Fenyang


Fenyang, formerly as Fenyang County before 1996, is a county-level city under the administration of Lüliang prefecture-level city, in Shanxi Province, China.
Fenyang is located in the wide valley of the Fen River, some 20-plus kilometers west of the actual river.
Fenyang was the birthplace of Jia Zhangke, who filmed 1997 Xiao Wu there. Platform is set from the end of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1990s in and around Fenyang. Subsequently, Mountains May Depart features scenes set in Fenyang in 1999 and 2014. Fengyang is also the birthplace of Guo Qinglan, the widow of Dwarkanath Kotnis.
Fenyang has a strong reputation within Shanxi for the production of Fenjiu, a type of Baijiu known for its superior flavor.

History

During the Qin dynasty, the area was established as Zishi County. In the Western Jin dynasty, its name was changed to Xicheng County. In the first year of the Shangyuan era during the Tang dynasty, it was renamed once again to Xihe County. In the first year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming dynasty, it was merged into Fenzhou. Later, in the 23rd year of the Wanli reign, it was elevated to Fenzhou Prefecture and Fenyang County was established. During the early Republic of China era, prefectures were abolished, and the county was retained. In 1996, the county was restructured into a county-level city.

Climate

Geography

Fenyang is located on the eastern foothills of the Lvliang Mountains, featuring a terrain that combines both hills and plains. The Wenyu River, a tributary of the Fen River, flows through the region. The city has an average annual temperature of 9°C and receives about 470 millimeters of precipitation per year.

Administrative divisions

Fenyang administers 2 subdistricts, 9 towns, and 3 townships.
The administrative divisions are:
  • Subdistricts:
  • * Jiefang Subdistrict
  • * Xinhua Subdistrict
  • Towns:
  • * Wangzhuang
  • * Qingyao
  • * Wangfen
  • * Baima
  • * Liugang
  • * Dayi
  • * Nanyao
  • * Songlou
  • * Xiangyang
  • Townships:
  • * Wulu Township
  • * Baizhao Township
  • * Hancun Township

    Economy

Agriculture in Fenyang primarily involves the cultivation of wheat, sorghum, rice, and cotton, with walnuts as a notable local specialty. The city's industrial base includes food-processing and coal mining.
Baijiu is the leading industry in the region. In 2022, Fenyang's baijiu industry generated an output value of 20.15 billion yuan with a production volume of 177,000 kiloliters, accounting for four-fifths of Shanxi Province's total and one-fifth of the national Qingxiang baijiu output. The dominant enterprise is the Fenjiu Group, which alone contributes approximately 70% of the city's production and 96% of its baijiu output value.

Natural Resources