Misplaced Pages

Thakhek

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

Lao (Lao: ພາສາລາວ , [pʰáː.sǎː láːw] ), sometimes referred to as Laotian , is the official language of Laos and a significant language in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language . Spoken by over 3 million people in Laos and 3.7 million in all countries, it serves as a vital link in the cultural and social fabric of these areas. It is written in the Lao script , an abugida that evolved from ancient Tai scripts.

#434565

47-542: Thakhek ( Lao : ທ່າແຂກ , pronounced [tʰāː kʰɛ̏ːk] ), the capital of Khammouane Province , is a town in south-central Laos on the Mekong River and the administrative centre of the district with the same name. The Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge , linking Thakhek and Nakhon Phanom , Thailand, across the river, started in 2009 and was opened on 11 November 2011. The city has many French colonial style official buildings, villas, and shops. In 1943, 85% of

94-699: A great deal of action in the 1884 Sino-French War . Largely ineffective within Vietnam, it was still able to repulse the French from China itself at the Battle of Zhennan Pass (modern Friendship Pass ) on 23 March 1885. Following the Wuchang Uprising , Guangxi seceded from the Qing Empire on 6 November 1911. The Qing governor, Shen Bingdan , initially remained in place but was subsequently removed by

141-476: A mutiny commanded by General Lu Rongting . General Lu's Old Guangxi clique overran Hunan and Guangdong as well and helped lead the National Protection War against Yuan Shikai 's attempt to re-establish an imperial government. Zhuang's loyalty made his Self-Government Army cohesive but reluctant to move far beyond its own provinces. Subsequent feuding with Sun Yat-sen led to defeat in

188-726: Is 99.7% Zhuang. The autonomous region also has sizable populations of indigenous Yao , Miao , Kam , Mulam , Maonan , Hui , Gin , Yi , Sui and Gelao peoples. Other ethnic minorities in Guangxi include the Manchu , Mongol , Korean , Tibetan , Hlai , and Tujia people. Religion in Guangxi The predominant religions in Guangxi among the Han Chinese are Chinese folk religions , Taoist traditions and Chinese Buddhism . The large Zhuang population mostly practices

235-620: Is a tonal language , where the pitch or tone of a word can alter its meaning, and is analytic , forming sentences through the combination of individual words without inflection. These features, common in Kra-Dai languages , also bear similarities to Sino-Tibetan languages like Chinese or Austroasiatic languages like Vietnamese . Lao's mutual intelligibility with Thai and Isan , fellow Southwestern Tai languages, allows for effective intercommunication among their speakers, despite differences in script and regional variations. In Laos, Lao

282-490: Is caused by typhoons blowing from the South China Sea . Guangxi is divided into fourteen prefecture-level divisions : all prefecture-level cities : These 14 prefecture-level cities are in turn subdivided into 111 county-level divisions (41 districts , 10 county-level cities , 48 counties , and 12 autonomous counties ). At the year-end of 2021, the total population is 48.85 million. The Han Chinese are

329-516: Is forested. Major cities in Guangxi include Nanning , Liuzhou , Guilin , and Beihai . Notable towns include Longmen  [ zh ] , Sanjiang , and Yangshuo . The Xi River system provides waterways which connect to the Pearl River Delta . Important seaports along Guangxi's short coastline on the Gulf of Tonkin include Beihai , Qinzhou , and Fangchenggang . Pinglu Canal

376-493: Is not only the official language but also a lingua franca , bridging the linguistic diversity of a population that speaks many other languages. Its cultural significance is reflected in Laotian literature, media, and traditional arts. The Vientiane dialect has emerged as the de facto standard, though no official standard has been established. Internationally, Lao is spoken among diaspora communities , especially in countries like

423-543: Is now southeastern China, specifically what is now Guangxi and northern Vietnam where the diversity of various Tai languages suggests an Urheimat . The Southwestern Tai languages began to diverge from the Northern and Central branches of the Tai languages, covered mainly by various Zhuang languages , sometime around 112 CE, but likely completed by the sixth century . Due to the influx of Han Chinese soldiers and settlers,

470-415: Is quite high in Guangxi, ranging from 1,080 millimetres (43 in) in drier zones to 1,730 millimetres (68 in) in wetter zones. The region also experiences monsoons, blowing from south-southwest from late April to the beginning of October. Most of the precipitation occurs between May and August. Microbursts can also occasionally occur in the extreme south of the region, from July to September. This

517-530: The 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War , Guangxi communities were important to the Chinese war effort. They supplied logistical support to the People's Liberation Army , including food and housing. Militia members from Guangxi performed tasks including building roads, bridges, trenches, other logistical efforts, and caring for the wounded. Located in the southern part of the country, Guangxi is bordered by Yunnan to

SECTION 10

#1732780977435

564-653: The Chinese Civil War , but joined the People's Republic in December 1949, two months after its founding. In 1952, a small section of Guangdong's coastline ( Qinzhou , Lianzhou (now Hepu County ), Fangchenggang and Beihai ) was given to Guangxi, giving it access to the sea. This was reversed in 1955, and then restored in 1965. The Guangxi Massacre , during the Cultural Revolution , involved

611-663: The Dali Kingdom in 1253 and eliminated the Southern Song following the Battle of Yamen in 1279. Rather than ruling Lingnan as a subject territory or military district, the Mongolians then established Guangxi ("Western Expanse") as a proper province. The area nonetheless continued to be unruly, leading the Ming dynasty to employ the different local groups against one another. At the Battle of Big Rattan Gorge between

658-580: The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region , is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , located in South China and bordering Vietnam ( Hà Giang , Cao Bằng , Lạng Sơn , and Quảng Ninh Provinces ) and the Gulf of Tonkin . Formerly a province , Guangxi became an autonomous region in 1958. Its current capital is Nanning . Guangxi's location, in mountainous terrain in the far south of China, has placed it on

705-723: The Qin River and the Nanliu River both flow into the Gulf of Tonkin, several tributary rivers flow into the larger Xiang River in neighbouring Hunan province, and the Xi River system flows southeast through the autonomous region into the South China Sea . Along the border with Vietnam there is the Ban Gioc–Detian waterfall (pinyin: Dé Tiān Pùbù ), which separates the two countries. About one-quarter of Guangxi's area

752-525: The Song dynasty , the Two Guangs were formally separated as Guǎngnán Xīlù ( 廣南西路 ; 广南西路 ; 'vast south west region') and Guǎngnán Dōnglù ( 廣南東路 ; 广南东路 ; 'vast south east region'), which became abbreviated as Guǎngxī Lù ( 廣西路 ; 广西路 ) and Guǎngdōng Lù ( 廣東路 ; 广东路 ). Guangxi was also previously spelled as Kwangsi in postal and Wade–Giles romanizations. The spelling of

799-566: The Southwestern branch of Tai languages. Lao (including Isan) and Thai, although they occupy separate groups, are mutually intelligible and were pushed closer through contact and Khmer influence, but all Southwestern Tai languages are mutually intelligible to some degree. The Tai languages also include the languages of the Zhuang , which are split into the Northern and Central branches of

846-954: The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau , the Jiuwan Mountains and the Fenghuang Mountains both run through the north, the Nanling Mountains form the region's north-east border, and the Yuecheng and Haiyang Mountains both branch from the Nanling Mountains. Also in the north are the Duyao Mountains . The Duyang Mountains run through the west of Guangxi. Near the center of the region are the Da Yao and Da Ming Mountains . On

893-545: The Zhuang folk religion centered around the worship of their ancestral god Buluotuo (布洛陀). According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 40.48% of the population believes and is involved in ancestor veneration , while 0.26% of the population identifies as Christian. The reports did not give figures for other types of religion; 59.26% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in worship of nature deities , Buddhism, Confucianism , Taoism, folk religious sects . The Yao , another numerous ethnic group inhabiting

940-595: The "Flying Army" and the "Army of Steel". After the death of Sun Yat-sen, Li also repulsed Tang Jiyao 's revolt and joined the Northern Expedition establishing control over other warlords by the Republic of China . His was one of the few Kuomintang units free from serious Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence and was therefore employed by Chiang Kai-shek for the Shanghai massacre of 1927 . Within

987-574: The 1920 and 1921 Guangdong–Guangxi War . After a brief occupation by Chen Jiongming 's Cantonese forces, Guangxi fell into disunity and profound banditry for several years until Li Zongren 's Guangxi Pacification Army established the New Guangxi clique dominated by Li, Huang Shaohong , and Bai Chongxi . Successful action in Hunan against Wu Peifu led to the Zhuang GPA becoming known as

SECTION 20

#1732780977435

1034-882: The Hundred Yue" ( 和集百越 ) until its collapse in 111 BC during the southward expansion of the Han dynasty . The name "Guangxi" can be traced to the "Expansive" or "Wide" province ( 廣州 ) of the Eastern Wu , which controlled southeastern China during the Three Kingdoms period. Guilin formed one of its commanderies. Under the Tang dynasty , the Zhuang moved to support Piluoge 's kingdom of Nanzhao in Yunnan , which successfully repulsed imperial armies in 751 and 754. Guangxi

1081-622: The People's Republic of China, Guangxi is also noted for the Baise Uprising , a failed CCP revolt led by Chen Zhaoli and Deng Xiaoping in 1929. In 1937, the Guangxi Women's Battalion was founded as a response to Soong Mei-ling 's appeal for women to support the Sino-Japanese War . Reports on the size of the battalion vary from 130 students, to 500, to 800. Being in the far south, Guangxi did not fall during

1128-617: The Song, who administered the area as the Guangnanxi ("West Southern Expanse") Circuit . Harassed by both Song and the Jiaozhi in modern Vietnam , the Zhuang leader Nong Zhigao led a revolt in 1052 for which he is still remembered by the Zhuang people. His independent kingdom was short-lived, however, and the tattooed Song general Di Qing returned Guangxi to China. The Yuan dynasty established control over Yunnan during its conquest of

1175-629: The Tai languages. The Tai languages form a major division within the Kra-Dai language family , distantly related to other languages of southern China, such as the Hlai and Be languages of Hainan and the Kra and Kam-Sui languages on the Chinese Mainland and in neighbouring regions of northern Vietnam. The ancestors of the Lao people were speakers of Southwestern Tai dialects that migrated from what

1222-834: The Tai migrants that followed the Mekong River . As the Southwestern Tai-speaking peoples diverged, following paths down waterways, their dialects began to diverge into the various languages today, such as the Lao-Phuthai languages that developed along the Mekong River and includes Lao and its Isan sub-variety and the Chiang Saen languages which includes the Central Thai dialect that is the basis of Standard Thai. Despite their close relationship, there were several phonological divergences that drifted

1269-513: The United States, France, and Australia, reflecting its global diasporic presence. The Lao language falls within the Lao-Phuthai group of languages, including its closest relatives, Phuthai (BGN/PCGN Phouthai , RTGS Phu Thai ) and Tai Yo . Together with Northwestern Tai—which includes Shan , Ahom and most Dai languages of China, the Chiang Saen languages—which include Standard Thai, Khorat Thai, and Tai Lanna —and Southern Tai form

1316-529: The Zhuang and the Yao in 1465, 20,000 deaths were reported. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, parts of Guangxi were ruled by the powerful Cen ( 岑 ) clan. The Cen were of Zhuang ethnicity and were recognized as tusi or local rulers by the Chinese emperors. The Qing dynasty left the region alone until the imposition of direct rule in 1726, but the 19th century was one of constant unrest. A Yao revolt in 1831

1363-547: The antiviral oseltamivir . Guangxi is one of China's key production centers for nonferrous metals. The region holds approximately 1/3 of all tin and manganese deposits in China. Liuzhou is the main industrial center and a major motor vehicle manufacturing center. General Motors have a manufacturing base here in a joint venture as SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile . The city also has a large steel factory and several related industries. The local government of Guangxi hopes to expand

1410-468: The end of the Chinese occupation of Vietnam, the fall of Jiaozhi and turbulence associated with the decline and fall of the Tang dynasty led some of the Tai peoples speaking Southwestern Tai to flee into Southeast Asia, with the small-scale migration mainly taking place between the eighth and twelfth centuries. The Tais split and followed the major river courses, with the ancestral Lao originating in

1457-502: The frontier of Chinese civilization throughout much of Chinese history . The current name "Guang" means "expanse" and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in 226 AD. It was given provincial level status during the Yuan dynasty , but even into the 20th century, it was considered an open, wild territory. The abbreviation of the region is " 桂 " ( Hanyu pinyin : Guì ; Zhuang: Gvei ), which comes from

Thakhek - Misplaced Pages Continue

1504-582: The killing of 100,000 to 150,000 in the region in 1967 and 1968. While some development of heavy industry occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, the region remained largely a scenic tourist destination. Even the economic growth of the 1990s seemed to leave Guangxi behind. However, in recent years, there has been a growing amount of industrialization and increasing concentration on cash crops. Per capita GDP has risen as industries in Guangdong transfer production to comparatively lower-wage areas in Guangxi. During

1551-958: The languages apart with time such as the following examples:     *mlɯn 'slippery'     → {\displaystyle \rightarrow }   ມື່ນ muen /mɯ̄ːn/       → {\displaystyle \rightarrow }   ลื่น luen /lɯ̂ːn/   {} {} ມື່ນ {} ลื่น {} {} muen {} luen *mlɯn → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } /mɯ̄ːn/ → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } /lɯ̂ːn/ 'slippery' {} {} {} {}     *raːk 'to vomit'     → {\displaystyle \rightarrow }   ຮາກ hak /hâːk/       → {\displaystyle \rightarrow }   ราก rak /râːk/ Guangxi Guangxi , officially

1598-653: The largest ethnic group in Guangxi. Han Chinese populations in Guangxi largely live along the autonomous region's southern coast and eastern portions. Of these, the main subgroups are those that speak Yue and Southwestern Mandarin varieties of Chinese . Qinzhou and Goulou Yue are spoken in the southern and eastern regions, respectively. Pinghua is spoken in Nanning and Guilin. There are Hakka-speaking regions in Luchuan County , Bobai County and in some areas bordering Vietnam. Guangxi has over 16 million Zhuangs ,

1645-512: The largest minority ethnicity in China. Over 90 percent of Zhuang in China live in Guangxi, especially in the central and western regions. High concentrations of Zhuang people can be found in Nanning , Liuzhou , Chongzuo , Baise , Hechi , and Laibin . The highest concentration of ethnic Zhuang people is found in the county-level city of Jingxi , with a 2021 publication by the People's Government of Guangxi stating that Jingxi's population

1692-604: The name of the city of Guilin , the provincial capital during both the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty . Guangxi contains the largest population of China's ethnic minorities after Yunnan , in particular, the Zhuang people , who make up 34% of the population. Various regional languages and dialects such as Pinghua , Zhuang , Kam , Cantonese , Hakka , and Min are spoken alongside Mandarin Chinese . " Guǎng " ( simplified Chinese : 广 ; traditional Chinese : 廣 ) means 'expanse' or 'vast', and has been associated with

1739-639: The population of Thakhek were Vietnamese due to the French policy of encouraging Vietnamese immigrants to Laos. Remnants of the abortive Thakhek-Tan Ap railway can be seen in and near the town. The railway would have run between Thakhek and Tân Ấp Railway Station , Quảng Bình Province , Vietnam through the Mụ Giạ Pass . Western scientists first encountered the Laotian rock rat , kha nyou (Laonastes aenigmamus), in Thakhek's market. Lao language Lao

1786-469: The province was replaced by the pinyin spelling of Guangxi in 1958 and has been widely used internationally after 1986. The official name was also known as Kwangsi Chuang Autonomous Region in a number of Western publications outside of China published in the 1950s to 1970s. Originally inhabited by a mixture of tribal groups known to the Chinese as the Baiyue ("Hundred Yue", Vietnamese : Bách Việt ),

1833-466: The province, mostly practices a form of indigenised and conservative Taoism . Today, there are 21 mosques in Guangxi This may include: Important crops in Guangxi include rice , maize and sweet potatoes . Cash crops include sugar cane , peanuts , tobacco , and kenaf . 85 percent of the world's star anise is grown in Guangxi. It is a major ingredient in

1880-611: The region first became part of China during the Qin dynasty . In 214 BC, the Han Chinese general Zhao Tuo ( Vietnamese : Triệu Đà ) claimed most of southern China for Qin Shi Huang before the emperor's death. The ensuing civil war permitted Zhao to establish a separate kingdom at Panyu known as Nanyue ("Southern Yue"). Alternatively submissive to and independent of Han dynasty control, Southern Yue expanded colonization and sinicization under its policy of "Harmonizing and Gathering

1927-485: The region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. Guangxi and neighboring Guangdong literally mean 'expanse west' and 'expanse east'. Together, Guangxi and Guangdong are called Liangguang ( Liangkwang ; traditional Chinese : 兩廣 ; simplified Chinese : 两广 ; pinyin : liǎng guǎng ; Cantonese Yale : léuhng gwóng ; lit. 'Two Expanses', Vietnamese : Lưỡng Quảng ). During

Thakhek - Misplaced Pages Continue

1974-425: The region's manufacturing sector, and during the drafting of China's Five Year Plan in 2011, earmarked 2.6 trillion RMB for investment in the region's Beibu Gulf Economic Zone(See Below). In recent years Guangxi's economy has languished behind that of its wealthy neighbor and twin, Guangdong . Guangxi's 2017 nominal GDP was about 2039.63 billion yuan (US$ 302.09 billion) and ranked 17th in China. Its per capita GDP

2021-545: The southeastern border are the Yunkai Mountains . Guangxi's highest point is Kitten Mountain , in the Yuecheng Mountains, at 2,141 metres (7,024 ft). Karst landforms , characterized by steep mountains and large caverns, are common in Guangxi, accounting for 37.8 percent of its total land area. Guangxi is also home to several river systems, which flow into several different bodies of water:

2068-484: The west, Guizhou to the north, Hunan to the northeast, and Guangdong to the east and southeast. It is also bordered by Vietnam in the southwest and the Gulf of Tonkin in the south. Its proximity to Guangdong is reflected in its name, with "Guang" ( simplified Chinese : 广 ; traditional Chinese : 廣 ; pinyin : Guǎng ) being used in both names. Large portions of Guangxi are hilly and mountainous. The northwest portion of Guangxi includes part of

2115-617: Was constructed to connect Xi River system and coastal Guangxi. Guangxi has a subtropical climate. Summers are generally long, hot, and humid, lasting from April to October. Winters are mild, and snow is rare. The autonomous region's average annual temperature ranges from 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) to 23.5 °C (74.3 °F), with January temperatures typically ranging from 4 °C (39 °F) to 16 °C (61 °F), and July temperatures typically ranging from 27 °C (81 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F). Due to frequent rain-bearing monsoon winds, average annual precipitation

2162-853: Was followed by the Jintian Uprising , the beginning of the Taiping Rebellion , in January 1851 and the Da Cheng Rebellion in April 1854. The execution of St. Auguste Chapdelaine by local officials in Guangxi provoked the Second Opium War in 1858 and the legalization of foreign interference in the interior. Although Louis Brière de l'Isle was unable to invade its depot at Longzhou , the Guangxi Army saw

2209-415: Was then divided into an area of Zhuang ascendancy west of Nanning and an area of Han ascendancy east of Nanning. After the collapse of the Southern Zhao, Liu Yan established the Southern Han (Nanhan) in Xingwangfu (modern Guangdong ). Although this state gained minimal control over Guangxi, it was plagued by instability and annexed by the Song dynasty in 971. The name "Guangxi" itself can be traced to

#434565