Yingxiu (Chinese: 映秀; pinyin: Yìngxiù) is a town of southern Wenchuan County, in central Sichuan Province.[1] It is located at the southern end of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, and lies on the road to Jiuzhaigou Valley, Wolong and the Siguniang Mountains. It is located 47 kilometres (29 mi) south of the county urban centre, and just 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) west of the city of Dujiangyan.

Yingxiu
映秀镇
Aerial view of Yingxiu, 2016
Aerial view of Yingxiu, 2016
Yingxiu is located in Sichuan
Yingxiu
Yingxiu
Location in Sichuan
Coordinates (Yingxiu Town government): 31°03′15″N 103°29′15″E / 31.0541°N 103.4874°E / 31.0541; 103.4874
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceSichuan
PrefectureNgawa
CountyWenchuan
Area
 • Total
397.74 km2 (153.57 sq mi)
Elevation
900 m (3,000 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total
5,829
 • Density15/km2 (38/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
513221102

The town has an area of 397.74 square kilometres (153.57 sq mi),[2] and a population of 5,829 people as of 2021.[2][3] The town's average elevation is approximately 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level.[2]

It is at the epicentre and one of the worst hit areas of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. 80% of the town was destroyed and 5,462 people died. The collapsed Xuankou Middle School became one of the most memorable images of the disaster,[4] and is now part of a memorial site.[citation needed]

Benevolence Square, a monument built by the Chinese government at the epicentre of the earthquake, contains a huge boulder lying below the surface and surrounded by a moat.[citation needed] A plaque, in Chinese and English, reads "Benevolence Square: It was arable land before the earthquake".[citation needed]

History

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Yingxiu was established as a People's commune in 1958.[5]

In 1980, Yingxiu was changed to a township.[5]

In 1984, Yingxiu was changed to a town, which it remains today.[5]

 
Street view of Yingxiu, July 2005

Following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, the Wenchuan County government built 479 resettlement homes for families displaced by the earthquake, which now constitute part of Xiuping Community.[2]

On December 18, 2019, Yinxing Township [zh] was merged into Yingxiu.[3]

Administrative divisions

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Yingxiu is divided into one residential community and six administrative villages:[6]

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
19967,000—    
20007,977+14.0%
20076,906−13.4%
20102,468−64.3%
20192,644+7.1%

The Wenchuan County government reports that, as of 2021, Yingxiu is home to 5,829 people, living in 1,999 households.[3]

As of 2019, prior to the merger with Yinxing Township [zh], the town was home to 2,644 people, living in 1,106 households.[1] In the 2010 Chinese Census, the town's population was recorded at 2,468.[7] This is a notable decline from 2007, when it was recorded to have a population of 6,906,[8] and an even further decline from 2000, when the population was 7,977.[7] A 1996 estimate placed the town's population at around 7,000 people.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b 人口民族. Wenchuan County People's Government. 2020-06-03. Archived from the original on 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  2. ^ a b c d 映秀镇 [Yingxiu] (in Chinese). Wenchuan County People's Government. 2021-05-06. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  3. ^ a b c 人口民族 [Population and Nationality] (in Chinese). Wenchuan County People's Government. 2021-05-06. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  4. ^ "Rebuilt Sichuan town struggling 10 years after earthquake". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 2018-12-13.
  5. ^ a b c d 映秀镇. xzqh.org (in Chinese). 2013-02-18. Archived from the original on 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  6. ^ 2020年统计用区划代码和城乡划分代码(映秀镇) [2020 Statistical Division Codes and Urban-rural Division Codes (Yingxiu)] (in Chinese). National Bureau of Statistics of China. 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  7. ^ a b 汶川县历史沿革. xzqh.org (in Chinese). 2015-03-27. Archived from the original on 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  8. ^ 映秀镇. Wenchuan Information Port. 2007-06-20. Archived from the original on 2011-05-01. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
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