Youyu County

Youyu County, also known by its Chinese name Youyuxian, is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shuozhou, in the northwest of Shanxi Province, China. It borders Inner Mongolia to the north and west.

Youyu County 右玉县 Yuyu
County
Youyu in Shuozhou
Shuozhou in Shanxi
Coordinates: 39°59′20″N 112°28′01″E
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Shanxi
Prefecture-level city	Shuozhou
Area
• Total	1,987 km2 (767 sq mi)
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	88,212
• Density	44/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard)

Youyu County
Traditional Chinese	右玉縣
Simplified Chinese	右玉县
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yòuyùxiàn Wade–Giles Yu-yü Hsien

Former names
Shanwu
Traditional Chinese	善無
Simplified Chinese	善无
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shànwú Wade–Giles Shan-wu
Yanmen Commandery
Traditional Chinese	雁門郡 鴈門郡
Simplified Chinese	雁门郡
Literal meaning	Yanmen Pass Commandery
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yànménjùn Wade–Giles Yen-mên Chün

History

Shanwu,^[2] south of present-day Youyuxian, was the seat of Yanmen Commandery during the Qin and Western Han.^[3] The post moved to Yinguan southeast of present-day Shuozhou under the Eastern Han and further south to Daixian under the Kingdom of Wei.^[2]

Geography

Elevations are generally higher in the south of the county, in which flows the Cangtou River (苍头河); Youyu reaches a north-south extent of 67.7 km (42.1 mi) and east-west width of 45.7 km (28.4 mi). The Great Wall demarcates the northwestern border with Inner Mongolia's Liangcheng and Horinger counties; within the province, Youyu borders Zuoyun County to the east, Shanyin County and Pinglu District to the south.

Climate

Youyu has a monsoon-influenced, humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb), with cold and very dry winters, and warm, humid summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from −14.3 °C (6.3 °F) in January to 19.9 °C (67.8 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 4.2 °C (39.6 °F). June thru September accounts for over three-fourths of the 407 millimetres (16.0 in) of annual precipitation. Due to the high elevation and dry climate, the diurnal temperature variation averages 16 °C (29 °F) annually.

Climate data for Youyu, elevation 1,346 m (4,416 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	8.7 (47.7)	17.8 (64.0)	24.1 (75.4)	32.5 (90.5)	33.4 (92.1)	37.7 (99.9)	37.0 (98.6)	33.1 (91.6)	33.1 (91.6)	26.8 (80.2)	19.5 (67.1)	13.8 (56.8)	37.7 (99.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−4.2 (24.4)	0.4 (32.7)	7.3 (45.1)	15.4 (59.7)	21.6 (70.9)	25.7 (78.3)	27.1 (80.8)	25.3 (77.5)	20.5 (68.9)	13.5 (56.3)	4.7 (40.5)	−2.7 (27.1)	12.9 (55.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−14 (7)	−9.2 (15.4)	−1.2 (29.8)	7.0 (44.6)	13.7 (56.7)	18.3 (64.9)	20.2 (68.4)	18.1 (64.6)	12.5 (54.5)	5.0 (41.0)	−3.8 (25.2)	−11.5 (11.3)	4.6 (40.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−21.7 (−7.1)	−17.1 (1.2)	−9.1 (15.6)	−1.8 (28.8)	4.6 (40.3)	10.2 (50.4)	13.6 (56.5)	11.7 (53.1)	5.5 (41.9)	−1.8 (28.8)	−10.3 (13.5)	−18.4 (−1.1)	−2.9 (26.8)
Record low °C (°F)	−37.3 (−35.1)	−33.7 (−28.7)	−29.3 (−20.7)	−17.4 (0.7)	−12.6 (9.3)	−2.1 (28.2)	3.0 (37.4)	0.7 (33.3)	−8.0 (17.6)	−14.0 (6.8)	−32.2 (−26.0)	−35.5 (−31.9)	−37.3 (−35.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	2.5 (0.10)	4.2 (0.17)	8.8 (0.35)	21.5 (0.85)	41.0 (1.61)	58.2 (2.29)	105.6 (4.16)	94.5 (3.72)	55.8 (2.20)	25.9 (1.02)	8.4 (0.33)	2.1 (0.08)	428.5 (16.88)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)	2.7	3.4	4.7	4.8	6.7	10.7	12.4	12.0	9.3	5.9	3.7	3.0	79.3
Average snowy days	4.4	4.9	4.8	2.2	0.3	0	0	0	0	1.1	4.2	4.7	26.6
Average relative humidity (%)	61	56	48	43	44	55	68	72	69	64	62	61	59
Mean monthly sunshine hours	205.3	205.2	244.4	266.1	285.5	262.9	252.6	244.8	225.9	231.9	205.0	197.0	2,826.6
Percent possible sunshine	68	67	66	66	64	59	56	58	61	68	69	68	64
Source 1: China Meteorological Administration[4][5]
Source 2: Weather China[6]

References

Citations

1. Shānxī: Prefectures, Cities, Districts and Counties
2. Xiong (2009), s.v. "Yanmen".
3. Li (2017), s.v. "Yanmen".
4. 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
5. 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
6. 右玉 - 气象数据 -中国天气网 (in Chinese). Weather China. Retrieved 24 November 2022.

Bibliography

• www.xzqh.org (in Chinese)
• Hymn of Youyu County Spirit - Cursive Script
• Li Shizhen (2017), Hua Linfu; et al. (eds.), Ben Cao Gang Mu Dictionary, Vol. II: Geographical and Administrative Designations, Berkeley: University of California Press, ISBN 9780520291966.
• Xiong, Victor Cunrui (2009), Historical Dictionary of Medieval China, Historical Dictionaries of Ancient Civilizations and Historical Eras, No. 19, Lanham: Scarecrow Press, ISBN 9780810860537.