# Yanyuan County

Yanyuan County (Chinese: 盐源县; pinyin: Yányuán Xiàn; Yi: ꑸꑼꑤ yiep yuop xiep, also ꋂꂿꑤ ce mo xiep) is a county in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China, bordering Yunnan province to the west. The county is located in Sichuan's rugged Hengduan Mountains in southwest Sichuan, but the county seat of Yanjing (盐井) is situated in an unusually flat basin with a 30 km (19 mi) diameter. Yanjing, as the county seat, is usually referred to as Yanyuan.

## History

Yanyuan County was originally inhabited by the Yi people, but has since been incorporated into Han Chinese culture. The region has long been a source of salt for the Chinese and the name Yanyuan (盐源) literally means "Salt source". Until recently, Yanyuan was poorly connected with the rest of China by road. In the 2010s, a new tunnel was built through the mountains east of Yanyuan to connect the county with the prefecture capital of Xichang.

## Administrative divisions

Yanyuan County comprises 1 subdistrict, 17 towns, 5 townships and 1 ethnic township.
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Yi | Romanized Yi | Administrative division code |
| Subdistrict ||||||
| Yanjing Subdistrict | 盐井街道 | Yánjǐng Jiēdào | ꑸꏢꏦꈜ | yiep ji jie gga | 513423001 |
| Towns ||||||
| Weicheng Town | 卫城镇 | Wèichéng Zhèn | ꁇꇓꍔ | pox lur zhep | 513423101 |
| Meiyu Town | 梅雨镇 | Méiyǔ Zhèn | ꂱꒃꍔ | mip yu zhep | 513423102 |
| Baiwu Town | 白乌镇 | Báiwū Zhèn | ꀙꃶꍔ | bip vu zhep | 513423103 |
| Shuhe Town | 树河镇 | Shùhé Zhèn | ꏂꃪꉼꍔ | shy vat hop zhep | 513423104 |
| Huangcao Town | 黄草镇 | Huángcǎo Zhèn | ꉸꊻꍔ | huop cuo zhep | 513423105 |
| Pingchuan Town | 平川镇 | Píngchuān Zhèn | ꀻꍧꍔ | pip chuo zhep | 513423106 |
| Luguhu Town | 泸沽湖镇 | Lúgūhú Zhèn | ꇈꈬꎿꍔ | lox ggu shur zhep | 513423107 |
| Guandi Town | 官地镇 | Guāndì Zhèn | ꇜꃅꍔ | gi mu zhep | 513423108 |
| Meiziping Town | 梅子坪镇 | Méizǐpíng Zhèn | ꂱꊪꀻꍔ | mip zy pip zhep | 513423109 |
| Runyan Town | 润盐镇 | Rùnyán Zhèn | ꑸꏢꍔ | yiep ji zhep | 513423110 |
| Changbai Town | 长柏镇 | Chángbǎi Zhèn | ꍤꀙꍔ | chap bip zhep | 513423111 |
| Jiami Town | 甲米镇 | Jiǎmǐ Zhèn | ꏧꂰꍔ | jiep mi zhep | 513423112 |
| Mianya Town | 棉桠镇 | Miányā Zhèn | ꂱꑵꍔ | mip yiet zhep | 513423113 |
| Yantang Town | 盐塘镇 | Yántáng Zhèn | ꑸꄤꍔ | yiep tap zhep | 513423114 |
| Jinhe Town | 金河镇 | Jīnhé Zhèn | ꏢꉼꍔ | ji hop zhep | 513423115 |
| Longtang Town | 龙塘镇 | Lóngtáng Zhèn | ꇊꄤꍔ | lop tap zhep | 513423116 |
| Xinglong Town | 兴隆镇 | Xīnglóng Zhèn | ꑝꇊꍔ | xit lop zhep | 513423117 |
| Townships ||||||
| Tengqiao Township | 藤桥乡 | Téngqiáo Xiāng | ꄯꐋꑣ | tep qop xie | 513423206 |
| Tianwan Township | 田湾乡 | Tiánwān Xiāng | ꄝꃬꑣ | tip va xie | 513423207 |
| Yousuo Township | 右所乡 | Yòusuǒ Xiāng | ꒀꌘꑣ | yop sox xie | 513423215 |
| Wodi Township | 沃底乡 | Wòdǐ Xiāng | ꊉꄂꑣ | wop di xie | 513423222 |
| Wali Township | 洼里乡 | Wālǐ Xiāng | ꃪꅫꑣ | vat hnip xie | 513423224 |
| Ethnic township ||||||
| Dapo Mongolia Ethnic Township | 大坡蒙古族乡 | Dàpō Ménggǔzú Xiāng | ꄊꁆꃀꇴꋇꑣ | dap pot mop gu cup xie | 513423223 |

## Geography

In the west, Yanyuan County encompasses the eastern shores of Lugu Lake, shared with Yunnan Province. To the north and east, Yanyuan is bordered by the Yalong River that cuts a deep gorge through the mountains. The Yalong forms a dramatic bend as it diverts around the Jinping Mountains in northern Yanyuan.
Yanyuan is composed of the eight towns, 25 townships, and one ethnic township.

## Climate

Climate data for Yanyuan, elevation 2,517 m (8,258 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) | 23.4 (74.1) | 22.9 (73.2) | 26.9 (80.4) | 28.3 (82.9) | 29.8 (85.6) | 30.0 (86.0) | 30.7 (87.3) | 28.4 (83.1) | 29.1 (84.4) | 25.0 (77.0) | 22.7 (72.9) | 20.4 (68.7) | 30.7 (87.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 13.1 (55.6) | 15.4 (59.7) | 18.3 (64.9) | 21.1 (70.0) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.4 (74.1) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.6 (72.7) | 21.2 (70.2) | 19.4 (66.9) | 16.0 (60.8) | 13.2 (55.8) | 19.1 (66.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.7 (42.3) | 8.1 (46.6) | 11.2 (52.2) | 14.1 (57.4) | 16.5 (61.7) | 17.8 (64.0) | 17.5 (63.5) | 17.2 (63.0) | 15.7 (60.3) | 13.0 (55.4) | 8.6 (47.5) | 5.7 (42.3) | 12.6 (54.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.8 (30.6) | 1.5 (34.7) | 4.6 (40.3) | 7.7 (45.9) | 10.9 (51.6) | 13.7 (56.7) | 14.1 (57.4) | 13.6 (56.5) | 12.2 (54.0) | 8.6 (47.5) | 3.0 (37.4) | −0.5 (31.1) | 7.4 (45.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −7.8 (18.0) | −6.7 (19.9) | −6.3 (20.7) | 0.0 (32.0) | 2.4 (36.3) | 6.3 (43.3) | 7.0 (44.6) | 6.8 (44.2) | 3.3 (37.9) | −0.4 (31.3) | −5.0 (23.0) | −11.3 (11.7) | −11.3 (11.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 3.9 (0.15) | 2.4 (0.09) | 8.5 (0.33) | 23.7 (0.93) | 67.9 (2.67) | 155.3 (6.11) | 211.3 (8.32) | 168.2 (6.62) | 107.9 (4.25) | 39.6 (1.56) | 11.5 (0.45) | 1.3 (0.05) | 801.5 (31.53) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 1.9 | 1.9 | 3.7 | 6.9 | 12.1 | 18.3 | 22.3 | 19.2 | 17.4 | 9.6 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 117.7 |
| Average snowy days | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 7.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 43 | 38 | 38 | 44 | 55 | 71 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 71 | 62 | 54 | 59 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 263.7 | 253.4 | 271.1 | 259.8 | 238.7 | 178.0 | 148.2 | 162.2 | 141.6 | 205.2 | 235.1 | 252.8 | 2,609.8 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 80 | 80 | 72 | 67 | 57 | 43 | 35 | 40 | 39 | 58 | 73 | 79 | 60 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration ||||||||||||||