County in Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
Yanchang County (simplified Chinese: 延长县; traditional Chinese: 延長縣; pinyin: Yáncháng Xiàn) is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Yan'an, in the northeast of Shaanxi Province, bordering Shanxi Province across the Yellow River to the east. It has a land area of 2,368.7 square kilometres (914.6 sq mi), and a population of 158,000.[1]
Administrative divisions
Yanchang County consists of one subdistrict and seven towns.[1][2] These are then further divided into 159 administrative villages.[1]
Qilicun Subdistrict
Qilucun Subdistrict [zh] (七里村街道; Qīlǐcūn Jiēdào) is the county's sole subdistrict.[1][2] Qilicun Subdistrict host's the county's administrative offices.[2]
Towns
Yanchang County contains the following seven towns:[1][2]
- Heijiabao [zh] (黑家堡镇; Hēijiābǎo Zhèn)
- Zhengzhuang [zh] (郑庄镇; Zhèngzhuāng Zhèn)
- Zhangjiatan [zh] (张家滩镇; Zhāngjiātān Zhèn)
- Jiaokou [zh] (交口镇; Jiāokǒu Zhèn)
- Luozishan [zh] (罗子山镇; Luōzishān Zhèn)
- Leichi [zh] (雷赤镇; Léichì Zhèn)
- Angou [zh] (安沟镇; Āngōu Zhèn)
Geography
Located on the Loess Plateau,[2] the county's terrain is largely hilly, with a low point of 470.6 metres (1,544 ft) above sea level, and a high point of 1,383 metres (4,537 ft) above sea level.[1] The Yellow River passes through the county, as does the Yan River.[1] The county has a forest coverage of 23%.[1]
Climate
Yanchang County experiences distinctive seasons in regards to both temperature and precipitation.[1] The county has warm and wet summers, and cold and dry winters.[1] The county has an average annual temperature of 10.4 °C (50.7 °F), an average of 2504.6 hours of sunshine per year, and an average of 564 millimetres (22.2 in) of precipitation per year.[1]
| Climate data for Yanchang (1981−2010 normals)
|
| Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
| Record high °C (°F)
|
15.4
(59.7)
|
22.4
(72.3)
|
29.6
(85.3)
|
37.9
(100.2)
|
37.5
(99.5)
|
41.1
(106.0)
|
40.0
(104.0)
|
37.3
(99.1)
|
38.5
(101.3)
|
32.1
(89.8)
|
24.2
(75.6)
|
18.3
(64.9)
|
41.1
(106.0)
|
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
2.8
(37.0)
|
7.0
(44.6)
|
13.4
(56.1)
|
21.4
(70.5)
|
26.6
(79.9)
|
30.2
(86.4)
|
31.2
(88.2)
|
29.1
(84.4)
|
24.3
(75.7)
|
18.4
(65.1)
|
11.0
(51.8)
|
4.2
(39.6)
|
18.3
(64.9)
|
| Daily mean °C (°F)
|
−5.6
(21.9)
|
−1.2
(29.8)
|
5.2
(41.4)
|
12.8
(55.0)
|
18.4
(65.1)
|
22.3
(72.1)
|
24.2
(75.6)
|
22.3
(72.1)
|
17.0
(62.6)
|
10.3
(50.5)
|
2.6
(36.7)
|
−3.9
(25.0)
|
10.4
(50.7)
|
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
−11.2
(11.8)
|
−6.9
(19.6)
|
−1.0
(30.2)
|
5.4
(41.7)
|
10.8
(51.4)
|
15.2
(59.4)
|
18.4
(65.1)
|
17.3
(63.1)
|
12.0
(53.6)
|
5.0
(41.0)
|
−2.7
(27.1)
|
−9.1
(15.6)
|
4.4
(40.0)
|
| Record low °C (°F)
|
−22.3
(−8.1)
|
−19.2
(−2.6)
|
−15.0
(5.0)
|
−7.0
(19.4)
|
−0.3
(31.5)
|
5.9
(42.6)
|
10.3
(50.5)
|
8.4
(47.1)
|
0.2
(32.4)
|
−7.9
(17.8)
|
−16.8
(1.8)
|
−23.0
(−9.4)
|
−23.0
(−9.4)
|
| Average precipitation mm (inches)
|
3.4
(0.13)
|
5.3
(0.21)
|
16.2
(0.64)
|
25.2
(0.99)
|
41.0
(1.61)
|
61.2
(2.41)
|
95.7
(3.77)
|
109.3
(4.30)
|
72.1
(2.84)
|
34.6
(1.36)
|
13.9
(0.55)
|
2.9
(0.11)
|
480.8
(18.92)
|
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)
|
2.6
|
2.8
|
4.0
|
6.0
|
7.7
|
9.3
|
11.8
|
11.0
|
9.8
|
8.1
|
4.2
|
1.5
|
78.8
|
| Average snowy days
|
3.8
|
3.4
|
1.5
|
0.3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1.8
|
2.6
|
13.4
|
| Average relative humidity (%)
|
57
|
54
|
53
|
48
|
53
|
59
|
69
|
75
|
76
|
73
|
65
|
60
|
62
|
| Mean monthly sunshine hours
|
192.4
|
183.7
|
212.5
|
234.6
|
255.5
|
233.1
|
223.1
|
209.0
|
172.6
|
178.5
|
179.4
|
188.3
|
2,462.7
|
| Percent possible sunshine
|
62
|
60
|
57
|
59
|
58
|
53
|
50
|
50
|
47
|
52
|
59
|
63
|
56
|
| Source: China Meteorological Administration (precipitation days, snow days, sunshine 1991–2020)[3][4]
|
History
Human activity in Yanchang County can be traced back thousands of years, and the first administrative district in the area arose in 266 AD.[1]
Qingjian Uprising and Communist insurgency
Communist activity in the area began in January 1927, when a Communist Party branch was set up at a high school in the county.[1] On October 14, 1927, party leaders Tang Shu [zh] and Xie Zichang [zh] lead an uprising called the Qingjian Uprising [zh], which had failed.[1] However, Communist Party activity in the region continued in subsequent years. In the spring of 1932, a communist uprising in the area occurred yet again, and the Communist Party organized militias afterwards.[1] On May 30, 1935, Communist troops successfully took control of the county.[1] Communist forces would retain control of the county during the rest of the Civil War, as well as during the Japanese Invasion of China.[1]
Economy
As of 2018, the county's GDP was 5.408 billion Yuan, an increase of 8.7% from the previous year.[1] Urban residents had an average disposable income of 34,170 Yuan, and rural residents had an average disposable income of 11,105 Yuan.[1]
Agriculture
The county's main agricultural products are apples, pears, and watermelons.[1]
Mineral Resources
The county has vast deposits, mainly of petroleum, coal, natural gas, and salt.[1][2]
Oil
The county is home to China's first oil well,[1][2] which was constructed on June 5, 1907.[1] During Mao Zedong's rule, oil production in the county was encouraged.[1]
Wangjiachuan Petroleum Drilling Company
In 1985, the county established its own oil company, called Wangjiachuan Petroleum Drilling Company.[1] The company was run by the county government, the first oil company in China to be structured as such.[1][5] The company dug its first well on May 29, 1985, and produced 1,005 tons of crude oil by the end of the year.[5] By the late 1990s, the company's output hovered at around 14,000 tons per year.[5] In 2000, the county government launched reforms meant to boost its productivity, and in 2005 the company had merged into the Yanchang Oilfield Company Ltd.[5]
Present-Day Situation
After merging into Yanchang Oilfield, the county's oil production further expanded, achieving a stable annual output of approximately 250,000 tons from 2005 through 2010.[5] The county now has three oil production plants, which combine for an annual output in excess of 600,000 tons.[1]
Coal
The county has coal reserves of 20.92 million tons.[1]
Natural Gas
The county's natural gas reserves total 2,000 square kilometres (770 sq mi) in area, and 100 billion cubic meters in volume.[5]
Salt
The county's salt reserves total 4.838 billion tons.[1]
Culture
Like other regions of Shaanbei, the county has a rich tradition of paper cutting.[1] Major tourist sites include historic and archaeological sites, red tourism sites, as well as various natural sites, particularly mountains.[1]
Transportation
The county is served by a number of highways, such as Shaanxi Provincial Highway 201 and Shaanxi Provincial Highway 205.[1]
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