Area: 14,100 square kilometers (5,444 square miles)

Nationalities: Han

Administrative Division: 1district (Yanhu); 10 counties (Ruicheng, Linyi, Wanrong, Xinjiang, Jishan, Wenxi, Xiaxian, Jiangxian, Pinglu, Yuanqu); 2 county-level cities (Yongji, Hejin)

Seat of the City Government: 248, Hedong Street (East), Yanhu District, Yuncheng City

Useful Telephone Numbers:
Tourist Complaints: 0359-2085615
Weather Forecast: 121
Zip Code Inquiry: 184

Bank of China Yuncheng Branch: 39, Zhongyin Dadao (North), Yanhu District, Yuncheng City

China Post Yuncheng Branch: 11, Shifu Street, Yanhu District, Yuncheng City

Location: Location: Yuncheng City is located in southwestern Shanxi Province, neighboring Linfen and Jincheng within the province. It is separated from Shaanxi Province and Henan Province by the Yellow River.

History: Yuncheng is a time-honored city, one of the oldest birthplaces of the Chinese nation. Tracks of human life in this area can be traced back to 1.8 million years ago. It was the seat of the capital of the first slave dynasty in Chinese history, Xia Dynasty (21st - 16th century BC). In the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC), it was administered under the Hedong Shire. Although administrative divisions in this region altered frequently in the following two thousand-odd years, it was habitually referred to as Hedong, meaning east of the Yellow River.

Pujiu Temple, Yuncheng

Pujin Ferry Ruins, Yuncheng

Climate: The city enjoys a temperate continental monsoon climate. Average temperature in the coldest January falls between -1 and 6 degrees centigrade (30.2 and 42.8 degree Fahrenheit), and in the hottest July remains between 24 and 28 degrees centigrade (75.2 and 82.4 degree Fahrenheit). The frost period may last from mid-October to late March. It is torrid in summer and a bit warmer in winter than other cities in Shanxi.

When to Go: May to October

Special Local Products: Jishan jujube, Wenxi Boiled pancake, Ruicheng sesame flakes, Jishan fried dough twist

Attractions:
Yongle Palace is a grand Taoist temple covering an area of eighty thousand square meters (20 acres). It stands in the Longquan Village 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) north of Ruicheng County. The temple is especially famous for the precious murals of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

Mural in Yongle Palace

Guanque Tower, Yuncheng

Temple of Guan Yu, Haizhou, Yuncheng

Travel Tips:
Yuncheng Guangong Airport is 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) northeast Yuncheng city proper. So far, it operates flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Taiyuan. Planes to Beijing and Guangzhou are offered every day, and there are two flights to Shanghai, three to Shenzheng and Chengdu, four to Taiyuan every week. Visitors can take Bus 18 from the Nanfeng Square to the airport.

Yuncheng's central bus station has moved to the north outskirt of the city in Shilichangjie which is about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the downtown area.