Anshun (安顺)

1. Introduction

Anshun City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China, located in the central-western part of Guizhou Province. It is the third-largest city in Guizhou. The city borders Bijie City to the north, Guiyang City to the northeast, Qiannan Prefecture to the southeast, Qianxinan Prefecture to the southwest, and Liupanshui City to the northwest. Situated in the eastern part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with the Miao Mountains spanning its central region, it serves as the watershed between the Yangtze River and Pearl River systems. The city's terrain is characterized by typical karst landforms. The Beipan River flows along its western edge, while the Wujiang River traverses the northern part. Other major rivers include the Getu River and the Dabang River. The city covers a total area of 9,267 square kilometers, with a population of 2.3135 million. The municipal government is located in Xixiu District. Anshun is a nationally recognized excellent tourist city in China, and the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall is situated at the border between Zhenning and Guanling counties within the city.

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2. History

Anshun is one of the earliest developed regions in the history of Guizhou and the birthplace of ancient Qianzhong culture. It is home to the Puding Chuandong Site, hailed as the "Lamp of Asian Civilization." During the Qin Dynasty, the "Five-Chi Road" for horse-drawn carriages began construction, and town establishment started in the Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing periods, its commercial prosperity was "foremost in the entire province." Its strategic importance earned it the title "the belly of Guizhou, the throat of Yunnan, and the lips and teeth of Sichuan and Guangdong." Formerly known as Puding, this name first appeared during the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the regional name "Guizhou" already existed, but it was not an independent province. Puding (now Anshun) belonged to the Yunnan Branch Secretariat and was a prefecture managed by local chieftains. It comprised four subprefectures, one of which was called "Anshun."

During the Qin Dynasty, it was part of the Yelang Kingdom. In the sixth year of the Yuanding era of the Western Han Dynasty (111 BCE), Emperor Wu of Han enfeoffed the Marquis of Yelang as the King of Yelang and established Zangke Commandery in the Yelang territory, along with the counties of Tanzhi and Qielan. During the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, the King of Yelang rebelled against the court, leading to the Han Dynasty's destruction of the Yelang Kingdom. During the Three Kingdoms period, it belonged to Yizhou's Zangke Commandery under Shu Han, containing the counties of Yelang and Qielan. By the Jin Dynasty, counties such as Guangtan, Tanzhi, and Tanle were gradually added. The Sui Dynasty once renamed Zangke Commandery to Zangzhou.

In the early Tang Dynasty, it was part of the territories of the Zangke Kingdom, Luodian Kingdom, and the Prince of Puning Commandery. In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era (630 CE), the Yanzhou Jimi Prefecture was established in the western part of the present-day city. In the first year of the Kaicheng era (836 CE), the Eastern Cuan Wuman submitted, and their fief was established as the Luoshi Guiguo. In the second year of the Huichang era (842 CE), the Luodian Kingdom was established; later, the Puli tribe also submitted internally and was enfeoffed as the Prince of Puning Commandery. During the Song Dynasty, the city's territory belonged to the Prince of Puning Commandery and the Luodian Kingdom, and Hewu Prefecture was established in the southern part of the present-day area. In the seventh year of the Yuan Xianzong era (1257), the Puding Wanhu Fu was established, subordinate to the Qujing Pacification Commission of the Yunnan Branch Secretariat. In the fifteenth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1278), it was reorganized into Puding Prefecture (governing the present-day Anshun urban area). In the seventh year of the Dade era (1303), Puding Prefecture was changed to Puding Route. In the eleventh year of the Zhizheng era (1351), Anshun Zhou, Xi'an Zhou, and Puding County were established.

In the fifth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1372), the Puding Tufu was established. In the fifteenth year of Hongwu (1382), it was reorganized into the Puding Junmin Fu, subordinate to the Sichuan Provincial Administration Commission. In the sixteenth year of Hongwu (1383), the Puding Junmin Fu was abolished, and Anshun Zhou was changed to Anshun Zhili Zhou, subordinate to the Yunnan Provincial Administration Commission. In the eighteenth year of Hongwu (1385), Puding County was abolished, and Xi'an Zhou was merged into Anshun Zhou. In the eleventh year of the Yongle era (1413), the Guizhou Provincial Administration Commission was established. In the third year of the Zhengtong era (1438), Anshun Zhou was directly subordinate to it. In the thirtieth year of the Wanli era (1602), Anshun Zhou was elevated to Anshun Junmin Fu. In the seventeenth year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1660), the Viceroy of Yun-Gui, who held overall military and administrative power over Yunnan and Guizhou, was established, with one residence in Qujing, Yunnan, and another in Anshun, Guizhou. In the first year of the Kangxi era (1663), the Viceroy of Yun-Gui was abolished, and Yunnan and Guizhou provinces were placed under the jurisdiction of Prince Pingxi Wu Sangui. The Guizhou Viceroy's Office was established in Anshun. In the fifth year of Kangxi, the Guizhou Viceroy was abolished, and the Viceroy of Yun-Gui was reestablished, moving its seat to Guiyang. In the sixth year of Kangxi (1667), the Guizhou Provincial Military Commander moved from Guiyang to Anshun. In the eleventh year of Kangxi (1672), Puding County was reestablished as the seat of Anshun Junmin Fu. In the twenty-sixth year of Kangxi (1687), Anshun Junmin Fu was changed to Anshun Prefecture.

In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), Puding County was abolished and merged into Anshun Prefecture. The following year, Anshun Prefecture was abolished and changed to Anshun County, while Puding County was reestablished and its seat moved to Dingnan (present-day Puding county town). In 1914, the Guixi Circuit was established, governing Anshun County, and moved to Bijie County in 1917. The circuit system was abolished in 1923. In the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935), the Second Administrative Inspectorate of Guizhou Province was established, with the Commissioner's Office located in Anshun County, changed to the Third Administrative Inspectorate in 1937. In 1938, the Commissioner's Office moved to Xingren County.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the Anshun Special District was established, with its administrative office in Anshun County, governing six counties: Anshun, Pingba, Ziyun, Zhenning, Langdai, and Puding. In 1956, Ziyun and Zhenning counties were transferred to the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, and Langdai County was transferred to the Xingyi Special District; eight counties from the Guiding Special District and seven counties from the Duyun Special District were incorporated into the Anshun Special District. In 1958, Anshun County was abolished and Anshun City was established; Qingzhen, Xiuwen, and Kaiyang counties were transferred to Guiyang City; Weng'an and Guiding counties were transferred to Qiannan Prefecture; Xifeng County was transferred to the Zunyi Special District; Anlong and Zhenning counties from Qiannan Prefecture were incorporated into the Anshun Special District; Guanling County was abolished and merged into Zhenning County; Qinglong County was abolished and merged into Pu'an County; Fuquan County was abolished and merged into Weng'an County; Longli County was abolished and merged into Guiding County.

In 1960, Langdai County was abolished and Liuzhi City was established. In 1961, Guanling, Qinglong, Zhenfeng, and Ceheng counties were restored. In 1962, Anshun City was abolished and Anshun County was restored; Liuzhi City was abolished and Liuzhi County was established. In 1963, Zhenfeng, Ceheng, and Anlong counties were transferred to Qiannan Prefecture; Xiuwen and Qingzhen counties from Guiyang City were incorporated into the Anshun Special District. In September of the same year, Zhenning County was abolished and the Zhenning Buyei and Miao Autonomous County was established. In 1965, Xingyi, Xingren, Panxian, Pu'an, and Qinglong counties were transferred to the Xingyi Special District; Xifeng and Kaiyang counties from the Zunyi Special District and Ziyun County from Qiannan Prefecture were incorporated into the Anshun Special District; in November of the same year, the Liuzhi Special District was established. In 1966, Anshun City was reestablished from the county seat of Anshun County; Liuzhi County was renamed Langdai County; Ziyun County was abolished and the Ziyun Miao and Buyei Autonomous County was established. In 1970, the Anshun Special District was renamed the Anshun Region; Langdai County was merged into the Liuzhi Special District and transferred to the Liupanshui Region. In 1990, Anshun County was abolished and merged into Anshun City. In January 1996, Xiuwen, Xifeng, and Kaiyang counties and Qingzhen City were transferred to Guiyang City. In June 2000, the Anshun Region was abolished and the prefecture-level Anshun City was established; the former county-level Anshun City was reorganized into the Xixiu District. In December 2014, Pingba County was abolished and the Pingba District was established.

3. Geography

3.1 Location

Anshun City is located in the central part of Guizhou Province, with geographical coordinates ranging from 25°21′ to 26°38′ north latitude and 105°13′ to 106°34′ east longitude. It borders the provincial capital Guiyang City and the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture to the east, Liupanshui City to the west, the Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture to the south, and Bijie City to the north. The average elevation of Anshun ranges between 1,102 meters and 1,694 meters.

3.2 Topography

Anshun features karst landforms and is a typical concentrated area of karst topography in the world.

3.3 Water Systems

It lies in the watershed area between the Wujiang River basin of the Yangtze River system and the Beipan River basin of the Pearl River system. Within its territory, there are lakes such as Hongshan Lake and Lou Lake.

3.4 Climate

Anshun City has a typical plateau subtropical monsoon climate. The urban area is situated at an elevation of approximately 1,400 meters. Due to its high altitude, summers are not extremely hot, with an average July temperature of 21.9°C, making it a summer resort in China.

Meteorological Data of Anshun City (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Record High (°C / °F) | 21.9 (71.4) | 26.1 (79.0) | 31.8 (89.2) | 32.2 (90.0) | 33.4 (92.1) | 31.0 (87.8) | 32.4 (90.3) | 32.5 (90.5) | 31.7 (89.1) | 27.7 (81.9) | 24.0 (75.2) | 22.3 (72.1) | 33.4 (92.1) | | Average High (°C / °F) | 7.8 (46.0) | 10.5 (48.9) | 14.8 (58.6) | 19.7 (67.5) | 22.8 (73.0) | 24.5 (76.1) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.4 (79.5) | 23.4 (74.1) | 18.6 (65.5) | 14.7 (58.5) | 10.3 (50.5) | 18.2 (64.8) | | Daily Mean (°C / °F) | 4.5 (40.1) | 5.8 (42.4) | 10.2 (50.4) | 15.0 (59.0) | 18.4 (65.1) | 20.7 (69.3) | 22.0 (71.6) | 22.0 (71.6) | 19.2 (66.6) | 15.1 (59.2) | 11.1 (52.0) | 6.6 (43.9) | 14.2 (57.6) | | Average Low (°C / °F) | 2.4 (36.3) | 3.4 (38.1) | 7.1 (44.8) | 11.8 (53.2) | 15.1 (59.2) | 18.0 (64.4) | 19.4 (66.9) | 18.9 (66.9) | 16.2 (61.2) | 12.7 (54.9) | 8.5 (47.3) | 4.0 (39.2) | 11.5 (52.6) | | Record Low (°C / °F) | -5.2 (22.6) | -4.8 (23.4) | -5.9 (21.4) | 1.3 (34.3) | 6.7 (44.1) | 11.1 (52.0) | 10.7 (51.3) | 13.6 (56.5) | 8.5 (47.3) | 3.7 (38.7) | -2.4 (27.7) | -5.7 (21.7) | -5.9 (21.4) | | Average Precipitation (mm / inches) | 21.1 (0.83) | 25.8 (1.02) | 31.2 (1.23) | 70.1 (2.76) | 186.2 (7.33) | 280.4 (11.04) | 242.2 (9.54) | 179.5 (7.07) | 107.8 (4.24) | 91.1 (3.59) | 40.0 (1.57) | 17.6 (0.69) | 1,293 (50.91) | | Average Relative Humidity (%) | 84 | 84 | 79 | 77 | 77 | 80 | 81 | 78 | 78 | 81 | 81 | 80 | 80 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Anshun City currently administers 2 municipal districts, 1 county, and 3 autonomous counties.

• Municipal Districts: Xixiu District, Pingba District
• County: Puding County
• Autonomous Counties: Zhenning Bouyei and Miao Autonomous County, Guanling Bouyei and Miao Autonomous County, Ziyun Miao and Bouyei Autonomous County

Additionally, Anshun City has established the following administrative areas: the National-level Anshun High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Anshun Economic and Technological Development Zone, and the National-level Huangguoshu Scenic Area. In January 2014, the National-level Guizhou Gui'an New Area was established, incorporating Machang Town and Gaofeng Town of Pingba District into its directly administered area.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | of which: Ethnic Townships | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 520400 | Anshun City | Ānshùn Shì | 9,228.24 | 2,470,630 | Xixiu District | 561000 | 26 | 48 | 18 | 10 | | 520402 | Xixiu District | Xīxiù Qū | 1,728.84 | 870,441 | Dongguan Subdistrict | 561000 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 5 | | 520403 | Pingba District | Píngbà Qū | 987.09 | 347,060 | Anping Subdistrict | 561100 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | | 520422 | Puding County | Pǔdìng Xiàn | 1,079.93 | 376,285 | Dingnan Subdistrict | 562100 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | | 520423 | Zhenning Bouyei and Miao Autonomous County | Zhènníng Bùyīzú Miáozú Zìzhìxiàn | 1,717.27 | 299,696 | Baimahu Subdistrict | 561200 | 5 | 8 | 3 | | | 520424 | Guanling Bouyei and Miao Autonomous County | Guānlǐng Bùyīzú Miáozú Zìzhìxiàn | 1,464.28 | 283,497 | Guanzhai Subdistrict | 561300 | 4 | 9 | 1 | | | 520425 | Ziyun Miao and Bouyei Autonomous County | Zǐyún Miáozú Bùyīzú Zìzhìxiàn | 2,250.81 | 293,651 | Songshan Subdistrict | 550800 | 3 | 8 | 2 | |

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5. Transportation

• Railway: Shanghai-Kunming Railway, Shanghai-Kunming Passenger Dedicated Line
• Expressways: Guiyang-Huangguoshu Expressway, G60 Qingzhen-Huangguoshu Expressway
• Highways: National Highway 320, National Highway 321, National Highway 356, National Highway 657
• Civil Aviation: Huangguoshu Airport

6. Education

The only undergraduate institution in Anshun is Anshun University. Additionally, there are other higher education institutions such as Anshun Vocational and Technical College, Guizhou Aviation Industry Staff University, and Guizhou Machinery Industry Staff University.

7. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population is 2,470,630. Compared with the 2,297,612 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 173,018 people over the past ten years, representing a growth rate of 7.53% and an average annual growth rate of 0.73%. Among them, the male population is 1,262,780, accounting for 51.11% of the total population; the female population is 1,207,850, accounting for 48.89% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) is 104.55. The population aged 0–14 is 620,736, accounting for 25.12% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 is 1,456,943, accounting for 58.97% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above is 392,951, accounting for 15.9% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above is 286,962, accounting for 11.61% of the total population. The urban population is 1,146,615, accounting for 46.41% of the total population; the rural population is 1,324,015, accounting for 53.59% of the total population.

7.1 Ethnic Groups

The descendants of the Han Chinese garrison troops from the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty are today's Tunpu people. Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han Chinese population is 1,577,542, accounting for 63.85%; the population of various ethnic minorities is 893,088, accounting for 36.15%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han Chinese population increased by 98,746, a growth of 6.68%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.51 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 74,272, a growth of 9.07%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.51 percentage points. Among them, the Bouyei population increased by 19,196, a growth of 5.54%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.28 percentage points; the Miao population increased by 30,772, a growth of 10.04%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.31 percentage points.

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8. Culture

• Tunpu Dixi Opera: Listed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Catalog.
• Tunpu Folk Songs: Included in the Guizhou Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Catalog.
• The Epic of King Yalu of Ziyun, Twelve Tunes of Buyi Bronze Drums, Miao Lusheng Dance, Buyi Leyou, and Ziyun Cliff Acrobatics.

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Xixiu District

Xixiu District

The Han population accounts for 63.85%; the various ethnic minority populations account for 36.15%

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