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Yichang
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 Meaning
of the name
"Should Flourish"
Location: On the north
bank of the Chang Jiang (Yangzi River), just below the
Three Gorges, about 1000 km (620 miles) due west of
Shanghai.
Neighboring Areas: Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan,
Shaanxi, and Henan provinces
Population: 3.92 million
Area: 21,084 sq km
History
Due to its strategic location on the main route
to Sichuan Province from eastern China, Yichang was
often disputed by warring factions during the times
when China was politically divided. It took the name
Yichang under the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), having been
previously known as Yilingchun or Shanzhou (Shan Chou).
Being made a treaty port in 1877 brought considerable
foreign trade to Yichang. A railroad from Hankou to
Chongqing via Yichang was begun in 1914, but was only
partially completed before being abandoned in the political
chaos of 1915. To this day, Yichang is only on a spur
line of the railroad that runs from Xiangfan south to
Hunan Province.
In 1940 Yichang was captured by the Japanese, which
marked the furthest penetration of the invaders during
the Sino-Japanese War. By the end of the Japanese occupation
in 1945, Yichang's commerce was ruined, but shipping
began to recover in the 1950s, and extensive industrialization
has since taken place, with important food-processing
and chemical industries now present. A huge boom is
now taking place with the construction of the Three
Gorges Dam only 40 km (25 miles) upstream at Sandouping.
Climate in
subtropical humid monsoonal climate zone, four seasons
clearly demarcated; cloudy and sunny not certain in
springs; with humid and hot summers; fine autumns; dry
cold winters; with frost free period of 220- 300 days
Average Temperature: annual average temperature
of 16 C
Rainfall:
annual even precipitation 1,100 mm; concentrated on
June, July and August, as well as in spring
Mountains: Mt. Dashengnongjia (with the highest peak of 3053 m), Mt. Wushan
(with average height of 700-800m), Mt. Mingfeng, Mt.
Guanmiao, Mt. Qingshan, Mt. Xiling
Rivers: Huangbaihe River, Qingjiang River,
Juzhanghe River, Yuyanghe River, Jingjiang River and
Xiangxi River
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Map
of China
