Yan'an facts for kids

"Yenan" redirects here. For other uses, see Yenan (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Yan'an 延安市 Yenan
Prefecture-level city
Lingshan Pagoda Yellow Emperor Mausoleum Ansai Drum Nanniwan Airport
Location of Yan'an City jurisdiction in Shaanxi
Yan'an Location in China
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Shaanxi
Area
• Total	37,031.3 km² (14,297.9 sq mi)
Elevation	960 m (3,150 ft)
Population (2019)
• Total	2,255,700
• Density	60.9133/km² (157.765/sq mi)
GDP
• Total	CN¥ 120 billion US$ 19.2 billion
• Per capita	CN¥ 53,908 US$ 8,655
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard)
ISO 3166 code	CN-SN-06
License plates	陕J

Yan'an

"Yán'ān" in Chinese characters

Chinese

延安

Postal

Yenan

Literal meaning

"Prolonged Peace"

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Yán'ān
Bopomofo	ㄧㄢˊ ㄢ
Wade–Giles	Yen²-an¹
IPA	[i̯ɛ̌n.án]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Yìhn'ōn
IPA	[jȉːn.ɔ́ːn]
Jyutping	Jin4-on1

Yan'an is a city in the Shaanxi province of China. It's located in the northern part of the province. Yan'an is known for its important role in Chinese history.

This city was the final destination of the Long March. It became the main base for the Chinese Communist Revolution from 1935 to 1947. Many people in China see Yan'an as the starting point of the revolution. In 2019, about 2.25 million people lived in Yan'an.

A Look at Yan'an's Past

Street in Yan'an, 1914

Yan'an has been inhabited for a very long time, even as far back as the Xia dynasty. Over the centuries, it was an important military spot. Different Chinese dynasties and groups like the Tanguts fought over it.

In 1089, during the Song dynasty, the area was officially named Yan'an. Later, in the 1220s, the Mongols took control of Yan'an and the rest of Shaanxi. This happened after their leader, Genghis Khan, passed away.

Life in Yan'an was tough for many years. The economy struggled, and the population dropped a lot. By the early 1900s, a British traveler described Yan'an as a city that had seen better days.

After the last Chinese dynasty, the Qing, fell, Yan'an became part of the new Republic of China.

Yan'an: The Red Capital

Mao Zedong with foreign journalists in 1944

In 1935, after their long journey known as the Long March, the Chinese Red Army arrived in the Yan'an area. The next year, the Chinese Communists took control of Yan'an. It became their main base and the center of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Many important events happened here. For example, Mao Zedong, a key leader, met with foreign journalists in Yan'an. The city became a place where party members and soldiers received intense training. Thousands of smart people from all over China came to Yan'an.

The Communist government also encouraged people to move to Yan'an. They cleared a lot of new land for farming. Farmers were interested because of the Communists' land and tax changes. The army often helped with these big farming projects. In 1941, Mao Zedong started programs to teach people about the communist way of thinking. One of these was the Yan'an Rectification Movement.

World War II and Civil War

A conference room in Yan'an, where tourists can dress in Chinese Red Army uniforms

During World War II, Japanese bombings destroyed most buildings in Yan'an. People started living in yaodongs, which are traditional cave homes carved into hillsides.

Yan'an was a hub for Chinese communist life. Many Western journalists, like Edgar Snow, visited to interview Mao Zedong and other leaders.

From 1944 to 1947, a group from the U.S. Army called the Dixie Mission was based in Yan'an. They wanted to understand the Chinese Communist forces and see if the U.S. should work with them against the Japanese.

Later, during the Chinese Civil War, Yan'an was briefly captured by the Kuomintang (another Chinese political party). However, the Communist leaders knew about the attack and left the city beforehand.

Yan'an in Modern China

After the People's Republic of China was founded, Yan'an was reorganized several times. In 1996, it became a prefecture-level city.

Yan'an has grown quickly in recent years. Between 2011 and 2015, the city worked on a project to make it more beautiful for "red tourism." This type of tourism focuses on places important to the history of the Communist Party.

In 2015, China's leader, Xi Jinping, visited Yan'an. He stressed the importance of learning about the Communist Party's history there.

Yan'an's Location and Weather

Yan'an in 1964

Yan'an is located in northern Shaanxi province, on the Loess Plateau. It's a hilly area, with higher elevations in the northwest and lower ones in the southeast. The city's average height above sea level is about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). The Yellow River flows through Yan'an, along with other important rivers like the Yan River and the Luo River.

Yan'an has a climate with cold, dry winters and hot, somewhat humid summers. Spring and autumn are short. The average temperature in January is about -4.9°C (23.2°F), and in July, it's about 24.0°C (75.2°F). The city gets most of its rain in July and August. Yan'an enjoys around 300 sunny days each year.

Climate data for Yan'an, elevation 959 m (3,146 ft), (1991–2012 normals, extremes 1971–2000)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	16.6 (61.9)	23.8 (74.8)	27.6 (81.7)	34.4 (93.9)	36.5 (97.7)	37.5 (99.5)	38.3 (100.9)	36.9 (98.4)	37.5 (99.5)	29.7 (85.5)	25.5 (77.9)	18.0 (64.4)	38.3 (100.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	2.3 (36.1)	7.3 (45.1)	13.3 (55.9)	21.1 (70.0)	25.8 (78.4)	29.7 (85.5)	30.5 (86.9)	28.4 (83.1)	23.7 (74.7)	18.1 (64.6)	11.1 (52.0)	4.3 (39.7)	18.0 (64.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−4.9 (23.2)	−0.2 (31.6)	5.8 (42.4)	13.1 (55.6)	18.2 (64.8)	22.3 (72.1)	24.0 (75.2)	22.2 (72.0)	17.0 (62.6)	10.5 (50.9)	3.4 (38.1)	−2.9 (26.8)	10.7 (51.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−10.3 (13.5)	−5.8 (21.6)	−0.1 (31.8)	6.3 (43.3)	11.3 (52.3)	15.7 (60.3)	18.8 (65.8)	17.5 (63.5)	12.3 (54.1)	5.2 (41.4)	−1.8 (28.8)	−7.8 (18.0)	5.1 (41.2)
Record low °C (°F)	−21.4 (−6.5)	−19.8 (−3.6)	−15.4 (4.3)	−6.3 (20.7)	−0.1 (31.8)	5.5 (41.9)	10.1 (50.2)	8.7 (47.7)	0.6 (33.1)	−8.1 (17.4)	−17.0 (1.4)	−23.0 (−9.4)	−23.0 (−9.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	3.2 (0.13)	5.3 (0.21)	14.6 (0.57)	25.6 (1.01)	41.0 (1.61)	64.1 (2.52)	100.6 (3.96)	110.0 (4.33)	69.1 (2.72)	38.4 (1.51)	14.7 (0.58)	2.4 (0.09)	489 (19.24)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)	2.4	3.0	4.6	5.9	7.8	9.0	12.0	11.1	9.8	8.1	3.9	2.0	79.6
Average snowy days	4.3	4.0	2.9	0.5	0	0	0	0	0	0.3	2.4	3.6	18
Average relative humidity (%)	54	51	49	44	49	56	67	72	72	68	60	54	58
Mean monthly sunshine hours	196.5	188.2	218.8	242.5	262.6	251.6	231.0	213.7	176.0	190.8	191.3	192.3	2,555.3
Percent possible sunshine	63	61	59	61	60	57	52	52	48	55	63	64	58
Source 1: China Meteorological Administration
Source 2: Weather China

How Yan'an is Organized

Yan'an is divided into different areas to help manage the city. It has two main districts and several counties.

Map
Baota Ansai Yanchang County Yanchuan County Zhidan County Wuqi County Ganquan County Fu County Luochuan County Yichuan County Huanglong County Huangling County Zichang (city)
Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2019)	Area (km²)	Density (/km²)
Baota District	宝塔区	Bǎotǎ Qū	497,100	3,537.6	140.52
Ansai District	安塞区	Ānsài Qū	177,600	2,951.3	60.18
Zichang City	子长市	Zǐcháng Shì	219,400	2,393.4	91.67
Yanchang County	延长县	Yáncháng Xiàn	127,900	2,361.6	54.16
Yanchuan County	延川县	Yánchuān Xiàn	170,100	1,986.5	85.63
Zhidan County	志丹县	Zhìdān Xiàn	145,800	3,790.2	38.47
Wuqi County	吴起县	Wúqǐ Xiàn	152,600	3,788.5	40.28
Ganquan County	甘泉县	Gānquán Xiàn	79,100	2,276.1	34.75
Fu County	富县	Fù Xiàn	156,800	4,179.9	37.51
Luochuan County	洛川县	Luòchuān Xiàn	228,200	1,791.3	127.39
Yichuan County	宜川县	Yíchuān Xiàn	121,500	2,937.2	41.37
Huanglong County	黄龙县	Huánglóng Xiàn	49,200	2,751.0	17.88
Huangling County	黄陵县	Huánglíng Xiàn	130,400	2,286.7	57.03

People of Yan'an

In 2019, Yan'an had about 2,255,700 people living there. This was a small decrease from the year before. About 674,700 people lived in the two main districts of Yan'an: Baota and Ansai.

Birth and Death Rates

In 2019, for every 1,000 people in Yan'an, about 9.8 babies were born. About 5.97 people per 1,000 passed away. This means the population grew naturally by about 3.83 people per 1,000.

Family Income

In 2019, families living in cities in Yan'an earned about 34,888 RMB per year. This was an 8.3% increase from the year before. Families in rural areas earned less, about 11,876 RMB per year. However, their income grew faster, by 10.1%.

Yan'an's Economy

Buildings in Baota District

Yan'an's economy has grown very quickly in the 21st century. In 2019, its total economic output, called GDP, was more than ten times what it was in 2000. The city's GDP per person was about 73,703 RMB in 2019.

Yan'an's economy mostly relies on its secondary sector. This includes things like manufacturing and mining.

GDP Composition of Yan'an (2019)
Sector	2019 Value (RMB)	Percent of Total GDP	Annual growth
Primary Sector (Farming, etc.)	14.933 billion	8.975%	+5.2%
Secondary Sector (Factories, Mining)	99.985 billion	60.091%	+6.5%
Tertiary Sector (Services)	51.471 billion	30.934%	+7.6%
Total GDP	166.389 billion	100.000%	+6.7%

Farming and Food

The Yan River in Baota District

In 2019, Yan'an's farming, forestry, animal raising, and fishing industries produced goods worth 26.107 billion RMB. Most of this came from farming.

Farmers in Yan'an grow a lot of maize (corn). They also grow vegetables and soybeans. Yan'an is the second-largest producer of cotton in Shaanxi province. Other important crops include rapeseeds, peanuts, apples, jujubes, and apricots. The city is also the second-largest honey producer in Shaanxi.

Factories and Industry

In 2019, the value of goods produced by Yan'an's industries was 96.510 billion RMB. This was a 6.4% increase from the year before.

Oil and Gas

Yan'an is a very important center for oil and natural gas in China. In 2018, over 15 million tons of crude oil were taken from the city. Major companies like Yanchang Petroleum and CNPC's Changqing Oil Field operate here. The Changqing Oil Field has been producing oil since the early 1970s.

Shopping and Sales

In 2019, the total amount of money spent on goods in Yan'an was 41.113 billion RMB. Most of this shopping happened in Baota District.

Culture in Yan'an

The Erdao Street Night Market is a lively street market in Baota District. It's a great place to experience the local culture of Shaanbei. You can find local foods, decorations, and listen to traditional folk music there.

Visiting Yan'an

A scene at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall

Yan'an is a popular place for "Red tourism" in China. This means people visit sites important to the history of the Chinese Communist Party. Places like the Yan'an Revolution Memorial Hall attract many Chinese citizens and party members.

More people have visited Yan'an for red tourism since Xi Jinping's visit in 2015. In 2019, over 73 million tourists came to the city.

A new tourist area called Golden Yan'an opened in 2021. It looks like an old Chinese town from the 1930s. The main attraction is "The Ode of Yan'an," a nightlight show. This free show uses lights and projections on the mountains to tell stories from the Communist Party's history in Yan'an.

To encourage more tourism, Yan'an launched a program called "Red Stars Flying Me to Yan'an from Thirteen Cities." It offered cheaper flights to help people visit and learn about revolutionary history.

Getting Around Yan'an

Yan'an Nanniwan Airport
G2211 Changyan Expressway
G65 Baotou–Maoming Expressway
China National Highway 210

Learning in Yan'an

Yan'an has many schools for children of all ages. In 2019, there were:

251 primary schools with 218,100 students.
112 secondary schools with 129,900 students.
556 kindergartens with 119,500 children.
5 special education schools for 372 students with disabilities.

The city also has 13 public libraries.

Main Schools and Universities

Yan'an University [zh]
China Yan'an Executive Leadership Academy

Healthcare in Yan'an

In 2019, Yan'an had 2,631 healthcare places, like hospitals and clinics. These places had 14,560 medical beds and were staffed by 24,298 healthcare workers.