Yuxi is located in the center of Yunnan province, about 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of Kunming, the provincial capital. Like much of the central and eastern parts of the province, it is part of theYunnan–Guizhou Plateau.
The area is 15,285 km2 (5,902 sq mi) and the population is approximately 2.5 million.
Near Yuxi city isFuxian Lake, the second-deepest freshwater lake in China, where there have been discovered ancient fossils that are now in the possession of the Yuxi museum. There also are three other lakes around the city. They areXingyun Lake,Qilu Lake, andYangzong Lake.
Tempered by the low latitude and moderate elevation, Yuxi has a mild subtropical highland climate (KöppenCwb), with short, mild, dry winters, and warm, rainy summers. Frost may occur in winter but the days still generally warm up to around 17 °C (63 °F). During summer, a majority of the days features some rainfall, and daytime temperatures rise to 26 °C (79 °F). A great majority of the year's rainfall occurs from June to October.
Climate data for Yuxi, elevation 1,717 m (5,633 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2020)
The city was founded in 960 AD, at a time when Yunnan was not yet part of China. Yuxi was once the core area of Yunnan Province during the pre-Qin period (period before 221 BC). In the Western Han dynasty (206 BC-24 AD), it became a county of Yizhou Shire. The following dynasties witnessed the continuous separations and unifications of the area. It was not until 1997 that Yuxi became a prefecture-level city of the People's Republic of China.[5]
Among the resident population, theHan population is 1,560,279, accounting for 67.73% of the total population; theethnic minorities population is 743,232, accounting for 32.27% of the total population.
Ethnic Composition of Yuxi City (November 2010)[6]
One of China's deepest freshwater lakes, Fuxian Lake boasts exceptionally clear waters, earning it the nickname "Pearl of the Plateau." It's ideal for swimming, diving, boating, and lakeside vacations.
Yuxi is the home of the Hongta Group, which was named after the Red Pagoda which sits atop a nearby hill. The Pagoda was originally white, but was painted red during the cultural revolution. Thetobacco is of high quality because there are over 2300 hours of sunlight a year in the region, adequate rainfall in the summer, and excellent soil that produces a plethora of other fruits and vegetables. The region has begun producing wine, which could prove to be quite palatable in the next decade or so. There are substantial mineral deposits oftin andphosphate ores, including the Heavenly Triangle of Huaning,[7] Jiangchuan and Chengjiang.
Yuxi is one of the fastest growing small cities in China. In 2001, the city won an Honor Award in Analysis & Planning by theAmerican Society of Landscape Architects. In 2004UNIDO held a Workshop on Seed Treatment Technology, one of only two in China.
Yuxi Normal University is a university located in Yuxi with almost 8000 students. It was founded in 1978 as Yuxi Normal College. In 2000, under the approval from theMinistry of Education of the People's Republic of China, it was renamed Yuxi Normal University, with the merging of Yuxi Adult Education Center and Yuxi Normal School.
^Yunnan Provincial Census Office, Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Statistics (September 2012)."Yunnan Provincial Census Data in 2010". China Statistics Press.ISBN978-7-5037-6548-3.