Xichang

Xichang, formerly known as Jiandu,[lower-alpha 1] Jianchang[lower-alpha 2] and Ningyuan(fu), is a city in and the seat of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, in the south of Sichuan, China. In 2012 it had a population of 481,796.

This article is about city in Sichuan. For a municipality in Chonburi Province, Thailand, see Ko Sichang District.
Xichang
西昌市 · ꀒꎂꏃ
County-level city
Location of Xichang City jurisdiction (red) within Liangshan Prefecture (yellow) and Sichuan
Location of Xichang City jurisdiction (red) within Liangshan Prefecture (yellow) and Sichuan
Xichang is located in Sichuan
Xichang
Xichang
Location in Sichuan
Xichang is located in China
Xichang
Xichang
Xichang (China)
Coordinates: 27°53′40″N 102°15′52″E
CountryChina
ProvinceSichuan
PrefectureLiangshan
Municipal seatBeicheng Subdistrict
Area
 • Total2,655 km2 (1,025 sq mi)
Elevation
1,542 m (5,059 ft)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total955,041
 • Density360/km2 (930/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
615000
Area code0834
Websitewww.xichang.gov.cn
Xichang
Chinese name
Chinese西昌
Literal meaningWestern Prosperity
Yi name
Yiꀒꎂ
Romanisation: Op Rro
Former names
Jiandu
Chinese建都
Literal meaningEstablishing Capital
Jianchang
Chinese建昌
Literal meaningEstablishing Prosperity

History

The Qiongdu were the local people at the time of contact with China. The county of Qiongdu is attested in the area from the Han dynasty. Under the Song dynasty, a local lord was given the title of "King of the Qiongdu" (Qiongdu Wang). The area formed part of the medieval Kingdom of Dali and was subdued by the Mongolians from 1272–4, after which it was incorporated into Yunnan of the Yuan dynasty. It was organized as the Jiandu Ningyuan duhufu, qianhufu, or wanhufu but continued to be often known as Jiandu.[4] In the book of his travels, Marco Polo recorded that the people of Jiandu and its hinterland used no coins but rods of gold bullion reckoned in saggi. Small change was made using half-catty pieces of molded salt, each reckoned as one-eightieth of a saggio of pure gold.[5] Under the Qing, it was officially known as Ningyuan Commandery[4] but also continued to be referenced under the old name Jianchang. In the 19th century, it was the center of Sichuan's production of "white wax".[3]

Roman Catholicism (see also Catholic Church in Sichuan) was introduced to Ningyuan in the 18th century by Paris Foreign Missions Society. The Apostolic Vicariate of Kienchang was established in 1910, which was elevated to a diocese in 1946.[6] The episcopal residence is located next to the Cathedral of the Angels, Xichang.

Xichang was devastated by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in 1850, which killed more than 20,000 people.[7]

Geography

Xichang lies in a mountainous region of far southern Sichuan. The city is just northeast of the prefecture-level city of Panzhihua. The Anning River is the main river in the area. It is an affluent of the Yalong, Jinsha, and Yangtze rivers. It lies near Qiong Lake.

Xichang (labelled as HSI-CH'ANG (NING-YÜAN) 西昌 (寧遠)) (1954)

Climate

Owing to its low latitude and high elevation, Xichang has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) milder and far sunnier than the Sichuan Basin, with mild, very sunny and dry winters, and very warm, rainy summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 9.9 °C (49.8 °F) in January to 22.6 °C (72.7 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 17.15 °C (62.9 °F). Over 60% of the 1,025 mm (40.4 in) annual precipitation occurs from June to August. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 36% in September to 72% in January, the city receives 2,367 hours of bright sunshine annually.

Climate data for Xichang (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 26.0
(78.8)		 28.7
(83.7)		 33.5
(92.3)		 35.5
(95.9)		 36.6
(97.9)		 36.0
(96.8)		 35.5
(95.9)		 35.1
(95.2)		 34.9
(94.8)		 30.9
(87.6)		 27.8
(82.0)		 24.8
(76.6)		 36.6
(97.9)
Average high °C (°F) 17.5
(63.5)		 20.3
(68.5)		 24.6
(76.3)		 27.4
(81.3)		 28.5
(83.3)		 27.7
(81.9)		 28.2
(82.8)		 28.5
(83.3)		 25.8
(78.4)		 22.8
(73.0)		 20.3
(68.5)		 17.1
(62.8)		 24.1
(75.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 10.2
(50.4)		 12.8
(55.0)		 16.6
(61.9)		 19.6
(67.3)		 21.5
(70.7)		 22.0
(71.6)		 22.8
(73.0)		 22.6
(72.7)		 20.3
(68.5)		 17.2
(63.0)		 13.6
(56.5)		 10.2
(50.4)		 17.5
(63.4)
Average low °C (°F) 4.8
(40.6)		 7.0
(44.6)		 10.3
(50.5)		 13.4
(56.1)		 16.3
(61.3)		 18.2
(64.8)		 19.1
(66.4)		 18.8
(65.8)		 16.9
(62.4)		 13.8
(56.8)		 9.2
(48.6)		 5.5
(41.9)		 12.8
(55.0)
Record low °C (°F) −3.1
(26.4)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 0.3
(32.5)		 3.0
(37.4)		 7.1
(44.8)		 11.4
(52.5)		 12.7
(54.9)		 13.0
(55.4)		 8.9
(48.0)		 6.4
(43.5)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 −3.5
(25.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 4.6
(0.18)		 5.8
(0.23)		 13.6
(0.54)		 32.3
(1.27)		 83.0
(3.27)		 234.5
(9.23)		 234.8
(9.24)		 179.6
(7.07)		 163.3
(6.43)		 67.5
(2.66)		 16.8
(0.66)		 5.0
(0.20)		 1,040.8
(40.98)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 2.6 2.9 5.0 8.7 13.0 19.0 17.9 15.9 15.6 11.7 4.2 2.0 118.5
Average snowy days 1.1 1.0 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 0.6 2.9
Average relative humidity (%) 49 43 41 45 54 71 74 71 74 71 63 59 60
Mean monthly sunshine hours 221.5 216.7 247.4 235.9 207.2 136.6 142.8 163.5 126.6 142.2 186.0 198.3 2,224.7
Percent possible sunshine 67 68 66 61 49 33 34 41 35 40 58 62 51
Source: China Meteorological Administration[8][9][10]

Administrative divisions

Xichang comprises 7 subdistricts, 11 towns, 6 townships and 2 ethnic townships.

Name Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Yi Romanized Yi Administrative division code
Subdistricts
Beicheng Subdistrict 北城街道 Běichéng Jiēdào ꀙꍰꏦꈜ bip chep jie gga 513401001
Xicheng Subdistrict 西城街道 Xīchéng Jiēdào ꑟꍰꏦꈜ xi chep jie gga 513401002
Dongcheng Subdistrict 东城街道 Dōngchéng Jiēdào ꄏꍰꏦꈜ do chep jie gga 513401003
Chang'an Subdistrict 长安街道 Cháng'ān Jiēdào ꍤꉢꏦꈜ chap nga jie gga 513401004
Xincun Subdistrict 新村街道 Xīncūn Jiēdào ꑟꋂꏦꈜ xi ce jie gga 513401005
Hainan Subdistrict 海南街道 Hǎinán Jiēdào ꉰꇂꏦꈜ hie lap jie gga 513401007
Madao Subdistrict 马道街道 Mǎdào Jiēdào ꂶꄐꏦꈜ max dop jie gga 513401008
Towns
Lizhou Town 礼州镇 Lǐzhōu Zhèn ꇉꂾꍔ lo mox zhep 513401101
Anning Town 安宁镇 Ānníng Zhèn ꉢꆀꍔ nga nip zhep 513401102
Chuanxing Town 川兴镇 Chuānxīng Zhèn ꍧꑟꍔ chuo xi zhep 513401103
Huanglianguang Town 黄联关镇 Huángliánguān Zhèn ꉸꆃꇨꍔ huop niep guo zhep 513401104
Youjun Town 佑君镇 Yòujūn Zhèn ꒀꏢꍔ yop ji zhep 513401105
Taihe Town 太和镇 Tàihé Zhèn ꄠꉼꍔ tiep hop zhep 513401106
Anha Town 安哈镇 Ānhā Zhèn ꉢꉳꍔ nga ha zhep 513401107
Aqi Town 阿七镇 Āqī Zhèn ꀈꐕꍔ at qyp zhep 513401108
Zhangmuqing Town 樟木箐镇 Zhāngmùqìng Zhèn ꍈꃆꏿꍔ zha mup qip zhep 513401109
Langhuan Town 琅环镇 Lánghuán Zhèn ꇂꉸꍔ lap huop zhep 513401110
Baru Town 巴汝镇 Bārǔ Zhèn ꀠꌼꍔ ba ssut zhep 513401111
Townships
Sihe Township 四合乡 Sìhé Xiāng ꌧꉼꑣ syp hop xie 513401203
Kaiyuan Township 开元乡 Kāiyuán Xiāng ꇽꑸꑣ kie yiep xie 513401211
Daxing Township 大兴乡 Dàxīng Xiāng ꄉꑟꑣ da xi xie 513401212
Jingjiu Township 经久乡 Jīngjiǔ Xiāng ꏢꏭꑣ ji jox xie 513401215
Ma'anshan Township 马鞍山乡 Mǎ'ānshān Xiāng ꂶꉢꎭꑣ max nga sha xie 513401228
Ethnic townships
Yulong Hui Ethnic Township 裕隆回族乡 Yùlóng Huízú Xiāng ꒄꇊꉇꉈꑣ yup lop hxix hxi xie 513401219
Gaocao Hui Ethnic Township 高草回族乡 Gāocǎo Huízú Xiāng ꇨꊿꉇꉈꑣ guo co hxix hxi xie 513401220

Transportation

Xichang Railway Station (西昌站) is a main station on the Chengdu–Kunming railway. Construction of a fast express train line has been completed, and has considerably shortenened travelling times to Panzhihua, Chengdu and Guangyuan. There are also some other stations in the city, including the Xichang North railway station and Xichang South railway station.

The city possesses its own airport, Xichang Qingshan Airport, which is attached to the spaceport by a railroad line and a motorway directly.

Xichang lies on the G5 Beijing–Kunming Expressway.

Spaceport
Main article: Xichang Satellite Launch Center

Xichang's spaceport is located about 64 kilometres (40 mi) northwest of the city and went into operation in 1984. Communications satellites are the most common payload to be inserted into orbit from the Xichang spaceport.

Explanatory notes
  1. Also formerly romanized as Caindu, Gaindu, and Kaindu.[2]
  2. Also formerly romanized as Keen-chang.[3]

References

Citations
  1. "凉山州第七次全国人口普查公报（第二号）——县（市）人口情况" (in Chinese). Government of Liangshan Prefecture. 2021-06-02.
  2. Vogel 2012, p. 290.
  3. EB (1878), Vol. V, "China".
  4. Haw 2006, p. 99–100.
  5. Polo (1903), Vol. II, p. 54.
  6. "Diocese of Xichang". ucanews.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  7. "Significant Earthquake Information". ngdc.noaa.gov. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  8. 中国气象数据网 - WeatherBk Data (in Chinese (China)). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  9. 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  10. 中国地面国际交换站气候标准值月值数据集（1971－2000年）. China Meteorological Administration. Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2010-05-25.

General and cited references
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