Yibin Overview

Basic Information

Chinese Name: 宜宾
Location: Southeast of Sichuan
Area: 13,283 square kilometers
Population: 5.5549 million
Language: Mandarin, Sichuan Dialect

Administrative Division

By the end of 2016, Yibin city has three districts and seven counties under its jurisdiction, with a total of 120 towns and 52 townships (including 11 Miao ethnic townships and 2 Yi ethnic townships. People's government of the city stands at No.8, Shunan Avenue(蜀南大道), Nanan Subdistrict(南岸街道), Xuzhou District(叙州区).

3 Districts: Xuzhou District(叙州区), Cuiping District(翠屏区), Nanxi District(南溪区)
7 Counties: Jiang'an County(江安县), Changning County(长宁县), Gao County(高县), Junlian County(筠连县), Gong County(珙县), Xingwen County(兴文县), Pingshan County(屏山县)

Geography

Yibin is located in the southeast portion of Sichuan at the southern end of the Sichuan Basin, bordering Zhaotong (Yunnan) to the south, Luzhou to the east, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Leshan to the west, and Zigong to the north, and has a total area is 13,283 square kilometres (5,129 sq mi). The city ranges in latitude from 27° 50'−29° 16' N, and in longitude from 103° 36'−105° 20' E, stretching 153 km (95 mi) east-west and 150 km (93 mi) north-south.

The city is located at the confluence of the Min and Yangtze Rivers. Above Yibin, the Yangtze is also known as the Jinsha River. Below Yibin, the Yangtze is known in Chinese as the Chang Jiang or "Long River."

Climate

As with the rest of the Sichuan Basin, Yibin has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate with high humidity year-round; winters are short and mild while summers long, hot, and humid. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 7.9 °C (46.2 °F) in January to 26.9 °C (80.4 °F) in July and August; the annual mean is 18.03 °C (64.5 °F). Despite its location in the Yangtze River valley, it is still 1.5 to 2.0 °C (2.7 to 3.6 °F) cooler than Chongqing, located further downstream, in its warmest months. Frost is uncommon and the frost-free period lasts 347 days. Rainfall is common year-round but is the greatest in July and August, with very little of it in the cooler months. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 10% in December and January to 42% in August, the city receives only 1,018 hours of bright sunshine annually; Yibin has one of the lowest annual sunshine totals nationally, lower than even nearby Chengdu and Chongqing. Spring (March–April) tends to be sunnier and warmer in the day than autumn (October–November).

Best Time to Visit

Every late spring and early autumn is the best time to visit Yibin. In summer, bad weather such as heavy precipitation and hail often occurs which has a great impact on travel. We suggest you travel to Yibin from May to June or from August to September. During this period, the weather of Yibin is comfortable, and the scenery is also the most stunning. From may to June, Yibin is at the turn of spring and summer. At this time, the weather is not particularly hot, and the scenery of spring has not disappeared. By August to September, the summer heat has been reduced, with a variety of bad weather dissipation, so you do not have to worry about the impact of bad weather.

Things to Do

There are numerous things to see and experience in Yibin and travelers can thoroughly enjoy the experience of exploring this destination. There are 1 national scenic spot, 5 provincial scenic spots, 3 national relic protection units, and 1 national famous historical and cultural city and 2 provincial famous historical and cultural towns. Yibin has been identified by the provincial government as one of the four areas for prior development of tourism in Sichuan.

With 120 square kilometers, Shunan Bamboo Forest is the oldest and largest bamboo forest in China. Xingwen Stone Forest is a National Scenic Area and World Geographic Park with a karst landform. Lizhuang Ancient Town witnessed the old history and reflects the traditional culture of the Han nationality. Liquor Wuliangye enjoys a high reputation among consumers at home and abroad, and its distillery has also become a tourist attraction. Other attractions includes Longyin Temple, Hanging Coffins of Bo People, Stone City Mountain, etc.

Transportation

Yibin is a transportation hub in southern Sichuan province, which is famous for its comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network of water, land and air. It is connected by four high-speed railways, 12 highways and 17 air routes. Besides, there are more than 10 rivers cruising in Yibin with a 96.3 km cruising range. Yibin Caiba Airport offers flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Kunming, Lhasa, Sanya, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xi'an and Yichang. Yibin is also connected to Chongqing and Chengdu by rail and express highway. Yibin's proximity to Yunnan and Guizhou borders also means that transportation to the provinces is available by rail and by bus.

History & Culture

Human habitation of Yibin dates back at least 4,000 years. Yibin was established as a county in the Han dynasty (206 BC − AD 220). Under the Ming and Qing, the town and its hinterland was known as Xuzhou Commandery. In 1912 it reverted to the status of a county as Yibin. In 1913 steamship communication with Chongqing was opened, and it subsequently grew into a major collection and distribution point dependent on Chongqing. In 1951 Yibin was established as a city, and in 1996 it was raised to the status of a prefecture-level city. See Yibin Culture. See Yibin History.

Being a famous historical and cultural city in China, Yibin boasts colorful Yangtze river culture, liquor culture, folk culture, etc. It is the starting point of South Silk Road and one of the four cultural centers in the rear of the Anti-Japanese War.

Economy

The city's industry focuses on electronics, food products, and power generation. It also produces paper, silk, and leather products. The surrounding region is rich in agricultural resources, growing rice, barley, oil seeds, sesame, and tea. The largest employer in Yibin is Wuliangye, a company best known for Wuliangye, a brand of sorghum-based distilled spirits known as baijiu. However, liquor is not the sole product of the WuLiangye Group. It also provides the specialized high-tech anti-counterfeit packaging and printing business and engineering services. Now Wuliangye contributes about 60% of Yibin's GDP.

Festivals

In addition to the Han nationality, there are 24 ethnic minorities living in Yibin, including the Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Hui, Mongolian, Tujia, Buyi, Bai and Zhuang. Among them, Miao, Yi and Hui ethnic groups are the permanent residents of Yibin. So the festivals celebrated in Yibin includes national festivals such as Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-autumn Festivals, etc. Beside, there are also some local festivals such as Peach flower festival, Pear Flower Festival and ethnic festivals such as Huashan Festival of Miao people.

Read more about Yibin Festivals and Activities.

Dining

A must-eat in Yibin is whole bamboo feast, a table of food made entirely by bamboo. Other delicious foods, such as Lizhuang white meat, Yibin burning noodles, Nanxi dried bean curd, Xufu egg in rice wine, must satisfy your stomach. Yibin not only has various special products, but also abounds in fruits. In different seasons, it will be a sweet experience to fill your stomach with different kinds of fresh friuts.

History of Yibin

Human habitation of Yibin dates back at least 4,000 years. Yibin was established as a county in the Han dynasty (206 BC − AD 220). Under the Ming and...

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