from a county seat during the Han Dynasty to Yi'an Prefecture (義å®Âé¡) during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and was rebuilt as a county seat during the Song Dynasty. It is renowned for its Chaoshan culture, jade, and its overseas Chinese community.
During the Shang dynasty, this region formed part of the southern frontier (Ã¥ÂÂ交ä¹Âå°). In the Western Zhou period, it belonged to the jurisdiction of Yangzhou (æÂÂå·Âä¹ÂÃ¥ÂÂ). Throughout the Spring and Autumn and Warring States eras, it was considered part of the Baiyue cultural sphere (ç¾è¶Â), and the ancestors of the Teochew people were among the ancient Minyue groups (å¤é©è¶ÂæÂÂ). After Qin Shihuang unified the Yue territories, he established the Jieyang Garrison Area (æÂÂé½æÂÂå®ÂÃ¥ÂÂ) in 214â¯BC, during the 33rd year of his reign, placing it under the administration of Nanhai Commandery (Ã¥ÂÂæµ·é¡). In 111â¯BC, the sixth year of Emperor Wu of HanâÂÂs Yuanding era, Jieyang County (æÂÂé½縣) was formally established. Its jurisdiction encompassed what is now the Chaoshan region, Meizhou, and the Longxi (é¾Â溪) and Zhangpu (漳浦) areas of southern Fujian. In 331â¯AD, the sixth year of Emperor Cheng of the Eastern Jin dynasty, Jieyang County was divided into four counties: Haiyang (æµ·é½), Chaoyang (æ½®é½), Haining (海寧), and Suian (ç¶Âå®Â). Over the centuries, the county was repeatedly abolished and reinstated. In 1140â¯AD, the tenth year of the Shaoxing reign of the Song dynasty, Jieyang County was re-established once again.
In the early years of the Republic of China, Jieyang County was under the jurisdiction of Chaoshan Circuit (潮循éÂÂ). In 1934, it belonged to the Fifth Administrative Inspectorate District of Guangdong Province, later renamed the Eighth Administrative Inspectorate District.àIn 1948, it was renamed again as the Chao'an Administrative Inspectorate District (æ½®å®Âè¡Âæ¿ç£å¯ÂÃ¥ÂÂ).
In the 1930s, amid the upheavals of the Chinese Civil War, large numbers of Jieyang residents emigrated overseas. A large number of Chinese live in Southeast Asia and kept their customs. Pontianak and Ketapang in Indonesia, Johor Bahru in Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand have large Overseas Chinese communities of Jieyang origin; the Lintian Republic, one of many kongsis of West Borneo, were founded by Jieyang immigrants.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Jieyang County was successively under the jurisdiction of Chaoshan Special District, Eastern Guangdong Administrative District, Shantou Special District, and Shantou City. In July 1965, Jieyang County separated the communes of Hepo (æ²³å©Â), Liangtian (è¯ç°), Pingshang (åªä¸Â), Longtan (é¾Âæ½Â) Huizhai (ç°寨), Fengjiang (é³³æ±Â), Dongyuan (æ±åÂÂ), Wujingfu (äºÂç¶Âå¯Â), Jingxiyuan (京溪åÂÂ), Qiankeng (é¢åÂÂ), Jinhe (éÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ), Tatou (å¡Âé Â堬社), and the town of Mianhu (æ£Âæ¹Âé®). Lufeng County separated the communes of Shangsha (ä¸Âç Â) and Wuyun (äºÂé²) to establish Jiexi County (æÂÂ西縣). Before the establishment of Meizhou City (梠å·Âå¸Â) in July 1983, eight communes, including Tangkeng (湯åÂÂ), Baxiang (å «éÂÂ), Fengliang (è±Âè¯), and Pantian (æ½Âç°), from the northern Hakka-speaking area of âÂÂâÂÂJieyang County were incorporated into Fengshun County (è±Âé Â縣). Thirteen communes from the western Hakka-speaking area were established as Jiexi County. Thus, Jieyang County was split into three counties.
On December 7, 1991, Jieyang County was abolished and Jieyang City (æÂÂé½å¸Â) was established at the prefecture level. Rongcheng (æ¦ÂÃ¥ÂÂ) and other areas of Jieyang County were separated to form Rongcheng District, and the remaining areas were established as Jiedong County (æÂÂæ±縣). The municipal government was located on Yanjiang Road in Rongcheng District. On August 25, 1992, the Jieyang Economic Development Experimental Zone was established. On May 9, 1994, Rongcheng District was divided into Rongcheng District, Dongshan District, and the Jieyang Economic Development Experimental Zone. On December 17, 2012, Didu Town (å°é½é®), Paotai Town (ç ²å°é®), and Denggang Town (ç»å´Âé®) of Jiedong County were placed under the jurisdiction of Rongcheng District. Jiedong County was abolished and Jiedong District of Jieyang City was established. Pandong Subdistrict (ç£Âæ±è¡ÂéÂÂ) of Rongcheng District was placed under the jurisdiction of Jiedong District. In February 2013, Lancheng District (èÂÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ) of Jieyang City was established by separating Jiedong District. In December 2016, Lancheng District was abolished. As of the end of 2022, it administers Rongcheng District and Jiedong District, and manages Jiexi County (æÂÂ西縣), Huilai County (æ ä¾Â縣), and Puning City (æ®寧å¸Â).