# Yicheng, Hubei

Yicheng (Chinese: 宜城; pinyin: Yíchéng) is a county-level city in northwestern Hubei, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Xiangyang City.

## History

In 1945, in order to commemorate the anti-Japanese generals Zhang Zizhong in the Battle of Zaoyi, renamed Zizhong County, belonged to the Office of the Administrative Inspector of the Fifth District of Hubei Province. After December 1947, the area east of Hanshui was under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Communist Party (liberated zone). After July 1948, the west of Hanshui was under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Communist Party. In 1949, Yicheng County was restored and it was subordinated to the Commissioner of the Xiangyang Administrative Region of Hubei Province.
In June 1994, Yicheng County was cancelled and Yicheng City was established with the approval of the State Council.

## Geography

Yicheng City is located in the northwest of Hubei Province, Hanjiang midstream. East boundary Suizhou, Zaoyang, south Zhongxiang, Jingmen, west Nanjing, north to Xiangyang. It is located at 111°57′-112°45′ east longitude and 31°26′-31°54′ north latitude. It is 76 kilometers long from east to west and 53 kilometers wide from north to south, with a total area of 2115 square kilometers.

## Climate

Climate data for Yicheng, elevation 68 m (223 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) | 19.5 (67.1) | 24.1 (75.4) | 30.7 (87.3) | 32.9 (91.2) | 36.4 (97.5) | 37.5 (99.5) | 39.5 (103.1) | 37.3 (99.1) | 37.9 (100.2) | 32.4 (90.3) | 26.7 (80.1) | 18.9 (66.0) | 39.5 (103.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.7 (45.9) | 11.0 (51.8) | 16.1 (61.0) | 22.5 (72.5) | 27.4 (81.3) | 30.4 (86.7) | 32.0 (89.6) | 31.6 (88.9) | 27.6 (81.7) | 22.6 (72.7) | 16.0 (60.8) | 9.9 (49.8) | 21.2 (70.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.2 (37.8) | 6.0 (42.8) | 10.8 (51.4) | 16.8 (62.2) | 21.9 (71.4) | 25.7 (78.3) | 27.7 (81.9) | 26.9 (80.4) | 22.6 (72.7) | 17.3 (63.1) | 11.0 (51.8) | 5.2 (41.4) | 16.3 (61.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.2 (31.6) | 2.1 (35.8) | 6.6 (43.9) | 12.3 (54.1) | 17.5 (63.5) | 22.1 (71.8) | 24.6 (76.3) | 23.7 (74.7) | 19.1 (66.4) | 13.5 (56.3) | 7.2 (45.0) | 1.6 (34.9) | 12.5 (54.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −7.2 (19.0) | −8.2 (17.2) | −3.2 (26.2) | 0.0 (32.0) | 8.2 (46.8) | 13.8 (56.8) | 18.2 (64.8) | 16.9 (62.4) | 11.3 (52.3) | 0.9 (33.6) | −3.3 (26.1) | −11.0 (12.2) | −11.0 (12.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 22.6 (0.89) | 27.3 (1.07) | 46.8 (1.84) | 75.5 (2.97) | 107.7 (4.24) | 115.3 (4.54) | 151.1 (5.95) | 152.4 (6.00) | 76.4 (3.01) | 69.6 (2.74) | 41.2 (1.62) | 17.1 (0.67) | 903 (35.54) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 6.7 | 8.2 | 9.6 | 9.9 | 11.9 | 10.9 | 12.1 | 10.6 | 10.2 | 9.8 | 8.6 | 6.4 | 114.9 |
| Average snowy days | 4.4 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 11.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 75 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 74 | 78 | 83 | 83 | 79 | 77 | 77 | 75 | 77 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 98.9 | 103.6 | 135.5 | 161.3 | 168.3 | 159.1 | 181.5 | 184.8 | 142.7 | 131.0 | 115.9 | 103.2 | 1,685.8 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 31 | 33 | 36 | 41 | 39 | 38 | 42 | 45 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 33 | 38 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration ||||||||||||||

## Administration

Yicheng administers 2 subdistricts, 8 towns, and 3 other township-level divisions.
Two subdistricts:
* Yancheng Subdistrict (鄢城街道), Nanying Subdistrict (南营街道)
Eight towns:
* Zhengji (郑集镇), Xiaohe (小河镇), Liuhou (刘猴镇), Kongwan (孔湾镇), Liushui (流水镇), Banqiao (板桥镇, or Banqiaodian 板桥店镇), Wangji (王集镇), Leihe (雷河镇)
Three other areas:
* Yicheng Economic Development Zone (宜城经济开发区), Dayan Industrial Park (大雁工业园区), Re-education Through Labor camp (劳教所)

## Demographics

At the end of 2006, the city's total population was 564,500, of which the urban population was 226,600, the rural population was 335,900, the annual birth population was 4,770, the birth rate was 8.45 ‰; the death toll was 3,278, the mortality rate was 5.81 ‰; the natural growth rate was 2.64 ‰.

## Historical Figures

Songyu, Xianglang, Xiangpang, Maliang, MaWei, Zhongliang, Wangning, Zhou Renshou, Lu Guiyuan, Wang Wanfang, Duancheng, Wang Yi, Zhang Zizhong