Yulin, Guangxi
Yulin (, ), alternately romanized as Watlam, is one of the fourteen prefecture-level cities of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. Its Chinese name was changed in 1956 from the historical name "" (), which is homophonous in Standard Mandarin, but different in the local dialect of Yue Chinese; "" is while "" is . The former romanization follows the pronunciation of the historical name in Yue Chinese. Its built-up area is made of two urban districts, and Beiliu City was home to 2,438,467 inhabitants as of 2020 census. Geography and climate. Yulin is located in southeastern Guangxi province  along the border with Guangdong. It is a hilly basin with a total area of . Yulin's climate is subtropical and monsoonal. Average annual temperatures is 22.9 °C. Yearly precipitation is 1,577 mm. History. Artifacts suggest that the area was settled before the Qin dynasty but a commandery by the name of Yulin was not established until early Han dynasty. The urban centre of Yulin became a "zhou" in 996 AD. Since ancient times, Yulin has been important for trade and communications between central China and the south, especially along the coast of the Tonkin Gulf. Administration. Yulin has  two districts, one city, four counties, and 119 towns and townships. Districts: County-level City: Counties: Demographics: Language and culture. Some Chinese linguists have suggested that the Yulin dialect is the best surviving example of what ancient spoken Chinese would have sounded like based on rhyme patterns in Tang dynasty poetry. Dog meat festival. Yulin is also known for its annual dog meat festival which takes place on 21 June. Over 10,000 dogs are killed at this festival for human consumption. Reports of inhumane treatment, including torture, caused celebrities and others to protest against the festival. Economy. Yulin is rich  in natural resources. Important mineral resources include granite, limestone, iron, and gemstones. It is also Guangxi's biggest source of porcelain clay. Major agricultural products are rice, bananas, tomatoes, mandarin oranges, mangoes, longan, anise, tea, sugarcane, livestock such as cattle, pigs, geese, chickens and dogs. Industrial goods include machinery, construction materials, processed food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cigarettes, and ceramics. Transportation. Yulin are where the G59 Hohhot–Beihai Expressway and G80 Guangzhou–Kunming Expressway intersect, and there are also provincial highways and "not tolled" roads available. Yulin is served by Yulin railway station which sees both high-speed and conventional services. Typical  trains take approximately 2 hours to reach Nanning. Yulin is served by Yulin Fumian Airport which opened in August 2020. Education. Yulin is home to Yulin Normal University, where there are 13 departments with 38 four-year undergraduate specialties, 14 three-year specialties, more than 17,200 students including 12,000 full-time students and 5,200 higher education students. Guangxi Yulin High School is a high-level key middle school in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and an advanced unit of national spiritual civilization construction. It is also the first demonstration ordinary high school in Guangxi.