Geography

Xinyu has an area of 3,178 km2 (1,227 sq mi). It has a four-season, monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate. It can be very hot and rainy in summer. The city is located 135 km (84 mi) southwest of Nanchang, the provincial capital - about two and half hours away by car via highway. The city's main industry is the XinYu steel plant, which dominates the area.

History

Xinyu has a history of more than 1,700 years. It became a county in 267 during the Three Kingdoms period. In Jin Dynasty, it became a major city in Southern China with a population of over 50,000. In Tang Dynasty, it was part of Yuanzhou(known as Yichun today). In 742, the city's name 'Xinyú (wikt:渝)' was mistaken for 'Xinyù (喻)'. The government of PRC simplified the city's name as 'Xinyú (余)' in 1957.