Yangquan

Yangquan City was founded as part of the original Pingding County of the early Republic of China on 4 May 1947. It was later renamed Yangquan Industrial and Mining Zone. Yangquan City (Industrial and Mining Zone) has been under the jurisdiction of the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region government, the North China People's Government and Shanxi Province. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Yangquan regained its municipality in 1952 and was for several times placed under the jurisdiction of Yuci Prefecture and Jinzhong Prefecture. In September 1983, Pingding County and Yu County were transferred to Yangquan City, Yangquan City became a city directly under the jurisdiction of Shanxi Province.

Yangquan has a rather dry, monsoon-influenced humid continental climate /semi-arid climate (Köppen Dwa/BSk), with cold and very dry winters, and hot, somewhat humid summers. The monthly average 24-hour temperature ranges from −3.2 °C (26.2 °F) in January to 24.3 °C (75.7 °F) in July, and the annual average is 11.5 °C (52.7 °F). The diurnal temperature variation, which does not exceed 13 °C (23 °F) in any month, is not large by provincial standards. More than 70% of the annual rainfall, which ranges from 450 to 550 millimetres (18 to 22 in) throughout the entire city, falls in the months from June to September; sunshine totals 2700–2900 hours annually throughout the city, and the frost-free period lasts 130–180 days. …

In 2023, Yangquan achieved a regional GDP of 100.27 billion yuan, an increase of 3.2% at comparable prices. The composition of primary, secondary and tertiary industries was 1.8%, 53.3% and 44.9% respectively. The GDP per capita is 76,830 yuan, which is equivalent to 10,903 US dollars based on the average exchange rate in 2023. The annual per capita disposable income is 34,010 yuan. In 2023, the total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery in the city is 3.01 billion yuan. The city produces 238,300 tons of grain, 24,000 tons of meat, 38,000 tons of eggs, 5,000 tons of milk, and 75,000 tons of vegetables and mushrooms. In 2023, the city's total industrial added value was 49.38 billion yuan, and industrial enterprises above designated size achieved operating income of 80.63 billion yuan. The construction industry achieved an added value of 4. …

Niangziguan Pass: "the Ninth Pass on the Great wall" Guanwang Temple Monument to the Hundred-Regiment Campaign Yaolin Temple Northern Wei Grottoes Liangjiazhai Hot Spring Niangziguan Waterfall Cangshan Mountain Dawang Temple Fujun Temple Potou Taishan Mountain Temple Kaihe Temple Tining Temple Twin Towers

Yangquan is about 140 kilometers from Shijiazhuang and 100 kilometers from Taiyuan. In 2016, the Yangquan Terminal of Taiyuan Wusu International Airport opened, offering ticket sales and airport shuttles. In 2017, the Yangquan Terminal of Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport opened, offering ticket sales and airport shuttles. The Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan railway runs through downtown Yangquan. In 2009, Yangquan North railway station on the Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan high-speed railway was opened in Yu County. In 2020, the newly built Yangquan East railway station opened, it's connected to Yangquan North station via the Yangquan–Dazhai railway, making travel more convenient for the urban residents. G20 Qingdao–Yinchuan Expressway, China National Highway 307, China National Highway 207, and China National Highway 239 pass through Yangquan.

Co-founder of Baidu; Robin Li (李彦宏) was born and raised in Yangquan. Author of The Three-Body Problem; Liu Cixin (刘慈欣) was born and raised in Yangquan.