Yuncheng
Encyclopedia
Yuncheng is the southernmost municipality
in Shanxi
province
, China
. It borders Linfen
and Jincheng
municipalities to the north and east, and Henan
and Shaanxi
provinces to the south and west.
The Olympic Torch Relay went through this city June 25, 2008 on its way to Beijing.
are in Yanhu District
(盐湖区), together with the CPC
and Public Security
bureaux.
, Chinese Human trafficking
mafia. Rural children, typically middle school
students fit for labour, were "recruited" with the promise of jobs in in China's far southwest -- Longchuan County in Yunnan
's Dehong Prefecture. Once in Longchuan the children were whisked ("through sugar-cane fields on a motorcycle") over the international border into Kachin State
and imprisoned. They were made to sign demands for ransom (e.g. 40 - 80 000 RMB
). They are subjected to Torture
(burnt by cigarette, violated by chopstick, fingernails pulled by pliers, forced into fights by starvation, terrorised by captive animals) prior to making telephone appeals home.
For the "recruiter"/kidnappers
the ethno-linguistic ties between the Jingpo
-nation citizens of Dehong and those of Kachin are an enabling factor, as is the ineffectiveness of Chinese-allied Myanmar police in this region of de facto independence (Cf. Nayoubeng Mountain militia); Inter-Pol
is of even less use, as Myanmar itself is a rogue state.
According to the Chinese-language Beijing News (2009 Jan 20), around 50 students left Yuncheng for the Snakehead "jobs" in September-October 2008. Some boys disappeared immediately, the rest were to follow. Two families whose sons had left Yuncheng in the middle of October paid ransoms on Nov 5; these boys reappeared in Longchuan on Nov 8. Back home in Shanxi, the boys told police and reporters that one of their cellmates had been one of the earliest-disappeared Yuncheng boys, and was in a very bad way ("nothing but skin and bones .. babbling like an idiot"). Yuncheng police paid a third ransom at year's end, and one boy, disappeared in late October, was retrieved on Jan 2.
-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen
BSk), with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold but dry, while summers are hot and humid. Monthly mean temperatures range from -0.9 °C in January to 27.4 °C (81.3 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 14.05 °C (57.3 °F). Rainfall is concentrated in the warmer months.
writer Justin Hill
spent two and a half years here with Voluntary Service Overseas
(VSO), from 1993-5. It was the basis of his first book, A Bend in the Yellow River.
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
is set here.
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
in Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It borders Linfen
Linfen
-Administrative divisions:The prefecture-level city of Linfen is divided in one district, two cities and fourteen counties. The information here presented uses the metric system and data from 2010 Census.-Pollution:...
and Jincheng
Jincheng
Jincheng is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi province of north China. It is an industrial city in an area where coal mining is an important industry. It has a population of 2.2 million....
municipalities to the north and east, and Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
and Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
provinces to the south and west.
The Olympic Torch Relay went through this city June 25, 2008 on its way to Beijing.
Administration
The Municipal executive, legislature and judiciaryIntermediate people's court
An intermediate people's court is the second lowest local people's court in the People's Republic of China. According to the Organic Law of the People's Courts of the People's Republic of China, the intermediate people's courts handle relevant important local cases in the first instance and hear...
are in Yanhu District
Yanhu District
Yanhu District is a district of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Yuncheng city.-References:*...
(盐湖区), together with the CPC
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
and Public Security
Public Security Bureau
In the People's Republic of China, a public security bureau refers to the government offices while the smaller offices are called Police posts which are similar in concept to the Japanese Kōban system) present in each province and municipality that handles policing , public security, and...
bureaux.
| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2003 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Yanhu District Yanhu District Yanhu District is a district of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Yuncheng city.-References:*... |
盐湖区 | Yánhú Qū | 620,000 | 1,237 | 501 |
| 2 | Yongji City | 永济市 | Yǒngjì Shì | 430,000 | 1,221 | 352 |
| 3 | Hejin City Hejin City Hejin is a county-level city in the municipal region of Yuncheng, Shanxi, China.-Situation:Hejin lies on the left bank of the Huanghe 。 It borders Jishan and Wanrong counties to the east and south; Linfen Municipality to the north and Hancheng City in Weinan Municipality, Shaanxi, across the... |
河津市 | Héjīn Shì | 360,000 | 593 | 607 |
| 4 | Ruicheng County Ruicheng County Ruicheng County is located in the Shanxi province of China. The town of Ruicheng has the following features:-Yongle Gong:Yongle Gong , is a Taoist temple noted for the wall paintings inside its three main halls... |
芮城县 | Ruìchéng Xiàn | 380,000 | 1,161 | 327 |
| 5 | Linyi County Linyi County, Shanxi Linyi County, Shanxi is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Yuncheng city.-References:*... |
临猗县 | Línyī Xiàn | 530,000 | 1,350 | 393 |
| 6 | Wanrong County Wanrong County Wanrong County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Yuncheng city.-References:*... |
万荣县 | Wànróng Xiàn | 420,000 | 1,037 | 405 |
| 7 | Xinjiang County Xinjiang County Xinjiang County , formerly Jiangzhou , lies in the municipal region of Yuncheng in the province of Shanxi.-Situation:The county's area is approximately 600 km2. It is bordered by Wenxi County to the east and Jishan County to the west... |
新绛县 | Xīnjiàng Xiàn | 320,000 | 600 | 533 |
| 8 | Jishan County Jishan County Jishan County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Yuncheng city.-References:*... |
稷山县 | Jìshān Xiàn | 330,000 | 680 | 485 |
| 9 | Wenxi County Wenxi County Wenxi County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Yuncheng city.-References:*... |
闻喜县 | Wénxǐ Xiàn | 380,000 | 1,160 | 328 |
| 10 | Xia County Xia County, Shanxi Xia is a county in the northern province of Shanxi in the People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of Yuncheng City , in the southernmost region of Shanxi.-See also:*List of administrative divisions of Shanxi... |
夏县 | Xià Xiàn | 350,000 | 1,328 | 264 |
| 11 | Jiang County Jiang County Jiang County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Yuncheng city.-References:*... |
绛县 | Jiàng Xiàn | 270,000 | 968 | 279 |
| 12 | Pinglu County Pinglu County Pinglu County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Yuncheng city.-References:*... |
平陆县 | Pínglù Xiàn | 250,000 | 1,151 | 217 |
| 13 | Yuanqu County Yuanqu County Yuanqu County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Yuncheng city.-References:*... |
垣曲县 | Yuánqǔ Xiàn | 220,000 | 1,620 | 136 |
Public Security Issues
Rural communities in the Yuncheng Municipal region have been the hunting grounds of SnakeheadsSnakehead (gang)
Snakeheads are Chinese gangs that smuggle people to other countries. They are found in the Fujian region of China and smuggle their customers into wealthier Western countries such as those in Western Europe, North America, Australia, and some nearby wealthier countries such as Taiwan and...
, Chinese Human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
mafia. Rural children, typically middle school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
students fit for labour, were "recruited" with the promise of jobs in in China's far southwest -- Longchuan County in Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
's Dehong Prefecture. Once in Longchuan the children were whisked ("through sugar-cane fields on a motorcycle") over the international border into Kachin State
Kachin State
Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the...
and imprisoned. They were made to sign demands for ransom (e.g. 40 - 80 000 RMB
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
). They are subjected to Torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
(burnt by cigarette, violated by chopstick, fingernails pulled by pliers, forced into fights by starvation, terrorised by captive animals) prior to making telephone appeals home.
For the "recruiter"/kidnappers
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
the ethno-linguistic ties between the Jingpo
Kachin people
The Kachin people are a group of ethnic groups who largely inhabit the Kachin Hills in northern Burma's Kachin State and neighbouring areas of China and India. More than half of the Kachin people identify themselves as Christians - while a significant minority follow Buddhism and some also adhere...
-nation citizens of Dehong and those of Kachin are an enabling factor, as is the ineffectiveness of Chinese-allied Myanmar police in this region of de facto independence (Cf. Nayoubeng Mountain militia); Inter-Pol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
is of even less use, as Myanmar itself is a rogue state.
According to the Chinese-language Beijing News (2009 Jan 20), around 50 students left Yuncheng for the Snakehead "jobs" in September-October 2008. Some boys disappeared immediately, the rest were to follow. Two families whose sons had left Yuncheng in the middle of October paid ransoms on Nov 5; these boys reappeared in Longchuan on Nov 8. Back home in Shanxi, the boys told police and reporters that one of their cellmates had been one of the earliest-disappeared Yuncheng boys, and was in a very bad way ("nothing but skin and bones .. babbling like an idiot"). Yuncheng police paid a third ransom at year's end, and one boy, disappeared in late October, was retrieved on Jan 2.
Geography
Yuncheng has a continental, monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
-influenced semi-arid climate (Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk), with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold but dry, while summers are hot and humid. Monthly mean temperatures range from -0.9 °C in January to 27.4 °C (81.3 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 14.05 °C (57.3 °F). Rainfall is concentrated in the warmer months.
Yuncheng in Popular Culture
The BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
writer Justin Hill
Justin Hill
Justin Hill is an English novelist whose novels have been nominated for the Man Booker Prize three times. Born in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island in 1971, he grew up in Yorkshire. He was educated at the historic St Peter's School, York....
spent two and a half years here with Voluntary Service Overseas
Voluntary Service Overseas
Voluntary Service Overseas is an international development charity that works through experienced volunteers living and working as equals alongside local partners. It is the largest independent volunteer-sending organization in the world...
(VSO), from 1993-5. It was the basis of his first book, A Bend in the Yellow River.
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness is a 1958 American 20th Century Fox film based on the true story of Gladys Aylward, a tenacious British maid, who became a missionary in China during the tumultuous years leading up to World War II...
is set here.