Yichang (;
pinyin: Yíchāng) is a
prefecture-level city in
Hubei province of
China.
Administrative divisions
- Dianjun District (点军区) - the part of the urban area southwest of the Changjiang (across from the city ceter), and suburbs
Geography
As most prefecture-level cities, Yichang includes both an urban area (what's labeled on less detaield map as "Yichang") and the surrounding country area. It covers 21,084 km² in Western Hubei Province, on both sides of the
Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River. The the
Xiling Gorge (西陵峡), the easternmost of the
Three Gorges on the
Yangtze River, is located within the prefecture-level city.
Within the prefecture-level city of Yichang, Chang Jiang's is joined by a number of tributaries, including the
Qing River (
Qing Jiang) (left), Xiang Xi and
Huangbo Rivers (right).
The central urban area of Yichang is split between several districts. On the right (northeastern) bank of the Chang Jiang are located
Xiling District (where the city center is located), Yiling District (neighborhoods north of the center) and Wujiagang District (southern area). The city area on the opposite (southeastern) bank of the river is included into Dianjun District. All these districts, with the exception of the central Xiling, also include a fair amount of suburban/rural area outside of the city urban core.
The temperature averages 16-18°C (60-65°F).
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. Yichang was also the site of a famous battle during the
Three Kingdoms era, the
Battle of Yiling.
In 1876, under the
Qing Emperor
Guangxu, Yichang
was opened to foreign trade as a trading port after the
Second Opium War with
Britain. The imperial government set up a navigation company there. Wharves were built as well, but before 1949 the wharf area was only less than half a kilometer in length.After 1949, more than 50 wharves have been constructed at the port so that its wharf area is now over 15 km long. There are the
shiplocks at
Gezhouba Water Control Project.
During WWII when China was fighting with Japan, an encounter battle (Hui Zhan) happened in the area.
Transport
Roads and bridges
Several provincial highways connect Yichang center city with most counties.
Several bridges span the
Chang Jiang within the prefecture-level city of Yichang, including (upstream to downstream):
There are several ferry crossings as well.
Waterways
Yichang is an important river port on the
Chang Jiang. Maoping Zhen (the county seat of
Zigui County, often simply referred to as Zigui) has a an active passenger wharf as well.
Railway
The eastern part of the prefecture-level city has railway service. The passenger station in Yichang center city has daily trains to
Wuhan (both to
Hankou and
Wuchang stations),
Beijing, and a few other major cities.
Demographics
Yichang has a population of 4,150,000 with urban population of 1,338,000. It is home of the
Tujia ethnic group.
Yichang also formed the border between the cultures of
Ba in the west (an ancient state in the eastern part of what is now
Sichuan Province) and the
Chu State in the east (an ancient state in what is now Hubei Province and northern
Hunan Province).
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. It is fueled by the Gezhouba Hydra Project (
Gezhouba Dam) and the
Three Gorges Dam, which is 40 km upstream.
