Yuncheng

Yuncheng
运城市
Top to bottom, left to right: Haizhou Emperor Guan Temple, Yuncheng Salt Lake, Yuncheng Airport, Nanfeng Plaza
Location of Yuncheng City jurisdiction in Shanxi
Yuncheng
Location of the city center in Shanxi
Yuncheng
Yuncheng (Eastern China)
Yuncheng
Yuncheng (China)
Coordinates (Yulin municipal government): 35°01′36″N 111°00′25″E / 35.0267°N 111.0070°E / 35.0267; 111.0070
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceShanxi
County-level divisions13
Municipal seatYanhu District
Government
 • TypePrefecture-level city
 • Communist Party SecretaryWang Yuyan
 • MayorWang Qingxian (王清宪)
Area
14,183 km2 (5,476 sq mi)
 • Urban
1,205 km2 (465 sq mi)
 • Metro
1,205 km2 (465 sq mi)
Elevation
370 m (1,210 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)
4,774,508
 • Density336.64/km2 (871.88/sq mi)
 • Urban
928,334
 • Urban density770.4/km2 (1,995/sq mi)
 • Metro
928,334
 • Metro density770.4/km2 (1,995/sq mi)
GDP
 • Prefecture-level cityCN¥ 164.4 billion
US$ 25.8 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥ 34,425
US$ 5,508
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
044000
Area code0359
ISO 3166 codeCN-SX-08
License Plate晋M
Administrative division code140800
Yuncheng
Simplified Chinese运城
Traditional Chinese運城
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYùnchéng
Wade–GilesYün-ch‘êng

Yuncheng (simplified Chinese: 运城; traditional Chinese: 運城市) is the southernmost prefecture-level city in Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It borders Linfen and Jincheng municipalities to the north and east, and Henan (Luoyang and Jiyuan to the east, Sanmenxia to the south) and Shaanxi (Weinan) provinces to the east, south and west, respectively. As of the 2020 census, its population was 4,774,508 inhabitants (5,134,779 in 2010), of whom 928,334 (680,036 in 2010) lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of Yanhu District. One can note than Pinglu County, 205,080 inhabitants in the south, is now part of Sanmenxia built-up (or metro) area.

Yuncheng is a city that was born and prospered from salt. It is named after the "City of Salt Luck". The city is historically associated with the Yuncheng Salt Lake (运城盐湖), one of the largest natural salt lakes in China, which has been exploited for thousands of years and provided a crucial economic foundation for the region. In ancient times, the salt from Yuncheng was an important source of revenue and even influenced regional trade routes, making the city a strategic economic center. Due to its geographical location, Yuncheng also serves as a gateway connecting Shanxi with Henan and Shaanxi, making it an important transportation and cultural hub in the Yellow River basin.

The city is served by Yuncheng Yanhu International Airport, several national highways, and high-speed railway lines, which further strengthen its role as a regional transport node.