Guiyang

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For other uses, see Guiyang (disambiguation).
Guiyang
贵阳
—  Prefecture-level city  —
贵阳市
Night view of Hongfu Temple and bussines area in Baiyun Park
Nickname(s): The Forest City, The Summer Capital of China, The Second Spring City
Location of Guiyang City (yellow) in Guizhou and the PRC
Guiyang is located in China
Guiyang
Location in China
Coordinates: 26°39′N 106°38′E / 26.650°N 106.633°E / 26.650; 106.633Coordinates: 26°39′N 106°38′E / 26.650°N 106.633°E / 26.650; 106.633
Country People's Republic of China
Province Guizhou
Area
 • Prefecture-level city 8,034 km2 (3,102 sq mi)
 • Urban 2,403.4 km2 (928.0 sq mi)
Elevation 1,275 m (4,183 ft)
Population (2010 census)
 • Prefecture-level city 4,324,561
 • Density 540/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
 • Urban 3,037,159
 • Urban density 1,300/km2 (3,300/sq mi)
Time zone China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code 550000
Area code(s) (0)851
Licence plate prefixes 贵A
Website http://www.gygov.gov.cn/

Guìyáng (Chinese: 贵阳) is the capital of Guizhou province of Southwest China. It is located in the centre of the province, situated on the east of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, and on the north bank of the Nanming River, a branch of the Wu River. The city has an elevation of about 1,100 meters. It has an area of 8,034 square kilometres (3,102 sq mi).[1] Its population is 4,324,561 at the 2010 census whom 3,037,159[2] live in the built up area made of 7 urban districts.

History[edit]

An early-18th-century French map of Guiyang

The city was first constructed as early as 1283 AD during the Yuan Dynasty. It was originally called Shunyuan (順元), meaning obeying the Yuan (the Mongol rulers).

Originally the area was populated by non-Chinese. The Sui Dynasty (AD 581–618) had a commandery there, and the Tang dynasty (618–907) a prefecture. They were, however, no more than military outposts, and it was not until the Yuan (Mongol) invasion of southwest China in 1279 that the area was made the seat of an army and a "pacification office." Chinese settlement in the area also began at that time, and, under the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, the town became the seat of a superior prefecture named Guiyang.

Locally Guiyang was an important administrative and commercial center with two distinct merchant communities, consisting of the Sichuanese, who lived in the "new" northern part of the city, and those from Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi province, who lived in the "old" southern part. Nevertheless, until the Sino-Japanese War (1937–45), Guiyang was no more than the capital of one of China's least-developed provinces. As elsewhere in the southwest, considerable economic progress was made under the special circumstances of wartime. Road transport infrastructure with Kunming in Yunnan province and with Chongqing in Sichuan (China's wartime provisional capital) and into Hunan were established. Work was begun on a railway from Liuzhou in Guangxi, and after 1949 this development was accelerated. Guiyang has subsequently become a major provincial city and industrial base. In 1959 the rail network in Guangxi was completed, allowing seamless connection from Guizhou to Chongqing to the north, to Kunming to the west, and Changsha to the east.

Geography[edit]

Guiyang
Simplified Chinese 贵阳
Traditional Chinese 貴陽
Hanyu Pinyin Guìyáng
Literal meaning The South of The Gui Mountain

Guiyang has grown exponentially since the 1990s. The city's heart is around the 大十字 (literally "Big Cross") which is a cross, resembling the Chinese character for ten, and 喷水池 (literally "Fountain Pool") which is a traffic intersection which had a large fountain at its center, until the fountain was paved over in early 2010 to help improve the flow of traffic.

The city is situated on the Nanming River, a headstream of the Wu River, which eventually joins the Yangtze River at Fuling, Chongqing. Guiyang is a natural transportation center, with comparatively easy access northward to Sichuan, eastward to Guangxi and Guangdong, westward to Yunnan, and northeast to Hunan province.

Climate[edit]

Guiyang has a four-season, monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), tempered by its low latitude and high elevation. It has fairly mild winters and hot, humid (but cool for Chinese standards) summers; the majority of the year's 1,118 millimetres (44.0 in) of precipitation occurs from May to July. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 5.1 °C (41.2 °F) in January to 23.9 °C (75.0 °F) in July, while the annual mean is 15.35 °C (59.6 °F). Rain is common throughout the year, with occasional flurries in winter. At only 1150 hours of sunshine, it is also one of China's least sunny cities. Average monthly relative humidity is consistently above 75% throughout the year.

Climate data for Guiyang (1971−2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 8.8
(47.8)		 10.8
(51.4)		 16.1
(61)		 21.2
(70.2)		 24.1
(75.4)		 26.4
(79.5)		 28.3
(82.9)		 28.5
(83.3)		 25.1
(77.2)		 20.5
(68.9)		 15.9
(60.6)		 11.6
(52.9)		 19.8
(67.6)
Average low °C (°F) 2.7
(36.9)		 4.0
(39.2)		 7.8
(46)		 12.7
(54.9)		 16.3
(61.3)		 19.1
(66.4)		 20.7
(69.3)		 20.2
(68.4)		 17.4
(63.3)		 13.3
(55.9)		 9.0
(48.2)		 4.7
(40.5)		 12.3
(54.2)
Precipitation mm (inches) 20.5
(0.807)		 20.1
(0.791)		 32.8
(1.291)		 87.6
(3.449)		 164.6
(6.48)		 225.2
(8.866)		 177.0
(6.969)		 126.8
(4.992)		 100.1
(3.941)		 97.5
(3.839)		 47.4
(1.866)		 18.1
(0.713)		 1,117.7
(44.004)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 13.7 12.8 13.3 15.6 18.4 16.7 15.3 14.1 13.0 14.4 12.1 10.3 169.7
 % humidity 80 78 76 75 76 78 77 76 76 77 77 76 76.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 41.2 47.1 81.8 103.5 108.4 104.2 154.4 167.1 119.4 91.4 69.0 62.4 1,149.9
Percent possible sunshine 12 15 22 27 26 25 37 41 32 26 21 19 26
Source: China Meteorological Administration

Administrative divisions[edit]

People's Square, Guiyang
ISO 3166-2[3] English Chinese Pinyin Area in km2[4] Seat Postal code Subdivisions[5]
Subdistricts Towns Townships Ethnic townships Residential communities Villages
520100 Guiyang 贵阳市 Guìyáng Shì 8034[6] Guanshanhu District 550000 49 29 48 18 460 1166
520102 Nanming District 南明区 Nánmíng Qū 209 Xinhua Road Subdistrict (新华路街道) 550000 15 4 1 139 29
520103 Yunyan District 云岩区 Yúnyán Qū 94 Guiwu Road Subdistrict (贵乌路街道) 550000 18 1 134 19
520111 Huaxi District 花溪区 Huāxī Qū 958 Guizhu Subdistrict (贵筑街道) 550000 8 2 9 5 42 170
520112 Wudang District 乌当区 Wūdāng Qū 686 Xintian Subdistrict (新天街道) 550000 2 3 5 2 19 74
520113 Baiyun District 白云区 Báiyún Qū 260 Dashandong Subdistrict (大山洞街道) 550000 4 3 2 2 31 56
Guanshanhu District 观山湖区 Guānshānhú Qū 307 Jinyang Subdistrict (金阳街道) 550000 1 2 1 16 33
520121 Kaiyang County 开阳县 Kāiyáng Xiàn 2026 Chengguan (城关镇) 550300 6 10 3 13 108
520122 Xifeng County 息烽县 Xīfēng Xiàn 1037 Yongjing (永靖镇) 551100 4 6 1 13 161
520123 Xiuwen County 修文县 Xiūwén Xiàn 1076 Longchang (龙场镇) 550200 4 6 1 12 217
520181 Qingzhen 清镇市 Qīngzhèn Shì 1381 Hongfenghu (红枫湖镇) 551400 1 4 5 3 41 299

Economy[edit]

An Aerial View of Jiaxiu Lou

Guiyang is the economic and commercial hub of Guizhou Province. The GDP per capita was ¥24,585 (US$3,637) in 2009. The city is also a large center for retail and wholesale commercial activities with operations of major domestic and international general retailers such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour, RT-Mart, Beijing Hualian, Parkson, and Xingli Group as well as consumer electronics and appliance sellers Gome and Suning. Wholesale operations include large regional produce, furniture, and industrial and construction machinery depots. Wal-Mart's southwest China regional vegetable and produce distribution center is located in Guiyang.

Hydro-electric power generators are located along the city's main rivers including the Wu River. By 2007, the city's hydro electric plants supplied over 70% of the city's electricity. Coal is mined in the locality of Guiyang and Anshun, and there are large thermal generating plants at Guiyang and Duyun, supplying electricity for a portion of the city's industry. A large iron and steel plant came into production in Guiyang in 1960, supplying the local machinery-manufacturing industry.

Large deposits of bauxite have been discover to the north, and by the 1970s Guiyang had become a major producer of aluminum. Guiyang also manufactures aerospace engine parts and equipment, industrial and mining equipment, as well as railway vehicles and equipment. It has a large chemical industry, producing fertilizers, and a rubber industry, manufacturing automobile tires. Guiyang also has a sizable domestic pharmaceuticals industry, producing traditional Chinese medicines as well as western medicines, textile plants, and makes glass, paper, and other consumer goods.

Demographics[edit]

Blue - miao. Dark green- Bouyei

Guiyang is populated by 23 different minorities, the most populous of which is the Miao people, in addition to the ethnic Han.

As of 2011, the total population of Guiyang municipality was 4.3 million, among which 2.9 million were urban residents.

Transport[edit]

  • Transportation in Guiyang consists of an extensive network of roads, railways, river and air transport as well as public transportation system with bus system and many taxis. Guiyang Urban Rail Transmit has been constructing since 2011. Based on the current planning, the whole network is formed by the 8 lines. Line 1 will be operational in 2016.

Air[edit]

Railway[edit]

  • Guiyang is a railway hub in southwest China. The Guizhou–Guangxi Railway (built in 1959, 2009 modified), the Sichuan-Guizhou railway (completed 1965), the Guiyang-Kunming Railway (completed 1970), and the Hunan-Guizhou Railway (completed 1975) are intersecting in Guiyang Railway Station. This main southern railway station is being rebuilt in 2008.
  • There are four high-speed rail lines to and from Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Kunming, and Changsha and that will commence operations within the next few years. The high speed railway lines will provide rapid freight service from two marshalling yards, and passenger service from a new high-speed railway station, called Guiyang North Railway Station, in the city's Guanshanhu District.

Expressway[edit]

  • The city is located at the junction of four major segments of the national highway grid: the Gui-Huang, Gui-Zun, Gui-Bi, and Gui-Xin Expressways.
  • The Gui-Huang Expressway (G60) links Guiyang with the cities and tourist areas of central and western Guizhou including Anshun, Guanling, and the Huangguoshu Waterfall. The expressway continues west to Yunnan Province as the Gui-Kun Expressway and terminates at Yunnan's capital city of Kunming.
  • G75 Lanzhou–Haikou Expressway runs north 180 km (110 mi) to Zunyi and is the most heavily travelled major highway in Guiyang. In Zunyi, the expressway becomes the Zunyi-Chongqing Expressway and runs a further 210 km (130 mi) north to Chongqing.
  • G76 Xiamen–Chengdu Expressway links Guiyang with the regional cities of Bijie and Dafang in northwest Guizhou province, southeastern Sichuan province, and the Sichuan cities of Luzhou, Neijiang, and Chengdu - Sichuan's provincial capital. The Gui-Bi Expresway begins at an interchange with the Gui-Zun Expressway in the city's Xiuwen County approximately 20 km (12 mi) north of the city center, before terminating at the city of Bijie. In the city of Dafang, approximately 40 km (25 mi) east of Bijie, the Gui-Bi Expressway connects with the new Sichuan-Guizhou Expressway, a modern highway providing access to Luzhou and central Sichuan.
  • The Gui-Xin Expressway begins at the junction of the Guiyang Outer Ring Road (G75-G60.01) and the Tang Ba Guan Road, approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of the city center. The Gui-Xin Expressway (G60-G75) runs east and southeast through the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (G76), passing through Guilin, before entering Guangdong, and terminating at Guangzhou.
  • Approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of Guiyang in the regional city of Kaili, the Hunan-Guizhou Expressway (G56-G60) links with the Gui-Xin Expressway providing high-speed vehicular access to and from Guiyang to the eastern Guizhou city of Tongren before continuing through Hunan to the major cities of Huaihua, Changde, and Changsha.
  • In 2009 Guiyang added a modern orbital expressway to its highway network. The Guiyang Outer Ring Road (Guiyang Orbital Highway) opened in December 2009 and is a six- to eight-lane divided high-speed expressway that provides efficient links to and from large employment centers in the Jinyang New District, Baiyun District, Huaxi District, the Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport, the major multi-lane national highways, and the city's main roadways, allowing vehicular traffic to circumnavigate the heavy traffic of the city's inner city areas.
  • China National Highway 210

Education[edit]

The city is the cultural and educational center of Guizhou province and has a university, a teacher-training college, and a medical school.

Religion[edit]

On October 15, 1696, the city was made the seat of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Kweichow. This was suppressed in 1715 and restored in 1846. In 1924 it was renamed as the Apostolic Vicariate of Guiyang, and in 1946 it was promoted to its current status as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guiyang.

International relations[edit]

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in China

Twin towns and sister cities[edit]

Guiyang is twinned with:

References[edit]

  1. ^ (Chinese (PRC))"Profile of Guiyang". www.xzqh.org. Archived from the original on 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2008-06-11. 
  2. ^ http://www.geohive.com/cntry/cn-52.aspx Statistics of China 2010 Census
  3. ^ 国家统计局统计用区划代码
  4. ^ 《贵阳统计年鉴2011》
  5. ^ 《中国民政统计年鉴2011》
  6. ^ 国土资源局数字为8046.67平方公里

External links[edit]

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