Yichang is a prefecture-level city located in western Hubei province, China. It is the second largest city in the province after the capital, Wuhan. The Three Gorges Dam is located within its administrative area, in Yiling District. At the 2010 census, its population was 4,059,686 inhabitants whom 1,350,150 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of Yiling, Xiling, Wujiagang and Dianjun urban districts.
History
In ancient times Yichang was known as Yiling. There are historical records telling that in the year 278 BC during the Warring States period, the Qin general Bai Qi set fire to Yiling. In 222 AD Yichang was also the site of the Battle of Yiling during the Three Kingdoms Period.
Under the Qing Guangxu Emperor, Yichang was opened to foreign trade as a trading port after Qing and Great Britain signed Chefoo Convention, which was signed by Sir Thomas Wade and Li Hongzhang in Chefoo on 21 August 1876. The imperial government set up a navigation company there and built wharves less than 0.5 kilometers (0.31 mi) in length. Since 1949, more than 50 wharves have been constructed at the port so that its wharf area is now over 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) long.
In October 1938, Yichang Retreat happened after Wuhan has been taken by Japanese army. This retreat was commanded by a Chinese businessman Lu Zuofu. It helped China to transfer a huge number of technological and scientific materials. People treated it like an Eastern version of Dunkirk Evacuation.
In 1940, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang took place in the area.
Climate
Yichang has a four-season, monsoon-influenced, humid subtropical climate, with cool, damp and generally overcast winters, and hot, humid summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 4.9 °C (40.8 °F) in January to 27.7 °C (81.9 °F) in July, while the annual mean is 16.85 °C (62.3 °F). Close to 70% of the annual precipitation of 1,140 mm (45 in) occurs from May to September. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 24% in January to 49% in August, the city receives 1,568 hours of bright sunshine annually, and summer is the sunniest season.
Transport
Yangtze River golden waterway trans Yichang 237 kilometers, Yichang port is one of the eight major ports of the Yangtze River and Zhicheng port is one of the four major coal transport port. Jiaoliu Railway connecting north and South of China, Hurong Expressway and Yanjiang railway under construction meet here. The Three Gorges International Airport has opened air line from Yichang to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Wuhan and other major cities. With the completion of the Three Gorges International Airport, Yihuang expressway, Yichang container terminal and Zhicheng, Xiling, Yichang and Yiling four Yangtze River Bridge, Yichang has formed a convenient waterway, railway, highway, air three-dimensional transport system.
Education
Since 2002, Yichang City has been home of the China Three Gorges University (the result of the merger of the University of Hydraulic & Electric Engineering, Yichang and of Hubei Sanxia University), the largest comprehensive university in Hubei Province outside Wuhan, with over 20,400 full-time students.
Economy
Yichang has long been a major transit port and distribution center of goods, and serves as the economic hub of western Hubei province and an intermediary between the major cities of Chongqing and Wuhan. Its primary industries are shipping and shipbuilding, taking advantage of its location on the Yangtze River.
Yichang prefecture is the site of many major hydroelectricity projects. The best known of them are the two huge dams on the Yangtze River: the Gezhouba Dam (located just upstream of Yichang central city) and Three Gorges Dam, which is 40 kilometers (25 mi) upstream. The Geheyan Dam and Gaobazhou Dam on the Qing River are important as well. Besides those, a huge number of medium-sized and small power plants operate on smaller rivers and streams within the prefecture
Population: 4.15 million
Temperature: average 16.85 ℃(62.3℉)
