Weinan ( zh, s=渭南 , p=Wèinán) is a

prefecture-level city A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province of China, province and above a Counties of the People's Republic of China, county in China's ...

in east- central

Shaanxi province Shaanxi is a province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to the west. Shaanxi ...

, northwest China. The city lies on the lower section of the

Wei River The Wei River () is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization. In ancient times, such as in the Records ...

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

into the

Yellow River The Yellow River, also known as Huanghe, is the second-longest river in China and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system on Earth, with an estimated length of and a Drainage basin, watershed of . Beginning in the Bayan H ...

, about east of the

provincial capital A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational division, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encomp ...

Xi'an Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...

, and borders the provinces of

Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...

and

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

to the east. The name "Weinan", literally meaning "south of the Wei River", describes the location of the city's

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

s being mostly south of the Wei River, although majority of its

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

actually lies on the north side of the river.

History

As a significant area between the ancient Chinese capital

and

Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...

, Weinan has a long history.

Ancient

The ancient

Dali Man Dali man () is the remains of a late ''Homo erectus'' or archaic ''Homo sapiens'' who lived in the late-mid Pleistocene epoch. The remains comprise a complete fossilized skull, which was discovered by Liu Shuntang in 1978 in Dali County, Shaanx ...

lived in the modern area of Weinan. The Xiagui county was settled in the year of 668 BC by the state of Qin. Weinan got its name in the year of 360 by the

Former Qin Qin, known as the Former Qin and Fu Qin (苻秦) in historiography, was a Dynasties of China, dynastic state of China ruled by the Fu (Pu) clan of the Di (Five Barbarians), Di peoples during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Founded in the wake of ...

state. In the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

, 10

emperors The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rule ...

were buried in Weinan after their death. On the morning of 23 January 1556, the deadliest earthquake on record with its epicenter in Huaxian killed approximately 830,000 people, destroying an 840 kilometre-wide (520 mi) area.

Modern

The Weinan prefecture-level city was established in 1995, in replacement of the Weinan prefecture. Due to the construction of the

Sanmenxia Dam The Sanmenxia Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the middle-reaches of the Yellow River near Sanmenxia Gorge on the border between Shanxi province and Henan Province, China. The dam is multi-purpose and was constructed for flood and ice control alo ...

, the economy of the city was restricted to agricultural sections, and therefore the development level of the city is much lower than other cities in the province. The city developed rapidly after economic reform in China. The east part of

Guanzhong Plain Guanzhong (, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanised as Kwanchung) region, also known as the Guanzhong Basin, Wei River Basin, or uncommonly as the Shaanzhong region, is a historical region of China corresponding to the crescentic graben str ...

now belongs to the city, making Weinan the second most populated city in the Shaanxi province, after the capital Xi'an.

Administration

The municipal executive, legislature and

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

are in

Linwei District Linwei District (), is a district of the city of Weinan, Shaanxi province, China. The district was established in 1995, renamed from the county-level Weinan city. It is the location of Weinan Normal University, the High-Speed Weinan North Railwa ...

, together with the CPC and

Public Security Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensu ...

bureaux. } , , 13030.56 , , Linwei District , , 714000 , , 12 , , 130 , , 215 , , 3218 , - ! 610502 !!

, , , zh, p=Línwèi Qū, labels=no , , 1263.76 , , Duqiao Subdistrict () , , 714000 , , 8 , , 16 , , 56 , , 514 , - ! 610503 !!

Huazhou District Huazhou District (), formerly Hua County or Huaxian (), is a district of Weinan, Shaanxi province, China. It was upgraded from a county to a district in 2015. The district spans an area of , and has a population of about 324,300 as of 2012. His ...

, , , zh, p=Huàzhōu Qū, labels=no , , 1132.46 , , Huazhou Subdistrict () , , 714100 , , 1 , , 9 , , 15 , , 242 , - ! 610522 !!

Tongguan County Tongguan County ( alternately romanized as Tungkwan) is a county in the east of Shaanxi province, China, administered as part of the prefecture-level city of Weinan. It is named after the Tong Pass, a historical fortress located south of the confl ...

, , , zh, p=Tóngguān Xiàn, labels=no , , 427.35 , , Chengguan Subdistrict () , , 714300 , , 1 , , 4 , , 15 , , 78 , - ! 610523 !!

Dali County Dali County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Weinan, in the east-central part of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Shanxi province to the east. It covers . The population in 2002 was 690 thousand. Its econ ...

, , , zh, p=Dàlì Xiàn, labels=no , , 1690.60 , , Chengguan Subdistrict () , , 715100 , , 1 , , 15 , , 26 , , 400 , - ! 610524 !!

Heyang County Heyang County (, ) is a county in Shaanxi Province, China, bordering Shanxi Province to the east across the Yellow River. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Weinan. History Heyang County dates to at least the early ...

, , , zh, p=Héyáng Xiàn, labels=no , , 1317.15 , , Chengguan Subdistrict () , , 715300 , , 1 , , 11 , , 19 , , 353 , - ! 610525 !!

Chengcheng County Chengcheng County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Weinan, in the central part of Shaanxi province, China. The county lies in the Guanzhong Plain Guanzhong (, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanised ...

, , , zh, p=Chéngchéng Xiàn, labels=no , , 1121.64 , , Chengguan Subdistrict () , , 715200 , , 1 , , 9 , , 14 , , 266 , - ! 610526 !! Pucheng County , , , zh, p=Púchéng Xiàn, labels=no , , 1579.81 , , Chengguan Subdistrict () , , 715500 , , 1 , , 15 , , 8 , , 373 , - ! 610527 !!

Baishui County Baishui () is a county of Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, China. Baishui County Baishui County contains the following smaller divisions: Chengguan Township, Dukang Township, Xigu Township, Fenglei Township, Yaohe Township, Chengjiao Village, Nort ...

, , , zh, p=Báishuǐ Xiàn, labels=no , , 983.95 , , Chengguan Subdistrict () , , 715600 , , 1 , , 7 , , 11 , , 194 , - ! 610528 !! Fuping County , , , zh, p=Fùpíng Xiàn, labels=no , , 1245.99 , , Chengguan Subdistrict () , , 711700 , , 1 , , 14 , , 9 , , 337 , - ! 610581 !! Hancheng City , , , zh, p=Hánchéng Shì, labels=no , , 1591.60 , , Xincheng Subdistrict () , , 715400 , , 2 , , 10 , , 26 , , 275 , - ! 610582 !!

Huayin City Huayin is a county-level city in Weinan, Shaanxi province, China. Prior to 1990, Huayin was regarded as a county. Huayin literally means 'to the north of Mount Hua Mount Hua () is a mountain located near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi Provi ...

, , , zh, p=Huàyīn Shì, labels=no , , 676.26 , , Taihua Road Subdistrict () , , 714200 , , 2 , , 4 , , 16 , , 186 , - , colspan=11 style="text-align:left" , Note: The statistic of Linwei District includes the 2 subdistricts of Weinan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone.

Climate

Demographics

According to the

sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China The 2010 Chinese census, officially the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国第六次全国人口普查), was conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China wi ...

, there are 5,286,077 people resident in Weinan. Compared to the previous census data from 2000, the population has decreased by 108,729 persons. Among the residents, 50.75% are males and 49.25% are females. The number of male and female residents are separately 2,682,710 and 2,603,367. The

sex ratio A sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. However, many species deviate from an even sex ratio, ei ...

is 103.05.

Transportation

Due to its location on the plain, Weinan is well connected, especially to the provincial capital Xi'an.

Public Transportation

As of March 2015, there are 20 bus routes operated in the urban area of the city. Apart from line 1 and 2 with air-conditioning carrying a fare of 2 RMB, all other bus route fares are 1 RMB. There are also 1000 taxis in the urban city, The base fare is currently ¥5 which covers the first 2.5 km. Additional kilometers cost ¥1.4 or ¥1.5 each.

Roads

China National Highway 108 China National Highway 108 (G108) is a National Highway which connects Beijing through Chengdu to Kunming. In Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 mil ...

and

China National Highway 310 China National Highway 310 (G310) runs northwest from Lianyungang, Jiangsu towards Anhui, Henan, Shaanxi provinces, and ends in Tianshui, Gansu. It was originally 1613 kilometres in length, but was later extended westward to Gonghe County in Qin ...

pass through the city. Major expressways in the city are

G5 Beijing–Kunming Expressway The Beijing–Kunming Expressway (), designated as G5 and commonly referred to as the Jingkun Expressway () is an expressway that connects the cities of Beijing, and Kunming, in Yunnan province. It is in length. As of 2018, the expressway had b ...

G30 Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway The Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway (), designated as G30 and commonly referred to as the Lianhuo Expressway (), is

and G65E Yulin–Lantian Expressway. 5 bridges connect north and south part of the city on the Wei River, there are also 3 road bridges connecting the city to the neighboring

Province on the

Rail

The urban city of Weinan owns 4 railway stations. Weinan railway station was open in 1934. Located on the important

Longhai railway The Longhai railway (), formerly romanized as the is a major arterial east–west railway in China. It runs from Lianyungang, Jiangsu, on the Yellow Sea to Lanzhou, Gansu, through the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Shaanxi, and Gansu, cove ...

, almost all Chinese major cities can be reached through the train. Weinan North railway station is served by high-speed trains on the Xuzhou–Lanzhou and Datong–Xi'an lines. The station is part of the

Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge The Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge () is a part of the Zhengzhou–Xi'an High-Speed Railway which connects Zhengzhou and Xi'an Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzho ...

, one of the longest bridges in the world. Weinan South railway station and Weinan West railway station are on the

Nanjing–Xi'an Railway The Nanjing–Xi'an railway or Ningxi railway (), is a major trunkline railroad in China connecting Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province and Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province. The Chinese name for the line, Ningxi, is named after the two ...

, they are both only served by the slowest trains. In the suburban area, there are also 2 stations for high-speed railway: Huashan North Railway Station and Dali Railway Station, there are as well also stations for conventional rail like the Huashan railway station and Hancheng railway station.

Air

There is no commercial passagenger airport in Weinan, the nearest airport is

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Xi'an, the capital of Northwest China’s Shaanxi province, as well as the whole Guanzhong area. Covering an area of , Xi’an Airport has four terminals: T1 ...

. A shuttle bus connects the Weinan Railway Station with the airport frequently throughout the day. A smaller airport is under construction in Huazhou District to serve the tourism of Hua Mountain.

Tourism

Mount Hua Mount Hua () is a mountain located near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi Province, about east of Xi'an. It is the "Western Mountain" of the Five Great Mountains of China and has a long history of religious significance. Originally classified as ...

, one of China's Five Great Mountains, which has a long history of religious significance. *

Xiyue Temple The Xiyue Temple (西岳庙) is a Chinese Taoist temple located at the foot of Mount Hua of the city of Huayin in the northwest of the Shaanxi Province. Here the emperor sacrificed to the god of Mount Hua. Its magnificence is compared to that of th ...

, Temple for the God of Mount Hua. *

Tong Pass Tongguan or Tong Pass, was a former mountain pass and fortress located south of the confluence of the Wei and Yellow Rivers, in today's Tongguan County, Weinan, Shaanxi, China. It was an important chokepoint, protecting Xi'an and the surroundi ...

, an important strategic pass with historical significance.

Education

Schools

As of the end of 2012, there are 2859 schools of all kinds; 75 high schools, 70 vocational schools, 310 junior high schools, 1266 primary schools, 1002 kindergartens and 7 special education schools.

Universities

Weinan has 3 higher educational institutions. The Weinan Normal University is a comprehensive multi-discipline research university. Weinan has 2 other tertiary institutions, they are Shaanxi Railway Institute and Weinan Vocational and Technical College.

Notable people

Sima Qian Sima Qian () was a Chinese historian during the early Han dynasty. He is considered the father of Chinese historiography for the ''Shiji'' (sometimes translated into English as ''Records of the Grand Historian''), a general history of China cov ...

, historian of the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

, widely considered the father of

Chinese historiography Chinese historiography is the study of the techniques and sources used by historians to develop the recorded history of China. Overview of Chinese history The recording of events in Chinese history dates back to the Shang dynasty ( 1600–1046 ...

for his work, the

Records of the Grand Historian The ''Shiji'', also known as ''Records of the Grand Historian'' or ''The Grand Scribe's Records'', is a Chinese historical text that is the first of the Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was written during the late 2nd and early 1st ce ...

. *

Emperor Wen of Sui Emperor Wen of Sui (; 21 July 541 – 13 August 604), personal name Yang Jian (), Xianbei name Puliuru Jian (), was the founding Emperor of China, emperor of the Chinese Sui dynasty. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through ...

, founder of the

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...

. *

Guo Ziyi Guo Ziyi (Kuo Tzu-i; Traditional Chinese: 郭子儀, Simplified Chinese: 郭子仪, Hanyu Pinyin: Guō Zǐyí, Wade-Giles: Kuo1 Tzu3-i2) (697 – July 9, 781), posthumously Prince Zhōngwǔ of Fényáng (), was a Chinese military general and p ...

, general during the

, ended the

An Shi Rebellion The An Lushan rebellion was a civil war in China that lasted from 755 to 763, at the approximate midpoint of the Tang dynasty (618–907). It began as a fu (administrative division), commandery rebellion attempting to overthrow and replace the Ta ...

. *

Bai Juyi Bai Juyi (also Bo Juyi or Po Chü-i; , Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin pinyin ''Bǎi Jūyì''; 772–846), courtesy name Letian (樂天), was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician during the Tang dynasty. Many of his poems concern his career o ...

, renowned Chinese poet and Tang dynasty government official. *

Kou Zhun Kou Zhun ( 961 – 24 October 1023), courtesy name Pingzhong, was a much-praised official of China's Song dynasty#Northern Song, 960–1127, Northern Song dynasty. He was the chancellor (China), chancellor from 1004 to 1006 during the Emperor Zh ...

, a much-praised official of

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

. *

Yang Hucheng Yang Hucheng () (26 November 1893 – 6 September 1949) was a Chinese general during the Warlord Era of Republican China and Kuomintang (KMT) general during the Chinese Civil War. Warlord years Yang Hucheng joined the Xinhai Revolution in ...

, general who conducted the famous

Xi'an Incident The Xi'an Incident was a Chinese political crisis that lasted from 12 to 26 December 1936. Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Nationalist government of China, was arrested in Xi'an by soldiers of the Northeastern Army under the command of Ge ...

in 1936. *

Xi Zhongxun Xi Zhongxun ( Chinese: 习仲勋; pinyin: ''Xí Zhòngxūn;'' 15 October 1913 – 24 May 2002) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and politician who played a significant role in the history of the People's Republic of China. He served ...

, communist revolutionary and a political leader of PRC, father of Xi Jinping. *

Bai Yulu Bai Yulu (; born 10 July 2003) is a Chinese professional snooker player who competes both on the women's tour and the main World Snooker Tour. A former world junior champion, she is the reigning women's world champion, having won the 2024 and ...

, snooker player, 2 times Woman Snooker World Champion.

International relations

Weinan's

twin towns and sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

are:

References

External links

Weinan Government official website

Official website of Weinan Normal University
{{Authority control Cities in Shaanxi