Dazhou

Dazhou
达州市
Prefecture-level city

Location of Dazhou City jurisdiction in Sichuan
Country China
Province Sichuan
  384,525
Time zone China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code 635000
Area code(s) 0818
Licence Plate Prefixes 川S
Administrative division code 511700
ISO 3166-2 CN-51-17
Website http://www.dazhou.gov.cn/

Dazhou (simplified Chinese: 达州; traditional Chinese: 達州; pinyin: Dázhōu; Wade–Giles: Ta-chou) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast corner of Sichuan province, China, bordering Shaanxi to the north and Chongqing to the east and south. 2002 population was 384,525.[1]

Geography and climate

Dazhou is the easternmost prefecture-level division of the province, bordering Ankang and Hanzhong (both in Shaanxi) to the north, Chengkou County, Kai County, and Wanzhou District of Chongqing to the east, the Chongqing counties of Liangping and Dianjiang to the south, Guang'an to the southwest, Nanchong to the west, and Bazhong to the northwest. It is centrally located between Chongqing and Xi'an. The area is 16,600 square kilometres (6,400 sq mi).

The terrain is largely mountainous (Daba Mountains and adjacent ranges).

Typical of the Sichuan Basin, Dazhou has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) and is largely mild and humid, with four distinct seasons. Winter is short, mild, and foggy, though actual precipitation is low. January averages 6.1 °C (43.0 °F) and, while frost may occur, snow is rare. Summers are long, hot and humid, with highs often exceeding 33 °C (91 °F). The monthly daily average in August, the warmest month, is 27.5 °C (81.5 °F). Rainfall is light in winter and can be heavy in summer, and over 70% of the annual total occurs from May to September. The annual frost-free period lasts around 300 days.

Climate data for Dazhou(1971−2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.1
(62.8)		 24.5
(76.1)		 31.7
(89.1)		 35.3
(95.5)		 37.5
(99.5)		 37.4
(99.3)		 38.9
(102)		 41.2
(106.2)		 39.6
(103.3)		 33.8
(92.8)		 28.8
(83.8)		 18.4
(65.1)		 41.2
(106.2)
Average high °C (°F) 9.4
(48.9)		 11.9
(53.4)		 16.3
(61.3)		 22.4
(72.3)		 26.7
(80.1)		 29.2
(84.6)		 32.2
(90)		 33.1
(91.6)		 27.1
(80.8)		 21.6
(70.9)		 16.4
(61.5)		 10.8
(51.4)		 21.4
(70.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6.1
(43)		 8.1
(46.6)		 12.0
(53.6)		 17.3
(63.1)		 21.5
(70.7)		 24.5
(76.1)		 27.2
(81)		 27.5
(81.5)		 22.6
(72.7)		 17.5
(63.5)		 12.5
(54.5)		 7.7
(45.9)		 17.0
(62.6)
Average low °C (°F) 3.8
(38.8)		 5.3
(41.5)		 8.8
(47.8)		 13.5
(56.3)		 17.7
(63.9)		 21.0
(69.8)		 23.6
(74.5)		 23.4
(74.1)		 19.6
(67.3)		 14.8
(58.6)		 10.0
(50)		 5.5
(41.9)		 13.9
(57.0)
Record low °C (°F) −3.7
(25.3)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 −0.1
(31.8)		 4.8
(40.6)		 9.7
(49.5)		 14.0
(57.2)		 16.4
(61.5)		 17.3
(63.1)		 12.8
(55)		 2.8
(37)		 1.0
(33.8)		 −4.5
(23.9)		 −4.5
(23.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 16.5
(0.65)		 17.2
(0.677)		 44.1
(1.736)		 95.3
(3.752)		 153.5
(6.043)		 168.3
(6.626)		 220.6
(8.685)		 156.9
(6.177)		 155.8
(6.134)		 109.1
(4.295)		 48.0
(1.89)		 22.1
(0.87)		 1,207.4
(47.535)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 8.2 8.1 11.3 13.3 14.3 14.4 13.9 11.2 14.4 13.9 10.7 8.4 142.1
Source: Weather China

Transportation

History

A taotie on the Han Dynasty Shen family Mausoleum (Mausoleum of the Prefect of Shen, 沈府君阙)

Dazhou's history goes back to the Eastern Han Dynasty when in 90 AD it was made a county by the name of Liweizhou (历为州). Then until the Liao Dynasty its name was Zaidi (在地). During the Liao and Tang dynasties its name was again changed, this time to Tongzhou (通州). Finally in the Song Dynasty it was given its present name of Dazhou.

Notable people from Dazhou include the Three Kingdoms writer Chen Shou, Song Dynasty astronomer Zhang Sixun, and Ming and Qing Dynasty philosopher and educator Tang Zhen. Dazhou also made notable contributions to the Communist Revolution. Red Army heroes such as Xu Xiangqian, Li Xiannian, Xu Shiyou, Wang Weizhou (王维舟), and Zhang Aiping were all from, or lived in, Dazhou.

The partially preserved mausoleum complex (in particular, its gate towers, known as que of the Shen (沈) family in Qu County, dating from the Han Dynasty, is a well-known architectural monument.[2][3]

The Peace Corps has sent English teaching volunteers to both branches of the Sichuan University of Arts and Science for over 15 years.

Administration

It is one of Sichuan's most populous cities with 6,380,000 residents.

Map
Name Hanzi Hanyu Pinyin Population (2004 est.) Area (km²) Density (/km²)
Tongchuan District 通川区 Tōngchuān Qū 390,000 451 865
Dachuan District 达川区 Dáchuān Qū 1,240,000 2,688 461
Wanyuan City 万源市 Wànyuán Shì 560,000 4,065 138
Xuanhan County 宣汉县 Xuānhàn Xiàn 1,170,000 4,266 274
Kaijiang County 开江县 Kāijiāng Xiàn 570,000 1,033 552
Dazhu County 大竹县 Dàzhú Xiàn 1,070,000 2,075 516
Qu County 渠县 Qú Xiàn 1,370,000 2,013 681

Economy

Dazhou is an important river and land transportation hub for the region. Numerous national highways, expressways, and rail lines pass through Dazhou connecting it directly with major cities in China such as Chengdu, Xi'an, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing, etc., making it one of Sichuan's important trade centers.

Dazhou has numerous natural resources including large natural gas fields and an abundance of mineral resources such as salt, coal, manganese, lithium, and limestone. Major agricultural products include pork, beef, and tea. Other industries are chemical production, coal power, metallurgy, textiles, building materials, and processed food.

Tourism

Dazhou is blessed with both cultural and natural attractions. There are several national and provincial cultural sites and many national and provincial protected forests and nature reserves. Xuanhan's Baili Gorges have scenery and rapids, leading to the nickname "Little Three Gorges". Mountains are this area's greatest attraction.

Protest of January 2007

Dazhou's Dazhu County was the site of a mass protest in January 2007.

Notes

  1. ↑ http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3A240
  2. ↑ Victor Segalen, "Chine. La grande statuaire", and "Les origines de la statuaire en Chine", p. 46 sq
  3. ↑ 沈府君阙

Coordinates: 31°13′N 107°30′E / 31.217°N 107.500°E / 31.217; 107.500

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