Huguang-Zhongyuan (1983: Doomsday)

The National People's Republic of China is a small, isolationist socialist democracy located around pre-Doomsday Hubei province, China. Although the nation is a liberal state today, its past was barely free.

Pre-Doomsday
Hubei was a prized possession of many ancient Chinese states, as she lay on the majestic Yangtze and was home to the legendary Three Gorges. Hubei also boasted a high abundance of farmland and minerals.

The first state to have control was Chu, of the Warring States Period, and was the site of the epic Battle of the Red Cliffs in the Three Kingdoms era, where Cao Cao's forces were defeated by Liu Bei and Sun Quan.

Nomadic people invaded China in the fourth and fifth centuries, dividing China into north, led by the nomads, and the south, dominated by the local Han Chinese.

After the Tang Dynasty disintegrated, Hubei fell under the control of several different regional powers: Jingnan in the centre, Wu in the east, and the Five Dynasties to the north.

The Song Dynasty reunited China in 982, and divided Hubei into a number of circuits for easier administration. After the Mongols conquered southern China in 1279, the provinces of Hubei, Henan, Gunagdong, and Guangxi were grouped together to form Huguang. During Mongol occupation, Hubei was devastated by the world's first epidemic of Black Death, which soon spread like wildfire across the Old World.

After the Ming drove out the Mongols in 1368, Huguang was reduced in size: to the point of nearly including all of Hubei and Henan combined. During the last Ming years, Hubei was devastated by rebel factions staking their claims. When the Qing took over, they split Huguang into modern Hubei and Henan. Later reforms transformed Hubei into a centre of trade and commerce.

In 1911, the Wuchang uprising occurred in the old city of Wuhan, overthrowing the Qing and replacing the centuries old monarchy with the Republic of China. During WW-II, eastern Hubei was occupied by Japan.

During the Cultural Revolution, the province was home to infighting between local Red Guard factions.

In the last years before Doomsday, in fear of nuclear war, the old PRC built a subterranean military command post in Xianning.

Post Doomsday
Hubei's capital Wuhan was the industrial centre of China, so naturally, the Soviets nuked it. The Yangtze River became moderately contaminated, and cancer rates soared past 40% within the next few years. Most residents of Hubei flew westward and northward, although conditions were no better off.

The only surviving cities were Yichang, Xiangyang, Jingzhou, and Enshi. Martial law was declared instantly, and the early governments struggled to survive, with failing crops, high mortality rates, and raids from bandits destroying any attempts to progress. Enshi collapsed by December.

For years, the military juntas ruled with ruthless efficiency. Raids, gang fighting, and coup attempts ceased by June 1985. Many thousands of people were arrested or executed. However, the juntas did succeed in slowly increasing the standard of living, and by 1987, the mortality rate was brought from 40.6 deaths per thousand persons to 28.2, and the Yuan was being reproduced, replacing barter.

As less people were dying, standards of living improved, and a basic economy was developing, the people began demanding more representation and change. The juntas of Yichang, Xiangyang, and Enshi however were enjoying their power, and were the richest of the lot. The first riots began in December 1987.

Thousands of people were jailed, even if there was even little evidence of wrong doing. This only infuriated the people, and caused more and more riots, the next one more urgent than the last. On February 13th, 1988, a group of Tujia took to the streets, demanding equal rights with the Han majority.

Revolution
No one knows for certain who literally threw the first stone, but soon the Tujia were being massacred right front and centre. There were an estimated 46'650 people murdered that day.

This was the final straw. The next day, the people rose up against the juntas, with success limited only to Xiangyang. The leaders who were responsible for the crimes were executed just like the Tujia had the day before. In Xiangyang, the people were truly free for the first time in history.

In Yichang and Jingzhou, close to 300'000 people were executed on terms of treason, and a further million imprisoned.

The Renminzhenxian
After the Valentine's Revolution, the newly liberated people of Xiangyang formed the Renmindahui, the People's Assembly. It was in charge of all national affairs until new institutions could take its place.

All through March, the Renmindahui began the process of the reconstruction of the surviving Hubei region. They set up the Renminzhenxian, the Popular Front, consisting of the former CCP, a new Kuomintang, and a new party, the Chongjiandang, the Reconstruction Party, building hospitals and new schools, factories, et cetera. They also formed a new constitution, and created the Guohui, the Congress.

The next few months saw betterment of people's lives. The Yuan was increasing in strength, more jobs were available, and most importantly, people could have their say and participate in government.

Transition to Democracy
The next two years saw great progress. The mortality rate lowered to 25.7, the economy was back on its feet, a new university was opened, the Yangtze Memorial University, and a new medical centre was under construction, the Three Gorges Regional Medical Centre. But most importantly of all, the Renminzhenxian announced elections running from August 1st-8th, 1990. Thus, the Renminzhenxian folded.

The CCP received the least votes, as Communism was blamed for China's destruction. The Kuomintang received not many votes as well, as it was increasingly authoritarian, reminiscent of Chiang Jieshi's old Republic. So the majority of votes went to Lu Banglie's Chongjiandang.

The Lu Era
On August 8th, 1990, Lu Banglie became the first elected Chairman of the Hubei Region. Chairman Lu's first act was to announce the new government independent of the old PRC. He named the new nation the National People's Republic of China. He also renamed the city Hanyang, the "City Across the Han".

He opened up a new position, that of Premier, which is the NPRC's variant of Chancellor or Vice-President. Luo Qingquan of the Kuomintang was offered the post. Together, they would continue the rebuilding and re-aggrandizing of the Hubei region.

The neighbouring juntas of Jingzhou and Yichang didn't tolerate the recent secession of a nation from what they claimed was China. So Yichang sent a force to annihilate the young Republic. The forces of the NPRC won a narrow victory which shook the nation. So Luo Qingquan was declared Dajiangjun, or Grand General. Premier now became a very powerful post in the NPRC, heading the government and military. But Luo Qingquan, although heading the Nationalist Kuomintang, he never attempted to seize power for himself.

Between 1990-1992, the local militia of 12'634 was raised to a modest 67'300, and was transformed into a formal military, the Renminjun. The Renminjun specialized in mountain warfare, and was centred around infantry and cavalry,with a few severely outdated and barely functioning aircraft divisions.

During 1994, after the NPRC adopted a new flag, seal and anthem, Luo Qingquan declared a campaign for Hubei, challenging the militaristic "PRC" of Yichang and Jingzhou. After half a year of fighting and a death toll of 34'789, Yichang was conquered and Jingzhou sued for peace. Ever since that period, the NPRC has remained staunchly isolationist in policy.

The next several years saw the reconstruction of a deeply devastated Yichang, and in 1998, after the election (which was also a victory for the Chongjiandang, which from than on is called the Baoshoudang, or Conservative Party) and the lowering of the mortality rate to 22 deaths per thousand, Jingzhou's people finally succeeded in overthrowing the Junta, and defected their decrepit city to the NPRC.

By the turn of the millennium, Yichang was on the rise. Major reconstruction of Jingzhou began, and the NPRC began a transition to culture and technology as opposed to reconstruction.

But tragedy would strike a nation on the rise. On April 1st, 2002, Chairman Lu was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. From that point on, as Lu's health wavered, he lost his political touch, and was hospitalized in July of 2004. After the elections that year, which the Baoshoudang lost to the new Minjindang, the celebrated founder of the nation Lu Banglie succumbed, yet another victim of Doomsday.

The Yili Era
The second, and current, Chairman of the Republic is Yili Wei, a former athlete and surprising for a Chinese nation, a woman. Although Lu's era was very liberal, women's rights had barely advanced. Which is why she had joined the new Progressive Party, the Minjindang, who's focus is lowering the mortality rate, improving human rights, restructuring the province, and opening up to the rest of the world.

The following years saw Yili reorganize the government, reform the economy, and bring about a revival in traditional pre-Maoist culture. Helping speed the process along was a wave of Tibetan settlers from the west, who settled mainly in Hanyang.

The Hanyang Academy of Fine Arts was completed in 2007, the Hubei Science Centre in 2008, and in Yichang, the Chinese National Industrial And Manufacturing Centre in 2010, and in Jingzhou, the Jingzhou Regional University in 2011.

Between July and September 2012, the NPRC consolidated control throughout much of Hubei during Operation Reclamation, which was officially ended on September 1st. Survivors in areas absorbed by the NPRC are being relocated to the larger, none-or lightly-radiated areas, particularly around the former Enshi, which the government is building a new city; Xincheng. Xincheng is expected to be completed around May 2015.

Government and Politics
The National People's Republic of China is democratic state entirely devoted to the people. It stresses family values and community, and cultural festivals are a must. All businesses are under government control to ensure that greed will not ruin the country. The country is run by a senate, the Renmindahui, which function is to listen to the common people, forward new laws, pass new bills, and in general keep the people happy. The Chairman's job is essentially to keep order and balance, and to approve laws and motions of war.

International Relations
The NPRC has been entirely isolationist until Chairman Yili's reign, save for a few raids from Nanchung and the Dragon State, referred to as Longguo, and a delegation from Guangxi in 2000, which was rejected. After the elections of 2004, the NPRC accepted delegations from Guangxi, much to the applause of the people. So far, relations are quite warm.

During July 2012, the NPRC attempted to hold a Pan-Chinese summit, which ultimately failed. Chinese integrationalism, while strongly supported popularily, won't gain governmental traction for decades to come.

After learning of the new League of Nations, the NPRC is attempting to join the organization through Guangxi. Contact with Gansu was made in early 2005, and so far, relations have been warm as well. The NPRC is attempting to establish relations with Yunnan, ROC, Macau, and Jiangsu.

Political Parties
The ruling party and most popular party is currently is the Minjindang, the social-democratic Progressive Party. The former CCP, after receiving a low voting turnout the last election in 2004, the CCP was absorbed into the Minjindang in May 2012. Similarily, the Kuomintang was absorbed into the Bouhoudang, the Conservative Party, in June 2012.

After the end of the CCP and Kuomintang in the NPRC, two newer parties were left. The far-right Quan Zhongguo Dongjing, or the All-China Movement, which believes that the NPRC is the sole ruler of China, and the reunification of China militarily.

The other party is known as Heliudang, or the River Party. The party is more socialist oriented, but is theocratic. It favours love of nature and peaceful negotiation over war. It supports the independence of Tibet, Manchuria. Yunnan, Taiwan, and Hainan.

Administrative Divisions
As of September 1st, 2012, a referendum was held establishing three provinces of the NPRC: Jingzhou (Jingzhou) in the east, Jiangzhou (Yichang) in the west, and Hanzhou (Hanyang) in the north. Much of the NPRC's military-controlled lands are unregistered territory.



Economy
The province of Hubei is mountainous, yet has a considerable amount of flat plains used for wheat harvest. The mountains also provide for rice terraces. Hubei is also dotted with, apparently, thousands of small lakes and the Yangtze passes through, so there is a significant amount of fresh water.

The NPRC makes its wealth from rice, water, cotton, wheat, tea, electricity, copper, iron, garnet, gold, and borax (a natural, non-chemical detergent), though only in small quantities.

Culture
During recent years, the NPRC has experienced a revival of Hanfu fashion and Buddhist ideals, mixed in with a new architectural style originating in Jingzhou: Zhuyi. Zhuyi is a style that combines the class of Art Deco with the majesty of traditional Chinese architecture. It is gaining strength and is starting to infiltrate areas such as fashion.

After Doomsday, as the Yangtze became healed quicker than the land, the people of the region have began to worship the river Yangtze. The new religion has been dubbed Shuidaoism.

People worship the Yangtze on September 26th, the date of Doomsday. The founders of Shuidaoism chose this date to symbolize death and rebirth, mourning and celebration, and the annual flooding of the river. To celebrate, people float water lanterns made of lotuses down the river, each having a different meaning, typically wishes and respect for a lost loved one. Incense is burned either in the home, along the river, or at any temple. Shuidaoism is currently the largest growing religion in the former Hubei.

The principal temple of Shuidaoism is the Yashuilitan, or the Altar of Rolling Water, a recreation of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, completed in early 2013. The move to build the structure has seen in upsurge in support of the Minjindang.

Science and Technology
After Chairman Lu's death, the NPRC has begun to focus on technology. Currently, with exceptions from the military, the level of standard technology is at a 1940's level. Things like colour television are only available to the upper classes.

Candles and gas lamps have replaced the electric grid. Many people enjoy it this way, as the power lines were viewed as detracting from the beauty of the landscape.

Vehicles and roads are still present, though no vehicles actually work. Chairman Lu simply transformed them into Banglie Buggies: essentially horse-drawn cars.

Currently, there is research into hydroelectricity and possible alternate designs for dams, to prevent flooding of important land.

Military
The NPRC's military is known as the Renminjun. It consists of currently 300'000 personnel, which is divided into ten motorised infantry divisions, one (severely outdated) aircraft division, one artillery, two anti-artillery, and five cavalry. All divisions are at a late 1970's, technologically.

These numbers do not include local police forces.