Yan'an

{{distinguish|Ya'an}} {{Redirect|Yenan}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Yan'an | official_name = | other_name = Yenan | native_name = 延安市 | native_name_lang = zh | nickname = | settlement_type = Prefecture-level city | total_type =  | motto =  | image_skyline = {{multiple image |border = infobox |total_width = 290 |image_style = border:1; |perrow = 2/2/2 |image1 = Baota Mountain 4.jpg |image2 = 黄帝陵的石碑 - panoramio.jpg |image3 = Waist drums in Ansai.jpg |image4 = 宝塔延安南泥湾机场航站楼外 08.jpg |image5 = |image6 = |image7 = |caption1 =Lingshan Pagoda on {{Interlanguage link|Baota Mountain|zh|宝塔山}} |caption2=Yellow Emperor Mausoleum |caption3=Waist drums in Ansai District |caption4=Nanniwan Airport }} | imagesize = | image_caption = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_type = | blank_emblem_size = | image_map = Location of Yan'an Prefecture within Shaanxi (China).png | mapsize = | map_caption = Location of Yan'an City jurisdiction in Shaanxi | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | image_dot_map = | dot_mapsize = | dot_map_caption = | dot_x = | dot_y = | pushpin_map = China | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_caption = Location in China | pushpin_relief = yes | pushpin_mapsize =  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|People's Republic of China}} | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Shaanxi | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | seat_type = Municipal seat | seat = Baota District | parts_type = | parts_style =  | parts =  | p1 = | p2 =  | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 =  | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | established_title =  | established_date = | established_title1 =  | established_date1 = | established_title2 =  | established_date2 = | established_title3 = | established_date3 = | founder = | named_for =  | area_magnitude =  | unit_pref =  | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 37,031.3  | area_land_km2 =  | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank1_km2 =  | elevation_footnotes =  | elevation_m = 960 | elevation_max_m = | elevation_min_m =  | population_as_of = 2019 | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = 2255700 | population_density_km2 = auto  | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_urban = | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_blank1_title = | population_blank1 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | demographics_type2 = GDP<ref>{{cite book|author=陕西省统计局、国家统计局陕西调查总队|title=《陕西统计年鉴－2016》|date=August 2016|publisher=China Statistics Press|isbn=978-7-5037-7918-3|url=http://www.shaanxitj.gov.cn/upload/2016/tongjinianj2016/2016/indexch.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529123241/http://www.shaanxitj.gov.cn/upload/2016/tongjinianj2016/2016/indexch.htm|archive-date=2017-05-29}}</ref> | demographics2_title1 = Total | demographics2_info1 = CN¥ 120 billion US$ 19.2 billion | demographics2_title2 = Per capita | demographics2_info2 = CN¥ 53,908 US$ 8,655 | timezone = China Standard | utc_offset = +8 | coor_pinpoint = Yan'an municipal government | coordinates = {{coord|36.650|N|109.494|E|type:adm2nd_region:CN-61_source:Gaode|format=dms|display=it}} | postal_code_type =  | postal_code = | area_code = | iso_code = CN-SN-06 | blank_name = License plates | blank_info = {{lang|zh-cn|陕J}} | blank1_name = | blank1_info = | website = {{URL|www.yanan.gov.cn}} | footnotes = }} {{Infobox Chinese | pic = YN name.svg | piccap = "Yán'ān" in Chinese characters | picupright = 0.45 | c = {{linktext|lang=zh|延安}} | l = "Prolonged Peace" | psp = Yenan | mi = {{IPAc-cmn|yan|2|.|an|1}} | bpmf = ㄧㄢˊ   ㄢ | p = Yán'ān | w = Yen2-an1 | j = Jin4-on1 | y = Yìhn'ōn | ci = {{IPAc-yue|j|in|4|.|on|1}} }}

'''Yan'an'''{{efn|{{lang-zh|s=延安|p=Yán'ān}}; {{small|Mandarin pronunciation:}} {{IPAc-cmn|yan|2|.|an|1}}; alternatively spelled as '''Yenan'''}} is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers several counties, including Zhidan (formerly Bao'an), which served as the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) before the city of Yan'an proper took that role.

Yan'an was near the endpoint of the Long March, and became the center of the Chinese Communist Revolution from late 1935 to early 1947. Chinese communists celebrate Yan'an as the birthplace of the revolution.

As of 2019, Yan'an has approximately 2,255,700 permanent residents.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|date=2020-11-05|title=|script-title=zh:陕西统计年鉴—2020|trans-title=Shaanxi Statistical Yearbook – 2020|url=http://tjj.shaanxi.gov.cn/upload/n2020/zk/indexch.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210915191313/http://tjj.shaanxi.gov.cn/upload/n2020/zk/indexch.htm|archive-date=2021-09-15|access-date=2021-09-15|publisher=Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of Statistics|language=zh}}</ref>{{Rp||page=4–5}}

==History== === Northern commandery=== [[File:Xuanyuan Temple in Yan'an, Shaanxi (2).jpg|thumb|Xuanyuan Temple in Huangling County]] Yan'an was populated at least as early as the Xia dynasty,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=2016-07-15|title=|script-title=zh:延安市历史沿革|trans-title=Yan'an Organizational History|url=http://www.xzqh.org/html/list/327.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806012152/http://xzqh.org/html/show/sn/20380.html|archive-date=2020-08-06|access-date=2021-05-14|publisher=XZQH.org}}</ref> when it formed part of {{Interlanguage link|Yong Prefecture (Xia dynasty)|lt=Yong Prefecture|zh|雍州 (胡夏)}}.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |title= |script-title=zh:延安概况 |trans-title=Yan'an Overview |url=http://dfz.shaanxi.gov.cn/sqzlk/sxnj_16138/sxnjwz/yas_16203/yanj/yanj2016/201703/t20170328_901843.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204043343/http://dfz.shaanxi.gov.cn/sqzlk/sxnj_16138/sxnjwz/yas_16203/yanj/yanj2016/201703/t20170328_901843.html |archive-date=2024-12-04 |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=dfz.shaanxi.gov.cn |publisher=Shaanxi Provincial Local Chronicle Office |language=zh}}</ref> The area was not part of the subsequent Shang dynasty, and was instead inhabited by the Guifang,<ref name=":11" /> who fought against the Shang dynasty. The area was later inhabited by the Quanrong and the Xianyun during the Western Zhou period.<ref name=":11" /> During the Spring and Autumn period, the area was inhabited by the Beidi people.<ref name=":2" /> In the early portions of the Warring States period, the central and northern parts of present-day Yan'an belonged to the state of Wei, while the southern part belonged to the state of Qin.<ref name=":11" /> Later on in the Warring States period, the whole area was conquered by the Qin state.<ref name=":11" />

Upon the establishment of the Qin dynasty in 221 BCE, the area was organized as part of Shang Commandery.<ref name=":11" /> The area remained part of Shang Commandery during the Han dynasty.<ref name=":11" /> The area's administrative divisions were reorganized during the Northern Wei: the southern portion was organized as {{Interlanguage link|Beihua Prefecture|zh|北华州}}, which comprised {{Interlanguage link|Zhongbu Commandery|zh|中部郡}}, {{Interlanguage link|Fucheng Commandery (Northern Wei)|lt=Fucheng Commandery|zh|敷城郡 (北魏)}}, Yizhou Commandery ({{Lang-zh|s=义州郡|t=義州郡}}), and Lezhou Commandery ({{Lang-zh|s=乐州郡|t=樂州郡}}); the northern portion was organized as {{Interlanguage link|Dongxia Prefecture|zh|东夏州}}, which comprised Biancheng Commandery ({{Lang-zh|c=遍城郡}}), {{Interlanguage link|Dingyang Commandery|zh|定阳郡}}, Shang Commandery, and Shuofang Commandery, as well as {{Interlanguage link|Jinming Commandery|zh|金明郡}} within Xià Prefecture.<ref name=":11" /> During the During the Western Wei, the area was organized as {{Interlanguage link|Yan Prefecture (Shaanxi)|lt=Yan Prefecture|zh|延州 (陕西省)}}, Fu Prefecture, and Dan Prefecture.<ref name=":11" /> Under the Sui dynasty, the area was re-organized as {{Interlanguage link|Yan'an Commandery|zh|延安郡}},<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=2019-09-14|title=|script-title=zh:央视来打卡的网红延安二道街夜市文化：见证城市发展变迁|url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_4427607|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514161949/https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_4427607|archive-date=2021-05-14|access-date=2021-05-14|website=The Paper|language=zh}}</ref> and a military base was established.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}

During the subsequent Tang dynasty, the area belonged to {{Interlanguage link|Guannei Circuit|zh|关内道}},<ref name=":11" /> and it became an important defensive outpost.<ref>{{Cite book|title=International Dictionary of Historic Places, Volume 5: Asia and Oceania|publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers|year=1996|isbn=1-884964-04-4|editor-last=Schellinger|editor-first=Paul|location=London and Chicago|page=874|editor-last2=Salkin|editor-first2=Robert}}</ref> Upon the Tang dynasty's establishment in 618 CE, three local commanderies were replaced with prefectures.<ref name=":11" /> The following year, another prefecture, {{Interlanguage link|Fang Prefecture (Shaanxi)|lt=Fang Prefecture|zh|坊州}} was created in the area of present-day Yan'an.<ref name=":11" /> The prefecture system was briefly abolished in 742 CE, resulting in the area's four prefectures being reclassified as commanderies, although this was reverted in 758 CE.<ref name=":11" />

=== Border fortress === {{see also|Song–Xia wars}} At the beginning of the Song dynasty, the area's four local prefectures belonged to {{Interlanguage link|Yongxingjun Circuit|zh|永兴军路}}.<ref name=":11" /> However, early on in the Song dynasty, the newly formed Tangut-led Western Xia dynasty briefly conquered northwestern portions of present-day Yan'an.<ref name=":11" /> Upon reconquering the area, the Song government placed it under the jurisdiction of two military-run jurisdictions known as {{Interlanguage link|Jun (military administrative division)|lt=jun|zh|军 (行政区划)}}: {{Interlanguage link|Bao'an Jun|zh|保安军}} and Dingbian Jun ({{Lang-zh|s=定边军|t=定邊軍}}).<ref name=":11" /> In 1041, {{Interlanguage link|Fuyan Circuit|zh|鄜延路}} was established in present-day Yan'an.<ref name=":11" /> In 1080, Chinese polymath Shen Kuo was deployed to Yan Prefecture to aid in its defenses against the Western Xia.<ref name="sivin 1995 III 8">Sivin (1995), III, 8.</ref> Around this time, he noted that a landslide on the bank of a large river near Yan Prefecture had revealed an open space several dozens of feet under the ground once the bank collapsed.<ref name="needham 1986 volume 3 614">Needham (1986), Volume 3, 614.</ref> This underground space contained hundreds of petrified bamboos still intact with roots and trunks, "all turned to stone" as Shen wrote.<ref name="needham 1986 volume 3 614" /> Shen noted that bamboo does not grow in the area, and he was puzzled during which previous dynasty the bamboos could have grown.<ref name="needham 1986 volume 3 614" /> Considering that damp and gloomy low places provide suitable conditions for the growth of bamboo, Shen deduced that the area's climate must have fit that description in very ancient times.<ref name="needham 1986 volume 3 614" /> Although this would have intrigued many of his readers, the study of paleoclimatology in medieval China did not develop into an established discipline.<ref name="needham 1986 volume 3 614" /> During the autumn months of 1081, Shen was successful in defending Song dynasty territory while capturing several nearby fortified towns of the Western Xia.<ref name="sivin 1995 III 9">Sivin (1995), III, 9.</ref> Emperor Shenzong of Song rewarded Shen with numerous titles for his merit in these battles, and in the sixteen months of Shen's military campaign, he received 273 letters from the Emperor.<ref name="sivin 1995 III 9" /> However, Emperor Shenzong trusted an arrogant military officer who disobeyed the emperor and Shen's proposal for strategic fortifications, instead fortifying what Shen considered useless strategic locations. Furthermore, this officer expelled Shen from his commanding post at the main citadel, so as to deny him any glory in chance of victory.<ref name="sivin 1995 III 9" /> The result of this was nearly catastrophic, as the forces of the arrogant officer were decimated;<ref name="sivin 1995 III 9" /> Xinzhong Yao states that the death toll was 60,000.<ref name="yao 2003 544">Yao (2003), 544.</ref> Nonetheless, Shen was successful in defending his fortifications and the only possible Tangut invasion-route to Yanzhou.<ref name="sivin 1995 III 9" /> However, it was eventually taken over by the Tanguts in 1082 once Shen's defensive victories were marginalized and sacrificed by the new chancellor Cai Que (who handed the city over to the Tanguts as terms of a peace treaty).{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} In 1089, Yan Prefecture was renamed to Yan'an, and was promoted to a fu.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":11" />

At the start of the Jin dynasty, Fuyan Circuit remained intact, and administered Yan'an Fu, Fu Prefecture, Fang Prefecture, Dan Prefecture, {{Interlanguage link|Suide Prefecture|zh|绥德州}}, Bao'an Jun, and Dingbian Jun.<ref name=":11" /> In 1146, Dingbian Jun was abolished, and in 1171, Bao'an Jun was reorganized as a county.<ref name=":11" /> In 1182, Bao'an County was reorganized as Bao'an Prefecture.<ref name=":11" /> In 1221, the Mongol Empire, led by Genghis Khan, began its invasion of Shaanxi with the aid of the Western Xia.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |date=2018-06-27 |title= |script-title=zh:木华黎 |trans-title=Muqali |url=https://www.nmgqq.com.cn/renwuchanglang/gudairenwu/2018-6-27/11349.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250517005936/https://www.nmgqq.com.cn/renwuchanglang/gudairenwu/2018-6-27/11349.html |archive-date=2025-05-17 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=www.nmgqq.com.cn |publisher=History and Local Chronicles Research Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |language=zh}}</ref> That year, in the eastern portion of present-day Yan'an, the combined Mongol and Western Xia forces defeated a 30,000-strong Jin army led by general {{Interlanguage link|Wanyan Heda|zh|完颜合达}}.<ref name=":12" />

During the Yuan dynasty, {{Interlanguage link|Yan'an Circuit|zh|延安路}} was established, which administered Fu Prefecture, {{Interlanguage link|Jia Prefecture (ancient Shaanxi)|lt=Jia Prefecture|zh|葭州}}, and Suide Prefecture.<ref name=":11" />

=== Ming and Qing === In 1369, during the Ming dynasty, Yan'an Circuit was reverted to a fu.<ref name=":11" />

In 1725, during the Qing dynasty, the {{Interlanguage link|Fuzhou Directly Administered Prefecture|zh|鄜州直隶州}} was established in the area, which administered Yan'an Fu and Fu Prefecture.<ref name=":11" /> Prior to the Dungan Revolt (1862–1877), much of rural Yan'an was inhabited by Chinese Muslims.<ref name=":7" />{{Rp|page=128}} Much of its Muslim population was either killed in massacres, or forcibly relocated to areas further northwest, like Gansu.<ref name=":7" />{{Rp|page=128}} The demographic impacts of this was felt for decades, as the local economy cratered, and insufficient government support hindered recovery efforts:<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Keating |first=Pauline |date=July 1994 |title=The Ecological Origins of the Yan'an Way |journal=The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs |language=en |volume=32 |issue=32 |pages=123–153 |doi=10.2307/2949830 |issn=0156-7365 |jstor=2949830}}</ref>{{Rp|page=|pages=128–129}} In 1823, Bao'an (present-day Zhidan County) had a population of 51,000, but only 170 remained in 1868; while Yan'an (present-day Baota District) had 61,200 inhabitants in 1823, but only about 10,000 in 1930.<ref name=":7" />{{Rp|page=128}} One account from a British traveler in 1911 described Yan'an as "a city of pretentious Government Offices long fallen into decay...Gazing down a vista of dim distant years one caught a glimpse of past splendour; but the living forces of which it had been the drapery and symbols had long since died out, leaving stagnation, corruption and decay to reign in its halls".<ref name=":7" />{{Rp|page=|pages=129–130}}

=== ROC era === thumb|Street in Yan'an, 1914 After the fall of the Qing dynasty, the city became part of the newly created Republic of China, and was reorganized by the Republican government in 1913 under {{Interlanguage link|Yulin Circuit|zh|榆林道}}.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":11" /> In 1920, the circuit's government was moved to the city of Fushi, within present-day Baota District.<ref name=":11" /> Circuits were abolished in 1928, resulting in counties being directly administered by the provincial government.<ref name=":11" />

Throughout the Republic of China, feudal-like landlordism persisted in Yan'an, and a number of observers found it to be worse in the region than elsewhere in rural China.<ref name=":7" />{{Rp|page=|pages=134–135}}

===Red capital of Chinese communism=== {{see also|Long March|Chinese Communist Revolution}} thumb|Mao with visiting foreign journalists in 1944 In 1934, two regional soviets were established.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":11" /> In October 1935, following the Long March, forces of the Chinese Red Army arrived in the area from Jiangxi.<ref name=":2" /> The following month, communist forces established a regional government in Wayaobu and re-organized regional soviet administrations.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":11" /> In May 1936, the area was re-organized by communist forces as Shaan-Gan-Ning Province ({{Lang-zh|c=陕甘宁省}}).<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":11" /> In December 1936, at the start of the Second United Front, Yan'an was taken over by the Chinese Communists.<ref>''Mao Tse-tung: Ruler of Red China'' by Robert Payne, page 175</ref> When Edgar Snow went there in 1936, it was under Kuomintang control and a Red army siege had recently been lifted.<ref>''Red Star Over China'', by Edgar Snow. Page 42</ref> Unknown to him at the time, there had also been contacts there between the Communists and the generals who later staged the Xi'an Incident.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} Snow actually met Mao at Bao'an (Pao An).{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}

Having rebelled against Chiang, the local warlords decided to hand over Yan'an to the Communists, who were now allies. They pulled out, and in January 1937, the Red Army entered Yan'an,<ref name=":2" /> without a fight. Around this time, American journalist Agnes Smedley was covering the Communist Eighth Route Army, which she wrote about in her book Battle Hymn of China.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Qiu |first=Shi |date=2017-08-06 |title= |script-title=zh:史沫特莱的新四军岁月 |trans-title=Agnes Smedley's New Fourth Army Years |url=http://culture.people.com.cn/GB/n1/2017/0806/c1013-29451833.html?sid_for_share=99125_3 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=People's Daily Online |publisher=People's Daily Press |language=zh}}</ref>

On September 6, 1937, Yan'an became the seat of the communist government of what became known as the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":11" /> It became the center for intensive training of party members and army troops. Thousands of intellectuals traveled to Yan'an from all over the country.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=123}} From 1937 through 1941, the Communist government organized large-scale migrations to Yan'an, predominantly from Suide to the northeast, which was a significantly more densely populated area.<ref name=":7" />{{Rp|page=141|pages=}} Many farmers from the region were attracted to Yan'an for the prospect of working more land, as well as the Communists' land and tax reforms.<ref name=":7" />{{Rp|page=141|pages=}} From 1937 to 1939, over 1,500,000 ''mu'' of previously unused land was cleared for agriculture.<ref name=":7" />{{Rp|page=143|pages=}} During this time, the large drive for intense rural labor earned its detractors, and was publicly criticized by some for "giving people a distaste for collective labour".<ref name=":7" />{{Rp|page=143|pages=}} Subsequently, these types of large-scale labor projects would be handled by the army.<ref name=":7" />{{Rp|page=143|pages=}} In 1941, Mao Zedong put special influence on a series of training programs to "correct unorthodox tendencies" and essentially mold the peasantry to the communist model. One of the first CCP programs launched was the Yan'an Rectification Movement.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hua |first1=Gao |title=How the Red Sun Rose: The Origins and Development of the Yan'an Rectification Movement, 1930–1945 |last2=Mosher |first2=Stacy |last3=Jian |first3=Guo |date=2018 |publisher=Chinese University of Hong Kong Press |isbn=978-962-996-822-9 |jstor=j.ctvbtzp48}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Hua|first=Gao|url=http://cup.columbia.edu/book/how-the-red-sun-rose/9789629968229|title=How the Red Sun Rose: The Origin and Development of the Yan'an Rectification Movement, 1930–1945|date=2019|publisher=The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press|isbn=978-962-996-822-9|translator-last=Mosher|translator-first=Stacey|translator-last2=Jian|translator-first2=Guo|access-date=2020-08-07|archive-date=2021-01-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101102514/http://cup.columbia.edu/book/how-the-red-sun-rose/9789629968229|url-status=live}}</ref>

===World War II and resumption of the Chinese Civil War=== {{Multiple image | image1 = Yangjialing Revolutionary Sites 6.jpg | caption1 = Yangjialing Revolutionary Site | image2 = 7th National Congress of the Communist Party of China 1.jpg | caption2 = Historic image of the 7th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in 1945 | total_width = 440 }} During the Second World War almost all buildings, except a pagoda, were destroyed by Japanese bombing, and most inhabitants took to living in yaodongs, artificial caves or dugouts carved into hillsides which were traditional dwellings in Shaanxi.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} While Yan'an was the center of Chinese communist life many prominent Western journalists including Edgar Snow and Anna Louise Strong met with Mao Zedong and other important leaders for interviews.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} Other Westerners, such as Hsiao Li and Michael Lindsay, were part of the resistance movement in Yan'an.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite web|date=2010-06-09|title=Lady Lindsay of Birker|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/7815180/Lady-Lindsay-of-Birker.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509055952/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/7815180/Lady-Lindsay-of-Birker.html|archive-date=2021-05-09|access-date=2021-05-14|website=The Telegraph|publisher=Telegraph Media Group}}</ref>

In July 1942, Wuqi County was established.<ref name=":11" />

Beginning in 1944, Yan'an played host to the United States Army Observation Group, also known as the Dixie Mission.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Perlez|first=Jane|date=2017-01-01|title='Dixie Mission' Americans Scorned for Backing Mao Are Hailed in China|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/01/world/asia/dixie-mission-americans-china-mao.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514172429/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/01/world/asia/dixie-mission-americans-china-mao.html|archive-date=2021-05-14|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> This group sought to establish relations with Chinese Communist forces, investigate the Communist Party politically and militarily, and determine whether the United States should back Communist forces.<ref name=":4" /> Prominent Americans tasked with evaluating the Communist forces politically and militarily include John S. Service of the United States Department of State, and Colonel David D. Barrett of the United States Army.<ref name=":4" /> The mission explored possible plans for cooperation against the Japanese.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} The Americans had a presence in Yan'an from 1944 to 1947.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}

In May 1945, the government of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border moved from Yan'an to Xi'an.<ref name=":11" />

Yan'an was briefly captured in the Battle of Yan'an by the Kuomintang forces in the Chinese Civil War.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last1=Jia |first1=Yong |last2=Qian |first2=Zongyang |last3=Wang |first3=Chuangbao |last4=Zeng |first4=Hao |last5=Kang |first5=Xiaohuai |last6=Zhou |first6=Xiaomin |date=2018-08-23 |title= |script-title=zh:回望延安 |trans-title=Looking back at Yan'an |url=http://www.81.cn/jfjbmap/content/2018-08/23/content_214127.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250217142150/http://www.81.cn/jfjbmap/content/2018-08/23/content_214127.htm |archive-date=2025-02-17 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=People's Liberation Army Daily |publisher=Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission |language=zh}}</ref> The Communist leadership learned of a planned attack in advance,{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} and ultimately voluntarily withdrew from the city.<ref name=":13" /> From then until their capture of Beijing they were usually based somewhere else, often with a mobile headquarters.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} On April 21, 1948, the People's Liberation Army retook Yan'an.<ref name=":13" />

===After 1949=== thumb|Anlan Gate (left) and Baota Mountain (right) In May 1950, under the People's Republic of China, Yan'an was re-organized as Yan'an District ({{Lang-zh|c=延安分区}}), and was further re-organized as a special district ({{Lang-zh|c=专区|s=|t=|p=}}) in October.<ref name=":2" /> Yan'an was later established as a prefecture ({{Lang-zh|c=地区|s=|t=|p=}}).<ref name=":2" />

On November 15, 1996, Yan'an Area was revoked and established as a prefecture-level city.<ref name=":11" /> Yan'an's experienced fast-paced urbanization during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period (2006–2010).<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=125}} From 2011 to 2015, it underwent a red tourism-oriented beautification project.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=127}}

General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping visited Yan'an in 2015.<ref name=":Hou" />{{Rp|page=89}} During the visit, he emphasized the importance of studying the Communist Party's history in Yan'an and called for a renewed focus on the principles of Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and the party's revolutionary tradition.<ref name=":Hou" />{{Rp|page=89}}

==Geography== [[File:黄河清水湾 2.jpg|thumb|Qingshui Meander of Yellow River near Yan'an]] Yan'an is located in northern Shaanxi on the Loess Plateau, with a latitude spanning from 35°21′ to 37°31′ N, and a longitude spanning from 107°41′ to 110°31′ E.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|date=2016-07-15|title=|script-title=zh:延安市概况地图|trans-title=Yan'an Overview|url=http://www.xzqh.org/html/show/sn/20381.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813173550/http://xzqh.org/html/show/sn/20381.html|archive-date=2020-08-13|access-date=2021-05-14|publisher=XZQH.org|language=zh}}</ref> The city is bordered by Yulin to the north, Xianyang, Tongchuan, and Weinan in the Guanzhong region to the south, Linfen and Lüliang of Shanxi to the east across the middle reaches of the Yellow River, and Qingyang of Gansu to the west across the Ziwu Ridge ({{Lang-zh|c=子午岭}}).<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":5" /> The city's elevation is hilly, and is higher in the northwest, and lower in the southeast, ranging from {{convert|388.8|to|1809.8|m|ft}} above sea level in elevation.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":5" /> The average elevation of Yan'an is approximately {{convert|1200|m|-1|abbr=on}},<ref name=":11" /> and Yan'an's urban core has an elevation of about {{convert|960|m|ft}} above sea level.<ref name=":5" /> In addition to the Yellow River flowing through Yan'an, the city's major rivers include the Yan River and the Luo River.<ref name=":5" />

=== Climate === Yan'an has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification ''Dwa'') that borders on a steppe climate (Köppen ''BSk''), with cold, dry, and moderately long winters, and hot, somewhat humid summers. Spring and autumn are short transition seasons in between. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from {{convert|-5.5|°C|1}} in January to {{convert|23.1|°C|1}} in July, and the annual mean is {{convert|9.90|°C|1}}. The area receives {{convert|511|mm|in|1|sp=us}} of precipitation, 47% of which falls in July and August. Yan'an averages around 300 days of sunshine per year.

{{Weather box | width = auto | metric first = y | single line = y | collapsed = Y | location = Yan'an, elevation {{convert|959|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present) | Jan high C = 2.3 | Feb high C = 7.3 | Mar high C = 13.3 | Apr high C = 21.1 | May high C = 25.8 | Jun high C = 29.7 | Jul high C = 30.5 | Aug high C = 28.4 | Sep high C = 23.7 | Oct high C = 18.1 | Nov high C = 11.1 | Dec high C = 4.3 | Jan mean C = -4.9 | Feb mean C = -0.2 | Mar mean C = 5.8 | Apr mean C = 13.1 | May mean C = 18.2 | Jun mean C = 22.3 | Jul mean C = 24.0 | Aug mean C = 22.2 | Sep mean C = 17.0 | Oct mean C = 10.5 | Nov mean C = 3.4 | Dec mean C = -2.9 | Jan low C = -10.3 | Feb low C = -5.8 | Mar low C = -0.1 | Apr low C = 6.3 | May low C = 11.3 | Jun low C = 15.7 | Jul low C = 18.8 | Aug low C = 17.5 | Sep low C = 12.3 | Oct low C = 5.2 | Nov low C = -1.8 | Dec low C = -7.8 | Jan record high C = 17.3 | Jan record low C = -25.4 | Feb record high C = 23.8 | Feb record low C = -20.8 | Mar record high C = 29.4 | Mar record low C = -18.4 | Apr record high C = 36.7 | Apr record low C = -8.8 | May record high C = 36.5 | May record low C = -3.4 | Jun record high C = 39.3 | Jun record low C = 4.8 | Jul record high C = 39.7 | Jul record low C = 8.8 | Aug record high C = 36.9 | Aug record low C = 5.3 | Sep record high C = 37.5 | Sep record low C = -3.0 | Oct record high C = 29.7 | Oct record low C = -8.5 | Nov record high C = 25.5 | Nov record low C = -17.0 | Dec record high C = 18.0 | Dec record low C = -24.1 | year high C = | year low C = | year high F = | year low F = | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 3.2 | Feb precipitation mm = 5.3 | Mar precipitation mm = 14.6 | Apr precipitation mm = 25.6 | May precipitation mm = 41.0 | Jun precipitation mm = 64.1 | Jul precipitation mm = 100.6 | Aug precipitation mm = 110.0 | Sep precipitation mm = 69.1 | Oct precipitation mm = 38.4 | Nov precipitation mm = 14.7 | Dec precipitation mm = 2.4 | unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm | Jan precipitation days = 2.4 | Feb precipitation days = 3.0 | Mar precipitation days = 4.6 | Apr precipitation days = 5.9 | May precipitation days = 7.8 | Jun precipitation days = 9.0 | Jul precipitation days = 12.0 | Aug precipitation days = 11.1 | Sep precipitation days = 9.8 | Oct precipitation days = 8.1 | Nov precipitation days = 3.9 | Dec precipitation days = 2.0 | year precipitation days = | Jan humidity = 54 | Feb humidity = 51 | Mar humidity = 49 | Apr humidity = 44 | May humidity = 49 | Jun humidity = 56 | Jul humidity = 67 | Aug humidity = 72 | Sep humidity = 72 | Oct humidity = 68 | Nov humidity = 60 | Dec humidity = 54 | Jan sun = 196.5 | Feb sun = 188.2 | Mar sun = 218.8 | Apr sun = 242.5 | May sun = 262.6 | Jun sun = 251.6 | Jul sun = 231.0 | Aug sun = 213.7 | Sep sun = 176.0 | Oct sun = 190.8 | Nov sun = 191.3 | Dec sun = 192.3 | year sun = | Jan percentsun = 63 | Feb percentsun = 61 | Mar percentsun = 59 | Apr percentsun = 61 | May percentsun = 60 | Jun percentsun = 57 | Jul percentsun = 52 | Aug percentsun = 52 | Sep percentsun = 48 | Oct percentsun = 55 | Nov percentsun = 63 | Dec percentsun = 64 | year percentsun = | Jan snow days = 4.3 | Feb snow days = 4.0 | Mar snow days = 2.9 | Apr snow days = 0.5 | May snow days = 0 | Jun snow days = 0 | Jul snow days = 0 | Aug snow days = 0 | Sep snow days = 0 | Oct snow days = 0.3 | Nov snow days = 2.4 | Dec snow days = 3.6 | year snow days = | source 1 = China Meteorological Administration<ref name="cma graphical">{{cite web |url=http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data |publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans |access-date=24 September 2023}}</ref><ref> {{cite web|url=https://experience.arcgis.com/template/e724038fda394e9d9b7921f10fd1aa55/page/%E7%BA%AF%E8%A1%A8%E6%A0%BC%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1-(%E5%AF%B9%E6%AF%948110%E5%8F%98%E5%8C%96)/?org=UQmaps |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网|publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans | access-date =24 September 2023 |title=Experience Template }}</ref> extremes<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.roostweather.com/worldclimate/graphs.php?code=CHM00053845 |title= Yan'an Climate: 1991–2020 |publisher=Starlings Roost Weather |access-date= 20 July 2025 }}</ref> | source 2 = Weather China<ref name=WCN>{{cite web|script-title=zh:延安城市介绍以及气候背景分析|url=http://www.weather.com.cn/cityintro/101170401.shtml? |website=Weather China|publisher=中国气象局公共气象服务中心|access-date=July 27, 2015|language=zh}}</ref> | source = }}

=== Pollution === Yan'an experiences moderate to severe air pollution year‐round. Its basin‐like terrain combined with frequent winter temperature inversions traps locally emitted pollutants, while heavy reliance on coal for industry and residential heating, growing vehicle use, and seasonal dust storms from surrounding arid regions together maintain high concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and gaseous contaminants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and NO''x'' gases.<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last1=Ma |first1=Shuai |last2=He |first2=Jinrong |last3=He |first3=Jinwei |last4=Feng |first4=Qiang |last5=Bi |first5=Yingzhou |date=2024-12-01 |title=Forecasting air quality Index in yan'an using temporal encoded Informer |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0957417424017354 |journal=Expert Systems with Applications |volume=255 |article-number=124868 |doi=10.1016/j.eswa.2024.124868 |issn=0957-4174|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Elevated PM2.5 levels are linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, while acid deposition from SO2 and NO''x'' damages soils and vegetation across the fragile loess landscape.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Di |last2=Zhu |first2=Shilei |last3=Wang |first3=Lijing |last4=Zhen |first4=Qing |last5=Han |first5=Fengpeng |last6=Zhang |first6=Xingchang |date=2020-02-21 |title=Distribution, Origins and Hazardous Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Topsoil Surrounding Oil Fields: A Case Study on the Loess Plateau, China |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |language=en |volume=17 |issue=4 |page=1390 |doi=10.3390/ijerph17041390 |issn=1660-4601 |pmc=7068613 |pmid=32098176 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Yan'an sits atop the highly erodible Loess Plateau, where thick wind‐deposited silt forms uneven terrain that impedes horizontal dispersion of air pollutants.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Xiao |first1=Yi |last2=Wang |first2=Rui |last3=Wang |first3=Fan |last4=Huang |first4=Huan |last5=Wang |first5=Jue |date=2022-03-01 |title=Investigation on spatial and temporal variation of coupling coordination between socioeconomic and ecological environment: A case study of the Loess Plateau, China |journal=Ecological Indicators |volume=136 |article-number=108667 |bibcode=2022EcInd.13608667X |doi=10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108667 |issn=1470-160X |doi-access=free}}</ref> On the eastern edge of the plateau, a persistent "warm cover" of anomalously warm air and downdrafts suppresses vertical mixing, creating a convergence line that carries and concentrates emissions along the slopes—a phenomenon that amplifies pollution levels by 50–150% compared to flatter regions.<ref name=":10">{{Cite journal |last1=Meng |first1=Kai |last2=Xu |first2=Xiangde |last3=Xu |first3=Xiaobin |last4=Wang |first4=Haoliang |last5=Liu |first5=Xiaohui |last6=Jiao |first6=Yayin |date=2019-11-16 |title=The Causes of "Vulnerable Regions" to Air Pollution in Winter in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region: A Topographic–Meteorological Impact Model Based on Adaptive Emission Constraint Technique |journal=Atmosphere |language=en |volume=10 |issue=11 |page=719 |bibcode=2019Atmos..10..719M |doi=10.3390/atmos10110719 |issn=2073-4433 |doi-access=free}}</ref> During winter months, strong temperature inversions—layers of warmer air aloft capping colder surface air—further inhibit the vertical dilution of pollutants, leading to seasonal peaks in PM2.5 concentrations and prolonged haze events.<ref name=":10" />

==== Sources of pollution ==== Coal mining, coal‐fired power generation and cement production dominate Yan'an's industrial sector, collectively releasing large volumes of SO2, NO''x'' gases, and coarse (PM10) and fine (PM2.5) particulate matter. Inefficient combustion and fugitive dust from these facilities are key contributors to the city's annual pollution burden.<ref name=":9" />

In winter, over 80% of households in northern China, which includes Yan'an and its surroundings, rely on coal combustion for space heating. Traditional stoves and boilers emit high levels of black carbon and PM2.5, driving sharp increases in airborne particulates during colder months.<ref name=":9" />

Road vehicles in Yan'an contribute significant quantities of nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and fine particulates. Regional tracking studies identify Yulin and Yan'an as important sources for wintertime NO''x'' and PM transport within the Fen‐Wei River Valley, indicating that urban traffic emissions exacerbate local air quality problems.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Qiangjun |last2=Liang |first2=Suping |last3=Xu |first3=Junlin |date=2022-10-19 |title=Characteristics and Sources of Air Pollution in Southern Shanxi Province |journal=Sustainability |language=en |volume=14 |issue=20 |article-number=13511 |bibcode=2022Sust...1413511L |doi=10.3390/su142013511 |issn=2071-1050 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Seasonal dust storms originating in the Mu Us Desert and adjacent arid zones inject pulses of PM10 into Yan'an's atmosphere. Natural dust events can elevate particulate concentrations several‐fold within hours, compounding anthropogenic pollution and sustaining prolonged haze episodes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cheng |first1=Bowen |last2=Ma |first2=Yuxia |last3=Qin |first3=Pengpeng |last4=Wang |first4=Wanci |last5=Zhao |first5=Yuhan |last6=Liu |first6=Zongrui |last7=Zhang |first7=Yifan |last8=Wei |first8=Linbo |date=2024-06-26 |title=Characterization of air pollution and associated health risks in Gansu Province, China from 2015 to 2022 |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=14 |issue=1 |page=14751 |bibcode=2024NatSR..1414751C |doi=10.1038/s41598-024-65584-2 |issn=2045-2322 |pmc=11208435 |pmid=38926518}}</ref>

== Administrative divisions == {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" align="center" ! colspan="6" align="center" | Map |- | colspan="6" align="center" | <div style="position: relative" class="center"> {{Image label begin|image=Administrative Division Yan'an.png|width=530|link=}} {{Image label|x=730|y=430|scale=530/1180|text='''Baota'''}} {{Image label|x=610|y=270|scale=530/1180|text='''Ansai'''}} {{Image label|x=955|y=465|scale=530/1180|text='''Yanchang County'''}} {{Image label|x=935|y=300|scale=530/1180|text='''Yanchuan County'''}} {{Image label|x=380|y=370|scale=530/1180|text='''Zhidan County'''}} {{Image label|x=175|y=270|scale=530/1180|text='''Wuqi County'''}} {{Image label|x=590|y=560|scale=530/1180|text='''Ganquan County'''}} {{Image label|x=560|y=730|scale=530/1180|text='''Fu County'''}} {{Image label|x=700|y=820|scale=530/1180|text='''Luochuan County'''}} {{Image label|x=990|y=690|scale=530/1180|text='''Yichuan County'''}} {{Image label|x=880|y=860|scale=530/1180|text='''Huanglong County'''}} {{Image label|x=510|y=900|scale=530/1180|text='''Huangling County'''}} {{Image label|x=760|y=150|scale=530/1180|text='''Zichang {{small|(city)}}'''}} {{Image label end}} </div> |- ! Name ! Hanzi ! Hanyu Pinyin ! Population (2019)<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=4–6}} ! Area (km2)<ref name=":2" /> ! Density (/km2) |- |Baota District |{{lang|zh-hans|宝塔区}} |Bǎotǎ Qū |497,100 |3,537.6 |140.52 |- |Ansai District |{{lang|zh-hans|安塞区}} |Ānsài Qū |177,600 |2,951.3 |60.18 |- |Zichang City |{{lang|zh-hans|子长市}} |Zǐcháng Shì |219,400 |2,393.4 |91.67 |- |Yanchang County |{{lang|zh-hans|延长县}} |Yáncháng Xiàn |127,900 |2,361.6 |54.16 |- |Yanchuan County |{{lang|zh-hans|延川县}} |Yánchuān Xiàn |170,100 |1,986.5 |85.63 |- |Zhidan County |{{lang|zh-hans|志丹县}} |Zhìdān Xiàn |145,800 |3,790.2 |38.47 |- |Wuqi County |{{lang|zh-hans|吴起县}} |Wúqǐ Xiàn |152,600 |3,788.5 |40.28 |- |Ganquan County |{{lang|zh-hans|甘泉县}} |Gānquán Xiàn |79,100 |2,276.1 |34.75 |- |Fu County |{{lang|zh-hans|富县}} |Fù Xiàn |156,800 |4,179.9 |37.51 |- |Luochuan County |{{lang|zh-hans|洛川县}} |Luòchuān Xiàn |228,200 |1,791.3 |127.39 |- |Yichuan County |{{lang|zh-hans|宜川县}} |Yíchuān Xiàn |121,500 |2,937.2 |41.37 |- |Huanglong County |{{lang|zh-hans|黄龙县}} |Huánglóng Xiàn |49,200 |2,751.0 |17.88 |- |Huangling County |{{lang|zh-hans|黄陵县}} |Huánglíng Xiàn |130,400 |2,286.7 |57.03 |}

== Demographics == As of 2019, Yan'an has approximately 2,255,700 permanent residents, a slight decrease from the 2,259,400 recorded in 2018.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=4–5}} As of 2019, there are 2,336,587 people with a Yan'an hukou registration.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=4–7}} This discrepancy reflects China's system of internal migration, as many hukou holders in more rural areas migrate to larger and more developed cities.

Approximately 674,700 people lived in Yan'an's two districts (Baota and Ansai) as of 2019.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=4–6}}

=== Vital statistics === In 2019, Yan'an recorded a birth rate of 9.80‰ (per thousand), and a death rate of 5.97‰, giving the city a rate of natural increase of 3.83‰.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=4–5}} This is a slight decrease from 2018, when the rate of natural increase was 4.30‰.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=4–5}}

=== Ethnic groups === Nearly all of Yan'an's population is ethnically Han Chinese.<ref name=":11" /> There are 6,000 people in Yan'an who belong to 34 different ethnic minority groups, of which, the majority are Hui.<ref name=":11" />

=== Language === Three Chinese linguistic varieties are widely spoken in Yan'an: the Shaanbei dialect of Jin Chinese, the {{Interlanguage link|Qin-Long dialect|zh|秦陇片}} of Central Plains Mandarin, and the Guanzhong dialect of Central Plains Mandarin.<ref name=":11" /> Within the Shaanbei dialect, the Zhi-Yan dialect is spoken throughout much of Yan'an.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title= |script-title=zh:第一节特点分布 |trans-title=Part One: Distribution of features |url=http://dfz.shaanxi.gov.cn/sqzlk/xbsxz/sxdel/yas_16203/btqz_2/202104/t20210408_966986.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116211807/http://dfz.shaanxi.gov.cn/sqzlk/xbsxz/sxdel/yas_16203/btqz_2/202104/t20210408_966986.html |archive-date=2023-01-16 |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=dfz.shaanxi.gov.cn |publisher=Shaanxi Provincial People's Government |language=zh}}</ref>

=== Income === In 2019, urban households earned an average disposable income of 34,888 RMB, an 8.3% increase from the previous year.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=10–2}} Rural households earned a lower average of 11,876 RMB, reflecting a 10.1% increase from the previous year.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=10–2}}

== Economy == [[File:延安新区的建筑.jpg|thumb|Buildings in Baota District]] Like much of China, Yan'an's economy has rapidly developed in the 21st century. Yan'an's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019 stood at 166.389 billion RMB, more than ten times its GDP in 2000, which stood at just 13.063 billion RMB.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–12}} Yan'an recorded a 6.7% increase to GDP in 2019, down from the 8.9% growth recorded in 2018, and below the peak of 19.6% annual GDP growth the city achieved in 2004.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–13}} The GDP per capita of Yan'an totals 73,703 RMB as of 2019,<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–12}} a 6.9% increase from the previous year.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–13}} Of Yan'an's county-level divisions, Baota District recorded the largest GDP in 2019, totaling 36.391 billion RMB.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–15}} Baota District is followed by Luochuan County and Huangling County, which recorded economic outputs totaling 24.387 billion and 18.593 billion RMB, respectively.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–15}} Yan'an is largely reliant on its secondary sector, which comprises the majority of its GDP as of 2019.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–12}} {| class="wikitable" |+GDP Composition of Yan'an (2019) !Sector !2019 Value (RMB)<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–12}} !Percent of Total GDP<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–12}} !Annual growth<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–13}} |- |Primary Sector |14.933 billion |8.975% | +5.2% |- |Secondary Sector |99.985 billion |60.091% | +6.5% |- |Tertiary Sector |51.471 billion |30.934% | +7.6% |- |'''Total GDP''' |'''166.389 billion''' |'''100.000%''' | '''+6.7%''' |}

=== Agriculture === [[File:宝塔延河 2.jpg|thumb|The Yan River in Baota District]] As of 2019, the city's output in the fields of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishing totals 26.107 billion RMB.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12–4}} Of this, farming accounted for 21.798 billion RMB, animal husbandry accounted for 2.987 billion RMB, forestry accounted for 621.17 million RMB, fishing accounted for 72.82 million RMB, and agricultural services accounted for 628.32 million RMB.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12–4}}

The total area of Yan'an's farmland in 2019 is 183.30 thousand hectares, of which, 72.79 thousand hectares are used for growing maize.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12-11}} Sizable tracts of land in Yan'an are also used to grow vegetables and soybeans.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12–4}} Yan'an has the second largest cotton production out of all the prefecture-level cities in Shaanxi, behind just Weinan.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12–13}} The city also grows a large amount of rapeseeds,<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12–13}} peanuts,<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12–13}} apples,<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12–18}} jujubes,<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12–18}} and apricots.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12–18}} Yan'an is also the second largest honey producer in Shaanxi, behind Hanzhong.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=12–24}}

=== Industry === As of 2019, the city's industrial output is worth 96.510 billion RMB,<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–12}} a 6.4% increase from the previous year at constant prices.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=3–13}} In 2018, the petroleum industry alone accounted for 54.419 billion RMB of output.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=|script-title=zh:延安市2018年国民经济和社会发展统计公报|trans-title=Yan'an 2018 Economic and Social Development Annual Report|url=https://www.cnstats.org/tjgb/201904/yasyas-2018-fkg.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815022658/https://www.cnstats.org/tjgb/201904/yasyas-2018-fkg.html|archive-date=2020-08-15|access-date=2021-05-14|website=www.cnstats.org|language=zh}}</ref> In addition to oil and natural gas, major industries in the city include coal mining, power generation, and cigarette production.<ref name=":0" />

==== Petroleum industry ==== Yan'an is a major oil and gas center in China.<ref name=":4" /> In 2018, 15,292,400 tons of crude oil were extracted from the city.<ref name=":0" /> Of this, 8,565,800 tons were extracted by Yanchang Petroleum, and the remaining 6,726,600 tons were extracted as part of CNPC's Changqing Oil Field.<ref name=":0" /> The Changqing Oil Field, part of the wider Ordos basin, one of China's main petroleum-producing regions, has been home to oil extraction since the early 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Changqing Oil & Gas Province|url=https://www.cnpc.com.cn/en/operatediol/201405/ef43c204435d4db3bcd7852514f79269.shtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128021957/http://www.cnpc.com.cn/en/operatediol/201405/ef43c204435d4db3bcd7852514f79269.shtml|archive-date=2021-01-28|access-date=2021-05-14|website=cnpc.com.cn|publisher=China National Petroleum Corporation}}</ref>

=== Retail === The total retail sales of consumer goods in Yan'an totaled 41.113 billion RMB in 2019.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=16-5}} The majority of these retail sales took place in Baota District, which recorded 24.000 billion RMB of sales that year.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=16-5}}

== Culture == Yan'an's culture is more broadly part of the Shaanbei culture that exists throughout northern Shaanxi. The area has unique traditional music, which often incorporates the use of waist drums, most notably those from Ansai District.<ref name=":11" /> The area also unique traditional paper cutting crafts.<ref name=":11" /> Yaodong, cave dwellings indigenous to the Loess Plateau, are also indigenous to the wider northern Shaanxi region.<ref name=":11" />

The Erdao Street Night Market ({{Lang-zh|c=二道街夜市|p=Èrdào Jiē Yèshì}}) is a street market in Baota District which features many of the hallmarks of Shaanbei culture, including local cuisine, décor, and folk music.<ref name=":3" />

== Tourism == thumb|A scene at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall The city is a major center for red tourism in China, with facilities such as the Yan'an Revolution Memorial Hall attracting Chinese citizens and Communist Party cadres seeking to learn more about the Party's history.<ref name=":4" /> Red tourism to Yan'an significantly increased in the years following CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping's 2015 visit, with 40.25 million tourist visits in 2016 and 73.08 million tourist visits in 2019.<ref name=":Hou">{{Cite book |last=Hou |first=Xiaojia |title=China under Xi Jinping: A New Assessment |publisher=Leiden University Press |year=2024 |isbn=978-90-8728-441-1 |editor-last=Fang |editor-first=Qiang |chapter=China's Shift to Personalistic Rule: Xi Jinping's Centralization of Political Power |editor-last2=Li |editor-first2=Xiaobing}}</ref>{{Rp|page=89}}

In 2021, the development project Golden Yan'an opened as part of the Holy Land Valley Cultural Tourism Industrial Park.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Lin |first=Chunfeng |title=Red Tourism in China: Commodification of Propaganda |publisher=Routledge |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-032-13960-9}}</ref>{{Rp|page=1}} This tourist town is branded as the "new landmark of Red Tourism in China" and features old-fashioned Chinese streets and shops in the style of the 1930s Yan'an Soviet.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=1–2}} The major attraction of Golden Yan'an is "The Ode of Yan'an" nightlight show.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=2}} The free show depicts a series of historical moments from the Communist Party's Yan'an period presented with a light show on the mountains and an audio-visual projection on Baota Mountain.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=2}}Yan'an Red Street uses red culture-themed stories to connect the soul of the entire neighborhood. In addition, unlike other tourist attractions, Yan'an Red Street has created many innovative interactive experiential projects, allowing tourists to experience a Red Street journey that integrates body and soul.<ref>{{Cite web |title=延安红街是红色旅游的增量创新-新华网 |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/travel/20210716/73837dfaf6864022a69da009bfe4726b/c.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=www.xinhuanet.com}}</ref>

Shortly before the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party, Yan'an launched the "Red Stars Flying Me to Yan'an from Thirteen Cities" imitative, which sought to promote tourism to Yan'an for the study of revolutionary history, including with drastically reduced airfare.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=1}}

==Transportation== *Yan'an Nanniwan Airport *G2211 Changyan Expressway *G65 Baotou–Maoming Expressway *China National Highway 210

== Education == [[File:中国抗日军政大学旧址.jpg|thumb|Site of Counter-Japanese Military and Political University]] Yan'an is home to 251 standard primary schools and 112 standard secondary schools, enrolling 218,100 and 129,900 students, respectively.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnstats.org/tjgb/201904/yasyas-2018-fkg_3.html|script-title=zh:延安市2018年国民经济和社会发展统计公报_中国统计信息网|website=www.cnstats.org|access-date=2020-04-19|archive-date=2020-08-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815022725/https://www.cnstats.org/tjgb/201904/yasyas-2018-fkg_3.html}}</ref> The city also has 556 kindergartens, enrolling 119,500 students. The city also has 5 special education schools, serving 372 disabled students.<ref name=":1" /> As of 2019, Yan'an has 13 public libraries.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=18–19}}

=== Notable educational institutions ===

*Yan'an University *China Yan'an Executive Leadership Academy *Yan'an Middle School<ref>{{Cite web |title=延安中学 - 陕西教育信息网 |url=http://www.snedunews.cn/school/110.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=www.snedunews.cn}}</ref>

== Healthcare == Yan'an is home to 2,631 healthcare institutions as of 2019, which contain 14,560 medical beds, and are staffed by 24,298 employees.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp||page=19-7}}

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons}} {{Wiktionary|Yan'an|Yanan|Yenan|Yen-an}} {{Wikivoyage|Yan'an}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20000819135240/http://yanan.gov.cn/ Official website of Yan'an Government] *[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/652905/Yanan Yan'an (China) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia]

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Category:Yan'an Category:Cities in Shaanxi Category:Prefecture-level divisions of Shaanxi Category:National Famous Historical and Cultural City