Guang'an is a

prefecture-level city A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province of China, province and above a Counties of the People's Republic of China, county in China's ...

in eastern

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

province. It is most famous as the birthplace of China's former paramount leader

Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping also Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Teng Hsiao-p'ing; born Xiansheng (). (22 August 190419 February 1997) was a Chinese statesman, revolutionary, and political theorist who served as the paramount leader of the People's R ...

. Guang'an lies between the hills of central Sichuan and the gorges area of the east. Guang'an is the only "Sichuan Chongqing Cooperation Demonstration Zone" in Sichuan and the nearest prefecture level city from the main city of Chongqing. It has been incorporated into the one-hour economic circle of Chongqing. Because of its strategic location, it is called the "Gateway to Eastern Sichuan". Its population, as of the 2020 census, was 3,254,883, of whom 976,370 lived in the built-up (''or metro'') area made up of two urban districts.

Geography and climate

Guang'an is located on a gradually rising section along the edge of the Sichuan Basin. The area is . The eastern part of Guang'an is mountainous, the central part hilly, and the western part is relatively flat. The elevation ranges from only 185 to 1704 meters above sea-level. The main rivers are the Qu through the center of the area and the Jialing through the west. The climate is temperate and the weather is monsoonal. The average annual temperature ranges from 16°C to 18°C, with January being the coldest month (average temperature: 6°C) and July being the warmest (average temperature: 28°C). The humidity levels are relatively high throughout the year, with an average relative humidity of around 75%. Winters are mild and summers are hot. The average rainfall is between . The frost-free period lasts 310–324 days. Winter and spring have relatively little rain while in summer there are heavy rain showers. Autumns have almost constant rain and light wind.

Administration

Guang'an city has 1 (sub)city, 3

counties A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

, 87

towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

, and 2886

villages A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

within it, and a total population of 3,205,476 in the 2010 census. None of the districts are urban in character as of 2010. Nevertheless, large-scale dense urban building projects and even urban

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...

were nearing completion as of 2019, remaking the urbanscape entirely, and making the 2010 census data out-dated.

Transport

The city lies on the north–south China National Highway 212. A , seven-station monorail is under construction as part of the planned two line Guang'an Metro. The first line was due to open in 2020 but testing has been delayed and as of June 2021, the line is still not open.

Economy

Guang'an's economy is natural resource based. Mineral resources are plentiful and the soil is ideal for

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. Guang'an is breaking down policy barriers with neighboring

Chongqing ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...

through innovative reforms, driving economic development in a key western China city cluster vital to the nation's automobile industry, according to Wang Ying, a deputy to the 14th

National People's Congress The National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The NPC is the only branch of government in China, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs from the Sta ...

Tourism

Chinese leader

's birthplace and former residence museum is located in Paifang village () in Xiexing town (). Guang'an also has beautiful natural scenery, including many mountains and gorges designated as parks.

Notes

References

{{authority control Cities in Sichuan Prefecture-level divisions of Sichuan National Civilized City