Weinan (Chinese: 渭南; pinyin: Wèinán) is a prefecture-level city in east-central Shaanxi province, northwest China. The city lies on the lower section of the Wei River confluence into the Yellow River, about 60 km (37 mi) east of the provincial capital Xi'an, and borders the provinces of Shanxi and Henan to the east.
The name "Weinan", literally meaning "south of the Wei River", describes the location of the city's urban districts being mostly south of the Wei River, although majority of its metropolitan area actually lies on the north side of the river.
As a significant area between the ancient Chinese capital Xi'an and Luoyang, Weinan has a long history.
The ancient Dali Man lived in the modern area of Weinan. The Xiagui county was settled in the year of 668 BC by the state of Qin. Weinan got its name in the year of 360 by the Former Qin state. In the Tang dynasty, 10 emperors were buried in Weinan after their death. On the morning of 23 January 1556, the deadliest earthquake on record with its epicenter in Huaxian killed approximately 830,000 people, destroying an 840 kilometre-wide (520 mi) area.[3]
The Weinan prefecture-level city was established in 1995, in replacement of the Weinan prefecture. Due to the construction of the Sanmenxia Dam, the economy of the city was restricted to agricultural sections, and therefore the development level of the city is much lower than other cities in the province. The city developed rapidly after economic reform in China. The east part of Guanzhong Plain now belongs to the city, making Weinan the second most populated city in the Shaanxi province, after the capital Xi'an.
The municipal executive, legislature and judiciary are in Linwei District, together with the CPC and Public Security bureaux.
According to the sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China, there are 5,286,077 people resident in Weinan.[10] Compared to the previous census data from 2000, the population has decreased by 108,729 persons. Among the residents, 50.75% are males and 49.25% are females. The number of male and female residents are separately 2,682,710 and 2,603,367. The sex ratio is 103.05.[10]
Due to its location on the plain, Weinan is well connected, especially to the provincial capital Xi'an.
As of March 2015, there are 20 bus routes operated in the urban area of the city. Apart from line 1 and 2 with air-conditioning carrying a fare of 2 RMB, all other bus route fares are 1 RMB. There are also 1000 taxis in the urban city, The base fare is currently ¥5 which covers the first 2.5 km. Additional kilometers cost ¥1.4 or ¥1.5 each.
China National Highway 108 and China National Highway 310 pass through the city. Major expressways in the city are G5 Beijing–Kunming Expressway, G30 Lianyungang–Khorgas Expressway and G65E Yulin–Lantian Expressway. 5 bridges connect north and south part of the city on the Wei River, there are also 3 road bridges connecting the city to the neighboring Shanxi Province on the Yellow River.
The urban city of Weinan owns 4 railway stations. Weinan railway station was open in 1934. Located on the important Longhai railway, almost all Chinese major cities can be reached through the train. Weinan North railway station is served by high-speed trains on the Xuzhou–Lanzhou and Datong–Xi'an lines. The station is part of the Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world. Weinan South railway station and Weinan West railway station are on the Nanjing–Xi'an Railway, they are both only served by the slowest trains.
In the suburban area, there are also 2 stations for high-speed railway:Huashan North Railway Station and Dali Railway Station, there are as well also stations for conventional rail like the Huashan railway station and Hancheng railway station.
There is no commercial passagenger airport in Weinan, the nearest airport is Xi'an Xianyang International Airport. A shuttle bus connects the Weinan Railway Station with the airport frequently throughout the day. A smaller airport is under construction in Huazhou District to serve the tourism of Hua Mountain.
As of end in 2012, there are 2859 schools of all kinds; 75 high schools, 70 vocational schools, 310 junior high schools, 1266 primary schools, 1002 kindergartens and 7 special education schools.
Weinan has 3 higher educational institutions. The Weinan Normal University is a comprehensive multi-discipline research university. Weinan has 2 other tertiary institutions, they are Shaanxi Railway Institute and Weinan Vocational and Technical College.
Weinan's twin towns and sister cities are:
