Zunyi

The area of Zunyi was originally inhabited by the Tongzi people during the Paleolithic. Later, its territory was a part of several kingdoms. Zunyi was considered to be the center of the Yelang kingdom. The region around Zunyi first came under Chinese rule during Han dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. After the Han dynasty collapsed, the area remained under nominal Chinese control, but much of the administration was left to local, non-Han chiefs. In the 7th century CE, the area came under regular Chinese administration during the Tang dynasty, Zunyi was placed under the new Bo Prefecture (Bozhou). Towards the end of the Tang, Bozhou was conquered by the Nanzhao Kingdom. However, it soon gained independence as the Chiefdom of Bozhou in AD 876. …

Zunyi is located in northern Guizhou at an elevation of 865 m (2,838 ft); it is situated in the transition from the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the Sichuan Basin and hill country of Hunan. Zunyi has a four-season, monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), slightly modified by elevation. It has fairly mild winters and hot, humid summers; close to 60% of the year's 1,022 mm (40 in) of precipitation occurs from May to August. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 4.7 °C (40.5 °F) in January to 25.4 °C (77.7 °F) in July, while the annual mean is 15.8 °C (60.4 °F). Rain is common throughout the year, with 176 days annually precipitation, though it does not actually accumulate to much in winter, the cloudiest time of year; summer, in contrast, is the sunniest. …

Being known as the "home of culture" of Guizhou province, Zunyi, or the North-Guizhou area, is the education and economic centre of the province. The Zunyi Conference Memorial Museum is located in Honghuagang District, and consists of several sites related to the historical Zunyi Conference. Zunyi is home to the Zunyi Medical College (ZMC), which was formerly the Dalian Medical College founded in 1947. The college was moved from Dalian to Zunyi and renamed to the Zunyi Medical College with the approval of the State Council in 1969. Another college-level institution of in the city is the Zunyi Normal College (遵义师范学院). The rice liquor Maotai is produced in the town of Maotai, known as the "national liquor of China." Zunyi is home to much chili pepper cultivation, and red sorghum is also grown in Zunyi, a key ingredient for baijiu in China.