Bazhong  Bazhong () is a prefecture-level city in north-eastern Sichuan province, China. Its population was 3,284,000 at the 2013 census. 1,126,790 lived in the Bazhou urban district, or metro area. Bazhong became a prefecture-level city in 1993. Its history goes back further; during the Xia and Shang dynasties, it was purportedly a vassal territory of Liang State. In the Spring and Autumn period, it was called Bazi (). In the Qin and Western Han dynasties it was called Ba County (). In the Eastern Han Dynasty, around the year 100 CE, this was changed to Hanchang County (). One hundred years later it reverted to Baxi County (). Since then it has usually either been called Liang County () or Yi County (). Bazhong is located at the southern end of the Daba Mountains, and borders Shaanxi province to the north, Dazhou to the east, Nanchong to the south, and Guangyuan to the west. Its area is , which is mountainous with elevations up to above sea level. Bazhong has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen "Cwa") which is largely mild and humid, with four distinct seasons. Winter is short, mild, and foggy, though actual precipitation is low. January averages , and while frost may occur, snow is rare. Summers are long, hot and humid, with temperatures often reaching . The daily average in July and August is around , with August being slightly warmer. Spring is warm and temperatures rise quickly but unstably, and hail is common. Rainfall is light in winter and can be heavy in summer, and more than 70% of the annual total occurs between May and September. The annual frost-free period lasts between 260 and 280 days. Bazhong has 2 cities, 3 counties, 188 township, and 2,354 villages. The population was 3,284,000 in 2013, with 1,127,000 of that urban. The city's GDP accounts for approximately 1.9% of Sichuan's total GDP and ranks nineteenth in the province. In 2017, Bazhong's GDP reached RMB 60.1 billion, representing a rise of 8.1%.