Yichang

Yichang was historically known as Yiling. In 278 BC, during the Warring States period, the Qin general Bai Qi set fire to Yiling. In 222 AD, Yichang was also the site of the Battle of Yiling during the Three Kingdoms Period. Yiling was renamed Yichang in 1735. Under the Qing Guangxu Emperor, Yichang was opened to foreign commerce as a trading port after the Qing and Great Britain agreed to the Chefoo Convention, which was signed by Sir Thomas Wade and Li Hongzhang in Chefoo on 21 August 1876. The imperial government set up a navigation company there and began building facilities. Since 1949, more than 50 wharves, with a total combined length of over 15 kilometers (9.3 mi), have been constructed at the port. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Yichang was a primary supply depot for the defending Chinese army. …

Like most prefecture-level cities, Yichang includes both an urban area (which is labeled on less detailed maps as "Yichang") and the surrounding country area. It covers 21,084 square kilometers (8,141 sq mi) in Western Hubei Province, on both sides of the Yangtze River. The Xiling Gorge, the easternmost of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze, is located within the prefecture-level city. Within the prefecture-level city of Yichang, the Yangtze is joined by a number of tributaries, including the Qing River (right), Xiang Xi and Huangbo Rivers (left). The central urban area of Yichang is split between several districts. On the north bank of the Yangtze, there are Xiling District (the central part of the city), Yiling District, and Wujiagang District, and Xiaoting District. The urban area on the opposite (south) bank of the river is Dianjun District. …

Yichang has developed rapidly in recent years. In 2023, Yichang's GDP reached 575.635 billion yuan, with a per capita GDP of 146,800 yuan. In 2023, the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors in Yichang increased by 60.856 billion yuan, 228.034 billion yuan, and 286.745 billion yuan, respectively. The main industries in Yichang include agriculture, fisheries, chemical manufacturing, food biomedicine, and tourism. Additionally, Yichang possesses abundant mineral resources including phosphorus, iron, coal, manganese, vanadium, gold, copper, lead, zinc, silicon, gypsum, graphite, quartz sand, limestone, marble, and barite. Its main agricultural resources are citrus, tea, and aquatic products. Hydropower is the most important and renowned resource, as the world's largest hydroelectric power station, Three Gorges Dam, generates 111.80 billion kWh per year. …