| Dazhou | |
| Other Name: | Tachow |
| Native Name: | 达州市 |
| Native Name Lang: | zh-Hans |
| Settlement Type: | Prefecture-level city |
| Coor Pinpoint: | Dazhou municipal government |
| Coordinates: | 31.2093°N 107.4678°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | People's Republic of China |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Sichuan |
| Subdivision Type2: | County-level divisions |
| Seat Type: | Municipal seat |
| Seat: | Tongchuan District |
| Area Total Km2: | 16591 |
| Area Urban Km2: | 3137 |
| Area Metro Km2: | 3137 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 census |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 5385422 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Metro: | 1850869 |
| Population Density Metro Km2: | auto |
| Population Urban: | 1850869 |
| Population Density Urban Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type2: | GDP[2] |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Prefecture-level city |
| Demographics2 Info1: | CN¥ 135.1 billion US$ 21.7 billion |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Per capita |
| Demographics2 Info2: | CN¥ 24,343 US$ 3,908 |
| Timezone: | China Standard |
| Utc Offset: | +8 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 635000 |
| Area Code: | 0818 |
| Blank2 Name: | Licence Plate Prefixes |
| Blank2 Info: | Chinese: 川S |
| Blank3 Name: | Administrative division code |
| Blank3 Info: | 511700 |
| Iso Code: | CN-SC-17 |
Dazhou is a prefecture-level city in the northeast corner of Sichuan province, China, bordering Shaanxi to the north and Chongqing to the east and south.[3] As of 2020 census, Dazhou was home to 5,385,422 inhabitants whom 1,850,869 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of 2 urban districts.
Dazhou's history goes back to the Eastern Han dynasty when in 90 AD it was made a county by the name of Liweizhou Chinese: (历为州). Then until the Liao dynasty its name was Zaidi (Chinese: 在地). During the Liao and Tang dynasties its name was again changed, this time to Tongzhou (Chinese: 通州). Finally in the Song dynasty it was given its present name of Dazhou.
Notable people from Dazhou include the Three Kingdoms writer Chen Shou, Song dynasty astronomer Zhang Sixun, and Ming and Qing dynasty philosopher and educator Tang Zhen. Dazhou also made notable contributions to the Communist Revolution. Red Army heroes such as Xu Xiangqian, Li Xiannian, Xu Shiyou, Wang Weizhou (Chinese: 王维舟), and Zhang Aiping were all from or lived in Dazhou.
The partially preserved mausoleum complex of the Shen (Chinese: 沈) family in Qu County (particularly its gate towers known as que)built in the Han dynasty, is a well-known architectural monument.[4]
Dazhou is the easternmost prefecture-level division of the province, bordering Ankang and Hanzhong (both in Shaanxi) to the north, Chengkou County, Kai County, and Wanzhou District of Chongqing to the east, the Chongqing counties of Liangping and Dianjiang to the south, Guang'an to the southwest, Nanchong to the west, and Bazhong to the northwest. It is centrally located between Chongqing and Xi'an. The area is .[5]
The terrain is largely mountainous (Daba Mountains and adjacent ranges).
Typical of the Sichuan Basin, Dazhou has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) and is largely mild and humid, with four distinct seasons. Winter is short, mild, and foggy, though actual precipitation is low. January averages 6.1°C and, while frost may occur, snow is rare. Summers are long, hot and humid, with highs often exceeding . The monthly daily average in July, the warmest month, is . Rainfall is light in winter and can be heavy in summer, and over 70% of the annual total occurs from May to September. The annual frost-free period lasts around 300 days.[6]
It is one of Sichuan's most populous cities with 5,468,097 residents as of 2010 census.
| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2010 census) | Area (km2) | Density (/km2) | |
| Tongchuan District | Chinese: 通川区 | Tōngchuān Qū | 478,276 | 901 | 531 | |
| Dachuan District | Chinese: 达川区 | Dáchuān Qū | 1,111,159 | 2,236 | 497 | |
| Wanyuan City | Chinese: 万源市 | Wànyuán Shì | 407,594 | 4,045 | 101 | |
| Xuanhan County | Chinese: 宣汉县 | Xuānhàn Xiàn | 1,006,826 | 4,272 | 236 | |
| Kaijiang County | Chinese: 开江县 | Kāijiāng Xiàn | 430,877 | 1,030 | 418 | |
| Dazhu County | Chinese: 大竹县 | Dàzhú Xiàn | 876,884 | 2,077 | 422 | |
| Qu County | Chinese: 渠县 | Qú Xiàn | 1,156,481 | 2,019 | 573 | |
Dazhou is an important river and land transportation hub for the region. Numerous national highways, expressways, and rail lines pass through Dazhou connecting it directly with major cities in China such as Chengdu, Xi'an, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing, etc., making it one of Sichuan's important trade centers.[7]
Dazhou has numerous natural resources including large natural gas fields and an abundance of mineral resources such as salt, coal, manganese, lithium, and limestone. Major agricultural products include pork, beef, and tea. Other industries are chemical production, coal power, metallurgy, textiles, building materials, and processed food.[8]
Dazhou has both cultural and natural attractions. There are several national and provincial cultural sites and many national and provincial protected forests and nature reserves. Xuanhan's Baili Gorges have scenery and rapids, leading to the nickname "Little Three Gorges". Mountains are this area's greatest attraction.
Until 2016 a highrise building with 16 floors at 31°11'28"N 107°30'43"E had a 20 metres tall electricity pylon on its roof. In 2016 the line including the pylon was dismantled. https://www.alamy.com/a-pylon-stands-on-the-rooftop-of-a-residential-apartment-building-in-dazhou-city-southwest-chinas-sichuan-province-17-april-2013-a-pylon-mounted-image263792901.html.