Yuncheng is the southernmost prefecture-level city in Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It borders Linfen and Jincheng municipalities to the north and east, and Henan (Luoyang and Jiyuan to the east, Sanmenxia to the south) and Shaanxi (Weinan) provinces to the east, south and west, respectively. As of the 2020 census, its population was 4,774,508 inhabitants (5,134,779 in 2010), of whom 928,334 (680,036 in 2010) lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of Yanhu District. One can note than Pinglu County, 205,080 inhabitants in the south, is now part of Sanmenxia built-up (or metro) area.

Yuncheng
运城市
Top to bottom, left to right: Haizhou Emperor Guan Temple, Yuncheng Salt Lake, Yuncheng Airport, Nanfeng Plaza
Location of Yuncheng City jurisdiction in Shanxi
Location of Yuncheng City jurisdiction in Shanxi
Yuncheng is located in Shanxi
Yuncheng
Yuncheng
Location of the city center in Shanxi
Yuncheng is located in Eastern China
Yuncheng
Yuncheng
Yuncheng (Eastern China)
Yuncheng is located in China
Yuncheng
Yuncheng
Yuncheng (China)
Coordinates (Yulin municipal government): 35°01′36″N 111°00′25″E / 35.0267°N 111.0070°E / 35.0267; 111.0070
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceShanxi
County-level divisions13
Municipal seatYanhu District
Government
 • TypePrefecture-level city
 • Communist Party SecretaryWang Yuyan
 • MayorWang Qingxian (王清宪)
Area
14,183 km2 (5,476 sq mi)
 • Urban
1,205 km2 (465 sq mi)
 • Metro
1,205 km2 (465 sq mi)
Elevation
370 m (1,210 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[1]
4,774,508
 • Density340/km2 (870/sq mi)
 • Urban
928,334
 • Urban density770/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
 • Metro
928,334
 • Metro density770/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
GDP[2]
 • Prefecture-level cityCN¥ 164.4 billion
US$ 25.8 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥ 34,425
US$ 5,508
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
044000
Area code0359
ISO 3166 codeCN-SX-08
License Plate晋M
Administrative division code140800
Yuncheng
Simplified Chinese运城
Traditional Chinese運城
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYùnchéng
Wade–GilesYün-ch‘êng

Yuncheng is a city that was born and prospered from salt. It is named after the "City of Salt Luck".[3]

Name

edit

Yuncheng was called the "Salt Family" in the Spring and Autumn Period. In the Han Dynasty, the salt city was named "Siyan City". Emperor Taizong of the Yuan Dynasty named Yuncheng Salt Lake "Shenghui Town" because it benefited the world. The city was built at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and was named "Phoenix City" was later renamed "Yuncheng" because of the "City of Salt Luck".[4]

History

edit

Yuncheng is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization. The legendary Chinese ancestors such as Nuwa, Lei Zu, Chi You, Shun, and Yu all lived here. Yu established the Xia Dynasty here. During the Warring States Period, the Wei State established its capital here. Anyi, the capital of Wei, was located in Xia County, Yuncheng today.[5]

Hedong Salt Pond is the earliest salt pond developed and utilized in the world, with a mining history of more than 4,600 years. As an important strategic resource, salt ponds were the common goal of various tribes in the Central Plains of China in ancient China. From the ancient legend of the Yellow Emperor's battle with Chiyou, to the historical records of King Mu of Zhou, Emperor Cheng of Han, Emperor Zhang of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Kangxi and other emperors visiting successively, the Hedong Salt Pond has been regarded as a "national treasure" by successive dynasties.[6]

In early China,[when?] it was the location of the state of Kunwu (昆吾). Yuncheng was the site of the Yuncheng Campaign (三打运城), battle between the Kuomintang army and the People's Liberation Army during Chinese civil war.

The famous general Guan Yu from the late Han dynasty was also born in this region.

Yuncheng currently has 6,205 immovable cultural relics, 102 national key cultural relics protection units, and 55 wooden buildings before the Yuan Dynasty.[7]

Archaeology

edit

In July 2022, archaeologists announced a discovery of a 2.8 cm long 5.200 years old stone carving chrysalis in a semi-crypt house at the Shangguo Site in Wenxi County. Archaeologists made suppositions that this house may have belonged to the Yangshao Culture period, based on the unearthed pottery pieces. According to archaeologist Tian Jianwen, discovery of stone carving chrysalises provided significant information for the study of the silkworm culture in China.[8][9]

Administration

edit

Yuncheng is located between 34°35′-35°49′ north latitude.[10]There are 13 county-level administrative divisions under Yuncheng's jurisdiction, including 1 district, 10 counties and 2 county-level cities. The Municipal executive, legislature and judiciary are in Yanhu District (盐湖区), together with the CPC and Public Security Bureau.

Map
Name Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population (2010) Area (km2) Density (/km2)
Yanhu District 盐湖区 Yánhú Qū 680,036 1,237 501
Yongji City 永济市 Yǒngjì Shì 444,724 1,221 352
Hejin City 河津市 Héjīn Shì 395,527 593 607
Ruicheng County 芮城县 Ruìchéng Xiàn 394,849 1,161 327
Linyi County 临猗县 Línyī Xiàn 572,508 1,350 393
Wanrong County 万荣县 Wànróng Xiàn 439,364 1,037 405
Xinjiang County 新绛县 Xīnjiàng Xiàn 332,473 600 533
Xia County 夏县 Xià Xiàn 352,821 1,328 264
Jishan County 稷山县 Jìshān Xiàn 347,425 680 485
Wenxi County 闻喜县 Wénxǐ Xiàn 404,150 1,160 328
Jiang County 绛县 Jiàng Xiàn 281,643 968 279
Pinglu County 平陆县 Pínglù Xiàn 258,241 1,151 217
Yuanqu County 垣曲县 Yuánqǔ Xiàn 231,018 1,620 136

Climate

edit

Yuncheng has a continental, monsoon-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), with four distinct seasons.[11] Due to its southerly location and position to the north of the Zhongtiao Mountains, allowing for downsloping when winds are from the south, it is among the warmest locales in the province. Winters are cold and very dry, while summers are hot and humid. Monthly mean temperatures range from −0.6 °C (30.9 °F) in January to 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 14.23 °C (57.6 °F). Over 60% of the annual rainfall occurs from June to September.The average frost-free period across the city is between 188 and 238 days. [12]With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 45% in March to 54% in May and July, the city receives 2,219 hours of bright sunshine annually, low by Shanxi standards and North China.

Climate data for Yuncheng (Yanhu District), elevation 375 m (1,230 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.4
(61.5)
25.2
(77.4)
29.6
(85.3)
37.6
(99.7)
40.2
(104.4)
42.7
(108.9)
41.4
(106.5)
40.8
(105.4)
40.0
(104.0)
33.2
(91.8)
25.3
(77.5)
17.5
(63.5)
42.7
(108.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 5.4
(41.7)
10.0
(50.0)
16.4
(61.5)
23.1
(73.6)
28.1
(82.6)
32.3
(90.1)
33.2
(91.8)
31.5
(88.7)
26.7
(80.1)
20.5
(68.9)
13.1
(55.6)
6.6
(43.9)
20.6
(69.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.6
(30.9)
3.7
(38.7)
9.8
(49.6)
16.4
(61.5)
21.6
(70.9)
26.2
(79.2)
27.8
(82.0)
26.2
(79.2)
21.1
(70.0)
14.6
(58.3)
7.0
(44.6)
0.7
(33.3)
14.5
(58.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −5.1
(22.8)
−1.3
(29.7)
4.3
(39.7)
10.2
(50.4)
15.3
(59.5)
20.3
(68.5)
23.2
(73.8)
21.9
(71.4)
16.7
(62.1)
10.0
(50.0)
2.5
(36.5)
−3.7
(25.3)
9.5
(49.1)
Record low °C (°F) −18.9
(−2.0)
−16.2
(2.8)
−10.8
(12.6)
−5.0
(23.0)
2.9
(37.2)
11.0
(51.8)
15.4
(59.7)
12.3
(54.1)
2.6
(36.7)
−4.9
(23.2)
−11.6
(11.1)
−16.0
(3.2)
−18.9
(−2.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 4.9
(0.19)
8.1
(0.32)
14.0
(0.55)
37.4
(1.47)
48.9
(1.93)
54.9
(2.16)
87.7
(3.45)
81.9
(3.22)
81.2
(3.20)
51.9
(2.04)
22.6
(0.89)
3.6
(0.14)
497.1
(19.56)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 2.9 3.0 4.1 6.4 7.4 7.5 8.7 8.7 9.4 7.4 4.9 2.2 72.6
Average snowy days 3.3 2.4 1.0 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.2 2.2 10.2
Average relative humidity (%) 55 53 51 53 53 54 64 68 69 69 67 59 60
Mean monthly sunshine hours 131.1 139.1 176.4 210.4 231.4 222.1 221.2 200.8 158.0 144.7 132.8 136.0 2,104
Percent possible sunshine 42 45 47 53 53 51 50 49 43 42 43 45 47
Source: China Meteorological Administration[13][14][15]

Notable people

edit
 
Map including Yuncheng (labeled as YÜN-CH'ENG 運城) (AMS, 1958)

Transportation

edit

Notes and references

edit
  1. ^ "China: Shānxī (Prefectures, Cities, Districts and Counties) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map".
  2. ^ 山西省统计局、国家统计局山西调查总队 (December 2021). 《山西统计年鉴-2021》. 中国统计出版社. ISBN 978-7-5037-7824-7.
  3. ^ "千年盐运之城 运城的荣光与未来-新华网". www.news.cn. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  4. ^ "千年盐运之城 运城的荣光与未来-新华网". www.news.cn. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  5. ^ sina_mobile (28 August 2020). "运城的历史人文在山西最为丰富,名人辈出,可惜差一个5A级景区". k.sina.cn. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  6. ^ "鉴往知来,跟着总书记学历史丨走进一座博物馆,寻根五千年中华文明". news.cctv.com (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  7. ^ "书卷里的中国|山西运城何以成为华夏文明之源?". m.cnr.cn. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  8. ^ "5,200-year-old stone carving chrysalis found in north China-Xinhua". www.chinaview.cn. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  9. ^ Büyükyıldırım, Oğuz (19 July 2022). "5,200-year-old stone carving silkworm chrysalis discovered in north China". Arkeonews. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  10. ^ "运城 - 气象数据 -中国天气网". www.weather.com.cn. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Updated Asian Map of the Köppen system". wikimedia.org. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  12. ^ "运城 - 气象数据 -中国天气网". www.weather.com.cn. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  13. ^ 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  14. ^ 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  15. ^ 中国地面国际交换站气候标准值月值数据集(1971-2000年). China Meteorological Administration. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  16. ^ "运城简介_稿件库_湖南红网新闻频道". news.rednet.cn. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  17. ^ Yuncheng North schedule Archived 28 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine (in Chinese)
  18. ^ "运城简介_稿件库_湖南红网新闻频道". news.rednet.cn. Retrieved 15 December 2024.