bijie

Bijie ( zh, s=毕节, t=畢節, p=Bìjíe) is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Guizhou Province, China, bordering Sichuan to the north and Yunnan to the west.

The Daotianhe Reservoir, located to the north of the town was commissioned in 1965 with a rated annual capacity of 6.5 million cubic meters.

On 10 November 2011, the former Bijie Prefecture () was converted to a prefecture-level city, and the former county-level city of Bijie was rechristened Qixingguan District.

Geography and climate

Bijie borders Zunyi to the east, Anshun and Liupanshui to the south, Zhaotong and Qujing (Yunnan) to the west, and Luzhou (Sichuan) to the north. It spans latitude 26°21′−27°46′ N and longitude 105°36′−106°43′ E, and is marked heavily by the presence of the Wumeng Mountains () as well as karst topography. The Wu, Beipan, and Chishui Rivers are the most important rivers that originate here. The highest elevation is Jiucaiping (), at , on the border of Hezhang and Weining counties.

Due to its low latitude and elevation above , Bijie has a monsoon-influenced subtropical highland climate (Köppen ''Cwb''), bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cwa'') with very warm, rainy summers and cool, damp winters. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from in January to in July, while the annual mean is . Rainfall is very common year-round, occurring on 189 days of the year, but over half of the annual total () occurs from June to August. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 14% in January to 40% in August, the city receives 1,162 hours of bright sunshine annually; spring is sunnier and features warmer daytime temperatures than autumn. Snow and ice are occasional hazards over winter, with a particularly severe event in January 2023.

Administration

Bijie City consists of one district, one county-level city, five counties and one autonomous county. These are:

* Qixingguan District ( zh, labels=no, s=七星关区, p=Qīxīngguān Qū);
* Qianxi City ( zh, labels=no, s=黔西市, p=Qiánxī Shì);
* Dafang County ( zh, labels=no, s=大方县, p=Dàfāng Xiàn);
* Jinsha County ( zh, labels=no, s=金沙县, p=Jīnshā Xiàn);
* Zhijin County ( zh, labels=no, s=织金县, p=Zhījīn Xiàn);
* Nayong County ( zh, labels=no, s=纳雍县, p=Nàyōng Xiàn);
* Hezhang County ( zh, labels=no, s=赫章县, p=Hèzhāng Xiàn);
* Weining Yi Hui and Miao Autonomous County ( zh, labels=no, s=威宁彝族回族苗族自治县, p=Wēiníng yízú huízú Miáozú Zìzhìxiàn).

Demographics

According to the 2010 Sixth National Census, Bijie City had a permanent resident population of 6,536,370, an increase of 208,899 (3.3% or 0.33% annually), 3,400,195 (52.02%) of which were male, producing a male-female ratio of 108.42:100. Children aged 0−14 numbered 2,029,934人 (31.06%), persons aged 15−64 numbered 4,018,583 (61.48), and seniors 65+ numbered 487,853 (7.46%). The urban population stood at 1,711,222 (26.18%). Persons of Han ethnicity numbered 4,824,015 (73.80%), while minorities formed the other 26.20%.

Transport

At present the backbone of the transport network in Bijie City is formed by China National Highways 321 and 326. , Bijie is the only prefecture-level city of Guizhou to lack rail service; this changed with the 2020 opening of the Leshan (Sichuan)−Guiyang Railway (). Other projected rail lines are Bijie− Shuicheng− Xingyi () and Zhaotong (Yunnan)− Weining−Bijie− Jinsha− Zunyi. The city is served by the Bijie Feixiong Airport .

Historical sites

Notable historical sites in Bijie include the following:

;Historical inscriptions
*Ma'an Mountain, Qianxi Yi Cliff Inscription (): located in Bakuaitian, Chengguan Township, Qianxi ()
*Wopo, Hezhang Cliff Inscription (): located in Xique, Wopo Township, Hezhang ()
*Qixingguan, Bijie Cliff Inscription (): located in Qixing Township (), along the border between Hezhang County and Qixingguan District
*Chekaiqing, Nayong Chinese-Yi Cliff Inscription (): located in Kaiqing, Poqi Township, Zhikun District ()
*Guanyindong, Jinsha Buddha Image Cliff Inscription (): located in Yankong (), near the local elementary school
*Qianxi "Reverse Cliff Inscription" (): located in Zhongguan, Zhongjian Township ()
*Dafang Shuixi Dadu River Bridge Inscription (): located on the banks of the Dadu River () between Huangnitang (), Dafang County, and Aoshui Township (), Qianxi County
*Dafang Hejia Bridge Yi Inscription (): located on the banks of the Mudu River () in Shishu Township ()
*Dafang Mayi River Bridge Inscription (): located on the Mayi River Bridge () in Songhe Township ()
*Dafang Yi Ancestral Origin Inscription (): located in Qingjiao, Shishu Township ()

References

External links

Official government website of Bijie City

{{Authority control

Cities in Guizhou
Prefecture-level divisions of Guizhou