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Yulin City,a prefecture-level city of Shaanxi Province, is located in Northern Shaanxi Province and to the south side of the bend of the Yellow River, adjoins Erdos City to the north, Northern Shanxi to the east, Gansu to the west and Guanzhong Plain to the south. Yulin City has been included on the list of China’s Famous Historical and Cultural Cities by the country’s State Council.

Facts of Yulin

Chinese Name: 榆林市 (yú lín shì)
Population: 3,516,300
Area: 43,578 square kilometers (16,826 square miles)
Administrative Division: 1 district (Yuyang); 11 counties (Shenmu, Fugu, Hengshan, Jingbian, Suide, Mizhi, Jiaxian, Wubu, Qingjian, Zizhou)

History of Yulin

Yulin has over 5,000 years history. As early as the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages, human beings already lived in this area. Named as Shangjun, it once belonged to Qin State in the Warring States Period,  and then one of the 36 shires of the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC). In the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), a king of the Huns established Daxia Kingdom and set capital in Tongwan City (today's Jingbian County). In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Yulin area was divided into three states, which were then combined into two new ones Yulin and Suide. In 1949, the city was liberated under the lead of China's Communist Party. In 2000, it turned into a prefecture-level city from a county-level one.

Geography of Yulin

Location: Located in the north end of Shaanxi Province, Yulin joints up the Loess Plateau and the Mu Us Desert. It is neighbor to four provinces of Shanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Inner Mongolia and Yan'an City in Shaanxi Province.

Physical Features: The Yellow River, known as the mother river of the Chinese nation, runs along the eastern border of the district for 270 kilometers.The area of Yulin can be divided by the ancient Yulin Great Wall. To its north, it is sand and grass flat. To its south, it is loess hills and ravines. The southwest is low mountains and hills, from where many rivers in the city start.

What to see in Yulin?

Also known as Dailing Hill, it stands by the Yanhe River east of the city of Yan'an, with an elevation of 1,076 meters. The hill is named after the pagoda on it. The pavilion-style pagoda, a Ming Dynasty structure, is 44 meters high. Standing on top of the majestic pagoda, one can have a panoramic view of Yan'an City. The pagoda is the symbol of Yan'an as a sacred place in the Chinese revolution.

Zhenbeitai Great Wall	Yulin Red Stone Gorge	Hongjiannao Lake
Jiaxian Baiyun Taoist Temple	Jingbian Danxia Geopark	Li Zicheng Palace

How to get to Yulin?

Yulin Xisha Airport (UYN) is located about two kilometers southeast of the city. Direct flights are operated there to Beijing, Xian and Baotou. Xibao (Xian - Baotou) railway and two national highways go across the city. Every day, there are long distance buses to Xian, Yinchuan, Baotou, Taiyuan and the counties in Yulin.

By Train:  There are now three railway links leading into Yulin district: the Baotou-Shenmu Railway, the Shenmu-Shuozhou Railway, and the Shenmu-Yan’an Railway.

By Highway: Rapid development has also led to a network of highways, with more than ten major highways traversing the region. Highway Density has reached 19.1 km/100km. 

By Air: In addition, the new airport offers flights to Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chendu and Baotou. 

When to visit Yulin?

This area of Yulin belongs to the warm and semiarid continental monsoon climate zone. The average temperature of Yulin weather is about 10C. The temperature difference between morning and night is high. Sand storm is frequent in spring and rain is a little more in summer. Summer and autumn are the best time to visit the area. Please remember to take a coat and an umbrella because of high temperature difference and frequent rainfalls. 

Yulin Travel Tips

Yulin Highlights:  Yulin is not only a historical city with long histories, but also the energy supply base of both Shaanxi and the whole China. 48 kinds of natural resources have been discovered there, among which coal, oil and natural gas are the richest. Shenfu Coal Field has been ranked among the eight largest coal fields in the world. The city also has the largest natural gas field of present China. In addition, it has colorful and profound local art culture. Various folk songs (Daoqing, duet sing and dance), local talk and sing, Yangge (a dance performance) are famous and popular throughout China.

Yulin Special Products: Handicrafts: paper-cutting, stone sculpture, hand-knitted carpet, willow knitting

Useful Telephone Numbers:
Tourist Complaints: 0912-3283935
Consumer Complaints: 12315; 0912-3865315
Weather Forecast: 121
Zip Code Inquiry: 184