# Mile City

Mile (Chinese: 弥勒市; pinyin: Mílè Shì;; Hani language: Miqleiq Siif; Yi: ꂱꇍꏃ) is a county-level city located in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China. It is named after the Maitreya Buddha, for which there was a temple located on a nearby mountain, making it the only city in China named after a Buddha. It is a center for sugar and tobacco production in Yunnan.

## History

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.
It is the birthplace of Ming dynasty politician Yang Shengwu (杨绳武), Qing dynasty merchant Wang Chi (zh:王炽) and Republic era general Zhang Chong and mathematician Xiong Qinglai.
In 2014, Mile County was upgraded as a county level city.

## Administrative divisions

At present, Mile City has 10 towns and 2 townships.

### 10 towns

| Miyang (弥阳镇) Xinshao (新哨镇) Hongxi (虹溪镇) Zhuyuan (竹园镇) Pengpu (朋普镇) | Xunjiansi (巡检司镇) Xiyi (西一镇) Xier (西二镇) Xisan (西三镇) Dongshan (东山镇) |

### 2 townships

* Wushan (五山乡)
* Jiangbian (江边乡)

## Demographics

Mile has a population of 570,100 as of 2021, including 44.9% ethnic minorities.

## Ethnic groups

The Mile County Gazetteer 弥勒县志 (1987:689-699) reports the following Yi subgroups.
* Axi 阿细 (Xishan Yi)
* Azhe 阿哲: in Wushan 五山, Xunjian 巡检, and Jianbian 江边 districts
* Awu 阿乌: 8,710 persons as of 1984
* Black Yi 黑彝: in Wushan 五山, Xishan 西山, and Dongshan 东山 districts
** Large Black Yi 大黑彝 subgroup (autonym: Nasubo 纳苏波)
** Small Black Yi 小黑彝 subgroup
* Sani 撒尼 (autonym: Sanibo 撒尼波)
* White Yi 白彝
** Nasubo 纳苏波 subgroup: in Dongshan 东山 and Xinshao 新哨 districts
** White Yi 白彝 subgroup: in Xier District 西二区
* Gebo 葛波 (exonym: Guzu 古族)
The local Yi people have a ceremony to worship their fire god once a year.

## Climate

Climate data for Mile City, elevation 1,416 m (4,646 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.0 (80.6) | 29.6 (85.3) | 32.2 (90.0) | 35.0 (95.0) | 35.8 (96.4) | 34.1 (93.4) | 33.5 (92.3) | 32.4 (90.3) | 33.2 (91.8) | 30.5 (86.9) | 28.5 (83.3) | 26.0 (78.8) | 35.8 (96.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.1 (64.6) | 20.9 (69.6) | 25.0 (77.0) | 27.9 (82.2) | 28.5 (83.3) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.5 (81.5) | 26.5 (79.7) | 23.7 (74.7) | 21.1 (70.0) | 17.7 (63.9) | 24.3 (75.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.3 (50.5) | 12.5 (54.5) | 16.4 (61.5) | 20.0 (68.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.9 (73.2) | 22.6 (72.7) | 22.2 (72.0) | 20.9 (69.6) | 18.2 (64.8) | 14.2 (57.6) | 10.7 (51.3) | 17.8 (64.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) | 6.0 (42.8) | 9.5 (49.1) | 13.3 (55.9) | 17.1 (62.8) | 19.3 (66.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 18.7 (65.7) | 17.2 (63.0) | 14.6 (58.3) | 9.4 (48.9) | 5.8 (42.4) | 12.9 (55.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −2.9 (26.8) | −2.8 (27.0) | −3.9 (25.0) | 4.4 (39.9) | 4.8 (40.6) | 12.7 (54.9) | 13.8 (56.8) | 12.4 (54.3) | 8.7 (47.7) | 4.7 (40.5) | −1.9 (28.6) | −4.6 (23.7) | −4.6 (23.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 26.2 (1.03) | 15.4 (0.61) | 22.2 (0.87) | 34.3 (1.35) | 95.3 (3.75) | 173.2 (6.82) | 187.4 (7.38) | 137.3 (5.41) | 92.2 (3.63) | 73.6 (2.90) | 32.3 (1.27) | 16.0 (0.63) | 905.4 (35.65) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 5.4 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 7.2 | 12.2 | 15.5 | 18.7 | 17.7 | 13.1 | 12.2 | 5.8 | 4.5 | 122.2 |
| Average snowy days | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 1.1 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 73 | 65 | 60 | 59 | 65 | 76 | 81 | 81 | 78 | 78 | 76 | 76 | 72 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 166.8 | 178.1 | 207.7 | 214.0 | 196.5 | 141.2 | 131.2 | 146.9 | 131.7 | 126.5 | 160.8 | 148.5 | 1,949.9 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 50 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 48 | 35 | 32 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 49 | 45 | 45 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration ||||||||||||||