Bama Yao Autonomous County

Bama County
巴马县 · Bahmaj Yen
巴马瑶族自治县
Bahmaj Yauzcuz Swciyen
Bama Yao Autonomous County
Bama is located in Guangxi
Bama
Bama
Location of the seat in Guangxi
Coordinates: 24°08′31″N 107°15′32″E
Country People's Republic of China
Autonomous region Guangxi
Prefecture-level city Hechi
Township-level divisions 1 towns
9 townships
County seat Bama Town
Area
 • Total 1,966 km2 (759 sq mi)
Elevation
230 m (750 ft)
Population
 (2007)
 • Total 251,000
 • Density 130/km2 (330/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+8 (China Standard)

Bama Yao Autonomous County (Zhuang: Bahmax Yauzcuz Swci Yen,simplified Chinese: 巴马瑶族自治县; traditional Chinese: 巴馬瑤族自治縣; pinyin: Bāmǎ Yáozú Zìzhìxiàn) is a county in Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of Hechi City. The residents of Bama County have a reputation for longevity, and Bama has been the focus of studies from geriatricians nationwide.

History

In 1929, Bama County was part of a short-lived soviet led by Deng Xiaoping.

The county is famous for its large number of centenarians. Longevity in Bama County has been associated with cleanliness of the air and water, simplicity of life, and the lack of meat in the typical diet.

Bama County, like the province it is a part of, is a historically poor county. It is now becoming a major destination for health tourism within China, resulting in increasing economic opportunities.

Administrative divisions

There is 1 town and 9 townships in the county:

The only town is Bama.

Townships:

Demographics

The Yao people of Bama County consist of the following three subgroups.

  • Bunu (布努): in Dongshan (东山乡)
  • Nuomang (诺芒): in Suolüe (所略乡) and Yandong (燕洞乡)
  • Nuonuo (诺诺): in remaining townships

Climate

Climate data for Bama (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 29.8
(85.6)
34.8
(94.6)
36.6
(97.9)
39.2
(102.6)
38.1
(100.6)
37.2
(99.0)
38.2
(100.8)
39.0
(102.2)
38.9
(102.0)
34.9
(94.8)
32.3
(90.1)
30.8
(87.4)
39.2
(102.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 16.3
(61.3)
18.9
(66.0)
22.2
(72.0)
27.2
(81.0)
30.2
(86.4)
31.7
(89.1)
32.6
(90.7)
33.0
(91.4)
31.3
(88.3)
27.6
(81.7)
23.6
(74.5)
18.8
(65.8)
26.1
(79.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.0
(53.6)
14.3
(57.7)
17.5
(63.5)
22.1
(71.8)
25.0
(77.0)
26.8
(80.2)
27.3
(81.1)
27.0
(80.6)
25.1
(77.2)
21.6
(70.9)
17.5
(63.5)
13.1
(55.6)
20.8
(69.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 9.2
(48.6)
11.2
(52.2)
14.4
(57.9)
18.6
(65.5)
21.5
(70.7)
23.6
(74.5)
24.1
(75.4)
23.6
(74.5)
21.5
(70.7)
18.1
(64.6)
13.9
(57.0)
9.7
(49.5)
17.5
(63.4)
Record low °C (°F) −1.6
(29.1)
0.3
(32.5)
2.0
(35.6)
8.2
(46.8)
10.8
(51.4)
14.5
(58.1)
17.7
(63.9)
19.5
(67.1)
12.9
(55.2)
6.8
(44.2)
1.5
(34.7)
−2.3
(27.9)
−2.3
(27.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 34.7
(1.37)
27.7
(1.09)
50.9
(2.00)
88.2
(3.47)
222.2
(8.75)
351.6
(13.84)
284.0
(11.18)
209.7
(8.26)
120.1
(4.73)
88.5
(3.48)
48.7
(1.92)
29.7
(1.17)
1,556
(61.26)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 10.6 9.5 12.3 13.2 15.3 18.4 18.5 16.0 10.2 9.2 8.2 7.3 148.7
Average snowy days 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 0.2
Average relative humidity (%) 77 76 77 78 80 84 84 84 82 81 80 77 80
Mean monthly sunshine hours 55.2 62.1 70.0 108.5 139.8 129.8 168.3 191.3 171.6 135.0 119.9 96.6 1,448.1
Percent possible sunshine 17 19 19 28 34 32 40 48 47 38 37 29 32
Source: China Meteorological Administration