Lichuan, Hubei
|
Lichuan 利川市 |
|
|---|---|
| County-level city | |
 Lichuan
|
|
| Coordinates: 30°18′N 108°55′E / 30.300°N 108.917°ECoordinates: 30°18′N 108°55′E / 30.300°N 108.917°E | |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Province | Hubei |
| Prefecture | Enshi |
| Township-level divisions | 2 subdistricts 6 towns 6 townships |
| Municipal seat | Duting Subdistrict (都亭街道) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4,603 km2 (1,777 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,083 m (3,553 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 870,000 |
| • Density | 190/km2 (490/sq mi) |
| Time zone | China Standard (UTC+8) |
| Area code(s) | 0718 |
Lichuan (Chinese: 利川市; pinyin: Lìchuān) is a county-level city of the Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in southwestern Hubei province, People's Republic of China, located 52 kilometres (32 mi) west of Enshi City, the prefecture seat, as the crow flies. It has approximately 73,000 inhabitants.
Lichuan is believed to be the location of most (if not all) of the naturally growing Metasequoia glyptostroboides trees in existence. The Metasequoia genus, related to the giant redwoods of North America, was first described as a fossil from the Mesozoic Era in 1941. But in 1943 a small stand of an unidentified tree was discovered in Modaoxi (磨刀溪), presently known as Moudao () Town, in Lichuan County, by Zhan Wang. After the end of the World War II, this tree species was officially described as the only living species of Metasequoia, and given the scientific name Metasequoia glyptostroboides. In 1948 the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University sent an expedition to Lichuan to collect seeds and, soon after, seedling trees were distributed to various universities and arboreta worldwide for growth trials.
Presently, a number of natural Metasequoia populations exist in the hills and wetlands of Lichuan. Most of these groups are small, with fewer than 30 trees each; however, the largest of them, in Xiaohe Valley, is estimated to consist of around 5,400 trees. Outside of Lichuan, a few trees are also said to exist in the Hunan Province.
The Tenglong Cave is located within a few miles from Lichuan.
...
Wikipedia