Guangyuan () is a
prefecture-level city in
Sichuan Province, China, bordering the provinces of
Shaanxi to the northeast and
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
to the northwest. The city has a population of 2,305,657 as of the
2020 census.
Located roughly between the provincial capitals
Chengdu
Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...
,
Lanzhou
Lanzhou (, ; ) is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. Located on the banks of the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas further west by rail to the eastern half of the country. H ...
,
Xi'an and
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
municipality, it is considered the northern gateway to Sichuan. It is an ancient city, notable for its relics and tombs.
History
Formerly known as Lizhou (, or Li
prefecture
A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...
), Guangyuan was the birthplace of
Wu Zetian, the only woman in
Chinese history
The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...
to bear the title
Empress Regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
.
On May 12, 2008 a
magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred. 4,822 people were killed, 28,245 injured, and 125 missing in the city as of June 7, 2008.
Economy
Guangyuan's economy is based on a diverse array of
heavy industry, as well as mining and agriculture. Plant 821, a former large
plutonium producing reactor, now used to process
nuclear waste, is located near Guangyuan. The city is an important production center for
traditional Chinese medicine.
Administrative divisions
Climate
Transport
Located roughly between the provincial capitals
Chengdu
Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...
,
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
,
Lanzhou
Lanzhou (, ; ) is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. Located on the banks of the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas further west by rail to the eastern half of the country. H ...
,
Xi'an, Guangyuan is an important traffic hub in northern Sichuan. The city has a port on the
Jialing River, which is the closest inland port to
Northwest China, and navigable all the way the east coast.
*
China National Highway 212
*
G5 Beijing–Kunming Expressway
*
G5012 Enguang Expressway
G5, G.V, G.5 or G-5 may refer to:
Businesses and companies
* G5 Entertainment, a video game developer and publisher; see list of PlayStation minis
* G5, IATA code for China Express Airlines
Electronics and software
* Canon PowerShot G5, a digita ...
*
G75 Lanzhou–Haikou Expressway
The Lanzhou–Haikou Expressway (), designated as G75 and commonly referred to as the Lanhai Expressway () is an expressway in China that connects the cities of Lanzhou, Gansu, and Haikou, Hainan. When fully complete, it will be in length. It ...
*
Baoji–Chengdu railway (part of the main route from Chengdu to Xi'an and Beijing)
*
Xi'an–Chengdu high-speed railway (completed in December 2017)
*
Lanzhou–Chongqing high-speed railway
*
Cuisine
Guangyuan is known for Wangcang noodles.
References
External links
Official website of Guangyuan Government
{{authority control
Cities in Sichuan
Prefecture-level divisions of Sichuan