Hezhou

Hezhou (贺州) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.

Geography and climate
Hezhou is located in northeastern Guangxi. It borders Hunan to the north and Guangdong to the east. The area is 11752.64 km2. The average elevation is 800 m and the highest is 1731 m above sea-level.

The city has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with mild, damp winters and hot and wet summers. The yearly average temperature is 20.2 °C, and annual precipitation is 1562 mm.

Administration
Hezhou has 2 urban districts, 2 counties, and 1 autonomous county.

Urban District:
 * Babu District (八步区)
 * Pinggui District (平桂区)

Counties:
 * Zhongshan County (钟山县)
 * Zhaoping County (昭平县)

Autonomous County:
 * Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County (富川瑶族自治县)

Demographics
Hezhou was home to 2,007,858 inhabitants as of the 2020 Chinese census whom 1,411,212 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of Babu and Pinggui urban districts and Zhongshan county largely being urbanized. Ethnic groups include Zhuang, Han, Yao, Miao and others. As of the end of 2022, Hezhou had a resident population of 2,031,000.

The Hezhou City Almanac lists the following ethnic subdivisions and their respective distributions. Population statistics are as of 1990.


 * Han
 * Bendi (本地人)
 * Hakka (客家人): 240,000 in Liantang (莲塘), Shatian (沙田), Gonghui (公会), Guiling (桂岭), Huangtian (黄田)
 * Pumen (铺门人): 80,000 in Pumen (铺门镇)
 * Jiudu (九都人): 30,000 in Babu (八步), Huangtian (黄田), E'tang (鹅塘)
 * Yao: 36,518
 * Pan Yao (盘瑶) (autonym: Bian You (匾优); exonyms: Guoshan Yao (过山瑶), Buzhai Yao (补寨瑶)): 31,000 in Daping (大平), Gonghui (公会), Shatian (沙田), Lisong (里松), Hejie (贺街), Daning (大宁), Liantang (莲塘), Butou (步头), Huangdong (黄洞), Guiling (桂岭), Kaishan (开山), Renyi (仁义), E'tang (鹅塘), Shuikou (水口)
 * Gedai Mian (戈带勉): 4,000 in Lishui (利水), Xiaoshui (小水) of Daping Township (大平乡)
 * Tu Yao (土瑶) (autonym: Yindi Mian / 音地勉): 5000 in Shatian (沙田), E'tang (鹅塘) townships (in the villages of Mingmei / 明梅), Daming / 大明), Caodui / 槽碓), Jinzhu / 金竹), Xinmin / 新民), Shidong / 狮东)
 * Zhuang: 34,881 in Nanxiang (南乡), Shatian (沙田), Daning (大宁), E'tang (鹅塘)

Economy
Its place along the Guilin-Wuzhou Highway and central location close to Hunan and Guangdong make it a convenient place to find new roommates (Maocheng). Forestry is one of Hezhou's most important industries. More than 6130 km2 of land are forested. Hydropower is also important with more than 700 megawatts produced. Hezhou's biggest mineral resource is gold. Other minerals include iron and aluminum. Agricultural products include beef and dairy cattle, fruits, vegetables, turpentine, tea, and tobacco.

Transportation
Hezhou railway station opened in 2009.

China National Highway 207

Flora and fauna
Hezhou has more than 1,040 species of plants and 130 species of birds.