Dazhou

Dazhou 达州市 Tachow
Prefecture-level city
Covered bridge
Location of Dazhou City jurisdiction in Sichuan
Coordinates (Dazhou municipal government): 31°12′33″N 107°28′04″E / 31.2093°N 107.4678°E / 31.2093; 107.4678
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Sichuan
Municipal seat	Tongchuan District
Area
• Prefecture-level city	16,591 km2 (6,406 sq mi)
• Urban	3,137 km2 (1,211 sq mi)
• Metro	3,137 km2 (1,211 sq mi)
Population  (2020 census)[1]
• Prefecture-level city	5,385,422
• Density	320/km2 (840/sq mi)
• Urban	1,850,869
• Urban density	590/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
• Metro	1,850,869
• Metro density	590/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
GDP[2]
• Prefecture-level city	CN¥ 135.1 billion US$ 21.7 billion
• Per capita	CN¥ 24,343 US$ 3,908
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code	635000
Area code	0818
ISO 3166 code	CN-SC-17
Licence Plate Prefixes	川S
Administrative division code	511700
Website	www.dazhou.gov.cn/index.html

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.^[3] As of 2020 census, Dazhou was home to 5,385,422 inhabitants whom 1,850,869 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of 2 urban districts.

History

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 of the Shen (沈) family in Qu County (particularly its gate towers known as que) built in the Han Dynasty, is a well-known architectural monument.^[4]

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 July, the warmest month, is 27.4 °C (81.3 °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.

Administration

It is one of Sichuan's most populous cities with 5,468,097 residents as of 2010 census.

Map
Tongchuan Dachuan Xuanhan County Kaijiang County Dazhu County Qu County Wanyuan (city)
Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2010 census)	Area (km2)	Density (/km2)
Tongchuan District	通川区	Tōngchuān Qū	478,276	901	531
Dachuan District	达川区	Dáchuān Qū	1,111,159	2,236	497
Wanyuan City	万源市	Wànyuán Shì	407,594	4,045	101
Xuanhan County	宣汉县	Xuānhàn Xiàn	1,006,826	4,272	236
Kaijiang County	开江县	Kāijiāng Xiàn	430,877	1,030	418
Dazhu County	大竹县	Dàzhú Xiàn	876,884	2,077	422
Qu County	渠县	Qú Xiàn	1,156,481	2,019	573

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 has 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.

Points of interest

Until 2016 a highrise building with 16 floors at 31°11'28"N 107°30'43"E had a 20 metres tall electricity pylon on its roof. In 2016 the line including the pylon was dismantled. [1].

Transportation

• China National Highway 210
• Xiangyu Railway (Xiangyang, Hubei−Chongqing)
• Dazhou–Chengdu railway
• A branch line from Dacheng to Wanzhou, Chongqing where it connects with the Yiwan Railway
• Dazhou Jinya Airport, a new airport opened in May 2022

References

External links

• Official Website (in Chinese)