Yulin, Shaanxi
Encyclopedia
Yulin is a prefecture-level city
in the Shaanxi
province of the People's Republic of China
. It has an area of 43,578 km² and a population of 3,380,000.
to the north, Shanxi
to the east and Ningxia
to the west as well as Yan'an
City to the south. To the north and northwest of the city lies the Ordos Desert
, though the countryside is very green due to the many small shrubs which have been planted to slow the process of desertification
. The city is based in a valley which extends north-south, which rises to a very large vantage point to the north east, where a spectacular view of the west and northwest is seen.
Yulin has a continental
, monsoon
-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen
BSk), with very cold, rather long winters, and hot and somewhat humid summers. Monthly averages range from −9.4 °C to 23.4 °C (74.1 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 8.29 °C (46.9 °F). Spring is especially prone to sandstorms blowing in from the northwest. There is only 366 millimetres (14.4 in) of precipitation annually, 73% of which occurs from June to September. Due to the aridity, diurnal temperature variation
is large for most of the year, averaging 13.8 C-change annually, and sunshine is abundant, averaging 2,780 hours annually.
are scattered along the outskirts of town. There is also the Red Stone Gorge, a canyon lined with grottoes containing carved ancient writing and Buddhist art. The town also contains an ancient pagoda.
The Chinese dialect of Jin is spoken in Yulin.
There is a new oil-field project (2005+) just to the west of Yulin which is drilling wells for natural gas, and this has brought a good deal of money into the local economy.
This new oil/gas development is the current largest onshore project cooperated by the PetroChina and International Energy Company (Shell) in Mainland of China since 1999 (Product Sharing Contract(PSC) signed). In 2005, this project progressed to the construction and drilling phase and delivered gas into Shaanxi-Jing No.2 pipeline in 2007. The target annual gas production is 3 billion cubic meters (BCM) after this project reaches its full production capacity.
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
in the Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
province of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It has an area of 43,578 km² and a population of 3,380,000.
Geography and climate
Yulin is the northernmost prefecture-level city of Shaanxi province, and borders the provincial-level divisions of Inner MongoliaInner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
to the north, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
to the east and Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
to the west as well as Yan'an
Yan'an
Yan'an , is a prefecture-level city in the Shanbei region of Shaanxi province in China, administering several counties, including Zhidan County , which served as the Chinese communist capital before the city of Yan'an proper took that role....
City to the south. To the north and northwest of the city lies the Ordos Desert
Ordos Desert
The Ordos Desert is a desert and steppe region lying on a plateau in the south of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China . The soil of the Ordos is a mixture of clay and sand and, as a result, is poorly suited for agriculture. It extends over an area of...
, though the countryside is very green due to the many small shrubs which have been planted to slow the process of desertification
Desertification
Desertification is the degradation of land in drylands. Caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities, desertification is one of the most significant global environmental problems.-Definitions:...
. The city is based in a valley which extends north-south, which rises to a very large vantage point to the north east, where a spectacular view of the west and northwest is seen.
Yulin has a continental
Continentality
Continentality is the tendency of land to experience more thermal variation than water, due to the land's lower specific heat capacity. Continental climate also tends to be dryer than oceanic climate as there is less moisture input to the atmosphere from evaporation...
, monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk), with very cold, rather long winters, and hot and somewhat humid summers. Monthly averages range from −9.4 °C to 23.4 °C (74.1 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 8.29 °C (46.9 °F). Spring is especially prone to sandstorms blowing in from the northwest. There is only 366 millimetres (14.4 in) of precipitation annually, 73% of which occurs from June to September. Due to the aridity, diurnal temperature variation
Diurnal temperature variation
Diurnal temperature variation is a meteorological term that relates to the variation in temperature that occurs from the highs of the day to the cool of nights.-Temperature lag:Temperature lag is an important factor in diurnal temperature variation...
is large for most of the year, averaging 13.8 C-change annually, and sunshine is abundant, averaging 2,780 hours annually.
History
Yulin played host to the 11th CHIME (European Foundation for Chinese Music Research) conference in August 2006.Administration
Yulin consists of one county-level administrative district, and 11 counties.| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2004 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Yuyang District Yuyang District Yuyang District is a district of Yulin, Shaanxi, China.... |
榆阳区 | Yúyáng Qū | 460,000 | 7,053 | 65 |
| 2 | Shenmu County Shenmu County Shenmu County is a county of Yulin, Shaanxi, China. In Chinese this is 神木 . Located in the north of Shaanxi Province, Shenmu is endowed with plentiful resources, especially that of coal which has fairly recently given the area more wealth and prosperity.... |
神木县 | Shénmù Xiàn | 370,000 | 7,635 | 48 |
| 3 | Fugu County Fugu County Fugu County is a county of Yulin, Shaanxi, China.... |
府谷县 | Fǔgǔ Xiàn | 210,000 | 3,212 | 65 |
| 4 | Hengshan County | 横山县 | Héngshān Xiàn | 330,000 | 4,084 | 81 |
| 5 | Jingbian County Jingbian County Jingbian County is a county under charge of Yulin City, Shaanxi Province. It has a land area of 5,088 square kilometers, and a population of 270,000 in 2002.-Administrative divisions:... |
靖边县 | Jìngbiān Xiàn | 290,000 | 5,088 | 57 |
| 6 | Dingbian County Dingbian County Dingbian County is a county of Yulin, Shaanxi, China.... |
定边县 | Dìngbiān Xiàn | 310,000 | 6,920 | 45 |
| 7 | Suide County Suide County Suide County is a county of Yulin, Shaanxi, China.-Transportation:*China National Highway 210*China National Highway 307*Wuding Expressway*Taizhongyin Railway*Shenyan Railway-Notes and references:... |
绥德县 | Suídé Xiàn | 350,000 | 1,878 | 186 |
| 8 | Mizhi County Mizhi County Mizhi County is a county of Yulin, Shaanxi, China.-Notes and references:... |
米脂县 | Mǐzhī Xiàn | 210,000 | 1,212 | 173 |
| 9 | Jia County Jia County, Shaanxi -Notes and references:... |
佳县 | Jiā Xiàn | 250,000 | 2,144 | 117 |
| 10 | Wubu County Wubu County Wubu County is located in the southeastern corner of Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, and on western bank of Yellow River. It is opposite to Liulin County, Shanxi Province, neighboring Jia County and Suide County... |
吴堡县 | Wúbǔ Xiàn | 80,000 | 428 | 187 |
| 11 | Qingjian County Qingjian County Qingjian County is a county of Yulin, Shaanxi, China.-Transportation:*China National Highway 210... |
清涧县 | Qīngjiàn Xiàn | 210,000 | 1,881 | 112 |
| 12 | Zizhou County Zizhou County Zizhou County is a county of Yulin, Shaanxi, China.... |
子洲县 | Zǐzhōu Xiàn | 310,000 | 2,043 | 152 |
Culture
Because of its relative isolation, a considerable amount of classical architecture remains in the city proper including the original city wall, some of which has been restored. Other cultural relics include the Zhen Bei Tai watchtower, built during the Ming Dynasty, which is the largest troop fortress built on the entire Great Wall, with original and restored pieces of the original Great Wall juxtaposed on both sides. There is a large restoration in process on this area of the Great Wall. In addition, pieces of the ancient Great Wall built during the Qin DynastyQin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
are scattered along the outskirts of town. There is also the Red Stone Gorge, a canyon lined with grottoes containing carved ancient writing and Buddhist art. The town also contains an ancient pagoda.
The Chinese dialect of Jin is spoken in Yulin.
Economy
Although most of the local people live in a very minimal fashion, coal mining provides the predominant source of income. For some, coal mining has brought great riches.There is a new oil-field project (2005+) just to the west of Yulin which is drilling wells for natural gas, and this has brought a good deal of money into the local economy.
This new oil/gas development is the current largest onshore project cooperated by the PetroChina and International Energy Company (Shell) in Mainland of China since 1999 (Product Sharing Contract(PSC) signed). In 2005, this project progressed to the construction and drilling phase and delivered gas into Shaanxi-Jing No.2 pipeline in 2007. The target annual gas production is 3 billion cubic meters (BCM) after this project reaches its full production capacity.