Daye () is a county-level city in eastern Hubei province, China. It is under the administration of the Huangshi prefecture-level city.
As it is usually the case with county-level cities, Daye includes both an urban core and a fair amount of rural land in all directions, with smaller townships (zhen) such as Dajipu (). As of 2017, Daye spans an area of , and has a population of about 1,014,000 residents. The city is made up of 18 township-level divisions.
The Daye Lake south of Daye's urban core is surrounded by parks and fishing ponds, and is a popular place for recreation.
For a traveler who goes on G316 from Wuhan toward the south-east, Daye appears as a border between the more urban and more rural parts of the province. Daye sits on the south-eastern border of the heavily industrialized Wuhan/Ezhou/Huangshi metropolitan area; south of it, the much more rural Yangxin County begins.
Toponymy
The city's name means "great smelter" (大冶), referencing the metal smelting which took place in the area dating back to the Tang dynasty.
History
During the Yin and Shang dynasties, the area of present-day Daye belonged to the ancient province of Jingzhou.
In 887 BCE, the area was incorporated as part of the Chu state.
During the Qin dynasty, the area belonged to the Nan Commandery as .
In the Han dynasty, E County was transferred to Jiangxia Commandery, where the area remained until the Three Kingdoms period, when it was transferred to .
During the Tang dynasty, the area of present-day Daye was governed by , which it remained under until the Yuan dynasty. It was during the Tang dynasty that historical records suggest metal smelting began in the area.
Daye gained great importance during the 1890s, when the city began producing iron en masse for the nascent Chinese railroad industry, a major hub of which was located shortly down the Yangtze River in Hankou. Despite the struggles of various mines and enterprises in Daye from the 1890s onwards through the early 20th century, Daye benefitted from its status as China's only major iron mining area. By the 1930s, this status was eroded by large-scale iron production in Japanese-occupied Manchuria.
As recently as the World War II period, Daye included much of today's prefecture-level city of Huangshi. This means that pre-1949 references to a location in "Daye" or "Tayeh" may refer to anywhere within today's Huangshi.
People's Republic of China
Daye was taken by the People's Liberation Army in May 1949, and the area was re-organized as in October the same year.
Daye Prefecture was abolished in 1952, and merged into , and in 1959, Daye County was abolished and merged into the city of Huangshi. During the 1950s, the area began producing steel, and began producing much iron and steel to be used in the nearby industrial hub of Wuhan.
Daye County was re-established in June, 1962, as part of Huangshi. On February 18, 1994 the State Council approved the conversion of Daye into a county-level city, which went into effect on January 1, 1995.
Geography
Daye is located to the north of the Mufu Mountains, and has a largely hilly terrain. Daye's lowest point is above sea level, and the city's highest point is above sea level, although most of the city's terrain is between to above sea level.
Daye is also home to many swamps, rivers, and lakes.
Climate
Daye has a humid subtropical climate, with distinct temperature changes and dry and wet seasons. The city's average annual temperature is , with July being its hottest month with an average temperature of , and January being its coldest month with an average temperature of . The city experiences an average annual precipitation of , and averages 139.7 days with precipitation per year.
Administrative divisions
As of 2020, Daye administers 5 subdistricts, 10 towns, 1 township, and 2 other township-level divisions.
Subdistricts
The city's 5 subdistricts are , , , , and .
Towns
The city's 10 towns are , , , , , , , , , and .
Townships
The city's sole township is .
Other township-level divisions
The city also administers the Dongfeng Farm Management Area () and the Siguzha Management Department ().
Demographics
Daye's population is largely Han Chinese, with just 830 residents belonging to China's recognized ethnic minorities. These ethnic minorities comprise 27 different ethnic groups, with major ethnicities being the Tujia, Zhuang, Manchu, Miao and Hui people. In recent years, many ethnic minorities have moved to Daye seeking economic opportunities, and thus, largely reside in the city's urban areas.