Nanchong (南充)

1. Introduction

Nanchong, historically known as Guozhou and Shunqing, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China, located in the northeastern part of Sichuan Province. The city borders Dazhou City and Bazhong City to the east, Guangyuan City to the north, Mianyang City and Suining City to the west, and Guang'an City to the south. Situated in the northeastern part of the Sichuan Basin, its northern region comprises the low mountainous areas of northern Sichuan, while the southern part consists of the hilly areas of eastern Sichuan. The Jialing River runs north to south through the city, converging with the Xichong River in the urban area. The city covers a total area of 12,482 square kilometers, with a population of 6.364 million. The municipal people's government is located in Shunqing District. Nanchong is an important commodity grain and agricultural by-product production base in the province, renowned for its citrus fruits and silk, earning it the titles Fruit City and Silk Capital. It is also recognized as an outstanding tourist city in China, a national garden city, a central city in the northern part of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone, and an economic, cultural, information, commercial, logistics, and transportation hub in the northeastern Sichuan region.

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2. History

Nanchong boasts a long history. It was established as Anhan County in the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu of Han (202 BC), making it a historical and cultural city with over 2,200 years of history. Throughout successive dynasties, it served as the seat of commanderies, prefectures, circuits, and administrative offices. When Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, faced peril, the loyalist Ji Xin sacrificed himself to resolve the crisis at Xingyang, achieving the feat of "deceiving Chu to preserve Han." Consequently, Anhan County was established (with its county seat at Wulidian, Qingquanba, Wufeng Street, Shunqing District, present-day Nanchong City), belonging to Ba Commandery. In the first year of the Xin dynasty's Initial Reign (8 AD), Wang Mang changed the county's name to Anxin. In the third year of the Gengshi era of the Eastern Han dynasty (25 AD), Liu Xiu restored the name Anhan County. In the first year of the Xingping era of Emperor Xian (194 AD), it became the seat of Ba Commandery. In the sixth year of the Jian'an era of Emperor Xian (201 AD), Liu Zhang changed Ba Commandery to Baxi Commandery, with Anhan becoming a subordinate county.

In the 28th year of the Yuanjia era of the Liu Song dynasty (451 AD), Baxi Commandery was occupied by the Liao people, and Anhan County was temporarily relocated near present-day Mianyang City, belonging to the provisional Baxi Commandery. During the Southern Liang dynasty, Anhan County was moved to Shigouba, Banzeng Township, Nanchong City, serving as the seat of Nandangqu Commandery. In the third year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui dynasty (583 AD), it belonged to Longzhou. In the 18th year of the Kaihuang era (598 AD), due to the old name of the former Nanchongguo County (Note: Chongguo County was later divided into Xichongguo County and Nanchongguo County) and Anhan County's location south of Nanchongguo County, Anhan County was renamed Nanchong County.

Shunqing Prefecture was the administrative designation for the area corresponding to present-day Nanchong City from the Southern Song dynasty to the first year of the Republic of China in 1912. Its administrative scope roughly encompassed today's Nanchong City (excluding Langzhong City and Nanbu County), Guang'an City, and Dazhu County and Qu County of Dazhou City. The name "Shunqing" first originated in the third year of the Baoqing era of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song dynasty (1227 AD). Similar to how Chongqing got its name: before Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song dynasty ascended the throne, he served as the Tuanlianshi (military training commissioner) of Guozhou (the predecessor of Shunqing Prefecture). After ascending the throne, he formally issued an edict to elevate "Guozhou," where he initially served as an official, to "Shunqing Prefecture." In subsequent dynasties, it maintained prefectural and circuit administrative structures.

In 1912, the Republic of China reformed the administrative divisions, abolishing most prefectures and commanderies nationwide and converting them into counties. Consequently, Shunqing Prefecture was renamed "Nanchong County," and the name "Shunqing" disappeared. By 1950, when the North Sichuan Administrative Office was established, Nanchong City was separated from Nanchong County as a county-level city, serving as a municipality directly under the provincial-level North Sichuan Administrative Office, equivalent to a provincial capital. Nanchong Special District and Nanchong Region were also established. In 1993, Nanchong Region was abolished, and the prefecture-level Nanchong City was established.

3. Geography

Nanchong City is located in the north-central part of the Sichuan Basin and the middle reaches of the Jialing River. The entire area can be divided into two major geomorphological units: the low mountain area in the north and the hilly area in the south. The terrain slopes from north to south, with elevations ranging from 256 to 889 meters. Shallow hills and flat lands, medium hills and valleys, and high hills and low mountains each account for roughly one-third of the area. The predominant landform type is hilly.

Nanchong City has a subtropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are cool and humid, but severe cold is rare, and temperature changes are relatively moderate. Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures of 35°C and above being common. Spring and autumn are relatively comfortable. The average temperature in the coldest month (January) is 6.4°C, and in the hottest month (August) it is 27.5°C. The annual average temperature is 17.3°C. The average annual precipitation is 987.2 mm. The annual sunshine duration is only 1,135.3 hours.

Meteorological Data for Gaoping District, Nanchong City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |--------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------| | Record high °C (°F)| 19.4 (66.9) | 23.0 (73.4) | 30.2 (86.4) | 35.2 (95.4) | 37.2 (99.0) | 36.8 (98.2) | 39.6 (103.3) | 41.4 (106.5) | 41.9 (107.4) | 34.1 (93.4) | 25.7 (78.3) | 17.4 (63.3) | 41.9 (107.4) | | Average high °C (°F) | 9.2 (48.6) | 12.0 (53.6) | 16.7 (62.1) | 22.5 (72.5) | 26.9 (80.4) | 28.9 (84.0) | 31.7 (89.1) | 32.0 (89.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 21.1 (70.0) | 16.1 (61.0) | 10.3 (50.5) | 21.2 (70.2) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.5 (43.7) | 8.8 (47.8) | 12.7 (54.9) | 17.8 (64.0) | 22.1 (71.8) | 24.7 (76.5) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.1 (80.8) | 22.9 (73.2) | 17.8 (64.0) | 13.0 (55.4) | 7.8 (46.0) | 17.4 (63.3) | | Average low °C (°F) | 4.3 (39.7) | 6.3 (43.3) | 9.7 (49.5) | 14.2 (57.6) | 18.4 (65.1) | 21.4 (70.5) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.5 (74.3) | 20.1 (68.2) | 15.5 (59.9) | 10.7 (51.3) | 5.9 (42.6) | 14.5 (58.1) | | Record low °C (°F)| -2.2 (28.0) | -0.4 (31.3) | 1.2 (34.2) | 4.9 (40.8) | 9.5 (49.1) | 14.3 (57.7) | 18.9 (66.0) | 17.4 (63.3) | 13.3 (55.9) | 3.5 (38.3) | 2.2 (36.0) | -3.4 (25.9) | -3.4 (25.9) | | Average precipitation mm (inches)| 15.7 (0.62) | 18.1 (0.71) | 33.9 (1.33) | 70.7 (2.78) | 116.7 (4.59) | 155.4 (6.12) | 190.6 (7.50) | 145.9 (5.74) | 127.5 (5.02) | 72.7 (2.86) | 37.9 (1.49) | 17.5 (0.69) | 1,002.6 (39.45) | | Average precipitation days (≥0.1 mm)| 8.9 | 8.6 | 10.7 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 13.6 | 12.8 | 10.1 | 14.6 | 14.0 | 10.6 | 8.3 | 138.2 | | Average relative humidity (%)| 85 | 81 | 77 | 76 | 74 | 79 | 79 | 77 | 81 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 80 | | Mean monthly sunshine hours | 31.7 | 43.6 | 81.7 | 118.4 | 130.7 | 122.6 | 168.6 | 193.8 | 96.5 | 67.5 | 53.3 | 26.9 | 1,135.3 | | Percentage of Possible Sunshine (%) | 10 | 14 | 22 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 39 | 47 | 26 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 26 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Nanchong City administers 3 municipal districts, 5 counties, and has jurisdiction over 1 county-level city on behalf of the province.

• Municipal Districts: Shunqing District, Gaoping District, Jialing District
• County-level City: Langzhong City
• Counties: Nanbu County, Yingshan County, Yilong County, Peng'an County, Xichong County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | of which: Ethnic Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|----------------|------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------|-------------|--------------|-------|-----------|----------------------------| | 511300 | Nanchong City | Nánchōng Shì | 12,482.05 | 5,607,565 | Shunqing District | 637000 | 42 | 162 | 38 | 1 | | 511302 | Shunqing District | Shùnqìng Qū | 544.12 | 834,294 | Beicheng Subdistrict | 637000 | 12 | 6 | 1 | | | 511303 | Gaoping District | Gāopíng Qū | 804.10 | 570,415 | Baita Subdistrict | 637000 | 8 | 10 | 1 | | | 511304 | Jialing District | Jiālíng Qū | 1,179.39 | 531,825 | Huohua Subdistrict | 637100 | 5 | 17 | 2 | | | 511321 | Nanbu County | Nánbù Xiàn | 2,229.63 | 817,235 | Shubei Subdistrict | 637300 | 4 | 33 | 5 | | | 511322 | Yingshan County | Yíngshān Xiàn | 1,634.68 | 620,480 | Sui'an Subdistrict | 637700 | 3 | 18 | 8 | | | 511323 | Peng'an County | Péng’ān Xiàn | 1,332.58 | 461,485 | Xiangru Subdistrict | 637800 | 2 | 14 | 5 | | | 511324 | Yilong County | Yílǒng Xiàn | 1,773.12 | 729,141 | Xinzheng Town | 637600 | 1 | 29 | 7 | | | 511325 | Xichong County | Xīchōng Xiàn | 1,108.19 | 420,023 | Jincheng Subdistrict | 637200 | 2 | 16 | 5 | | | 511381 | Langzhong City | Lángzhōng Shì | 1,876.24 | 622,667 | Qili Subdistrict | 637400 | 5 | 19 | 4 | 1 |

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5. Transportation

• Railway: The Dazhou-Chengdu Railway and Lanzhou-Chongqing Railway intersect in Nanchong. Nanchong has two railway passenger stations, Nanchong Station and Nanchong North Station, with trains heading to the Northeast, North China, Northwest, East China, Central China, Southwest, and South China regions. According to the latest China Railway Passenger Train Schedule (May 2016), Nanchong ranks second in Sichuan Province in terms of the number of passenger train services, following only Chengdu. Planned railway projects include the Hanzhong-Bazhong-Nanchong Railway, Nanchong-Mianyang Railway, Chengdu-Nanchong-Dazhou Passenger Dedicated Line, and Nanchong-Luzhou Railway.

• Aviation: Nanchong Gaoping Airport operates flights to nine destinations: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Kunming, Xi'an, Sanya, Hangzhou, and Lhasa. A new 2,800×60-meter runway has been constructed at Gaoping Airport, while the original 2,400×45-meter runway has been converted into a parallel taxiway. The terminal expansion project began in 2014 and was completed in 2016, making it the largest and most advanced airport in northeastern Sichuan.

• Highways: National Highway 318 and National Highway 212 intersect here. Seven expressways pass through Nanchong: G42 Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway, G75 Lanzhou-Haikou Expressway, G75 Nanchong Ring Expressway, Chengdu-Bazhong Expressway, G5515 Zhangjiajie-Nanchong Expressway, Suining-Xichong Expressway, and G85 Bazhong-Nanchong-Guang'an Expressway. Additionally, the Mianyang-Xichong Expressway and Yingtan-Dazhou Expressway are under construction, while the Nanchong-Deyang Expressway, Mianyang-Bazhong Expressway, Langzhong-Yilong Expressway, Yilong-Yingtan Expressway, and the Second Ring Expressway are in the planning stages.

• Shipping: The Jialing River is navigable for 1,000-ton vessels (channelization was completed in 2008, with official navigation commencing in 2012). The Dujing operation area of Nanchong Port began operations at the end of 2013, and container services were launched in early 2014.

6. Education

6.1 Higher Education Institutions

• Southwest Petroleum University Nanchong Campus
• China West Normal University
• North Sichuan Medical College
• Nanchong Vocational and Technical College
• Nanchong Vocational College of Science and Technology
• Nanchong Vocational College of Film Industry
• Nanchong Vocational College of Culture and Tourism

6.2 Regular High Schools

• Nanchong High School (Shunqing, Jialing, Linjiang, Gaoping)
• Shunqing District
• Nanchong No.1 Middle School
• Nanchong No.6 Middle School
• Nanchong No.9 Middle School
• Nanchong No.10 Middle School
• Affiliated Middle School of China West Normal University
• Gaoping District
• Baita Middle School
• Longmen Middle School
• Gaoping Middle School
• Nanchong No.11 Middle School
• Jialing District
• Jialing No.1 Middle School
• Lidu Middle School
• Nanchong No.18 Middle School
• Daoxin Bilingual School
• Langzhong City
• Langzhong Middle School
• Dongfeng Middle School
• Hexi Middle School
• Chuanmian Foreign Language School
• Peking University Boya Junchen Public School
• Nanbu County
• Nanbu Middle School
• Nanbu No.2 Middle School
• Nanbu No.3 Middle School
• Jianxing Middle School
• Dongba Middle School
• Dongchen Middle School
• Xichong County
• Xichong Middle School
• Jincheng Middle School
• Jiulong Art High School
• Yilong County
• Yilong Middle School
• Hongde Middle School
• Yilong No.2 Middle School
• Ma'an Middle School
• Yingshan County
• Yingshan Middle School
• Yingshan No.2 Middle School
• Xiaoqiao Middle School
• Huaying Experimental School
• Yanyuan Jinqiu Middle School
• Peng'an County
• Peng'an Middle School
• Zhoukou Middle School
• Peng'an No.2 Middle School
• Nanchong Qirui Experimental School

6.3 Secondary Vocational Schools & Normal Schools

• Nanchong Normal School
• Nanchong Secondary Specialized School
• Nanchong Health School
• Nanchong Technician College
• Nanchong Electronic Industry School

7. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's resident population was 5,607,565. Compared with the 6,278,614 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was a total decrease of 671,049 people over the past ten years, a decline of 10.69%, with an average annual growth rate of -1.12%. Among them, the male population was 2,841,682, accounting for 50.68% of the total population; the female population was 2,765,883, accounting for 49.32% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 102.74. The population aged 0–14 was 881,655, accounting for 15.72% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 3,268,071, accounting for 58.28% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 1,457,839, accounting for 26% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 1,160,245, accounting for 20.69% of the total population. The urban population was 2,815,934, accounting for 50.22% of the total population; the rural population was 2,791,631, accounting for 49.78% of the total population.

7.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's resident population, the Han ethnic group population was 5,583,733, accounting for 99.58%; the population of various ethnic minorities was 23,832, accounting for 0.42%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han ethnic group population decreased by 686,449, a decline of 10.95%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.29 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 15,400, a growth of 182.64%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.29 percentage points.

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Shunqing District

Shunqing District

Han Chinese population accounts for 99.58%; ethnic minority populations account for 0.42%.

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