Guangyuan
广元市
Prefecture-level city
Location of Guangyuan in Sichuan
Location of Guangyuan in Sichuan
Guangyuan is located in Sichuan
Guangyuan
Guangyuan
Location of the city center in Sichuan
Coordinates (Guangyuan municipal government): 32°26′10″N 105°50′38″E / 32.436°N 105.844°E / 32.436; 105.844
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceSichuan
Municipal seatLizhou District
Area
 • Total16,313.78 km2 (6,298.79 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total2,305,657
 • Density140/km2 (370/sq mi)
GDP[1]
 • TotalCN¥ 60.5 billion
US$ 9.7 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥ 23,263
US$ 3,735
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
628017
Area code0839
ISO 3166 codeCN-SC-08
Websitewww.cngy.gov.cn

Guangyuan (simplified Chinese: 广元; traditional Chinese: 廣元; pinyin: Guǎngyuán; Wade–Giles: Kuang-yüan) is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan Province, China, bordering the provinces of Shaanxi to the northeast and Gansu to the northwest. The city has a population of 2,305,657 as of the 2020 census.[2]

Located roughly between the provincial capitals Chengdu, Lanzhou, Xi'an and Chongqing municipality, it is considered the northern gateway to Sichuan.[3] It is an ancient city, notable for its relics and tombs.

History

Formerly known as Lizhou (利州, or Li prefecture), Guangyuan was the birthplace of Wu Zetian, the only woman in Chinese history to rule directly as emperor.[4]

On 12 May 2008, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred. 4,822 people were killed, 28,245 injured, and 125 missing in the city as of 7 June 2008.[5]

Economy

Guangyuan's economy is based on a diverse array of heavy industry, as well as mining and agriculture.[citation needed] Plant 821, a former large plutonium producing reactor, now used to process nuclear waste, is located near Guangyuan.[6] The city is an important production center for traditional Chinese medicine.[7]

Administrative divisions

Map
Name Hanzi Hanyu Pinyin Population (2010) Area (km²) Density (/km²)
Lizhou District 利州区 Lìzhōu Qū 516,424 1,482 348
Zhaohua District 昭化区 Zhāohuà Qū 168,489 1,435 117
Chaotian District 朝天区 Cháotiān Qū 174,333 1,618 108
Wangcang County 旺苍县 Wàngcāng Xiàn 385,787 2,976 130
Qingchuan County 青川县 Qīngchuān Xiàn 222,253 3,269 68
Jiange County 剑阁县 Jiàngé Xiàn 457,656 3,204 142
Cangxi County 苍溪县 Cāngxī Xiàn 559,181 2,330 240

Climate

Climate data for Guangyuan, elevation 545 m (1,788 ft), (1991–2014 normals, extremes 1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 19.5
(67.1) 		26.0
(78.8) 		30.4
(86.7) 		34.4
(93.9) 		36.8
(98.2) 		38.7
(101.7) 		40.5
(104.9) 		37.7
(99.9) 		36.6
(97.9) 		31.0
(87.8) 		26.3
(79.3) 		19.2
(66.6) 		40.5
(104.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 9.6
(49.3) 		12.4
(54.3) 		17.4
(63.3) 		23.4
(74.1) 		27.4
(81.3) 		30.1
(86.2) 		31.5
(88.7) 		31.2
(88.2) 		26.2
(79.2) 		21.2
(70.2) 		16.2
(61.2) 		10.8
(51.4) 		21.4
(70.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.4
(41.7) 		8.1
(46.6) 		12.3
(54.1) 		17.6
(63.7) 		21.7
(71.1) 		24.8
(76.6) 		26.5
(79.7) 		26.0
(78.8) 		21.6
(70.9) 		16.8
(62.2) 		11.8
(53.2) 		6.8
(44.2) 		16.6
(61.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2.4
(36.3) 		5.0
(41.0) 		8.5
(47.3) 		13.3
(55.9) 		17.2
(63.0) 		20.6
(69.1) 		22.8
(73.0) 		22.3
(72.1) 		18.6
(65.5) 		14.1
(57.4) 		8.7
(47.7) 		3.9
(39.0) 		13.1
(55.6)
Record low °C (°F) −4.5
(23.9) 		−2.9
(26.8) 		−3.2
(26.2) 		2.7
(36.9) 		8.3
(46.9) 		14.5
(58.1) 		16.0
(60.8) 		15.0
(59.0) 		11.7
(53.1) 		1.7
(35.1) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		−5.7
(21.7) 		−5.7
(21.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 4.7
(0.19) 		9.3
(0.37) 		17.5
(0.69) 		49.2
(1.94) 		90.5
(3.56) 		124.5
(4.90) 		247.1
(9.73) 		147.4
(5.80) 		138.0
(5.43) 		57.0
(2.24) 		19.3
(0.76) 		4.2
(0.17) 		908.7
(35.78)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 4.3 5.1 7.3 10.0 12.0 12.1 14.6 13.2 13.5 12.3 6.6 4.0 115
Average snowy days 2.5 1.0 0.2 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 0.8 4.8
Average relative humidity (%) 63 63 61 62 62 68 74 74 76 75 70 66 68
Mean monthly sunshine hours 71.4 68.4 98.5 132.3 147.7 133.1 140.2 155.1 86.7 79.4 78.0 76.1 1,266.9
Percent possible sunshine 22 22 26 34 34 31 32 38 24 23 25 25 28
Source: China Meteorological Administration[8][9]

Transport

Located roughly between the provincial capitals Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou, Xi'an, Guangyuan is an important traffic hub in northern Sichuan.[10] The city has a port on the Jialing River, which is the closest inland port to Northwest China, and navigable all the way the east coast.

Cuisine

Guangyuan is known for Wangcang noodles.[11]

References

  1. ^ 四川省统计局、国家统计局四川调查总队 (2016). 《四川统计年鉴－2016》. 中国统计出版社. ISBN 978-7-5037-7871-1.
  2. ^ "广元市第七次全国人口普查公报". 17 June 2021.
  3. ^ Chris Parker. "Guangyuan--An up and coming tourist destination".
  4. ^ "Welcome to Guangyuan". Lonely Planet.
  5. ^ "Guangyuan Government Held 20th News Conference for the Earthquake on June 7" (in Chinese (China)). Official website of Guangyuan Government. 8 June 2008. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
  6. ^ "广元821核军工厂的昨天与今天". xw.qq.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  7. ^ "New Material Industry". The People's Government of Guangyuan.
  8. ^ 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  9. ^ 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Endowed City Next To Shu Path".
  11. ^ "旺苍手工挂面-利州区人民政府". www.lzq.gov.cn. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

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