Shiyan is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China, bordering Henan to the northeast, Chongqing to the southwest, and Shaanxi to the north and west. At the 2010 census, its population was 3,340,841 of whom 767,920 lived in the built-up urban districts of Maojian and Zhangwan on. In 2007, the city was named China's top ten livable cities by Chinese Cities Brand Value Report, which was released at 2007 Beijing Summit of China Cities Forum.
History
During the 1960's, Mao Zedong and other government officials, fearing upheaval and invasion, sought to establish industry in more remote locations. Shiyan, located in a portion of northwest Hubei then known for its poverty, was then a small village comprising a few hundred households. In 1967, teams of workers and engineers were first sent to Shiyan in order to survey sites for automotive plants and factories as part of the Third Front Construction plan. By order of Mao in 1969, truck production in Shiyan commenced. Approximately 25,000 construction workers were sent to Shiyan during this time to equip the city with the infrastructure necessary for such project. In subsequent decades, the city experienced great economic growth due to these facilities, which employed nearly 200,000 workers. However, by the early 1990's, Shiyan was increasingly bypassed for new automotive ventures, which were increasingly located in larger cities with better transport links. In 2003, Dongfeng Motors relocated its main passenger car plant to Wuhan, resulting in population decline within Shiyan.
Geography
The Wudang Mountains run east-west through Shiyan. The peak commonly referred to as "Wudang Mountain", or in Mandarin Wudangshan, is one of the most important cultural centres of the Taoist faith. The surrounding areas are dotted with up to 200 Taoist monastic temples and religious sites. The main attraction in this area, and also one of the most sacred Taoist sites, which forms an important stop for mainly Chinese tourists bound there, with up to twenty bus loads of visitors per day at peak times is Wudangshan Jiedao of the Danjiangkoucounty-level city.
The main urban area of the prefecture-level city of Shiyan is in Maojian District; it is typically labeled on maps simply as "Shiyan". This area is subject to major change as part of the South to North water diversion project of the Han River. Certain areas will see an increase of up to 5 meters in water level to create a new reservoir to serve Beijing and Tianjin as a part of this major water diversion project.
Map
Economy
Shiyan has been a major center of the automobile industry in China, previously serving as the headquarters of Dongfeng Motors, a major Chinese truck, bus, and heavy goods vehicle company. Some American news outlets have labeled the city as the "Detroit of China", although the nickname has been applied to other Chinese cities, such as Changchun, Chongqing, and nearby Wuhan. In recent decades, the automotive industry in Shiyan has shrunk, largely due to increasing production in larger cities with better transit links. In response to this, Shiyan's government has sought to diversify the city's economy, and provide more space for other industrial facilities.
is the airport serving the city of Shiyan, located from the city center and from Wudangshan, the World Heritage Site after which it is named. A total area of 16400 square meters; a total of one runway with a length of 2600 meters; 7 stops ; and an annual passenger throughput of 1.2 million passengers Shiyan Wudangshan Airport starts to work in February, 2016. Until April 2019, there are total 17 fixed routes, navigating to 26 cities.
