Yichang

A prefecture-level city in the western part of Hubei Province, central China. It has jurisdiction over five city districts, three counties, and two autonomous counties, and acts as the administrative agent for three county-level cities (as of 2016). It has a population of 4,004,000 (2014). It is located on the Yangtze River (also known as the Yangtze River) at the outlet of Xiling Gorge in the Three Gorges. It is bordered by the Wushan Mountains to the west and overlooks the Jianghan Plain to the east. It is a key location for water transportation on the Yangtze River, linking Hubei and Sichuan provinces, and in 1988 the Gezhouba Dam (output 2.71 million kilowatts) was built across the Yangtze River. The Jiaozuo Line (Jiaozuo-Liuzhou) and the Han-Yi High-Speed ​​Railway (Wuhan-Yichang), which opened in 2012, run through the city, and on the outskirts of the city is Yichang Sanxia Airport, which opened in 1996. During the Han dynasty, Yiling County was established, and during the Ming dynasty it became Yilingzhou Prefecture, and during the Qing dynasty it became Yichang Prefecture, before being renamed Donghu County. In 1912 it became Yichang County, and in 1949 the county office and the surrounding areas were given city status.

Industries such as steel, machinery, electronics, chemicals, light industry, and building materials have developed. It also serves as the gateway to Sichuan Province, and since only 3,000-ton steamships can navigate the Yangtze River upstream from here, it is a bustling commercial port for Yangtze water transport, and was opened to the public by the Treaty of Chifu at the end of the Qing dynasty. A lock gate has been installed at Gezhouba Dam. Further upstream at Sandouping, China's largest Three Gorges Dam was completed in 2009, dramatically increasing the city's power generation capacity and allowing large ships to navigate upstream due to the rising water level, greatly enhancing transportation capacity. Yiling District in the central north of the city produces rice, wheat, corn, cotton, peanuts, tea, and citrus fruits, and is also rich in traditional Chinese medicines.

Scenic places and historical sites include Baiguoshu Waterfall, Gezhouba Dam, and the ancient battlefield of the Battle of Yiling during the Three Kingdoms period.

[Michihiro Kono, Editorial Department, August 21, 2017]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国中部、湖北(こほく)省西部の地級市。5市轄区、3県、2自治県を管轄し、3県級市の管轄代行を行う（2016年時点）。人口400万4000（2014）。長江(ちょうこう)（揚子江(ようすこう)）に沿い、三峡(さんきょう)の西陵峡の出口に位置する。西は巫山(ふざん)山脈を負い、東は江漢(こうかん)平原を望む。湖北、四川(しせん)両省を結ぶ長江水運の要地で、1988年には長江を横断して葛洲壩(かっしゅうは)ダムが建設された（出力271万キロワット）。焦柳線（焦作(しょうさく)―柳州(りゅうしゅう)）、2012年開通の漢宜高速鉄道（武漢(ぶかん)―宜昌）が通じ、市街近郊には1996年開港の宜昌三峡空港がある。漢代に夷陵(いりょう)県を置き、明(みん)代に夷陵州治、清(しん)代に宜昌府治となり、東湖(とうこ)県と改称した。1912年宜昌県となり、1949年県治とその周辺地区に市制を施行した。

　鉄鋼、機械、電子、化学、軽工業、建築材料などの工業が発達する。また四川省に入る咽喉(いんこう)を阨(やく)し、長江はここより上流は3000トン級の汽船しか遡航(そこう)できないため、長江水運の積替え港として商業活動が盛んであり、清末に芝罘(チーフ)条約により開港場とされた。葛洲壩ダムには閘門(こうもん)が設けられている。さらにやや上流の三斗坪(さんとうへい)には中国最大の三峡ダムが2009年に完成し、発電容量が飛躍的に増大したほか、水位の上昇により大型の船の遡航が可能となり、輸送力は大幅に増強された。市中北部の夷陵区は米、小麦、トウモロコシ、ワタ、ラッカセイ、茶、柑橘(かんきつ)類を産し、漢方の薬材も豊富である。

　名勝・旧跡には白果樹滝、葛洲壩ダム、三国時代に行われた夷陵の戦いの古戦場などがある。

［河野通博・編集部　2017年8月21日］

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