Mile City

Mile (Hani language: Miqleiq Siif; Yi: ꂱꇍꏃ) is a county-level city located in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China. It is named after the Maitreya Buddha, for which there was a temple located on a nearby mountain, making it the only city in China named after The Buddha. It is a center for sugar and tobacco production in Yunnan.

History
Mile has been known since at least 116 BC in written history. In 1290 it was established as a prefecture and in 1770 as a county.

It is the birthplace of Ming dynasty politician Yang Shengwu (杨绳武), Qing dynasty merchant Wang Chi (zh:王炽) and Republic era general Zhang Chong and mathematician Xiong Qinglai.

In 2014, Mile County was upgraded as a county level city.

Administrative divisions
At present, Mile City has 10 towns and 2 townships.
 * 10 towns
 * 2 townships
 * Wushan (五山乡)
 * Jiangbian (江边乡)

Demographics
Mile has a population of 570,100 as of 2021, including 44.9% ethnic minorities.

Ethnic groups
The Mile County Gazetteer 弥勒县志 (1987:689-699) reports the following Yi subgroups. The local Yi people have a ceremony to worship their fire god once a year.
 * Axi 阿细 (Xishan Yi)
 * Azhe 阿哲: in Wushan 五山, Xunjian 巡检, and Jianbian 江边 districts
 * Awu 阿乌: 8,710 persons as of 1984
 * Black Yi 黑彝: in Wushan 五山, Xishan 西山, and Dongshan 东山 districts
 * Large Black Yi 大黑彝 subgroup (autonym: Nasubo 纳苏波)
 * Small Black Yi 小黑彝 subgroup
 * Sani 撒尼 (autonym: Sanibo 撒尼波)
 * White Yi 白彝
 * Nasubo 纳苏波 subgroup: in Dongshan 东山 and Xinshao 新哨 districts
 * White Yi 白彝 subgroup: in Xier District 西二区
 * Gebo 葛波 (exonym: Guzu 古族)