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Xichang

Xichang
西昌市 · ꀒꎂꏃ
County-level city
Location of Xichang City jurisdiction (red) within Liangshan Prefecture (yellow) and Sichuan
Location of Xichang City jurisdiction (red) within Liangshan Prefecture (yellow) and Sichuan
Xichang is located in Sichuan
Xichang
Xichang
Location in Sichuan
Coordinates: 27°53′40″N 102°15′52″E / 27.89444°N 102.26444°E / 27.89444; 102.26444Coordinates: 27°53′40″N 102°15′52″E / 27.89444°N 102.26444°E / 27.89444; 102.26444
Country China
Province Sichuan
Prefecture Liangshan
Municipal seat Beicheng Subdistrict (北城街道)
Area
 • Total 2,651 km2 (1,024 sq mi)
Elevation 1,542 m (5,059 ft)
Population (2012)
 • Total 481,796
 • Density 180/km2 (470/sq mi)
Time zone China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code 615000
Area code(s) 0834
Xichang
XC name.svg
Chinese name
Chinese
Literal meaning Western Prosperity
Yi name
Yi ꀒꎂ
Romanisation:(Op Rro)
Former names
Jiandu
Chinese
Literal meaning Establishing Capital
Jianchang
Chinese
Literal meaning Establishing Prosperity

Xichang, formerly known as Jiandu and Jianchang, is a city in and the seat of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, in the south of Sichuan Province, China. In 2012 it had a population of 481,796.

Xichang lies in a mountainous region of far southern Sichuan. The city is just northeast of the prefecture-level city of Panzhihua. The Anning River is the main river in the area. It is an affluent of the Yalong, Jinsha, and Yangtze rivers. It lies near Qionghai Lake.

Owing to its low latitude and high elevation, Xichang has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) milder and far sunnier than the Sichuan Basin, with mild, very sunny and dry winters, and very warm, rainy summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 9.6 °C (49.3 °F) in January to 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 16.90 °C (62.4 °F). Over 60% of the 1,010 mm (40 in) annual precipitation occurs from June to August. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 36% in September to 72% in January, the city receives 2,367 hours of bright sunshine annually.

The Qiongdu were the local people at the time of contact with China. The county of Qiongdu is attested in the area from the Han dynasty. Under the Song, a local lord was given the title of "King of the Qiongdu" (Qiongdu Wang). The area formed part of the medieval Kingdom of Dali and was subdued by the Mongolians from 1272–4, after which it was incorporated into Yunnan Province of the Yuan Empire. It was organized as the Jiandu Ningyuan duhufu, qianhufu, or wanhufu but continued to be often known as Jiandu. In the book of his travels, Marco Polo recorded that the people of Jiandu and its hinterland used no coins but rods of gold bullion reckoned in saggi. Small change was made using half-catty pieces of molded salt, each reckoned as one-eightieth of a saggio of pure gold. Under the Qing, it was officially known as Ningyuan Commandery but also continued to be referenced under the old name Jianchang. In the 19th century, it was the center of Sichuan's production of "white wax".


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