Yuzhou, Henan

Yuzhou ( zh, s=禹州, w=Yü-chou, p=Yǔzhōu) is a county-level city in the central part of Henan, People's Republic of China. Yuzhou City, referred to as "Jun", was called Yangzhai, Junzhou and Yingchuan in ancient times, and also called Xiadu, Jundu and Medicine Capital. It occupies the northwest corner of the prefecture-level city of Xuchang. The city is named for Yu the Great, the founder of the Xia Dynasty, which the city's government claims was founded in present-day Yuzhou, and that the dynasty's capital was located in present-day Yuzhou. There is a statue of Yu the Great in Yuzhou, and he serves as a symbol of the city.

The famous Jun ware () of porcelain originates in Yuzhou, specifically, in the town of (). Jun ware comprises one of the Five Great Kilns, a group of highly esteemed porcelain types from the Song dynasty. Yuzhou has historically served as a major center of traditional Chinese medicine, and the city's historic medicinal tradition has been recognized by the national government. Famous Chinese doctor Sun Simiao () had been a doctor in Yuzhou for a long period of time during the Tang dynasty.

Nicknames for the city include "Summer Capital" (), "Jun Capital" (), and "Medicine Capital" (). Yuzhou was named the first historical and cultural city in Henan Province in 1989. In 2011, it was named "China Ceramics Historical and Cultural City", and in 2018, it was named "National Health City" by the .

History

The Wadian archeological site, part of a network of sites belonging to the Late Neolithic Longshan culture, is located in Yuzhou. The Wadian site spans an area of about , and contains a large complex believed to be an ancestral temple.

Yuzhou was changed from a county to a county-level city in 1988.

At the beginning of January 2022, it was forced into a COVID-19 lockdown after three asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 variants were discovered.

Geography

Located in central Henan Province, the transition zone between Funiu Mountain and southeast Henan Plain, the city covers an area of 1469 square kilometers, and the general trend of terrain is tilted from northwest to southeast.

Yuzhou's urban center is located from Xinzheng International Airport, and from the urban center of the provincial capital of Zhengzhou.

23.24% of Yuzhou's area is forested.

Climate

Administrative divisions

Yuzhou is directly divided into 5 subdistricts, 19 towns, 1 township, and 1 ethnic township. These 26 township-level divisions then further administer 678 village-level divisions.

Subdistricts

Towns

Townships

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Ethnic townships

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Demographics

As of 2020, the per capita disposable income of Yuzhou's urban residents reached 35,330 renminbi (RMB), a 1.6% increase from 2019. This figure stood at 20,442 RMB for the city's rural residents, a 6.3% increase from 2019. 52% of Yuzhou's residents live in urban areas.

95% of Yuzhou's population is connected to the city's water grid, 90% of the population has a gas connection, and 58% receive municipal heating.

As of March 2023, the total population of Yuzhou is 1.3 million, and the urban permanent population is 470,000.

Economy

In 2022, Yuzhou's GDP reached 92.69 billion yuan, an increase of 2.7%; Revenue in the general public budget was 3.05 billion yuan, up 12% year on year.

Yuzhou is located in the Central Plains Economic Zone, an economic region of central Henan province, and borders the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone.

Agriculture

Crops used in traditional Chinese medicine are grown in large quantities in Yuzhou, and a 2021 government publication estimates that about of cropland are used to grow plants for use in traditional Chinese medicine. The same report estimated that of cropland in Yuzhou is used to grow sweet potatoes. Grains are also grown in large quantities throughout the city, and a large number of pigs are raised Yuzhou.

Natural resources

The area of Yuzhou is home to significant deposits of coal, limestone, bauxite, and clay.

Electricity generation

The city is home to thermal power plants with a capacity of 2.02 million kilowatts.

Transportation

Rail

The Beijing–Guangzhou railway passes through east of Yuzhou. The Yuzhou–Dengfeng railway () runs through the western portion of Yuzhou, connecting the city to nearby Dengfeng. The begins in the city, linking it to the prefecture-level city of Bozhou in northwestern Anhui province.

Major roads

passes through east of Yuzhou. Major roads which run through Yuzhou include the G1516 Yancheng–Luoyang Expressway, the S88 Zhengzhou–Xixia Expressway, and Henan provincial highways S103, S237, and S325.

Tourist attraction

There are Shen垕 ancient town, Junguan kiln site museum, Dahongzhai, China Jun porcelain Culture Park and other tourist attractions.

Celebrity

There were Han Fei, Lu Buwei, Zhang Liang, Wu Daozi, Chao Cuo, Chu Suiliang, Guo Jia, Sima Hui and other famous historical figures in Yuzhou.

References

{{County-level divisions of Henan

Cities in Henan
County-level divisions of Henan
Xuchang
Late Neolithic