| Mile | |
| Settlement Type: | County-level city |
| Pushpin Map: | China Yunnan |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the city center in Yunnan |
| Coordinates: | 24.4042°N 103.4428°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | People's Republic of China |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Yunnan |
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture |
| Subdivision Name2: | Honghe |
| Area Total Km2: | 4004 |
| Population Total: | 570,100 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 652300 |
| Area Code: | 0873 |
| Population Rural: | 433500 |
| Population Rural Footnotes: | (2005)[1] |
| Elevation Max M: | 2315 |
| Elevation Min M: | 862 |
Mile (; ; Hani language: Miqleiq Siif; Yi: Sichuan Yi; Nuosu: ꂱꇍꏃ) is a county-level city located in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China.[2] It is named after the Maitreya Buddha, for which there was a temple located on a nearby mountain,[3] making it the only city in China named after The Buddha.[4] It is a center for sugar and tobacco production in Yunnan.
Mile has been known since at least 116 BC in written history. In 1290 it was established as a prefecture and in 1770 as a county.[1]
It is the birthplace of Ming dynasty politician Yang Shengwu (杨绳武), Qing dynasty merchant Wang Chi and Republic era general Zhang Chong and mathematician Xiong Qinglai.[5]
In 2014, Mile County was upgraded as a county level city.
At present, Mile City has 10 towns and 2 townships.[6]
|
|
Mile has a population of 570,100 as of 2021, including 44.9% ethnic minorities.
The Mile County Gazetteer 弥勒县志 (1987:689-699) reports the following Yi subgroups.
The local Yi people have a ceremony to worship their fire god once a year.[8]